Family vacations can get expensive. Between food, entertainment, and a family-friendly hotel, you’ll end up spending a small fortune without some planning and a budget. So what do you do when you want to go on a family vacation but don’t have a lot of funds?
1. Stay close and discover the natural surroundings of your area. You might be amazed by the nature parks and trails surrounding your state that will entertain your kids and provide a little history lesson. Look for campgrounds, RV parks and roadside hotels for cheaper accommodations. Most kids love camping so take advantage of their adventurous nature.
2. Purchase theme park tickets when they have big sales. Usually before school ends and around spring break are the worst time to purchase tickets because there is no shortage of buyers, but they do offer to buy two days get days free to entice ticket buyers so you’ve got to watch the sales closely to get the best deals. For cheaper rates book your trip during offseason. Also, if you are employed through a union or media outlet you can often get discounted tickets through your agency or attend media night for a deeply discounted rate.
3. Drive to your designation instead of purchasing plane tickets. Plane tickets can get expensive when you’ve got kids and when you are buying 4 or 5 tickets you are already easily into the $700 range just for one way transportation. While it is true that gas and car maintenance is expensive you are still going to wind up saving a bundle of cash just from driving. There’s also a lot of shopping rewards programs available now that help you save on gas while buying things like groceries and clothing. Even cross country driving can be less expensive than a plane ticket.
Other ways to save on vacationing include;
– Packing your own food instead of eating out.
– Purchase groceries if you are going to be camping or staying in a hotel that gives access to a kitchen. You can also pack sandwiches for the drive to and from your designation so you don’t have to stop at fast food restaurants.
– Keep to a strict budget and consider leaving the credit cards at home so you aren’t tempted to splurge on things you really can’t afford.
I love the idea of saving money buying park tickets! I will be sharing this link. Now I just have to find out when is the off season. Thanks for sharing!
It always seems to cost a lot and you pointed some great tips on how to save money for family events & excursions