Family vacations are always a fun time for bonding and taking a break from our often too busy lives but planning a vacation isn't always as fun as some might think. And planning a vacation on a tight budget isn't always an easy task. Thankfully, over the years I've learned a few tricks to help in keeping expenses down while still being able to give the entire family "the time of their lives".
Our last vacation, a mini getaway of 4 days and 3 nights tested my budgeting skills to the max. Between school, work and the day to day stress we'd all managed to build up- I had decided we were in dire need of some rest and relaxation. I made a list of everything the kids wanted in a vacation, a list of what my husband wanted, and topped it off with a list of what I needed: hiking, semi camping, a bit of seclusion, close to shopping, a place to sleep, meals for 4 days, activities to keep the kids busy, and I wanted to pay for it with a total budget of $500. Gas, lodging, activities, food, extras- everything had to be budgeted into $500.
My method:
1. Stay local. Driving a family of five 4-5 hours in a car is always going to be cheaper than flying those same people round trip to a destination across the country.
2. Pick a destination that provides inexpensive activities for the entire family to enjoy.
Find an area that caters to vacationers with lots of lodging options, activities, grocery stores (you'll see why later) while still being a residential location. Pure vacation hotspots are going to be more expensive than a community that has a vacation spot "on the side".
3. Search the internet for "free" activities in the area that you pick. State parks, public lakes, museums are all usually free or request a small donation to visit.
4. Plan your vacation to start at the beginning or middle of the week, and avoid dates near holidays. Depending on your area, there may be entire months that are "off season"- which will usually help in securing a less expensive rate in your lodging.
5. Speaking of lodging- this really is tip 5 and 6. Look for lodging that comes equipped with at least a mini kitchen, and if possible look for private, family owned homes rather than going straight for a hotel. If you plan ahead, and are staying during the off season you can usually find a cabin/house/cottage for less than what some major hotel chains charge per night. Having access to a full kitchen will give you the ability to prepare meals there, especially if there are grocery stores near by where you can shop just as you would at home.
7. If you followed tips 5 and 6- then tip 7 should be considered a no brainer- take your coupons with you! In fact, if you have researched the area ahead of time, you should have a good idea of the grocery stores that will be available and have a idea of their coupon policy. If the store has a website, you can even check out their sale ad before leaving home to help decide if it would be cheaper to take certain things with you.
8. Contact the local travel center ahead of time, they can usually provide you extra coupons and discounts for various activities within the area. Plus- most of them have detailed maps of the area which will help you get around.
9. Walk. If you are staying in a area that allows you to park and walk from one destination to another, instead of hopping back into the car to get from place A to B- by all means take that walk. You're likely to enjoy the time walking and "sightseeing" as you go more than you would driving- plus it'll save on gas. If you can take public transportation from place to place, that might be worth considering too- especially on saving miles if you have a rental car, or gas if you're in your own car. (And it's less likely you'll spend an hour going in circles looking for a place)
10. If you are leaving your lodging for the day, pack snacks and drinks to leave in the car or carry in a backpack to reduce the need to splurge on these if someone suddenly needs a drink or gets hungry.
Really, these are just my own basic rules, but they work for me. And, I have to admit- our last family vacation was a complete hit with everyone in the family. We ended up being able to stay well under my budget and we had an excellent time. We picked an area that was a few hours from our home, filled with State Parks for hiking, near stores so I could cook our meals... and we had a blast. I knew my "deal filled" vacation was a hit when the entire family agreed they wanted to do it all again for our next vacation.
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://alamoinsiders.socialmoms.com/about2)
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