Vacations on a Budget
Vacations are an important part of every family’s plan. They give you a break from the daily grind of jobs, school, housework, sports, church, etc., as well as much needed family bonding time. Living on a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice that. It just means you have to PLAN FOR IT!
We’ve said it before, and we will say it again. You HAVE to have a working budget. Once you have that, you will see where you are spending your money, and where you have extra money to save for vacation every month. Saving for vacation is one thing. Planning for a budget-friendly vacation is another.
So, how do you plan a vacation that won’t break the bank?
5 Tips for a Budget-Friendly
- Drive or Fly? Ask yourself, is it more cost-effective for your family to drive or fly? Where is your destination? How many people are traveling with you? While flying is more convenient, it is almost always more convenient to drive. To estimate your door-to-door travel costs, use this calculator. Remember to factor in the costs for overnight hotels if you will be driving over several days.
- Plan meals. A great way to save money while traveling is to plan your meals in advance. While you are on vacation, costs tend to be elevated due to increased demand, especially at high traffic destinations like Disneyland, tropical resorts, etc. Most places will allow you to pack your own food, as long as you follow their guidelines.
- Shop around. Make sure you are shopping around to find the best deals on your hotel costs. Keep in mind things like AAA, AARP, and employer organizations that all provide hotel and travel discounts. Don’t forget to check Groupon too, as they constantly have extremely discounted travel deals.
- Over plan. More often than not, you’ve found yourself coming home from vacation with maxed out credit cards and an empty wallet. Avoid that conundrum by over-saving for your vacation, and over-planning for it. In other words, make sure you have more than enough saved for all the areas of your trip. Round up in all of your calculations, not down. And plan for ALL expenses, include road trip snacks and spending money.
- Enjoy it! After all of the planning and hard work, allow yourself to actually ENJOY the hard work! You earned it! You have the money saved and accounted for, allow yourself to buy a souvenir, take your wife out to a fancy dinner, or buy your kids an ice cream at the theme park. The point is that you are on vacation, and to enjoy time with your family. Remember that you have planned for these moments, and you can allow yourself the freedom to enjoy them because of the time you spent saving for them months in advance.