Money Monday: 6 Summer Vacation Money Tips

Strategies for finding savings on your summer trips.

School's Out! - Summer may be big fun, but studies show that most students lose the equivalent of two months of math and reading skills during their beak from school. Here are some fun ways to keep your kids’ minds sharp from now until fall. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel(Photo: Grady Reese/Getty Images)

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Get Ready for Summer - With summer right around the corner it’s time to start thinking about travel deals. Whether your budget is limited, endless or somewhere in between, here are six tips to keep in mind as you shop around for airfare, hotel accommodations, rental cars and/or sightseeing tours. — Bridget McCrea(Photo: Grady Reese/Getty Images)

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Don’t Blow Your Budget - Just because Uncle Sam wrote you a nice refund check this year doesn’t mean you should use it to book that trip to Paris. Take a close look at your finances and your travel options and find a midpoint between the two before logging on to Travelocity. That will leave you some money for your rainy day fund and some for spending on vacation.(Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images)

Take an educational vacation. - Will your oldest be exploring geology in the fall? Spending some time at the Grand Canyon might be in order. Is she in love with animation? Make Disney’s Animation History workshop a part of a trip to Orlando. (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)

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Drive Instead of Flying - With airfares climbing, think about a trip to the nearest seashore, theme park or mountain respite instead of spending oodles on airfare and a car rental. Be sure to factor in the cost of your hotel (the base rate + taxes and fees), fuel (for the trip and while you’re there), food, excursions and incidentals.(Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)

Export Your Career - Although we always hear about the tide of migration moving toward the United States, there’s no reason you can’t buck the trend and take your skills abroad. Using a BBC report on global migrants, BET.com has compiled some of the most likely careers that will take you from regular employee to expat. — Naeesa Aziz (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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If You Have to Fly, Do It When No One Else Does - If you can possibly avoid flying on Friday, over the weekend or on Monday, by all means do it. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the cheapest days to fly. (Hint: early mornings and those late-night red-eye flights are generally less popular and more affordable.)(Photo: Image Source/Getty Images)

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Start Your Vacation Shopping Online - Use Kayak, Travelocity, Expedia and other sites to shop around for vacation deals. Experiment with "breaking up" your packages instead of buying them all from one source. For example, a hotel-and-airfare deal on Travelocity combined with a rental car from Hotwire may turn out to be cheaper than if you purchased the whole package from one source.(Photo: mother image/Getty Images)

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Check Out Hotels’ Direct Websites for Deals - The national travel aggregators (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, etc.) would like you to believe that they offer the best possible deals, but the reality is that hotels often post even better prices and/or packages on their own websites. Before you hit "buy now" on that package deal through an aggregator, be sure to check out the hotel’s website first.(Photo: OJO Images/Getty Images)

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Check Out Hotels’ Direct Websites for Deals - The national travel aggregators (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, etc.) would like you to believe that they offer the best possible deals, but the reality is that hotels often post even better prices and/or packages on their own websites. Before you hit "buy now" on that package deal through an aggregator, be sure to check out the hotel’s website first.(Photo: OJO Images/Getty Images)

Don’t Despair If a Far-Off Destination Isn’t in the Cards - The economic conditions and job market have hit Americans squarely in the wallet. However, with a little creativity and elbow grease, you can find terrific vacation spots (even just one-day trips) that are within range both financially and geographically. This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and is subject to change. Since each individual’s financial situation is unique, you need to review your financial objectives to determine which approaches might work best for you.(Photo: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Rennie Solis/Getty Images)

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Don’t Despair If a Far-Off Destination Isn’t in the Cards - The economic conditions and job market have hit Americans squarely in the wallet. However, with a little creativity and elbow grease, you can find terrific vacation spots (even just one-day trips) that are within range both financially and geographically. This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and is subject to change. Since each individual’s financial situation is unique, you need to review your financial objectives to determine which approaches might work best for you.(Photo: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Rennie Solis/Getty Images)