If you’re planning to spend a boatload of money on your wedding, you probably haven’t accounted for the budget you’ll need when deciding on places to honeymoon. Your honeymoon budget might be the last thing on your radar, but not to worry, there are plenty of ways to save and still have a luxurious, once in a lifetime trip in paradise.

If you’re on a tight budget for your honeymoon adventure, here are a few honeymoon ideas to save money.

How to Travel Hack and Get Your Honeymoon for Less

Rack up Your Credit Card Points

Weddings are expensive. Why not capitalize on the cost? By using travel rewards credit cards you can rack up points to redeem toward your honeymoon. If you plan to use your credit card responsibly, stacking your points will provide you a money saving hack to help you fund the vacation of your dreams.

Credit card hacking can provide discounts on things like:

Hotels

Airfare

Airport lounge access

Rental cars, and

Travelers insurance

Before you begin the wedding planning process, do some research to find the best travel credit card for your needs. Review sign up bonuses, the annual fee, cashback rewards, and extra benefits each card offers to ensure it’s suitable for your travel objectives. Don’t rush into signing up with AMEX just because you know friends who have and use that card. Evaluate what you need and what will benefit you the most per dollar spent. Your ultimate goal should be to avoid scams and to get paid to travel.

Save Money on your Honeymoon with Rewards Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Many cards will give you a sign-up bonus for spending a certain amount of money within your first few months as a cardholder. This is an excellent opportunity to double or even triple your rewards.

They also may offer reward systems that provide cardholders discounts on specific resorts or car rentals in addition to assisting with earning you discounted airfare. Before you travel, make sure you’re capitalizing on all the perks your card offers.

Take the time to read up on travel information compiled by travel bloggers and vacation experts to see what tips you can tap into with your card for discounted or free travel.

A word of caution, if you cannot afford to repay your credit card bill every month, this may not be the best strategy for travel hacking for your honeymoon. Charging up a big bill while traveling will only result in returning home to debt and stress.

Debts plague way too many people, so don’t let your honeymoon add to the struggle

Be Flexible When it Comes to Your Travel Plans

If you have your heart set on a Hawaiian honeymoon, you may have to spend an arm and a leg to purchase the appropriate accommodations and flights.

Being flexible allows you to find great deals and discounts on other travel opportunities. It will enable you to find different travel options you may have otherwise been closed off to, and capitalize on resort and spa options that are far better than your original honeymoon destination offered.

Sites like Skyscanner allow you to type in “everywhere” to your flight search and find the best rates by destination. By using this feature, you can get an idea of what destination fit within your price range.

Set up Travel Alerts

Setting up travel alerts can help you watch changes in prices that may affect your bookings. Sites like Kayak and Travelocity allow you to set up price alerts so you can monitor the price fluctuation of your desired itinerary. You can also set these alerts to update you of when deals are available on all inclusive honeymoon packages.

Another thing you may want to consider is purchasing one-way tickets.

Often, airlines will lower the price of one-way travel. You may be surprised by the discounted rates you’ll receive by calculating one-way travel options.

Play the Honeymoon Card

When you’re busy booking your travel plans, be sure to tell everyone this vacation is your honeymoon. Hotel and airline companies love when couples choose them as their travel partner. Therefore, they may be willing to offer upgrades, some free pampering, or deals and discounts on your travel accommodations.

For example, when you check into your hotel, make sure to tell the receptionist you’re a newlywed couple. The receptionist could be willing to upgrade your accommodations to a suite just because you told them you’re spending your first week of marriage with them.

Remember, if you’re interested in using this tactic to factor in gratuities to your honeymoon budget. You’ll want to properly thank the staff that helps you receive discounts and perks.

Additionally, add a honeymoon registry to your wedding website. Your wedding guests will love to chip in and help you have the vacation of your dreams. Even if you only get a couple of hundred dollars to spend toward your vacation, it’s still a win.

So, remember, tell everyone you are newlyweds!

Pack Light

Since it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to have a free honeymoon, plan ahead to save where you can. Invest in a carry-on and pack light. This will save precious time, both at check-in and when you arrive at your destination.

It also eliminates the chance of lost luggage or for you to accidentally pay more than you thought for baggage when you’re using foreign currency. After planning a wedding, you don’t want to have to worry about another thing.

Packing light can also help you save a lot of money. Some airlines offer free carry-on accommodations. Check your airline's luggage policy before you book your flight to ensure you can bring your carry-on free of charge.

