Including a vacation in your plans can be a challenge on a tight budget. For those of you who want to get in that family quality time, yet don't have the finances for an extravagant vacation, here are some frugal family vacation tips. Since the goal here is to get the most fun for your money, let's talk about some frugal and low cost vacation ideas and tips that could be right for your family.
1. Camping: A great low cost option for families that enjoy the outdoors. Don't worry, you don't have to sleep in a tent. There are lots of state parks that rent cabins for a very reasonable fee. As an added bonus, when you are registered at a state park, you gain free entrance into all state parks.
2. Beach It: If you want to beach it, be sure to check out all your options for lodging. Sometimes a large family can do better by renting a condo or home for the week rather than staying at a hotel. Remember, you can save a tremendous amount of money if you can prepare your own meals while on vacation. A good portion of a families vacation budget can be literally "eaten up"! Even a little kitchenette in a suite can save you big bucks. If you're campers, you can almost always find a campground near popular beach areas and get maximum savings on lodging.
3. Low Cost Lodging: Don't forget your best resources, friends and family. Ask around to see if anyone has visited an area you plan to go. You may get lucky and have a "friend that has a friend" who maybe has a vacation spot they wouldn't mind renting to you for a lesser fee. Sometimes people won't rent out their vacation spots for various reasons, but don't mind doing so if the tenant is a trusted acquaintance of a friend or family member.
4. Visit Friends and Family: Plan to visit friends and family that live far away, or even those that live close, and you rarely find the time to visit. In today's fast paced society it's not unusual for family and friends to lose touch. You'll save money and get to catch up on what's happening with friends and/or family that you haven't visited recently. This will be fun for everyone and reinforce family togetherness.
Whatever you decide to do, if you're traveling a great distance be sure to check all your travel options. With today's soaring gas prices it's not unlikely that you may be able to get there faster, and cheaper, in the air. Hey, maybe there's a conspiracy here?
If all this just doesn't fall into your category of "fun", and you just have to have that exotic resort vacation, then at least be sensible about it. There are many great deals on vacation packages and off season rentals. And, oodles of travel agencies just waiting to tell you about them.
This is one area where do-it-yourself isn't always the most practical advice. Travel agencies are privy to a lot of travel information, especially seasonal discounts, that you and I don't have knowledge of. Do Your Research at least for goodness sake. You won't be kicking yourself later when you come across that great deal you missed out on!
Check out your local travel agencies, as well as some of the many online agencies. Don't forget, if you're an AAA member you're eligible for travel discounts. Before finalizing any plans, be sure to know your rights. What happens if you have to cancel? What is the deadline to cancel? Will you loose your deposit or is it refundable? Know your options.
Remember, the most important thing about family vacations is to spend quality time together. Have fun, and have a safe and happy frugal family vacation!
Family Vacations For Kids
When I think of the perfect holiday, my mind immediately turns to white sandy beaches and lounging poolside with a drink in my hand being waited on by attentive staff at a beautiful five star resort. This is what I was dreaming about when I began searching for a family vacation earlier this year. My husband Stan and I wanted to take our two children with us to a luxurious five star resort where we could rest and rejuvenate while having some fun together as a family.
Once we had chosen the dates that we could get away, I immediately began looking for vacation specials that would fit within our budget. After hours of searching it became clear to me that my idea of a five star resort vacation would not be possible. There were simply no holiday specials that fit within our budget, either at a resort or a vacation rental property.
After weeks of combing the internet for vacation specials, I was ready to throw in the towel. My visions of white sandy beaches, relaxing by the pool and five start accommodations were quickly slipping through my fingers. Our budget was just not going to allow for that type of holiday; I was going to have to make major compromises for our dream family holiday, or give up altogether.
Fortunately for my family, I just happened to mention my struggle in finding vacation specials to my good friend, Jessica. Instead of feeling badly for me and offering me condolences, to my surprise, Jessica just laughed at me. She could not believe that I was wasting my time searching for luxury holidays that my family of four could afford on traditional holiday websites. After I got over the shock of her laughter, I insisted that she tell me everything that she knew about vacation specials, because I was obviously missing something.
Once she started to tell me about vacation memberships, it seemed so simple, but I was still hesitant. I couldn't believe that it was possible to save thousands of dollars on a family vacation and still stay at a five star resort. As Jessica began explaining the process to me, I got more and more excited. I couldn't believe that a vacation membership was her secret to all of the fabulous holiday specials she had enjoyed over the last few years.
She told me about discount flights from a variety of different airlines and access to amazing resorts and vacation rental properties at a fraction of the price offered on traditional vacation websites. I got more and more excited and I couldn't wait to check it out for myself, so I excused myself and rushed home to investigate.
This time when I sat down in front of my computer, I started searching for vacation specials a little differently. I began looking into the potential of vacation memberships and I was shocked by what I found! I quickly purchased a vacation membership for myself and within minutes I was sifting through dozens of potential vacation specials that were not only everything that I had wanted for our family holiday, but more!
Only three short weeks after I purchased my vacation membership, my family and I were settled in our chaise lounge chairs, with drinks in hand at a five star resort that normally would have been way out of our price range. But instead of blowing our budget on our family holiday, we actually saved money, allowing us to book another five star holiday getaway during Spring break!
Both Cheryl Johnson & Dave Markel - are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cheryl Johnson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Debts Loans, Finances and Credit Cards. Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four on a mission to become debt free. As publisher of Simple Debt Free Living at she hopes to. Cheryl Johnson's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.
Dave Markel - has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Stan and his wife bought a membership through Global Resorts Network. You can get and learn more about this. Dave Markel -'s top article . to your Favourites.
