How to Plan a Destination Bachelorette Party on a Budget

While it may be appealing to head to New Orleans during Jazz Fest, remember that airfare, hotel rates, and concert tickets all sky-rocket during peak travel times. Consider traveling in the off-season (think New Orleans in January or February instead, or Nantucket in late September or early October, for example) and you’ll be saving everyone some serious dough.

Forget those super fancy suites and try a home-share service like Airbnb, or search for rental properties on VRBO. You may find that you can rent an entire home for less than you’d pay nightly at a swanky hotel. Plus, you’ll all get to crash together and nobody has to worry about losing their room key!

If you’re already committed to high-end accommodations or an exotic locale, consider keeping the trip to three or four days (or, if you’re planning a longer trip, make it easy for people to leave early if they need to). Longer trips are extra hard on everyone’s bank accounts.

Another great way to find cheaper rates while traveling is to plan your trip midweek. Ask the girls if they’re able to take a few welcome days off from work, and travel Monday to Wednesday or Tuesday to Friday. You’ll save significantly on hotels and airfare, and may even encounter a few weeknight specials or happy hours at local haunts.

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, there’s no need to eat out three meals a day (which will add up very quickly). Book accommodations with a small kitchen and refrigerator, then stock up on breakfast essentials, and sandwich fixins,’ or even make a dinner in one night. Everyone will appreciate saving a few bucks.

Host a little happy hour at the house or hotel, or break out the bubbly while everyone is primping! Everyone will save themselves a nice chunk of change if their bar tab is a bit shorter.

When booking your hotel, mention that you have a large group staying together. While many hotels may be wary of the words “bachelorette party,” if you explain that you’d like to book a few rooms together for a friend’s weekend getaway, they may offer you a discount on a block of rooms.Trust us, your bridesmaids won’t have any less fun because there was a budget in place. In fact, they’ll appreciate you taking the initiative on saving them some cash!