How To Plan A Budget Friendly Summer Vacation

May 30, 2017

Ah, summer. I often find myself yearning for the summers of my youth, when it was all about sleeping in, no school and nothing but fun. As an adult, it seems more like summer is about how my bank account can survive a vacation with my family. If you can relate, there is hope. I’ve found that taking a realistic look at how much money you can actually budget for vacations along with some good pre-planning, that a fun vacation is possible, no matter how much you can afford to spend.

The basics

If you want to leave town but have a tight budget, consider a road trip vs. flying. Use gas apps to help find inexpensive gas, which can help. I’m partial to GasBuddy, which uses GPS to find the cheapest gas around you.

We’ve also found that home sharing services like Airbnb or VRBO often offer better deals than hotels, especially on stays over 2 days. We have used both services for years so I feel like a bit of an expert here – make sure you read the reviews of places you’re considering and ask questions about anything that raises a red flag. Also, make sure you ask about what will be provided. We stayed at one condo that provided everything – beach towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, surfboards, even toys for the kids and basic food items, which saved us from having to haul all that stuff with us.

Food and souvenirs

To save money on food, pack snacks and lunches in a cooler and when you do eat out, look for restaurants where kids eat for free. If you are going to a high dollar destination like Disney, consider buying a few souvenirs in advance, then hide them to give to your kids when you arrive – trust me, this can save so much money and they won’t know the difference.

Staying put

Back when we were focused on paying off debt, we decided not to travel for vacation and instead implemented “staycations.” First we established ground rules like no checking work emails, minimal cleaning, and no trying to squeeze in errands like doctor’s appointments or cleaning gutters. We wanted to be on vacation in mind and body.

Then I planned out a week’s worth of activities that ended up costing us nothing. By combing local websites for free kids activities like movies in the park, puppet shows at the library and stores that offer free classes for kids, I was amazed at how many free or low cost events my city offered. We used an app to find the cheapest gas and tried to stick to activities close to home. You can also use sites like Groupon, Living Social or Yipit (which combines several online deal websites), for discounts on activities like amusement parks, movies and local events or check with your HR to see if they have any discount coupons.

For food, I went to the grocery store and picked up stuff for inexpensive lunches to take with us like pasta salads, sandwiches or ground turkey patties and hot dogs to grill. We learned to make everything special – a trip to the pool turned in to a cook-out with a family water game. One of my favorite parts was that I got the kids really cool water bottles that they liked so much they stopped asking to buy soda.

The bottom line is that we ended up spending less than $100 on our weeklong staycation and my kids say that is was one of their favorite vacations so far. Remember, the most important thing is to spend time with your family. Most kids do not care about the location. Taking the extra time to research freebies and discounts can save hundreds of dollars and help you plan a vacation no matter what your budget.

5 Great Ways to Have a Spring Staycation

March 22, 2016

Spring is in the air and if you are like me, you are thinking about what to do with your kids during the season. For many, it is taking time off to spend quality time with your family. You start to think about beach trips or a trip to Disney. Then a cold dose of reality hit. For me, it is my family’s commitment to our financial goals and for others it may be the knowledge that if you have to finance your vacation then you probably should think twice about taking the vacation.

If you find that traveling away from home for spring break is not in the cards for you, never fear. The staycation is here. You can have a great vacation, full of relaxation and family bonding.

The key is to make it as much like a family getaway as possible. Have some ground rules for your staycation: no smartphones (or limited use), no tablets (my eleven year old nearly died), limited television, no working from home, and no cooking, cleaning or laundry. (I fought for those.) Remember, the only thing your kids really want is uninterrupted time with you. How it happens does not really matter to them.

Before you begin, come up with a budget. Although staycations are typically cheaper, the costs can add up quickly without the boundary of a budget. Below are 5 ideas on cost effective staycation ideas:

Discount sites. Use online discount websites like Groupon or Living Social for discounts on local activities like roller skating, fairs and plays.

The library. Visit your local library to learn about free events like puppet shows or movies. Some libraries offer free passes to zoos and museums. At our library, you can also check out parking passes to national parks.

Picnic in the park. Have fun with it. You can get kites at a dollar store. You can also get a bucket, fill it with dishwasher liquid and make huge bubbles. Our kids loved it (and so did we). Check your local area for free movies in the park or free music and bring popcorn.

Movies. If you live near a discounted movie theater, take the family to go see a favorite movie you missed or a favorite movie the kids would like to see again. Many discount movie theater have ½ off nights.

Camping outdoors or under the table. Surprisingly, this was my kids’ favorite activity. We got popcorn and told ghost stories. You can even grill out.

Spring break doesn’t have to mean debt. You can have a family vacation that won’t follow you in credit card charges for the next 6 months. Taking the time to do a little bit of research to unearth staycation ideas can create a vacation your kids will remember for years.

How Not To Go Broke On Vacation

August 11, 2015

Okay, I will admit it. I am cheap. I hate spending money unnecessarily so when my family asked about a family vacation this year, I asked them if being together wasn’t enough. Apparently everyone, including my husband (traitor), wanted to go away for vacation so I immediately had to strategize on how to do this on a budget. Continue reading “How Not To Go Broke On Vacation”