Don’t Eat Out for Every Meal

Eating out on vacation can add up. If you want to save money on your honeymoon, try purchasing some protein bars or protein-packed snacks. You can also visit a local grocery market and pick up some items for a picnic on a romantic beach. Not only will this save you money, but it will save you time as well. Just think of the money you’re saving as you enjoy your breakfast in bed!

Instead of indulging in the breakfast buffet, you could grab a protein bar and hit the beach before anyone gets there.

Choose Lodging Carefully

Honeymoon vacation lodging options come with their own sets of pros and cons. You can select from hotels, hostels, couch surfing, staying with a friend, house sitting, apartment rentals, and more.

Whether you’re looking for a beachfront option or a secluded hideaway, you can tap into your resources when seeking accommodation options. While hotels may be more expensive, they offer convenience and privacy. Staying with a friend or couch surfing is more economical but doesn’t give you your own space during your romantic getaway.

You must determine what lodging requirements are most important to you when picking your honeymoon spot. If you’re considering changing locations or island hopping, you could split your time between different accommodation options, and avoid pricey Caribbean resorts. This will save you money and assist in creating an unforgettable travel experience.

You’ll still get to enjoy the beautiful beaches and gourmet dining; you may choose to stay at a more economical lodging option so you can expand your excursion expense budget. Take some time to figure out what the best honeymoon situation for you and your spouse is, and make sure to emphasize what you will make a dreamy honeymoon for you both, as a couple.

Vacation Close to Your Wedding Venue

Whether you’re having a local or have picked a Sandals resort as your wedding destination, consider having your honeymoon close to your wedding venue. By staying close to your wedding venue, you can save money on travel and accommodations. It’s not hard to find a romantic getaway close to home.

For instance, if you’re having a destination wedding, extend your stay a few more days after your guests leave. After all, you’re already there. Why waste more money on traveling to a different destination? If you’ve planned a destination wedding, more than likely you’re staying at an inclusive resort. If that’s the case, there’s no need to go anywhere else.

It doesn’t matter if you’re walking the sandy beaches of Cozumel or lounging by the pool at a luxury resort in your local city, indulging in spa treatments. Both options are fantastic and worthy of a romantic getaway status. Before you book an appointment with your travel agent to plan a trip at a top honeymoon destination, consider where you are already, and take advantage of the resources you have at your fingertips.

Take a Minimoon Now and Book a Honeymoon Later

Just because you’re becoming a newly cemented married couple doesn’t mean you need to take a honeymoon trip to a romantic destination right away. It may be the tradition to leave for an all-inclusive honeymoon immediately after your nuptials are complete, but to save money, it may be wise to prolong booking your honeymoon travel plans.

Instead of booking an expensive Caribbean vacation, start with a minimoon to save money on your honeymoon. Your minimoon could consist of a low-key night’s stay at a local hotel or a short road trip out of town for the weekend.

Scheduling a minimoon will help you recover from the financial shock of your wedding and give you more time to save for your dream honeymoon resort complete with your honeymoon suite and turndown service.

Dream big!

Putting off your honeymoon so you can create a savings plan for your honeymoon will allow you to tap into a post-wedding package that will enable you to indulge in all of the extra perks available.

Imagine yourself in the tropical rain forest, or beachside in Cabo, under the stars enjoying a romantic dinner for two. Or, you can indulge in a beach honeymoon packed with some of your favorite hobbies like scuba diving or snorkeling. Give yourself a minimoon to start with and enable yourself to plan for the best all-inclusive honeymoon trip of your dreams later down the road.

Read more about Travel Hacking to get an (Almost) Free Honeymoon!

The Bottom Line to save money on your honeymoon

Honeymoon planning doesn’t have to break the bank. There are countless ways you can save money on your honeymoon and still afford to book a luxury trip that includes a beachside couples massage.

Remember, your post-wedding vacation should be a perfect, idyllic honeymoon, but it is only the first of many vacations you and your spouse will take during your life together. Why not be lifetime honeymooners and plan and save to visit inclusive resorts for couples regularly throughout your journey as a married couple? You don’t have to go for the big honeymoon package immediately. You can start small and build up to bigger vacations at breathtaking honeymoon locations as your relationship matures.

All you have to do is plan and be open to the different travel opportunities that come your way. Happy Travel Hacking!