| If your family vacation ideas and aspirations are much | | | | as you would in your own bed at home. |
| larger than your travel budget, check out these 5 | | | | 3. Enter "win a vacation" contests. Sounds cheesy, I |
| money-saving vacation ideas that should help you put | | | | know. But hey, someone has got to win, right? So, |
| those lofty travel plans right within your yearly budget. | | | | assuming it is free to enter (almost always is), why not |
| 1. Plan your vacation in the off season. This may mean | | | | search online for contests that you can enter and see |
| that you have to take the kids out of school for a | | | | if you might luck out and win a free trip somewhere. |
| week, but normally if you chat with the teachers you | | | | One thing to remember though is that, although these |
| can arrange this. They may need to do some | | | | are normally legitimate contests, if you put in your email |
| homework while away or even write up a report on | | | | address you'll probably start receiving a bunch of junk |
| what they do on their vacation, but you can usually find | | | | mail so use a separate throwaway email for these |
| a way to make this happen. And the benefits are | | | | contests. |
| great because you'll avoid all of the summer | | | | 4. Rent a house or apartment instead in lieu of a hotel. |
| vacationers. Try for a fall vacation, as a spring trip | | | | Now, this is going to be an idea for those who plan to |
| may put you out there with the spring breakers | | | | go on a trip for more than a couple of weeks - say, |
| (definitely not a good idea!). There are many | | | | maybe a month. If you plan to be away for that long, |
| advantages to a fall vacation other than the obvious | | | | one great money-saving vacation idea is to check into |
| money-saving advantage. If you live in the south | | | | renting a house, cottage, apartment, or condo for the |
| (Florida) like I do, you'll appreciate the chance to see | | | | length of your stay. This will be far cheaper than |
| some fall foliage which is just magnificent at this time | | | | staying nightly in a hotel. You'll miss the maid service |
| of year. You'll also get to avoid crowds of kids | | | | but the savings will be worth it. |
| everywhere at the places you visit, which is especially | | | | 5. Get together with friends or family and rent a beach |
| good if you are visiting a theme park. | | | | house. Our family did this one year and it was one of |
| 2. Skip the hotel and camp out. Okay I'll let you know | | | | the best vacations I ever went on while growing up. I |
| right off the bat that this is one money-saving vacation | | | | live near the beach but not on the beach, and it is so |
| idea that I will take a pass on. However, others really | | | | amazing to be able to go to sleep with the sound of |
| enjoy camping, and so this could be a great idea for | | | | the ocean, and then wake up and take a walk or run |
| those. Some places even allow camping on beaches, | | | | on the beach. You can usually bring along your dog as |
| which would be loads of fun. You'll have to pay a | | | | well, which can be loads of fun for you and your pet. |
| nightly fee but it will be WAY lower than anything | | | | You'll normally find great seafood restaurants nearby, |
| you'd pay for a hotel. With all the great camping | | | | and you can have beach cookouts and bonfires. |
| equipment that is available these days, you can get | | | | Super fun, and you'll save tons as compared to a hotel |
| some super comfortable sleeping bags with comfy | | | | stay. As money-saving vacations ideas go, this one |
| sleeping pads, and you'll almost be just as comfortable | | | | might be my favorite of all! |