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A few months ago, I started researching ideas for taking a cheap family vacation. Since my family is on a tight monthly spending budget, and we are in the midst of a recession – my wife and I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on our vacation. Normally, we just skip the vacations outright to save money. We actually have not been on a family vacation since our oldest son was born (5+ years) so we decided we needed to create some memories with our children as well as sit back and relax a little – which we never seem to do. Of course – as always we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on our trip, so we put together a plan to follow while on our vacation.
Here are some ways you can enjoy a cheap family vacation and save some money -
- Drive – I am not much for flying to begin with, but we decided to drive to save money. Our destination is about 600 miles away so we are planning on a 12 hour drive. I figure we can drive round trip for around $100 for our family. Airline tickets for 2 adults and 1 child (youngest son is under 2 still) would have cost well over that amount. Sure – flying is more convenient but not as cost effective.
- Gas Rewards Card – I will throw in another plug for our rewards credit card that earns cash back every month for our gas purchases. If we spend $100 in gas on the trip, using the card will give us back $5. I know – not a lot but every little bit counts!
- Destination – I am sure there are some really cheap family vacations available to take right now given how bad the recession has gotten. Vacation destinations are really hurting and are slashing prices. Unfortunately, the deals still are not good enough for us to budge – so we are visiting some relatives in a warm climate right next to the beach. We won’t have to pay for a hotel or lodging and have the comforts of home. When looking for a vacation destination – consider staying with family and friends if you have the opportunity so you can save some money!
- Tourist Traps – Avoid the expensive tourist traps and theme parks if you are looking to save money. Instead, look at locations that cost you little to no money to visit. Beaches, state and national parks, and historical locations can offer the same excitement as some of the more expensive vacation destinations. As I mentioned earlier, we are heading close to a beach which will provide all the entertainment our 5 & 1 year old boys could want!
- Plan Ahead – We are planning ahead with our packing and items we are taking on our trip. For example, if you are going to the beach – make sure you take sunscreen, beach towels, bathing suits, flip flops, etc. with you. You don’t want to have to pay a premium at these locations for items you forgot to pack. Create a list of things you need to pack and double check you have everything before you leave.
- Avoid Eating Out – If you can help it, try to limit eating out at restaurants while on vacation. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but if you are staying with family or friends it shouldn’t be that difficult. If you are driving to your location, take snacks and things to eat in your car to limit the number of restaurant stops you need to make.
My wife and I have figured that by following the steps I laid out above, we will only be spending $200 (at most) for our vacation! Since we won’t be eating out (maybe in the car at most), our weekly grocery bill will be comparable to a normal week in our household. We also will be spending most of our time at the beach which will not cost anything. So we are planning on spending an extra $100 on gas that we normally would not have and possibly up to another $100 on some fun things for the kids.
How do you save money on your family vacations?
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Kind of hard to do right now in the snow…but we go camping several times during the summer. It’s a lot less expensive to camp vs. a hotel, so we’re able to go several times vs. one big trip. Plus, my boys love to run around in the great outdoors.
You had some great tips!
Corrie @ “Cents”able Momma’s last blog post..Weekly Wrap Up
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These are all great ideas. One of my stated goals for 2009 is to travel more this year. I’m hoping to visit some college friends and crash at their place. That way I save money on hotels.
Steve’s last blog post..Comment on My Favorite Blog Articles of the Week by Studenomics
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@Corrie – Once my boys get a little older, I am going to take them camping a lot. My wife has no interest in camping. She needs running water and a clean bathroom so I guess it will be some male bonding time.
@Steve – Thanks. We hope to travel some more as well taking small weekend trips to various places nearby. My wife and I have been very bad about not taking vacations to save money. However, our boys are getting old enough now were we need to make it a habit – just as long as it is frugal!
pfincome’s last blog post..Recession in America – Home Foreclosures
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