Finance Literacy

Taking a vacation is a time when you can get some well earned rest, relaxation and spend quality time with your loved ones. When deciding to go on vacation there are many things to consider, such as where you want to go, how long and most importantly where you want to stay. Oregon has unlimited options for vacation sites such as Mt Hood, Bend, Sunriver and the beach just to name a few. Deciding where to go is easy but deciding on where to stay and for how long is a whole other matter.

The logical place to stay is in a hotel. Why not, they are usually easy to find, centrally located and almost always have vacancy. For instance, staying at Lincoln City, a popular vacation site at the Oregon Beach, there are many hotels to choose from. Some offer ocean views, beach access or breakfasts. But as a smart consumer you should consider what you are getting for your hard earned money.

On reason people go to the beach is so they can look at the beach. So one thing that draws people to a specific hotel are the ocean views or beach access. After researching hotel prices in Lincoln City, a popular beach destination, I found that a hotel with a beach from or ocean view can run anywhere from $80.00 a night up to $200.00 a night. Even if you decide you do not need a beach front or ocean view room, hotels can still range from $50.00 to $100.00 a night. Everyone has different criteria, but I think we can all agree that a hotel needs to be within your selected price range and have some of your wants such as a beach view.

Let’s look at what we get for the price. Most hotels try to lure you by offering continental breakfast. Some people think they will save money by having a continental breakfast, unfortunately this is not always the case. Typically a continental breakfast offers donuts, pastries, coffee or juice. Now I don’t know about you but this is not enough breakfast for me. When I am on vacation I want pancakes, waffles, bagels and many options for drinks. If you eat the continental breakfast most likely you will be hungry quickly and you will need to buy more food.

Having a clean and quiet hotel room shouldn’t even be a want, it should be a must have! Let’s examine this advertising a bit. Every hotel I have stayed at, house keeping usually comes around nine in the morning. A quiet room, now how can this be when you can almost always hear people running the halls all hours of the night and you can usually hear your neighbors TV. This is not my idea of a good nights sleep. Then of course check out is usually eleven, so after you have been up most of the night, you need to get up early enough to check out and miss house keeping, so that means your alarm must go off at eight in the morning. I don’t want to feel rushed while on vacation, I am sure you feel the same way especially after you have spent a lot of money on a hotel you think is going to be quiet!

So what is a smart consumer like you to do? Well, the answer is simple, vacation home rentals. At Lincoln City there is a vacation home to fit all budgets. Most homes run from around $100.00 to $250.00 a night depending on your wants and needs. Vacation homes are the best kept secret in vacationing. Most people think they are too much money so they stay in a hotel instead. But is all actuality they are only a little more and the benefits far out weight the extra money! You can bring your own groceries and cook in the comfort of your own home so if you want pancakes you can have pancakes! No more strange muffins and weak coffee. Usually the homes in Lincoln City have ocean views and the beach is only a short walk if not right in back yard. There are no annoying people next door with a loud TV and no children running the hall ways. House keeping simply comes when they see you have gone. Assuring you will all have a nice quiet sleep in a clean home.

A vacation home might cost you a few extra bucks but in the long run it is worth every penny. You don’t have to worry about so many things that, spending the extra money just makes sense. You need to decide what is most important to you, is it saving a few extra dollars or is it spending a peaceful, relaxing vacation with your family, the choice is yours but hurry your sanctuary awaits.