Some people get so hung up on money that they forget to have any fun with it. For better or for worse, I have the complete opposite problem. If I could, I would play all day every day. I'd sit on the sidewalk playing music, go out for drinks with friends, and party late into the night. Unfortunately, like everyone, it takes money to do the stuff I want to do. I would love to go on a cruise, but that is out of the question. I simply never have the cash. That is why I chose a cheap trip this year. I figured that I could save a little bit of money on an inexpensive vacation, I could afford to take a whole month off and do nothing but bum around on the beach.
Unfortunately, taking an inexpensive beach vacation somewhat limits your options. Most of the places I really wanted to go cost too much to get there, and too much to stay once you got there. I couldn't go to Hawaii or Cancun, for example. Even if I could take a rather inexpensive vacation once I was there, the plane fare to get there was simply outrageous. In my experience, that is the first rule of inexpensive vacations – take one somewhere local. If you spend all your money on plane fare, you will have even less for discount hotels. Not having a lot of money on vacation is okay, but being completely broke can ruin your fun.
Fortunately, living in Portland, I am pretty close to the Pacific coast. This gives me all kinds of options for inexpensive vacations. It is even possible to take a fairly inexpensive vacation to California, which is what I resolved to do. I took a ride share down to Santa Cruz, checked into a youth hostel, and that was that. Three weeks of playing music, drinking late into the night, and enjoying the sun. Say all you want about inexpensive hotels, discount travel packages, and the like, but in my opinion having an inexpensive vacation is easy. Go to your destination and do something that doesn't involve spending money! If you go somewhere warm and sunny enough, you won't need to spend any money on entertainment. The ocean is entertainment enough for anyone, if you ask me. Anyone who can't enjoy himself or herself by lying on the beach and soaking up rays has no imagination.
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