Spring Break Without Breaking the Bank

Every year when the grim reality sets in that your part-time job at a campus café barely produces enough funds for rent -- let alone a tropical getaway -- extravagant Spring Break plans fall through.
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We all know the drill: as soon as the weather turns cold, we start planning the ULTIMATE Spring Break getaway with our friends. Every year, you vow to actually make it happen. You research all-inclusive resorts on your laptop in class, share cheap airline websites and maybe even start working on your post-Christmas-cookie holiday bod.

But every year, when the grim reality sets in that your part-time job at a campus café barely produces enough funds for rent, let alone a tropical getaway, the extravagant plans fall through -- again -- and all there is to be pumped about is a week of sleeping in, lounging and eating at home.

However, all hope is not lost! You can have a great Spring Break without breaking the bank -- it just takes a little creativity.

Get Out of Town. It might not be Punta Cana, but you can escape for the day! Grab some friends and drive, or book a Megabus ticket to the closest metropolitan city. Research cheap (and sometimes free!) fun on the Internet before you go.

Go to Grandma's! Maybe it was boring when you were a kid, but the older you get, the more entertaining old people are. Spend a day or two eating great food and learning some golden life lessons.

Be a Tourist -- in your own town! Does your town have any novelties that you see every day? Just for a day, take some friends and pretend like it's the first time you've ever seen The Nittany Lion Statue at Penn State -- or whatever exciting things your hometown may hold. And take some crazy pictures to put on Facebook, even if for no one else's entertainment but your own.

Get lost in the library. I know, I know, you escape school so you DON'T have to spend time in the library. But have you set foot in your hometown library since you were seven years old and running around the children's section listening to books on tape? Outside of the mayhem of the kid's room lies miles of new and interesting reading material. Or, you could just curl up on a chair with the past ten issues of Cosmo that you were too cheap to actually buy.

Have a One-Day Adventure. Sure you can't afford going away for the whole week, but what's stopping you from splurging for just one day? And it doesn't even have to involve money. Giving yourself a fun and/or worthwhile project for the day will make you feel a lot more accomplished than you think. All you need is a little inspiration to get you started on what could be the best day of your life!

For more Spring Break tips and tricks, check out CollegeCandy's Spring Break Guide!

By Brenda, for CollegeCandy.com

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