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Great advise here.
If I can speak to the penny pinching part. Both my wife and I are very frugal. We have traveled very budget, ie: $28 per night for a shed with a fan in Jamaica, got units with oven & frig to buy and cook all our own food etc.
The very best vacations we, as penny pinchers, have had are at the All Inclusives. My suggestion is to look online and ask questions like you are doing, when you find what you know to be a good price on a nice all inclusive, take it.
I cant tell you how wonderful it is to leave the wallet in the safe, and eat and drink and do most anything you want and not have to pay anything more. Got a problem with a meal, no problem just order another. Want another drink no problem just order up, want to do a tequila tasting? Just tip back the glasses and smile. Sitting on the beach and want to go for a swim, no worries about your wallet in your beach bag either. Just lay back and relax. No money worries why you are on an AI vacation at all.
Nice picture eh?
If you are really cheap choose either budget budget, or AI and you will end up the happier for it. Middle of the road, ie a reasonable hotel and eating out alot gets pricey quickly and will have you counting your pesos often.
In Cozumel you can spend $100 for just a hotel room and $90 or more per day for food and drinks for two. Makes an AI for $150 per day total look really good.
Some years ago we looked into housing swaps, we actualy traded our 4 bed home in Seattle for a Condo in Vancouver BC for a long week end. It worked out great and made for zero lodging costs. You may be able to find a local in an area with great diving to take you in for a reasonable charge. I have seen web sites like this in the past.
Do you have a budget in mind for your entire trip? Your budget would guide you pretty quickly, whether it will be a long weekend in another part of FLA or a couple weeks in a more exotic local All Inclusive.
PS. I have mentioned on other threads that we had very good luck on a budget vacation to Cozumel using Stacey Burton at Vacation Connections.
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