5 Ways to Save When You Go on a Family Trip
Going on a family vacation, and especially when there are small children involved, can be a significant expense on our budget. To avoid this from happening, proper planning and organization are essential. In the following article, we’ll give you some tips so you can save when you go on a family trip.
Tips to save when you go on a family trip
Many people think that going on vacation with children is synonymous to spending as if there were no tomorrow. Although it indeed involves certain comforts that are perhaps “avoidable” for a couple without children, the fact is that everything depends on how we organize ourselves and, above all, on how much money we can spend.
Pay attention to these tips to save when you go on a family trip:
1. Organize yourself well in advance
It’s well-known that buying a plane ticket a year in advance is cheaper than buying a ticket the day before traveling. Therefore, if we want to save as much as possible, the best thing we can do is organize the trip well in advance.
You can’t just make “last-minute” decisions when it comes to traveling with children; the good news is that you can also reduce your accommodation costs by booking several weeks or even months in advance.
Also, if you buy everything with a credit card, you can pay it back in installments, leaving you with a higher limit and fewer expenses.
2. Choose the right destination for a family trip
Saving when you travel with children not only depends on planning but also on where you want to go. Obviously, it’s not the same to go to Disney in the middle of summer than to a rural country house in the spring.
Either way, you must always take into account what kind of child-friendly activities there are and how you can entertain them throughout the stay.
Don’t write off exotic destinations or distant get-a-aways right off the bat. For example, both Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe are “child-friendly” and can cost much less than going to a Spanish island, for example.
3. Go during the offseason
In addition to saving, the good thing about going on vacation during the offseason is that there will be fewer people with whom to “deal with.” This translates into fewer lines, fewer traffic jams, less waiting, more tranquility, more privacy, and more rest.
Even if you want to go to the beach, you can take advantage of the less busy months, which also have pleasant temperatures. By opting for this route, your accommodation costs, meals, and transportation will be cheaper.
Many people think that going on vacation with children is synonymous to spending as if there were no tomorrow. Although it’s true that it involves certain comforts that are perhaps “avoidable” for a couple without children, the fact is that everything depends on how we organize ourselves and, above all, on how much money we can spend.
4. Homemade food
One of the most significant expenses while traveling is food. An excellent way to reduce costs is to choose a lodging that has a kitchen. On the first day, go to the market and buy groceries; then, it’s easy to make something simple, like sandwiches, for lunch.
And, if you want, you can go to a restaurant for dinner, but believe it or not, you’ll save a lot more if you prepare your own meals. And you can even turn it into a fun family activity!
Also, while hiking, you can take a bag with fruits, cereal bars, juices, water, and thermos with coffee or tea. Thus, avoid spending on unhealthy or convenient store snacks.
5. Choose free activities
First off, find out if where you’re going has family discounts or if minors don’t have to pay. Another option is choosing free activities, such as public shows at the park or admission-free museums.
Go to the tourist office as soon as you arrive at your destination and find out if there are any free or discounted leisure alternatives.
Finally, to save when you travel with your family, we recommend paying close attention to the typical phrase “free for children” that appears in tourist packages, hotels, flights, restaurants, etc. Look at the fine print because they probably require you to pay an additional tax or insurance.
As you can see, it isn’t necessary to exhaust our entire budget every time we want to go on a family trip with our children. There are plenty of economic options that are equally as enjoyable!
One more thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to be a millionaire to have a good time as a family. The success of your family vacation depends on your organization skills and making sure that everyone is comfortable, and not how much money you’ve spent.