How to get the most out of your vacation planning

While your best bet for comparing hotel rates may be something like Hotels.com, why not ditch that option altogether?

Try searching for home or condo vacation rentals using sites like VRBO or Airbnb. These put the planning in your hands and give you more flexibility. You can also list your home and possibly find someone who wants to pay you while you're away!

Even better, you may have the option to house sit for someone else! If you don't mind taking a few minutes to feed a cat or water a plant, try sites like Housecarers.com to find out if you can save big at your next vacation destination.

Finally, you could try online auctions.

Sites like SkyAuction.com may be able to help you find some extremely inexpensive stays in some upscale resorts, if you bid correctly. Just be on the lookout for blackout dates and sneaky last-minute out bidders.