During the many years we’ve been married, there have been a
lot of sacrifices we’ve had to make for our family. We don’t drive expensive
cars. We are more likely to eat at home
than take our family out to dinner. We often
shop at discounts stores. We hardly ever
took vacations because they always seemed so expensive and there was always a
“Next Emergency” to save for such as doctor bills, car repairs, or braces. I
have never regretted these decisions. As
our children grew older, we were determined to find ways to take vacations
without taking out another mortgage. Our
first attempt came a few years ago when we decided to take the family on
vacation to California and specifically Disneyland. We saved for two full years,
taking money out of every paycheck and putting it into a special savings
account just for vacations. Every week we marked off the amount we had placed
in savings on a chart we created with our children. We cut costs on the trip by
staying with family, paying for a few favorite activities, and then filling in
the rest of the days with free trips to the beach and historical sites. We made
our own meals, eating out only one meal per day. Best of all, we all had a fabulous time.
With this success behind us, we started looking for an
opportunity for my husband Mark and I to vacation together. We started saving
again, but we knew this would have to be a shorter trip due to needing to get
back to our family. Like our family’s
vacation, we knew the most economical way to vacation would be to find a way to
have some of our costs covered. Our
first opportunity for a
couple’s vacation came when Mark was asked to take a
business trip to Berlin, Germany.
Business Trips or
Vacation: Mark’s company was hosting a five day conference in Berlin. Business trips are a great way for couples to
have a little time together at a discounted price. In our case, Mark’s plane
ticket, hotel and meals were covered for the time he was there. With frequent
flyer miles, I was able to join him for a small fee. Our breakfast was provided
by the hotel, which only left lunch and dinner costs for me.
Unlike most vacations, I did not conduct a lot of research
before arriving in the city. Therefore we sought the advice of our cab driver
and hotel staff for our first excursion. We quickly learned we were located
within walking distance of several historical sites. On our first day we walked
to “Check Point Charlie” (the check point between the Russian and American
occupied parts of Berlin). We discovered
remnants of the Berlin wall and explored museums. We walked along the River Havel and across the
bridge where lovers had placed locks to symbolizing their immovable love for
each other.
On day two Mark and I set out early. His conference started
that evening, so we waited in line for tickets to take the tour to the top of
the Parliament building. We also took a
guided tour of a museum and enjoyed delicious food.
Over the next few days Mark was in meetings, so I was free
to play tourist. I signed up for two days of bus tours, which allowed me to
travel around the city and exit the tour bus when I saw something that
interested me.
In the evenings Mark and I would meet up for dinner. I would
tell him about what I had discovered and he would talk to me about the people
he met from around the world that were also attending the conference. We would
make plans for what we wanted to see together and share our adventurous hearts
with one another.
One of my favorite spots was a huge courtyard on Museum
Island. I had discovered it while traveling around the city on a bus tour. The
next day I stopped there and enjoyed a book at a little café while sipping a
cup of cocoa. It was an ideal moment and I longed to bring Mark back there. On the following day we set out as soon as
Mark was free and enjoyed a good walk to the courtyard. Along the way I pointed
out some of the places and history I had learned on my tours. We even stopped
at a Ritter Sport Chocolate Bar Factory and made custom chocolates to bring
back to our children. When we finally made it to my courtyard I was able to
show Mark its beauty.
Berlin is truly one
of the most beautiful cities I have ever enjoyed. The people, food and history
were astounding. Mark and I were moved by the raw, honest emotion of the
Holocaust sites and then blown away by the beauty of the gardens, buildings and
kindness of the people.
Our journey was filled with wonder and our love and
appreciation for these people was heightened. We created a shared history that united
us and had many moments to recall with enthusiasm and joy. We took a piece of
Berlin home with us and life in Texas has never been better.
Cost Cutting Ideas:
Whether your vacation is across the Atlantic or a few miles up the road, here
are 10 things you can do to help have a great time without breaking the bank.
1. Set a budget for your trip and stick to it. This will
help you decide if that exhibit or souvenir is worth the cost or if you should just
take a photo and keep looking.
2. If you travel overseas, know the exchange rates and what
your bank charges for ATM fees. We
purchased a prepaid credit card with we loaded each with the allotted funds for
the day.
3. Turn a business trip into a vacation by adding a day or
two. We had one day before and after the conference. Catching the first flight
in and the last flight out can help pad some extra tourist time. On our last day, I showed Mark all my
favorite spots and we explored the Jewish Holocaust Museum.
4. Eat free breakfast provided at your hotel. If breakfast
is not included, consider eating at a small café or picking up something at a
grocery store. Every meal you fix
yourself is a win for keeping costs down.
5. Enjoy small cafes or sandwich shops rather than big
expensive restaurants. I discovered the best Kebab shop right around the corner
from our hotel and it became my favorite lunch while in Berlin.
6. Ask the hotel for discounts or coupons for local tours
and attractions. I received a voucher for two days for the price of one on my
bus tour. The tour came with either a guide who spoke English or a headset that
talked about all the historical sites we were near.
7. Walk. Our hotel offered
a map of the surrounding area. It was also located in a central location to
many historical sites. We were able to walk to most of the sites we wanted to
see. It was great exercise and we
weren’t rushed to catch a bus or struggling to find a taxi.
8. Enjoy parks, free exhibits, and architecture. Look for non-tourist sites and ask locals
what they like to do. I made friends with one of my guides and even a Taxi
driver. They were full of helpful information.
9. Bring a water bottle with you. Drinks are expensive! Having a water bottle helps give keep you
moving without having to fork out 3 Euros every other stop.
10. If you have children, ask a grandparent or close friend
to stay at your place. This way kids can stay on track and you can save the
cost of a sitter.
Happy traveling!
