Stretching a dollar has never been more important than it is right now. But if balancing your family budget has meant foregoing the annual summer family vacation, don't despair. These money-saving tips will help your family take a few days together on the cheap.
1. Get creative about your destination. How many times can one family visit Disney? By breaking out of your annual vacation habits, you may be able to save as much as 70% on accommodations -- just by picking a less-than-famous vacation destination. Did you know that Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, was recently named the best amusement park in the world by Amusement World? If you're staying more than a day, consider the pass that also admits you to Soak City water park next door.
2. Be flexible in your departure dates. Rather than picking a destination and departure date, let the last minute deals be your guide. You can use an online service like Airfarwatchdog,com to keep you informed by email of the best airfares departing from your city. For the extremely flexible traveler, consider a service like Site59.com that provides last minute travel deals as late as three hours before departure.
3. Choose a destination within driving distance. Don't fool yourself into thinking that driving across the country will be cheaper than flying. A gas-guzzling SUV can cost you just much on a cross-country jaunt as last-minute airfare, so it's important to stay within a few hour's drive. Possible destinations include the state capitol of a neighboring state, or a nearby metropolitan area that offers plenty of free family festivals and activities.
4. Consider camping. If your budget is really stretched, camping may be a great way to spend some family quality time and distract the kids from their video games for a week. Even if your favorite destination is one of the major theme parks, you can usually find a nearby campground to reduce your lodging expense.
If you want somebody else to organize the camping experience, consider sending your entire family to camp for a week. The American Camp Association has an online directory that allows you to search family camps by location, price and length of stay.
5. Travel after peak season. This may be difficult if you have school-aged kids, but families with babies and preschoolers will find plenty of discounted rates by scheduling a fall vacation. This is particularly true in Southern regions such as Mexico and the Caribbean where resort stays are much cheaper in the spring and fall.
Working with a budget means getting creative in every way possible, so break out of your vacation rut and start planning a family vacation that will build treasured memories -- without breaking the bank.
Barb Dearing is an online writer specializing in family topics. For the best family road trips, she likes to pack up the family and a Beach Umbrella and head to the shores of Lake Michigan for the week.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Dearing
No comments:
Post a Comment