Last year I was able to book some amazingly cheap vacations! I had tons of family and friends ask how I found these deals so I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you! (This is in no way sponsored! I just wanted to share these small travel hacks I’ve used to book cheap travel).

Google Flights

I love researching flights on Google Flights and I realized that not many of my friends use this tool! I found many of our good deals on flights because we were flexible on our travel dates. If you can fly Tuesday-Thursday you’ll likely find better prices. By using this service, I was able to find tickets from Salt Lake City, UT to Raleigh, NC for $50! Then tickets from Raleigh, NC to Houston, TX for only $112. From there, my awesome sister had miles they needed to use up and got us back home from Texas! That vacation was so fun for our entire family and ended up costing us less than $500 for 3 people.

The other trip I booked using Google Flights was to Cancun! I was looking just for fun one morning and found an AMAZING deal at only $222 Roundtrip from SLC to Cancun. I knew I absolutely had to book these tickets and I love that I can use this tool to search different dates and destinations.

Using Google Flights To Find Deals

First, Add your origin city. Then click “explore destinations” above the map on the right had side. If I don’t have specific dates and am just looking for fun, I put in the “1 week trip in the next 6 months”. Then I drag the map around looking at prices! Once I find somewhere that looks interesting, I click on the city. Once the city pulls up, I hit “Price Graph” and check out all the date options. You should note that some flight carriers are not listed on Google Flights.

Hotel and Car Comparison Service

I use the Expedia app and website to find the best deals on hotels. Often, I’m just traveling for a night or two and want to get the best deal. I like to have a modern and clean look and love that I can sort by pricing. If I’m traveling with another couple or family members, I love checking out Airbnb. I’ve booked through Airbnb for our Cancun trip, photo retreats, and family getaways.  Traveling with another couple who splits costs with you is a great way to save money on your vacation! When we visited Cancun, we spent $500/couple on housing for 8 nights!