Cheap Vacationing with Kids

No question about it, after you have kids you wonder where all of your money went. Somewhere there is a family that has half as much money as you and has managed to plan a fun vacation that was fun for the entire family! Every family deserves a vacation and all vacations do not have to be expensive. There is always a way to have a great time away from home, even if it is just pitching a tent in a park an hour away from the house!

The three biggest costs on a vacation are transportation, lodging and food. Once you figure out your budget, take into consideration these three categories and find ways to reduce the cost until the price meets your budget.

Transportation can get quite expensive if everyone in your family needs to purchase an airline ticket. The cheapest way to travel when going close distances is to drive by car. If money is a big factor in your vacation plans, plan to stay close and drive to your destination. Contact your local chamber of commerce for local vacation ideas that are close to home. If you are traveling further away, check into the cost of bus tickets or train tickets. Often times, the price of bus and train tickets is cheaper than airline tickets. If you do decide to fly, make it off-season. Generally, the further in advance you purchase your tickets, the cheaper they will be. Get online and look at travel websites that offer discounted airline tickets. Often discount travel brokers will also list cheaper airfare in the classified ads of your local newpaper. Be flexible about when you leave. Because airlines set aside a set amount of seats on each flight for their lowest available fares, be flexible about flight times and dates. Keep asking about cheaper alternatives that the airline may offer.