If you’re anything like me, you love a good vacation, but don’t mind a frugal option. And if you’ve lived through 2020 and 2021, you may be more cautious of your finances. I’m here to share how to ball on a budget for your next holiday.
Living in Chicago means it can get pretty cold in the winter. I decided to escape to some Florida warmth and head to Miami Beach for the Christmas weekend. But doing so while being mindful of my finances.
The only thing I really had to budget for was my food + beverage consumption. I splurged on fun cocktails and it was a mixed bag for food costs. Both are totally easy to do in a more budget-friendly fashion.
Check for Flight Credits
With COIVD wrecking travel plans left and right the past couple years, it’s likely you have some flight credits waiting to be used from former plans. This is your sign to use them!
One “perk” (?) that has come about with airlines from the pandemic is more flexibility on cancellations. I had a summer trip to Denver planned that I had to cancel last minute (instead I extended my time in Salt Lake City). Fast forward four months later to December and I 100% forgot about those credits waiting to be used. I ended up booking direct round trip flights from ORD to MIA for $41. If I went for the later arrival, I would’ve only spent a dollar! Arriving earlier and gaining nearly a whole additional day was totally worth 40 bucks.
Stay at the Freehand or Other Hostel
If you’re unfamiliar, the Freehand is a small accommodations chain with locations in NYC, LA, DC, Chicago and Miami Beach. They’re unique because they are part hotel and part hostel. This is great option because you can choose to spend ~$100-250 a night on a “normal” single room or quad shared dorm. Or, if you’re up for it, you could opt for the cheaper shared options that are less than $50 a night.
I had never done a shared room/hostel situation before, but had stayed on the “hotel side” at the Freehand Chicago several times for work trips. This lead me to trust the brand and knowing the customer service and general experience at one of their properties would likely be good based on history.
I opted for the cheapest option: 8-bed shared dorm. It was around $34/night. They actually had a female-only option, which I appreciated and did. There were four sets of bunk beds, two private bathrooms with lockable doors, plenty of sitting/table/floor space and eight lockers (bring your own lock). Each bed had a light and two outlets too.
Travel by Public Transit
I’m a huge public transportation junky. I think everyone should support their local public transportation and do so while traveling. Miami actually has several options across the city including a Metrorail, several bus routes, several (free) trollies and the downtown “metro mover.” All of these are great options to get around the area and will save you money compared to using Ubers or Lyfts.
150 Bus from MIA Airport to Miami Beach
To get from MIA airport to Miami Beach, there’s actually an express bus (150 route) that goes directly to the area. There’s even a stop directly on the block of the Freehand! It costs about $2.25 and you can purchase tickets from a machine at the airport, use cash or tap your credit card or smart phone (very convenient!).
Trolleys to traverse Miami Beach Neighborhoods
There are four FREE trolley routes specifically for Miami Beach. You can get anywhere in Miami Beach with them too: South Beach, Mid-Beach or North Beach. They come about every 20/30 minutes all day and all week (and are air conditioned!).
Use the Bike Sharing Program for Quick Trips
Much like what I’m used to in Chicago, there’s a bike share program through Citi Bikes across Miami. Just download the app (or find a bike station on your own) to find stations, pay and reserve bikes. You basically just grab a bike and go. You can pick your time and grab or drop a bike at any station. It’s about $5 for 30 min. That’s not bad, but not great. But you can get pretty far in 30 minutes. Still cheaper than ride sharing (and more fun + scenic!).
Utilize the Outdoors
One of the best things about going someplace warm or beachy is that it can be really affordable to do things…because it’s all outdoors! In San Diego it’s easy to hang at the beach or go hiking. Similar can be said for Miami Beach. Everything listed below is FREE minus bikes.
Be a Beach Bum
A no brainer…go to the beach!!! If you stay at The Freehand it’s an easy two block walk to the beach, which is amazing. It’s in Mid-Beach, but just outside of South Beach borders. This means the area (and beaches) are less busy and quieter. The further south you go, the more fancy hotel beach seats + umbrellas start popping up and herds of people gather…no thanks.
Lounge by the Pool
Most places to stay in the area will have a pool. Again, if you opt for The Freehand, their pool in particular is more shady/jungle/tropical vibes than what you’ll see at some of the resorts. I prefer this because I’m super pale and burn easily…I need all the sun protection I can get!
Even if you stay elsewhere, don’t forget to take advantage of the pool to make it easier (and less sandy) to cool off or relax.
Bike Around
As mentioned earlier, the bike sharing program is awesome. Some hotels even have bikes you can rent directly from them too, so biking is a great cheap activity to do.
If you’re comfortable biking around city streets, great! I would say Miami Beach isn’t the most “bike friendly” as there aren’t dedicated bike lanes (and lots of construction while I was there), so be smart! I recommend utilizing the Miami Beach Boardwalk. It’s a lovely paved, wide sidewalk that’s mostly shaded that stretches nearly all of Miami Beach. There are easy access points from the street just about anywhere with beach access points every block or so. It’s well lit at night and there’s lots of Citi Bike stations throughout. I had SO much fun biking up and down the boardwalk and making a few stops to enjoy the parks and green spaces.
Explore the Architecture
Miami has the world’s highest concentration of Art Deco buildings and it’s all in Miami Beach. That’s pretty neat! The Art Deco Historic District is between 5th Street and 23rd Street, along Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue. Just stroll along the streets and take in the wonderful, colorful, funky buildings. I also recommend hitting up Española Way too!
Park It Up
If beaches or pools aren’t your thing, or you want to get some more greenery time in, hit up the parks! All parks I came across where well kept and just beautiful. I recommend the following, all of which you’ll pass through while on the boardwalk!
- Lummus Park – lots of activities available such as volleyball, playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment.
- South Pointe Park – city skyline views, the pier and a funky lighthouse.
- Collins Park – vast green space for picnics, frisbee, hanging out.
Of course there’s so much more to do and see than this in Miami Beach, especially if you’re willing and able to spend a bit of money. Hopefully this gives you some inspiration for how to tackle a vacation without breaking the bank, especially around the holidays. I definitely can not wait to go back!