It took a few months to plan your vacation and save up to make sure it is going to be an experience that will go down in the books. Although you have probably allotted a considerable amount of your vacation savings for accommodation, food and the list of activities you plan to do there, as well as a long list of travel souvenirs you want to bring home to your family and friends, you do not really need to break the bank in order to do all those and have a dream vacation.

Gone are the days when travellers would opt for the most swanky and famous accommodation in a well known travel destination just to be able to make the most of one’s vacation. Truth be told, going on a vacation on a shoestring is actually a hallmark of not only a seasoned traveler but also of a practical and smart travel connoisseur.

One of the most surefire ways to save on your vacation budget is to opt for a vacation rental instead of booking the renowned hotel or bed and breakfast in town, which would often be over priced and probably fully booked. A vacation rental will allow you to have flexibility while on vacation instead of being dependent on the hotel or the inn’s activities, entertainment and food services.

Use your wonderful vacation rental kitchen!

Vacation rentals will allow you to fully immerse in your travel and mingle with the locals, doing as the locals do. Vacation rentals are also often situated in less commercial and populated areas that can be quite stressful, and owners often give suggestions for hidden gems for a destination that the hotel tourists might never see. The money you save from going to a 3-star hotel can be used to pay for that white water rafting adventure or to hire a tourist guide that will show you the famous attractions in town.

One of the features of vacation rentals that appeal to veteran travellers and those who are on a budget is the ability to plan and cook your own meal even while on vacation. For starters, look for a vacation rental with a fully equipped and operational kitchen so you won’t have to bring your own Crockpot, but if you fail to look for such, packing your Crockpot together with your luggage will prove to be a very easy thing to do. Plan ahead and (if you are driving to your destination) pack herbs, spices and other ingredients you will use in cooking. Alternatively you can explore the local market and shop for fresh ingredients there once you arrive.

With the Crockpot, you eliminate the hassle of enduring long queues at prominent local restaurants and diners. You also eliminate the unappealing possibility of settling for a food place with bland food and expensive prices just because you are famished and it was the only place with available tables or because it is the only place that served what your children or companion are most likely to eat. Chop those herbs and veggies, crack your pepper, add in your preferred meats and put them altogether in the Crockpot and leave them for the rest of the day and set off to explore your dream destination. Dinner will be ready to be served once you return at the end of the day with less trouble and less dent on your wallet. Repeat the procedure before you retire to bed at night with different ingredients, and your savoury soup will be ready once you wake up in the morning.

You can cook fish, beef, chicken or whatever you might fancy in your Crockpot, or keep it vegetarian. You can plan to have pot roasts, soups, slow cooked dinners, stews and boiled dishes. Add some fresh bread and you’re set! You can also opt for time tested recipes handed down from your great grandparents, or if you want to experience something new, you can always search for delicious recipes online just before you set out for your vacation. Food blogs and Pinterest are chockfull of great Crockpot ideas and recipes that are most likely to be approved by you and your family.

Check these slow cooker recipes … or these 7 healthy slow cooker recipes for special occasions.

These recipes are surprisingly easy to prepare with your good old reliable Crockpot. And with the Crockpot, there is no reason not to enjoy your vacation to the fullest and there is no need to worry whether you and your family will go hungry while on the go.

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