By Tania Ngima

With the rate at which our pockets are running dry, thanks to the current financial woes, that luxury cruise you have been yearning for may have to take the backseat yet again.

The month of November heralds the festivities and we begin to get stir crazy, hoping we can afford a cheap getaway, even if for a few days.

Early planning has the advantage of leaving you frazzle-free and open to more (and possibly cheaper) options than when you hastily put together your trips.

Budget

There is really no getting away from the financial plan.

If you budget before you plan your getaway, you will have less to worry about when your credit card bill comes.

Figure out how much of your holiday and entertainment budget you would like to allocate to going away.

Then decide what you can realistically afford; that is, can you afford to fly or will you have to settle for a closer self-drive destination?

Stay with family or friends — the options for accommodation are quite many, and all you need to do is find one that works for you.

The first one, of course, is to venture out and stay with family or friends. Staying in a hotel may be the charm of a vacation away from home, but it will also run up the bucks pretty fast. You can either stay with a family that is home or ask to stay at the house of a family that is also going away for the holidays. This option is dependent on how close the two families are as this option is riddled with potential conflict, especially if children are involved.

Rent a house or villa — If any of your friends are also hoping to go away on vacation, consider the possibility of renting a house or villa together.

Look for a destination with separate facilities, where each family can come and go as they wish, and where you can still dine together if you please.

Alternatively, you could decide to alternate cooking and taking the families out for treats.

Devise beforehand, how you will split the rental, food and utilities costs, especially if one family has more people.

Camping — Are your spouse and children nature-lovers and adventure-seekers? Then consider doing half the nights lodging in a hotel and the other half roughing it in the bush.

However, do your research carefully to ensure that the intended campsites are properly kept and maintained, secure and safe.

Camping does not have to be wild — some sites have permanent comfortable tents with modern utilities and the option of cooking around a campfire.

Air travel — Whatever effort you put into getting cheap flights will certainly pay off. Conserve your frequent flyer miles until they accumulate enough for a ticket. Ideally, flights on certain days of the week are cheaper, with those closer to the weekend being more expensive.

Some airlines also charge considerably lower fares if you book, say 24-48 hours before your departure.

Keep your travel dates flexible to take advantage of these. Take advantage of airlines that offer discounted or free fares for children under certain ages.

Car travel — Is your destination one that is close and easily accessible? Consider hiring a car, or even using yours to get there.

If the journey is more than one or two hours, pack some books or games for the children and make it less tiresome. Also pack some snacks and cold lunch in case it takes longer to get to a roadside restaurant. Invest in a cheap cooler and pack lots of water and healthy drinks for the journey.