Instead of Renting a Vacation House, Try a Houseboat

While summer might almost be halfway over, there's still time to book a unique vacation or start planning for next year. From houseboat accommodations to rental homes, planning a summer vacation can not only be fun, but also be done on a dime.

1. Rent a Houseboat

TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals has seen an uptick in the number of luxury houseboat rentals for vacations. You might think that a houseboat means writing a big check, but TripAdvisor has multiple listings for lower cost rentals. For example, a houseboat in Kerala, India with a private chef is only $145 a night and sleeps 8. Another houseboat rental in St. Lucia is only $79 a night and sleeps two.

2. Switch to a Rental Instead of a Hotel

Opting for a vacation rental instead of a hotel can save you 50% or more off a traditional accommodation like a hotel. Data from TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals shows that a two bedroom vacation rental can save visitors to Venice 48% percent off of the cost of two hotel rooms. In Sydney, Rome and Edinburgh, those savings were over 30%.

One strategy is to gather a group of friends or family and rent a large property. While the typical cost per week of these rentals is in the thousands of dollars, when dividing among individuals, that cost can come down to as low as $24 per night, according to TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals.

But even if you don't opt for either of these options, you're in the majority of travelers. Data from Bank of America's Consumer Spending Snapshot (NYSE:BAC) shows that consumers in May of this year spent 18 times more on hotels rather than home sharing.

3. Travel Outside of Busy Season

While many people are beholden to planning vacations around when the kids are in or out of school, for those that are not, try planning a trip outside of busy season. In the fall of 2015, TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals found that rentals in Martha's Vineyard were 30% cheaper than peak season and Hilton Head costs were down 31%.