Florida is one of the most affordable states in the United States in terms of prices, but nevertheless, it’s not the cheapest place in the world. When going to Florida for a long period, each traveler wants to optimize a budget. One of the savings points can be attributed to the choice of a convenient and cheap way of moving around the state – this is car rental. Here you can find a plenty of attractive options available at a discount price. However, in order to feel economically confident while traveling to Florida, there are several additional rules for saving your budget…
Lodging
In case you need to find lodging, you can use special websites, take help from local agents or try to find it by yourself through ads. The latter method seems to be the least effective.
Local agents, if they are interested in your situation, can find suitable lodging in the right price category, although in this case you need to carefully read the contract and immediately explain to the agent exactly what you need, otherwise the agent will offer options to arrange a deal faster. In Florida, the owner pays the agent.
The option of finding lodging through the Internet may be the longest, but also the most productive way. It’s better to look for accommodation already in Florida, staying at the time in the hotel. Then there will be an opportunity to get acquainted with the owner personally and check the apartment on your own.
The further the accommodation is from the beach and tourist sights, the cheaper it is and you have more chances to find a more budget option. The cost of the apartment is also influenced by seasonality, period of stay, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, furnishings in the apartment, availability of a parking space, additional entertainment venues, a swimming pool, courtyard, gym, etc.
The price of the apartment may include electricity, Internet, some additional services, but more often it’s paid by the renter. Therefore, you should clarify the methods of payment for the services with the owner. Often, washing and drying machines for shared use are also available. However, these services are paid separately for each wash, and this is an additional item of expenditure.
Transportation
Long-term transport rental in Florida is profitable in case you plan to use a car daily. Otherwise it’s better to pick up the car only if necessary. Florida public transportation works well. In the city areas you can travel by bus, while between cities a railway transport is at your disposal.
One of the ways to save on transportation in Florida is to buy a used car, and sell it at the end of the trip. However, it’s beneficial for people who are going to stay in Florida for a long time and often move. In any case, just pay attention to the condition of the car you buy.
Food
It’s clear that the cheapest way to eat is to cook food at home. In addition to the prices of dishes, taxes are included in the bill when you dine in cafes and restaurants. Therefore, this significantly increases the cost of dishes from the menu.
In Florida, there’s a culture of diverse buffets. Often these are Asian-style buffets, but there are also American and Italian ones. Buffet-style dining means you have to pay only for entrance and additional drinks. The price of dishes varies depending on the time of day. For one person you can eat for $9, while the number of approaches to the buffet is unlimited.
Usually, buffets have fish, meat dishes, side dishes, soups, salads and desserts. Buffets are popular in Florida, but not always all buffets feature high quality food.
If you want to buy some products to eat at home, then it’s better to choose them by price. For example, some products can be available only in an expensive store, thus you should buy them there, and in order to purchase other daily products – set off to the cheaper shops.
For example, a similar food basket in the popular Publix store and the not-so-popular Aldi may differ by 50%.
As for fruits and vegetables, the cheapest way is to find them at farmers’ markets. There are two types of farmers markets. The first is the large markets in all parts of Florida, which most often open on weekends and attract a lot of visitors. The second type is small outlets operating daily.
In addition, in many stores there is a system of discount or savings cards. The map of the store is most often available at the first visit. They allow you to receive discounts on some products.
Clothes and accessories
The system of various discounts, cards and bonuses is well developed in the US. In order to receive discounts, in some stores it’s enough to register as a customer, while in others, having made the first purchase, you will receive discount offers. Of course, you can also use coupons in various magazines and newspapers for discount shopping.
To buy items with discounts, you should know in advance about the offers of the store you need. For example, when buying at Macy’s, you must warn the staff at the checkout that you are a tourist – it gives a 10% discount on the purchase.