Honeymoon Budget: How to Enjoy Your First Vacation for Less

Whether you have traveled together before or not, your honeymoon is your first trip together as a married couple.

Since you don’t want to enter married life super in debt, it’s a good idea to plan a honeymoon budget before you set off.

An inexpensive honeymoon doesn’t have to be a less-than-ideal trip. You can go on the vacation of your dreams without spending a fortune.

Register for Your Honeymoon

Once considered in poor taste, honeymoon registries have become more popular over the past few years. They are a great tool for couples who might be older and already set when it comes to housewares such as bedding, towels, and kitchen gear.

Having guests contribute to your honeymoon dreams can be a bit more rewarding for them than simply giving you cash.

Depending on the registry you work with, guests can either give you cash for your trip or purchase a component of your honeymoon, such as a number of airline miles or a night in a hotel. Honeyfund is one registry to check out and is free to use.

Work with a Travel Agent

People joke that no one uses travel agents anymore, thanks to the rise of online travel sites. But the truth is, working with a travel agent is a great way to get your vacation budget under control. Agents do charge fees, but they also have access to deals you can’t get anywhere else.

Plus, since agents make travel their business, they often have invaluable tips when it comes to planning an inexpensive honeymoon. You won’t find personal, useful advice like that online.

Travel Off Season

If you are traveling immediately after your wedding, try to go somewhere that’s currently in the “off-season.” Off-season travel often costs a lot less, plus you don’t have to deal with a crowd of people when you see the sites.

While people often think “off-season” means poor weather, that’s not necessarily true. For example, some places, such as the Caribbean, have lovely weather almost all year.

Research locations well in advance of your trip so that you know the ins and outs of the weather at your  preferred destinations.

Save Here, Splurge There

When planning your honeymoon budget, it helps to know what you can save on and what you absolutely must have. For example, if you need to sleep in the most comfortable of settings, you might consider splurging on a hotel, but saving on your transportation costs.

If you are working with an agent, give him or her your list of “must haves” so that the agent knows what to focus on.

Put Your Credit Cards to Work

If you have a credit card that awards airline miles, your honeymoon can be the perfect time to cash those miles in. You can also make use of other rewards that your card offers, such as gift cards or cash back.

When you are planning your vacation budget, check with your credit card company to find out about any fees they charge. Some cards charge a service fee for international transactions.

If your honeymoon has you leaving the country, you might want to find a better way to pay for things than your card or look for a card that doesn’t charge international fees.

Look at Deals

A lot of companies, such as Groupon, Travelzoo, and LivingSocial, put daily travel deals at your fingertips.

If you find a deal that works for you, either book it or show it to the agent you’re working with. Your travel agent might be able to match that deal or find you a better one.

Tell Everyone It’s Your Honeymoon

When you go out to eat on your birthday, a restaurant might give you a free dessert if you let them know it’s your special day. The same is true if you let the hotel know you and your partner are on your honeymoon.

You might not get a free dessert, but some places are willing to throw in a free bottle of champagne or even a free room upgrade for honeymooners. You don’t know what might happen, so it never hurts to mention it.

Kelly Anderson is a financial planner who blogs about financial advice you can use in your everyday life. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.