Planning A Beach Vacation?

What type of planning is necessary for a beach vacation? Enough so that there will be an approximate idea of expenses, which can be budgeted for accordingly, and an awareness of any pending weather conditions.
The majority of a vacation budget will be spent on lodging. Hotels, motels, and condos located directly on the beach are going to be much more expensive as those that are located even right across the road. They may be more convenient as to beach access, but sometimes that “perk” is offset by the extra money that could have been spent.

Accommodations that are a little further from the beach will definitely be cheaper, and most of them are just as nice as the ones on the beach. Most of them will either have some type of beach access, even if they are located across the road from the beach, or will be close to a public beach area. 
More and more people are choosing to camp in some of the many State parks that are located near beach areas. There are sites for recreational vehicles as well as tents.
Food CAN take a major chunk out of vacation, but it doesn’t have to. Continental breakfasts are offered by most motels and hotels, and are almost always free.
From there, consider letting lunch be the “main meal” of the day. Lunch specials at restaurants are almost always cheaper than the dinner selections, and the portions, while smaller, are almost always enough to satisfy an appetite.
Dinner can be any leftovers that were brought back to the motel or hotel room and placed in the in-room refrigerator, sandwiches, or even delivery pizza.
At least one week before a planned vacation, especially during hurricane season, start monitoring the weather channel. If a tropical storm or hurricane are forecast, constant diligence to daily updates will help with the decision of whether or not it might be best to postpone the vacation.