What is a good vacation idea on a low budget? I haven't had a vacation in years!?

Take a cruise. You can find a weekend cruise from Florida for about $500 or less for a couple. This includes you food and entertainment along with the price of the cabin. It is a wonderful way to relax and the food and entertainment is great.

You did not mention where you are from. I would consider, wherever you are from, to choose a town or city , where you have a friend or relative. Now, in your planning stages, first you need to set the dates. Then contact the friend or relative and ask if you can visit and stay with them. Don't stay more than 3 days....that's the max! Or you will overstay your welcome!! Take along something nice that the person likes or if you are from another country or state, get something typical of where you live. This will be a good gift....a gesture of appreciation. Do some research on the internet or at book stores and libraries about that town or city. Take note of interesting places you would like to see or things you would like to do, all within your budget. Most travel guide books will tell you how much things cost. Of course prices change from time to time but it's always safer to know an estimate and make sure you have a little more in case prices are inflated. You can save money when travelling by going to the supermarket to buy bread and sandwich meat or peanut butter and jelly and make your own sandwiches and pack these and your own drinks or bottled water in a cooler. Take along some fruits for snacks. The sweetness satisfies you and juice helps thirst. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches keep good in a cooler. The sandwich meats might be more difficult to store. You might need some ice packs or something to keep it fresh. Eat at fast food places for some meals. If your hosts cook meals and invite you to eat with them, offer to take them out at least once to a good restaurant (not necessarily expensive but serve good food). Be a good house guest, pick up after yourself etc and they might invite you to visit again in the future. Staying with people you know not only save you hotel money but allows you to renew friendships and relationships and share good times and good memories. Hope this helps.

I bet where you live is a big factor here. If you lived in Georgia and I recommended Hawaii, that might be a bit expensive, but if you live in Arizona and I recommend the Grand Canyon, well, that might be a bit cheaper. I would never go to some commercial location where you'll have to pay "an arm and a leg" for anything you do, so I think of natural or geographical things to see, such as Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, again, depending on where you live. Think along those lines and I'll bet your vacation will be less costly, depending on gas prices and how far you have to drive, or whether you'll need to fly. God Bless you.