Taxes 101 How Can You Find Cheap Summer Vacations Using Social Media? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Elle Martinez Published Jun 29, 2010 - [Updated Sep 7, 2017] 2 min read With summer break here for many students and families, people are gearing up to go on vacation. The current economic situation in the U.S. has many people looking for creative ways to have a fun vacation without spending a lot of money. Finding good deals on vacation travel and spots is easier than ever if you use a combination of social media tools and other online help. It pays to know which sites to check out and use for your next trip to save money on flights, car rentals, attractions, and hotels. Planning Your Vacation with Help from the Net Planning vacation usually starts off with deciding where to visit. Asking friends and family about areas they visited can be a great resource. If you decide to try something different than where your circle has visited, then casting a wide net can prove to be beneficial. TripAdvisor has some wonderful information on different destinations. Members of the community leave feedback on hotels, airlines, and restaurants. They also have a feature where you can locate friends on Facebook who can offer personal information about your possible destination. Lonely Planet has a ton of information on traveling, not just around the country, but the world. If you’re on Facebook, check out their Page; it can guide you to the perfect spot for your next vacation. For those who like to travel internationally, Lonely Planet has some great language guidebooks too. Google Buzz is another handy tool you can use on the go that can help you plan and get some feedback on your upcoming trip. While you’re checking up on email, you may also want to hop online and check out WikiTravel to get a free travel guide. Enhancing your Vacation with Social Media How would you like to find the best deals on parking, dining, and shopping while you’re on vacation? USA Today has a great feature along with Gowalla that allows you to access this content for many U.S. cities. GoWalla, location-based social networking app, also has some user-made tours that you can follow across the country or in a city. You can also use Twitter as a way to gather and organize some activities for wherever you may decide to go. Check with locals to see if there are any great hole-i- the-wall restaurants you should definitely try. You can also do a Twitter search with your location to see what’s going around town. You may find a free downtown concert or some other interesting events that may catch your attention. Is part of your vacation a tax write-off? It could be. Use a free mobile application like Evernote to keep track of receipts on the run so you’ll have them to cash in on at tax time. Your Thoughts on Cheap Vacations How do you find great deals on vacations? Do you use social media when planning? If so, how? Leave us a comment! Previous Post New Grads: Four Tax Tips to Memorize Before Your New… Next Post 2010 Roth IRA Conversions: Have You Considered All the Factors? Written by Elle Martinez Elle helps families at Couple Money achieve financial freedom by sharing tips for reducing debt, increase income, and building net worth. Learn how to live on one income and have fun with the second. More from Elle Martinez Visit the website of Elle Martinez. Follow Elle Martinez on Facebook. Follow Elle Martinez on Twitter. Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Tax Planning Don’t Let That Summer Getaway Get Away Income and Investments How to Save for a Vacation on a Tight Budget Income and Investments 4 Ways for You and Your Family to Save on Summer Vacati… Tax Deductions and Credits Your Guide to Vacations and Taxes Tax Tips Last-Minute Vacation Deals Tax Planning Travel to South Africa With Your Tax Refund! Home How Does Your Vacation Home Affect Your Taxes? Tax Deductions and Credits Your Summer Travel Can Save You at Tax Time Tax Tips Is Your Summer Vacation a Tax Write-Off? Income and Investments 4 Summer Activity Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank