Cheap is NOT always better!

In 2017, my friends and I took a trip to Ocean City Maryland (OCMD) for a very low cost. Going into the trip, it seemed like the perfect set up for us to come out with only positive memories from a perfect trip. “Perfect,” and cheap. At the end of the trip I learned one thing, cheap is NOT necessarily better. As a result of what I learned, I made a list of tips and tricks to make sure the cheap trip you take, whether it is one you find on our blog or one you plan on your own, is one that you will end with only happy memories. This is aimed more specifically for those going on group trips.

My group of friends on our last day in OCMD. A few too many people in the picture.

Tips:

1. More People=Disaster. Beach houses, if you want a safe one, don’t come at a very cheap price; unless you take a large group of people to split the cost. My friends and I spent hours trying to come up with a list of people to bring, adding more and more people to get the price lower. We got it to be about 10 people, but I wish we would have stopped before that by a few. Trying to add people who don’t mesh with the group can lead to people being left out, fights and arguments between people, and overall a big pile of drama.

Tip #1: Don’t add people for the sake of saving money on the house, instead, pick a different house that has an overall cheaper rent price, or be okay with spending a little bit more

2. Location is everything. While I originally loved the location of Bay Mist Cottages, it became less and less appealing to me throughout the week. At first, it was great because it was on the bay- perfect for sunsets and still not too far from the beach.

   

   However, after my third walk from the house to the beach and back, I decided I was wrong. Having to haul everything to the beach for 10 people (personal items, beach games, coolers for food and drinks, a tent for shade, beach chairs) became quite a chore and took away from my experience. It was also a decent walk from the nearest grocery store or even the boardwalk, making it hard to want to do things and be excited for things outside of the house. It seems trivial, or even petty to complain about this, but it definitely docked points off of my overall score.

Tip #2: Be okay with spending a little extra money for a house that is between 1-2 blocks from the beach and amongst the streets that run with the boardwalk.

3. Plan Activities (even if they cost $4). This was definitely the biggest problem we faced while on our trip. Before we left for the trip, we planned food, the house, what would happen in the case of emergencies, how to make sure we did not break anything in the house. We thought we planned it all, except things to do.

   

   Without much planning you can end up like my friends- sitting in the house bored and missing out on the other great experiences of a beach trip. Parasailing, jet skiing in the bay, water parks, amusement parks on the boardwalk, deep sea fishing. Yes, they are costly, but so worth it when it comes to having a trip that leaves you with a smile on your face the entire drive home.

Tip #3: Plan ahead for activities you want to do at the beach and be okay with splurging a little bit. Figure out what you can and can’t afford, and spend the extra money on an experience instead of a t-shirt from the gift shop.

Cheap is not always better, and sometimes we need to learn that it is okay to splurge a little bit on ourselves. However, if you are looking for the best ways to take a cheap trip based on others experience, you can find more information in our blogs under the theme of “Ballin’ on the Budget.” Happy Halloween and see you next week on The Road Most (Knowledgeably) Traveled.