How To Make Your Vacation Pay For Itself

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Travel is one of those expenses that people often white knuckle their way through paying for the inevitable pleasure of getting to relax. But what if you didn’t have to pay through the nose for a great vacation?

Some travel experts have figured out hacks to make vacations essentially pay for themselves.

While not every option on here may work for you, it’s a great way to start thinking outside the box when it comes to paying for travel.

Points and Miles

Lisa Emmerman, a travel expert and the founder of Wild Poppy Travels, has traveled to more than 33 countries, including an entire trip around the globe. Her strategy is to use points and miles as much as possible.

“My proudest points and miles trip was a four-day trip to the Maldives. I completed this entire trip for $100 by using points and miles for my flight and hotel,” she shared. 

Book What’s Free

Emmerman always makes sure to find free amenities at her hotels, such as free breakfast and free beach items like chairs, so she doesn’t have to spend money on rentals. 

Research, Research, Research

Emmerman researches her trips “extensively” before visiting. With her trip to the Maldives, she learned that by staying on a “locals” island, rather than at a resort, she could reduce her spending greatly. Because the Maldives is a strict Muslim country, and as such, alcohol is prohibited (unless you’re at a private resort), she added that “not spending money on alcohol also helped save money on this trip.”

Combine a Personal and Professional Passion

People have long pursued vacations that speak to their passions, but there are ways to do so to pay for a vacation, according to Janice Costa, owner and founder of Canine Camp Getaway. 

“At our Canine Camp Getaway vacations, we have had dog trainers attend our vacation events and use it as a tax deduction since we offer a wide variety of training opportunities, classes and instruction. We had a hospital administrator get a grant to attend our camp… We had a vet tech receive financial help from her hospital to attend our camp since she would be completing Pet First Aid and Canine CPR certification there.”

She said that the same theory can be used in other fields to pay for (or at least financially justify) a passion-inspired vacation that relates to your profession. 

“A physical education teacher could go to a fantasy baseball camp and use that training to better inform his or her teaching methods. An editor could look at a book lovers cruise as an opportunity to connect with authors, up-and-coming novelists and readers. A game-loving executive recruiter in the tech/gaming arena could attend PAX West or a similar gaming conference and use it as a chance to meet, greet and find future recruiting prospects while enjoying a fun vacation,” she explained.

Travel Writing or Blogging

Though not everyone is a professional writer who can utilize this skillset to get paid to travel, travel blogging is still happening, Costa pointed out. 

“There are more and more online publications that accept first-person stories about unique vacation experiences, and while this may not amount to a free vacation, it could potentially offset some of the costs,” she said.

Pay For Play

While “pay for play” vacations seem to be less common than in years past, people with unique skills may find ways to trade out professional services for a dream vacation, Costa said. 

“Consider what skills you have that might be valuable to another company,” Costa said. She gave examples such as:

• A web designer looking to vacation at an off-the-beaten track beach locale. Instead of staying at a big name hotel, look for a smaller, single-location hotel with a DIY website that could benefit from your skills.
• Attend an event that sells sponsorships to companies in your field. Hook them up with potential sponsors through your own professional contacts in exchange for a free or reduced fare stay.
• Offset the costs of a fun conference by helping with set up/break down, writing press releases for the organization or providing some kind of entertainment — maybe a demo or something else that would draw traffic.
• Bartering. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.

Group Discounts 

Finally, if you’re a social butterfly and love to travel with friends, consider asking if your vacation of choice will give you a discount or free trip for bringing a large group, Costa said. 

“Especially if you’re hitting a destination’s slow season, you may be able to cut a deal where you go for free, or a significantly discounted rate, if you bring a group of 10.”

Become a Remote Worker

If you’ve been considering the remote work life, this is a potentially great way to combine work and vacation.

Alley Keosheyan, a staff writer and social media consultant with Grand Circle Media, has an internet-based day job that enables her to travel. “All I need is a laptop and a good Wi-Fi connection in order to make money while traveling. I’m an early riser, so logging a couple of hours’ work at the hotel or campground before hitting the road for the next leg of my journey is easy.”

By night, Keosheyan is a working musician who always brings a bare-bones stage set up (guitar, amplifier, microphone, speaker, music stand) on vacation with her. 

Then, at her destination, she visits local bars, restaurants, service clubs and other establishments that might enjoy having live music. 

“More often than not, I am able to pick up a few gigs in this manner, which makes a significant dent in the cost of my travels and sometimes earns me a repeat customer.”

Anything of this nature requires careful saving of receipts, tracking of mileage and other related expenses and the like, so you can write them off on your taxes. 

With some creative solutions, you might just be able to take your next vacation for little to nothing.

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