How to Plan a Budget Friendly Vacation

After what seemed like the longest winter on record, things have finally started warming up here! While running errands today, I pulled out my sunglasses and rolled down the window to soak it all in. I don’t know about you guys, but this mama is ready for a VACATION!!

Life gets busy and overwhelming at it can be easy to lose track of who and what you’re doing it all for. That’s why it’s so important to take time to relax and have fun with each other. Family vacations are a great way to reset and refocus on each other.

For me, vacation, can be a scary word. It’s not as easy as pulling out a suitcase and walking out the door toward an adventure like it used to be. There’s a lot of planning, laundry, and late nights to prepare before you leave. The worst part, though, is saying goodbye to a large chunk of the savings you’ve scraped all year to build up. It’s not easy pinching pennies to build up a sense of comfort and security, and then watching a large portion of that security float away in a matter of days. But, planning a vacation doesn’t have to leave an empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. There are some easy ways to make a smaller financial impact, and still take time to spend with your family.

1. Research Your Destination

This is the very first thing we do. We don’t go anywhere that doesn’t have some free entertainment options! It’s pretty easy to go online and search for free attractions. You can start by searching the best free destinations, or you can decide where you want to go and then search for nearby freebies! Usually, wherever you end up, there will be at least one or two things to do that won’t cost you a dime, and still be loads of fun.

When my husband and I got married, we spent our honeymoon in St. Louise. The city is amazing for sight seeing, especially by the Arch! They also have a free tour at the Budweiser factory with free samples at the end. And by samples I mean two full glasses of your choice from their entire menu, PER PERSON!!!! Whew, I got a little excited lol. But, if you are planning a family vacation, fear not. Kids are allowed on the tour, but are not given any samples 😀 They also have one of the top rated zoos in the country that could easily entertain you for days, ABSOLUTELY FREE.

Some other super fun options to look into are local splash pads and parks, gardens and outdoor art galleries, or a local beach.

You’ll also want to do some research on the hotel where you’ll be staying. Some places offer special discount packages where you pay a higher rate but they include free meals or entertainment at their location. Also, you can look into getting a smaller room, and use a cot for kiddos! They don’t mind the “special” bed and it prevents you from paying for another bed.

2. Make Your Own Food

For some people, vacation is all about not having to cook. I used to be one of those people, until I realized how expensive going out for a meal is for a family of more than one!

It’s very stressful hauling kids around, keeping them contained in assigned seating, getting them to eat one of the five kid friendly things on the menu, arguing about why they can’t have one of the super yummy desserts advertised on the table tent, and keep them from spraying condiments all over the people behind us (my apologies to the family at Cracker Barrel, it was truly unintentional and I am deeply mortified). Rewind and repeat three times a day, for several days. Yeah….we bring our own food now.

This can be done one of two ways. You can either bring food from home, which takes up a decent amount of luggage space, or you can find a local grocery store after you’ve arrived. If you go the buy after arriving route, be sure to do some meal planning before hand so you don’t end up with a bunch of left overs you’ll have to either toss out or pack up to take home.

3. Drive Don’t Fly

If you’re going solo, flying doesn’t have to be expensive. But once you start adding to the guest list, those dollar signs get bigger and bigger. If you have a reliable car, pack up the family and set out on an adventure. Some of the best memories are made at gas station stops and drive by scenery! (Be sure to find an awesome soundtrack to bond over during the drive. You will probably never be able to get the tune out of your head by the end.)

If driving isn’t an option or the extra cost is worth fewer traveling hours (mom’s with squirmy little ones) opt for the red eye flights. They are usually cheaper and allow kiddos to sleep through most of the trip.

4. Agree On A Spending Allowance

This is a big one for my family. My husband and I tend to get lost in the vacation euphoria and forget that every time we swipe the card it has a reaction in our bank account. As a result, we have implemented a spending allowance.

We decide how much we want to spend over the entire vacation and subtract any planned expenses. Whatever amount is left, we divide by the number of days we are spending there and only carry that cash with us for the day. If we run into a situation that requires more cash than we have, we put it on our cards but then pull the extra amount we used from the remaining days balances. You can use this method per person if you have older kids, but our guys are young enough that we are still budgeting for them. By doing it this way, there is a physical impact on spending money that makes us more aware of the actual amounts being used.

If, like me, you’re apprehensive about carrying around a bunch of cash, you can use what I refer to as a “banker log.” (Mommy is usually the banker) It’s a small notebook I carry around with me that has the beginning total and a subtraction for every purchase we make. It still functions to show you how much you have left to spend, and keeps you actively conscious of whats being paid out.

5. Try Camping

Let me just start by saying, I am not a super outdoorsy person. Me and my A/C share a very codependent relationship. Cool air is essential to my survival. That being said, I LOVE CAMPING!!! Some of my favorite vacation memories are of hauling the pop up around, rainy day board games, and bonfire smores. Camping is something I am so excited to share with my boys as they grow.

As a general rule, camp grounds are much cheaper per night than hotel rates. You’ll want to do your research and make sure it is a reputable campground with clean amenities, but many campgrounds can be as nice or nicer than some of the cheap hotel options. The best example of this that I’ve experienced is the Disney World campground. Rather than paying several hundred dollars a night at their resorts, we stayed at the campground for less than a hundred a night (this was back in 2006 so prices have likely changed, but it is still much more affordable). They were incredibly clean lots with A TON of on site attractions.

If you don’t have a camper of your own, don’t be discouraged! There are many camper rental options online, that allow you to actually rent different size campers. Otherwise, you could also check to see if the campground has CABINS! Be sure to find out if it’s a basic cabin with no water or electricity, or if they have special accommodations like a fridge.

If you’re still not sold on the idea, just give it a try. Even if everything goes terribly, you’ll have some great memories to share with your kiddos!!

6. Be Spontaneous (Groupon)

This might be a tough one for you super planners out there. If you’re not super picky about where or when you go, online discount for last minute vacation bookings are amazing!! Sites like Groupon offer a million options for vacation packages at extremely discounted rates. It’s kind of like Russian Roulette of vacationing!! Go online a few weeks before you leave and see what’s available for your price point.

So just a quick recap:

1. Research Your Destination
   • Look for free family friendly local attractions.
2. Make Your Own Food
   • Going out is crazy and expensive. Try finding a local grocery store after you arrive.
3. Drive, Don’t Fly
   • Road trips can be the best part of vacations! Save on the flight costs and make some great memories!
4. Agree On A Spending Allowance
   • A daily budget with cash or log entries creates a physical awareness to prevent overspending.
5. Try Camping/Cabins
   • Even if you’re not an outdoor person, this can be a great option to save on overnight expenses.
6. Be Spontaneous (Groupon)
   • Last minute reservations can save you a ton on vacation packages.

So, those are some of the easy ways to save on vacation that my family uses! Hopefully one or more of these will be helpful for you guys.

I’d love to hear from you about how you save money on family vacations! Maybe even share with us some of the free attractions you’ve enjoyed with your families.