海角大神

The 鈥減eak-end鈥� rule is a tactic that can not only maximize the value you get out of your vacations, but it can maximize what you get out of almost anything in life. It pops up again and again in everyday life, from the plotting of movies and television shows to how meals are served at restaurants.

The idea behind the 鈥減eak-end鈥� rule is that when you think back to a past event, you generally have the strongest recollections and feelings about two elements of that event: the 鈥減eak鈥� and the 鈥渆nd.鈥�

The 鈥減eak鈥� is usually the moment where you had the strongest response (either positive or negative) to whatever is happening. For example, you might remember a trip where the 鈥減eak鈥� was visiting a national park you鈥檇 always dreamed about.

The 鈥渆nd鈥� is how you felt about how the trip concluded. For example, you might remember dinner on the final night of the trip or something else that occurred on your vacation.聽

Here鈥檚 an example. For me, the 鈥減eak鈥� of our honeymoon in the United Kingdom was the afternoon we spent visiting Parliament and Westminster Abbey on foot. The 鈥渆nd鈥� of our honeymoon was the final night, where we stayed in what amounted to a bed and breakfast far away from the city center.

When I think of the trip, those are the first two things I think about, and they鈥檙e the strongest memories. They鈥檙e both happy memories, too, so they fill the trip with a very positive sentiment when I look back.

厂辞,听how can you apply this idea to frugal travel planning?

The first 鈥� and most obvious 鈥� part is to simply聽carefully manage the 鈥減eak鈥� and the 鈥渆nd鈥� of your trip.Have one day that鈥檚 a home run 鈥� full of the experiences you鈥檙e sure you鈥檙e going to love. Save one or two wonderful things for the very end of the trip 鈥� a meal at a great restaurant, perhaps, or a final sight to see on your way home.

As your memories fade, those two events will be the ones you recall the best.

罢丑别苍,听fill the rest of the trip with low-cost activities.聽Visit free things to fill other days. Go about them at a slow pace so serendipity will strike.

滨迟听might聽occur that one of those ordinary days ends up being the 鈥減eak鈥� 鈥� but if that happens, that鈥檚 a聽goodthing. It means your vacation must have been an incredible one.

In our recent travels, we鈥檝e mostly avoided higher-priced areas except to fulfill the 鈥減eak-end鈥� rule. On our Seattle trip just last summer, our 鈥減eak鈥� was the day spent in the city center with our kids 鈥� they still speak of going up to the top of the Space Needle and the various other things we did that day. Our 鈥渆nd鈥� was my sister-in-law鈥檚 wedding. Those are the two things we recall the most from that trip 鈥� and most of the rest of the vacation was spent very frugally.

Use this concept when planning your travel and you聽will聽save money.

This post is part of a yearlong series called 鈥�365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),鈥� in which I鈥檓 revisiting the entries from my book 鈥�365 Ways to Live Cheap,鈥� which is available聽at Amazon聽and at bookstores everywhere.