Family Vacations With Out Breaking the Piggy Bank.....

I've learned so much from fellow bloggers. I've gleaned ideas on parenting, cleaning, my walk with the Lord, shopping, coupon clipping, crafts, family nights....just to name a few things. So I thought I'd share a few helpful ideas that I have regarding frugal family vacations, just in case I can bless someone else with what I've learned.




I know how challenging paying for and planning a vacation can be. Over the past six and a half years of putting Eric through school we have lived on a very tight budget. But within that budget we've manged (by God's grace) to go on a Spring vacation and Summer vacation every year.

Here a few things I've learned to make it work...

• We always plan a portion of our tax return to go towards our vacations. For us Vacations are a priority and some of our money goes towards them.
• We rarely spend more than two or three nights in a hotel. We try to do things from home on our vacation some of the week, or stay with family other times.
• We try to find hotels that include the "fun" in the price of your night stay. This is why we go to water slide parks each Spring and camping often in the summer. At both of these places most, if not all, of our activities are included. At the places we stay at I can often find deals online for 10%-20% off.
• We try hard not to spend any more money than usual on food. This means that I plan our meals for our trip and often I make some meals ahead of time. While we are traveling we use the dollar menu at fast food places and drink water. When we are at our hotel we reheat the meals I've made ahead of time. (Which typically are beef sandwiches and turkey rice casserole. Both are easy to store in plastic baggies.)
  

I pack a rubbermaid full of snacks, fruit cups, bread, peanut butter, paper plates, paper towels, plastic spoon, knives and forks, water bottles, juice boxes,small boxes of cereal and microwave popcorn. This keeps us from spending money on the food at the hotel.

In a small cooler I pack the pre-made meals, a small milk, and fresh fruit and jelly.

I try to make it a little fun by buying zoo pal plates and some snacks like chips that we typically don't eat.
Planning and bringing our food is just how we do our trips. Our girls don't know it any differently. So if we surprise them and take them out for breakfast (which we did at Great Wolf Lodge) they are so grateful and appreciative.

All the planning and preparations are well worth the Fun....