Spring break on a budget
It’s coming soon, the week you’ve been waiting for – Spring Break. If there’s any big lesson you’ve learned so far in college, it’s that money doesn’t grow on trees. Fortunately, most of your friends are probably in the same boat and you all want to plan a cheap, safe, and fun trip for this coming March. Traveling together and sharing lodging can reduce some of your costs. Here are some ideas for a cost-effective spring break trip, whether you’re looking to ski in the mountains, bum it on the beach, or anything in between. For each activity or destination, you will find cost estimates for housing and things to do in the area.
Mountain Men
I grew up skiing and one of my favorite places to do it is Ruidoso, New Mexico. It is fairly easy to find a cheap Airbnb here and with a quick google search I found several that sleep six guests for a little over $100 a night. Whether you’re a skier or boarder, you can purchase lift tickets for Ski Apache for about $60-70, or discounted if you get a 2-day pass. If you need to rent skis, you can usually do so for about $25 a day. All in all, you can stay in Ruidoso for 3-4 nights and ski for 2 days for around $250, plus the cost of food.
Beach Bums
A favorite beach location of mine is Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. You can stay in an oceanfront apartment that sleeps 10 at a place like Camelot by the Sea for about $115 a night, which isn’t so bad split between 10 people. Besides just going to the beach, there are other attractions like Family Kingdom Amusement and Water Park with entry wristbands costing around $20-30 for the day. At night, you can make your way to Señor Frogs, a hotspot restaurant for spring breakers. A week at Myrtle Beach would cost you about $200, depending on what you decide to do!
Camping Companions
If you love floating the river and camping like I do, then the Guadalupe River is the place to be. In San Marcos, I found a campground called Don’s Fish Camp, where you can camp and rent a tube to float the Guadalupe for $32 per person per day. You probably have a sleeping bag somewhere in your house at home, but if not, you can easily get one at a sports store along with a tent to sleep in. Or see if anyone has equipment you can borrow. To camp and float the river for 3 days would cost around $200 for this nice location.
City Slickers
Finally, I have a trip for the people who love city life. One city I think everyone should visit is Seattle, Washington. To stay in a hotel in downtown with 4 people, you find listings that are mostly around $200 a night. There are so many places to sight-see, like the Museum of Pop Culture, which sells tickets for around $25. There are also lots of amazing restaurants and such fun energy in the Pike Place Market. After staying 4 nights at a typical hotel and doing activities in Seattle, I would expect the average person to spend around $300.
During these four years, we all work so hard as students to achieve our goals and create a future for ourselves, but sometimes it just gets overwhelming. When your much-needed break comes during the spring semester, make the most of it and spend it with the people you love, without breaking the bank. I hope you found an idea in this blog that suits you and you are able to make some lasting memories during the best years of your life in college. Before you know it, it will be your last one!
About the author
Abby Williams
Abby Williams is studying to get her bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from Texas Tech University, and later hopes to get her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. In her free time, she loves spending time with friends and family, cooking, reading, and listening to music. She is a Chi Omega at Texas Tech and loves her sorority because she gets to work with Make-A-Wish America. She enjoys being a Pearson Campus Ambassador on her campus.
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