I vacationed in Cancun Mexico for ~ $500!

  …and you can too! 

Earlier this year my wife and I traveled to Cancun Mexico for a 4 day vacation at an all inclusive resort.  That is, put away the check book, all the food, drink and fun is free.  We did this for right around $500 US per person.  The $500 included airfare and 3 nights + 4 days at a 4 star hotel.  We spent a few dollars on the shuttle from the airport, tips and gifts, but that amounted to less than $100.  We had a fantastic time!

We are thinking about doing it again.  Here are some tips to use to get a great deal on your next vacation.

1. Be flexible.  My wife and I are pretty lucky that we both have relatively flexible schedules.  The kids are getting older (i.e. they can be counted on to be self sufficient at home or travel with us) and our jobs don’t demand a lengthy lead time for taking vacation time.
2. Don’t be too picky.  If your ideal vacation is a week in London, don’t plan on getting away cheap.  It seems that these days, the best deals from the US for your money are in Central America and the Caribbean (leave of comment if you know of other inexpensive destinations!)
3. Don’t be afraid of last minute deals.  When buying tickets from sites like Expedia or Travelocity you can get quite inexpensive last minute deals.  Be sure to read and understand the fine print, but don’t be scared off by not getting tickets in the mail or via a face-to-face travel agent. 
4. Subscribe to a few of the best travel deal websites.  I have e-mail subscriptions to Expedia, Travelocity, Booking Buddy, and Cheap Caribbean.  Each week I see a deal or two that interests me.

That’s about it.  That’s my vacation planning process in a nutshell.  If you have any tips or know of great new regions to vacation in (inexpensively, please), leave a comment or drop me an e-mail.