Taking a vacation doesn’t have to cost every last cent you have saved, (or every last dollar you can charge on a credit card), spending a little time researching online deal, and planning ahead can save you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.

Planning ahead but remaining flexible is probably the best way to save on vacation costs.

Cruises, airfare, hotel accommodations, tickets for theme parks and many other vacation related expenditures sometimes cost 20%, 30% or even 100% more when you book them at the last minute. On the other hand, there are some great last minute deals.

Do as much research online as you can. Here are some questions you can ask yourself before you start:

Does your vacation have to occur at a predetermined time? (e.g.- if you work ful ltime and must schedule your vacation time and can’t easily change plans at the last minute, the answer is “yes”… If you have a boss who understands that if since you found a deal for a cruise at 50% off what it normally costs — but you have to leave in 48 hours — and the boss is cool with that, you can answer “no”).

Do you care exactly where you go for vacation? (If you have always wanted to see New England in the Fall, and that’s the only type of vacation you want to take, then answer “yes”. If you see a travel deal for a week of kayaking and snorkeling in the Florida Keys or a week watching the Iditarod in Alaska, and you open to whichever one is the best deal — answer “no”).

Once you figure out when and where — the next thing to do is shop! Comparing airfares, hotel rates or “package deal” for the same week, in the same location makes it easy to spot the best deal. If the prices are close from two different companies, maybe one includes first-class travel or complimentary tickets to local attractions. You work hard to earn your money — time spent bargaining for the best vacation package deal will save more per hour than most people earn! Check for reviews from real people.

If you’re surfing the net researching vacations, adventure travel, low cost airfares or cruises, please share any PROMO CODES or other discounts you discover.