Given that so many of us are currently struggling to keep on top of our finances, you could be forgiven for thinking that booking a holiday is one extravagance too much for your wallet to bear. However, you should be aware that provided you look in the right places, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a holiday deal that suits your budget. It seems that more and more people are choosing to leave it to the last minute before booking a holiday. There's good logic behind this - for one thing, booking last-minute deals tend to be far cheaper. However, there's still plenty you need to remember in order to ensure that you book a last-minute break to remember.

Flexibility is perhaps the most important thing when it comes to booking last-minute holidays. If you're prepared to be a bit flexible about when and where you book, you could find that there are significant savings in it for you. Booking off-season can be particularly fruitful if you're looking to save money. It stands to reason that people who are children looked to book holidays when their youngsters are off school - which means that holiday costs are likely to be considerably higher at these times of the year. That's not to say that there won't be the odd isolated bargains, but you're more likely to be able to save money when the kids are still in school.

You might have your heart set on a particular destination, but you may find that other nearby resorts are actually cheaper. This might mean that they're a little off the beaten track - perhaps they're further away from the main international airport - but it doesn't necessarily mean that they're inferior as places to visit. You may also find that flights to smaller regional airports are considerably cheaper than those two international hubs. This might mean that you have further to travel by car once you've touched down, but the savings on offer may make that worthwhile. This is something you'll need to think about when you're booking.

There are other reasons for booking last-minute deals. Skiing enthusiasts, for example, often wait to find out where the best snow is likely to be before deciding where and when to book. Booking months in advance may prove to be a mistake in this scenario, depending on how reliable the weather is at the particular resort chosen. Likewise, if you're thinking of taking a sunshine holiday out of season, you may wish to wait until you've seen what the weather forecast is before opting to book.

If you're curious to find out more about what last-minute holidays have to offer, you can do so simply by taking a quick look online. There are scores of websites offering affordable holiday deals, and it's well worth shopping around in order to find the one that's best for you. You might well be tempted to book the first holiday you come across, but this may turn out to be an error - so make sure you make the effort to find the best all-round last-minute holiday deal.