How to do a family vacation on a budget

What are the benefits of going on a family vacation?

Having a family means there’s always more life expenses to take care of, which can make it harder to think about planning for a vacation. But having to pay for your family’s expenses shouldn’t be a reason to sacrifice a memorable vacation for you and the kids. You work hard every day, and the kids are doing their best at school, so everyone deserves a fun break. Plus, family vacations are a great opportunity for you and your kids to get out of the house and explore. Going to new places can lead to new learning opportunities and fun memories that will last forever.

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How can I plan a family vacation on a budget?

Budgeting your travel plans will allow you to get the most out of your precious vacation time. Here are some useful budgeting tips you can try.

Do some research before you start planning

You’ll want to choose a destination that everyone will enjoy and then determine when the best time to go would be. It might be best to consider avoiding certain places during their peak tourist seasons. A few quick searches on the Internet can let you know when your target destinations are the most crowded. Traveling during a non-peak season can often mean taking your kids out of school for a couple days, so be sure to work with their teachers about making up missing work.

Establish your travel budget

Set up a price range of how much things will cost throughout the trip. You can adjust your budget as you hammer out more details of your trip. Sticking to a budget will help you figure out what’s possible and what’s not on your journey, and creating a digital spreadsheet to map out your expenses can allow you to visualize your potential expenses all in one place.

Your travel budget will look different depending on your destination. Use these budgeting tips for traveling within the US to keep your domestic travels affordable, or find out how to travel internationally to make the most out of your trip abroad.

Figure out the most cost-effective way to reach your destination

Traveling with the family means paying for more airline tickets, so finding the cheapest airfares can make all the difference. Learning how to find the cheapest plane tickets can make it possible to fly out your entire family without using up too much of your travel budget. You can also go by car if your destination is in a drivable distance, if you’re prepared to hear the occasional “Are we there yet?” from the backseat. Find out which states charge highway tolls and calculate how much you’ll need to pay for gas before hitting the road.

Work with what you’ve got

Before you set out to go shopping for travel essentials, take a moment to go through your belongings to see what you already own. Bringing the things you already have can allow you to spend less money when you get there. You might find some leftover sunscreen bottles in your bathroom, or a few summer clothes tucked away in the depths of your closet. If the food in your fridge won’t survive while you’re away, think of creative ways to repurpose them as snacks for the road.

Prioritize collecting experiences over souvenirs

Souvenirs are fun mementos to take home after a trip, but tourist shop items are often quite pricey. A set of commemorative matching T-shirts might be a fun idea in the moment, but who knows how often you and the family will wear them once you’re back home. Informative tour groups and experiences will make for more memorable artifacts than anything you’d find in a gift shop.

Take advantage of local offerings

Living like a local can help you save some money. Learning to use the local transit system is a more cost-effective way of moving around as opposed to calling multiple cabs. Food can also get expensive, and dining locally can help you save a few bucks. Local restaurants are usually cheaper than touristy food spots and give your family the opportunity to try new dishes.

Now that you know how to budget for your family vacation, you can start planning for a special experience of a lifetime. Find more budgeting tips to help you save money in all aspects of your life.