Money Minute: Exotic but affordable getaways

So you’re beginning to realize no amount of advanced yoga classes will make you flexible enough to fold yourself into a suitcase and the hypnotize-yourself-into-thinking-the-slush-is-white-sand trick isn’t working either.

Stop right there – you’re doing it wrong.

Look, trading the winter blues in for sea blues and exotic locales isn’t about contorting yourself (gross) or hypnotism (impractical) it’s about being savvy and spontaneous.

It’s about thinking outside of the box says Michael Duchesne, publisher at vacay deal hunter TravelZoo.ca.

“(Forget) the myth of not getting a deal in peak season,” says Duchesne, who devotes his time to diligently combing through deals with his team and curating newsletters espousing their finds. “Right now, you could go to Mount Tremblant, get a studio with a kitchenette for about $139 a night, that’s almost slope-side as well.”

Not a bad deal for a couple or a small family, he says adding that it’s just about knowing how to look.

Search before you splurge

One of the best ways to keep an eye on sugar sweet travel deals is to set up email notifications or alerts and sign up for news-letters.

“Shopping around is great,” says Duchesne. “At some point you will have to pull the trigger but you should sign up for as many resources as possible from your favourite airlines to partner sites – just make a dedicated folder (or filter) in your inbox and you will come across some gems for sure.”

Be spontaneous…

“Look for last minute packages, you can go to Mexico City or the Caribbean (within the) next couple of weeks for maybe just $1,000 per person,” he says.

Sure, snapping up a last minute deal is time sensitive but if you’re paying attention and you have the vacation days, it can be a great way to skip town on the cheap.

…Or book early

“For airfare, your best bet is to look about three months out,” he says.

Most airlines will offer up alerts or let you peruse fare calendars to see when the cheapest days of the week are. Other websites like Flight Network or Skiplagged aggregate airlines and let you compare prices.

They also have apps so you can take a peek while you’re on the go. If you’re flexible, says Duschesne, it may be worth it to wait a month or two until the prices are a bit cheaper.

Unbundle and go alternative

It’s also wise to keep in mind that vacation packages aren’t the be-all, end-all of deals.

“Break it up, book a high-end hotel and find a different way to get there – maybe you could drive to your destination,” he says.

Apartment sharing and short-term accommodation sites like AirBNB can also help you find inexpensive accommodations.

Why not stay at a tree house in Costa Rica or a yurt retreat at an organic farm near Malibu, California?

There’s often other ways to travel and stay on a budget, adds Duchesne.

Know the peak from the shoulder

Understanding the peak, off-peak and shoulder seasons of the travel industry is also vital with different spots seeing heightened interest at different times of the year.

“You’ve got your peak season – school vacations to Orlando, Mardi Gras is coming up in New Orleans, Christmas shopping in New York City, Summer in Europe,” says Duchesne. “People think ‘I want to go to Europe in the summer’ well that’s great but it’s scorching hot and you’re going to be amongst throngs and throngs of tourists so you’re gonna pay more.”

Instead, he recommends doing a little research on where you’d like to go and shooting for the off-season.

Having trouble choosing? In this week’s Money Minute, Ashleigh Patterson takes a look at some top exotic destinations to visit that won’t break the bank or require you stuffing yourself into a friend’s suitcase.