Well, first you need to figure out how much money it will take and how far it will take you. You can check hotel rates here but things like airfare or gas (if you’re driving) will have to be factored in. If your budget is super tight… then you’ll probably be driving. I have a family of 4 and when airfare was out of the question we had a couple of choices: the beach or the mountains. Both included a 5 hour drive. Here are some tips based on how we did it.
- Begin saving long before you take the trip. This actually makes the trip more exciting for everyone. In fact, we probably got more joy out of the buildup than we did the actual getaway! Of course, we weren’t able to save big chunks of cash so we put a “vacation jar” in the kitchen and every night we would empty our pocket change into it. It was just change so it didn’t seem like a big deal. We started this practice almost 10 years ago and it worked so well we just kept at it out of habit. Then, a week or two before trip time, we emptied out the jar and started rolling coins (don’t have to do that anymore since our bank got a machine that does it for us automatically– I miss the family change counting night though!). If you do this religiously, you can expect around $300 after 12 months. Not bad considering you’ll never even miss it! I have always used this money as travel money: gas & food stops on the way back.
- Use your federal tax refund money. I know, we could have used it somewhere else (bills, new carpet, etc.) but we didn’t. The last time we used it we actually held a family vote because we really needed some work done on the flooring in our house. Vacation won by a landslide! We decided we just wouldn’t look down while walking through the house.
- Pack food & drinks for the drive there and for that night. That first day, when everyone wakes up pumped about going somewhere, no one cares that much about eating in a fancy restaurant along the way. Put your vacation cd in, roll down the windows, and snack most of the way. When it comes time to eat something more substantial, stop at a rest area and use one of their picnic tables. This will turn into a fun part of the adventure and you won’t feel like you’re scrimping at all (even though you are- even a McDonald’s lunch for 4 easily wastes $25). Also, use the rest area’s for bathroom stops. Gas stations are more convenient but they also offer more temptation to spend here and there on soda’s, gum, candy, etc. Once you arrive, explore a bit then come back to the room for dinner (the dinner you prepared that’s been waiting in the cooler… oh yeah, get a cooler).
- The first morning is wonderful. Everyone’s still excited. And, no one’s upset about eating the complimentary breakfast at the hotel (if there is one) or the cereal and fruit you already packed. At this point we’re a day and a morning into the vacation- 4 meal-money-pitfalls- and we haven’t spent a dime on food and drinks! This is about to change…
- We almost always try to find a place that is reasonable but also has a kitchen with an oven and a refrigerator. Sometimes it costs a little more to rent a house or condo on/near the beach but we’ve done the math and when you factor in food, the kitchen is cheaper every time! So, our first full day includes a visit to the local grocery store (which is also always fun for some reason) and we buy a week’s worth of food and drinks. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, my wife already has a meal plan ready so there isn’t an overwhelming amount of impulse purchasing. Pancakes at the local breakfast place might be $5.00… we can get a week’s worth for that and some syrup! We will splurge one or two days and eat out but we usually do that at lunch. Even at fancy restaurants, lunch prices can literally be half what the dinner menu charges. And after a day of “vacationing” it has always been kind of nice to get back and eat a lazy dinner while watching a movie or playing a game. Oh yeah, a washer & dryer is definitely a plus!
- Find free activities beforehand by researching the area you’ll be visiting on the internet. Tripadvisor is a good place to start. Google works well too. If there is a state park near, you can always find hiking trails. If there’s a beach, that’s good for tons of free fun. Every place is different but one thing’s for sure: there’s something fun to do for free almost everywhere.
- Plan your “paid” excursions and stick them either in the middle or toward the end of the vacation. We usually try to do 2 things that cost money on a 7 day vacation. And we try to schedule them 3 or 4 days in (right around the time we usually get bored just exploring the new area). Look for coupons for these paid events online and print them out before you leave. Also, check the nearest rest stop for coupons (they usually have a wall of coupons and brochures).
- This may or may not work for you but… if there’s a family you get along with really well, you might consider splitting the cost on a vacation rental with them. The price difference between a 4 bedroom rental house and a 2 bedroom rental house usually isn’t that big (if you shop around). The place I used last was vbro.com.
- Stop by the visitor center (if the place has one) and chat with the people who work there. They often have great advice about cool things to do in the area and they also have more coupons!
- Have a family fundraiser. Seriously. Who says you can’t have a car wash or doughnut sale or [insert generic fundraiser here] with proceeds going toward your trip? Or how about a vacation yard sale? Whatever you do, if you do it as a family with a specific goal in mind, it can become great fun.
I’m going to stop at 10 but there are many other ways to manage a vacation on a tight budget. Keeping googling and include the whole family in the game plan- it’s part of the fun!
