Many high school students go on vacation for spring break. Largely, the most popular spring break destinations among MCHS students are many cities and beaches in Florida and Alabama. We surveyed 100 MCHS students and asked them if they were going anywhere for spring break. Our results are presented in the pie chart below. With spring break on the horizon and many high school students unable to pay for a vacation by themselves, we asked students how they plan to help their parents pay for the trip.

Prospective high school students leaving for spring break are forced to brainstorm ways to cut costs. Junior Landon Conner said, “I am going to save money by not going to fast food places along the way, try to get food at gas stations, and just really try to help my parents out.” Although his parents are going to end up paying for the trip, he wants to save money to help them as much as he can.

Another suggestion for travelers is to pack some snacks to limit stops and save money. By limiting stops, a student can save time, money, gas and more. If the student limits their stop and makes good travel time, they would not have to stop at a hotel. Stopping at a hotel obviously will increase expenses drastically. “I am going to save money by packing a cooler for the car ride,” Senior Shane Baker said.

Even though spring break and vacations, in general, are inherently very pricey, there are many things people do on their vacations that increases the cost of the trip. For example, Senior Raven Hill said her family usually eats out for dinner most of the nights they are on vacation. Primarily, vacationers would rather spend their money on activities and meals at their destination instead of travel expenses. Saving money and being prepared will not only help teen spring breakers but the parents as well.

According to hercampus.com some ways students can spend money are taking advantage of their student ID cards, cooking their own meals, and booking your plane ticket way in advanced. Some restaurants give discounts for students, buying groceries and meal prepping can reduce your food bill in half, and booking a plane ticket in advance can result in significant savings. Businessinsider.com recommends booking flights 76 days in advance to maximize savings for summer and holiday travel.

With spring break just a few days away, The Madisonian would like to wish everyone a safe, fun, and cost effective vacation.