Way (way!) back when I started this blog in the summer of 2011, I had a different title and focused mostly on getting good deals. I loved sharing these deals but it wasn’t where my heart was, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still love finding the best savings in many areas of our lives! I love finding good ways to vacation on a budget!
Be sure to check out my other posts on travel:
Traveling with Kids: The Good, The Bad, The Realistic
A Successful Beach Vacation with Kids Part 1
A Successful Beach Vacation with Kids Part 2
How to Vacation for Really Cheap
Since we travel quite a bit and have a large family, I thought I’d share a few of the money saving tips we used (and one we didn’t- oops!) for our trip to Colorado back in March and our trip to Alabama in August. {I wrote last week about our super-cheap vacationing but this post is geared towards more substantial trips.} I’d love to hear your money-saving tips at the end!
1.) If flying, book your flights on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
Sadly, this is the one tip we didn’t know until it was too late. We looked at flights on a Thursday night and were waiting to be paid by direct deposit the next day before paying for the tickets. Literally 8 hours later, that Friday morning, the total had gone up by $200! I still cringe when I think of this. We went ahead and booked them since the trip was getting close and we didn’t know if the prices would go back down by the next Tuesday.
(I’ve heard that Tuesday afternoons are the absolute lowest ticket prices but am not sure about that.)
2.) If you can, travel in off-season periods
Since my kids are home-schooled, we can travel at pretty much anytime during the year, which means we almost always travel in off-peak times. This saves considerable money in every area- airfare if we use it, gasoline, hotel rooms- virtually everything but food is cheaper.
Bonus- beaches, tourist attractions and the roads aren’t generally as busy!
3.) Use LivingSocial or Groupon for eating out/attractions/accomodations
Ben and the older three kids riding away on their trail ride!
We have done this for at least two years and I cannot tell you how much we have saved by using LivingSocial and Groupon for our “fun activities.” For example, I knew my kids wanted to go horseback riding in Colorado. I got on Living Social, searched the city in Colorado where we’d be staying, and there happened to be a deal for horseback riding for half price. That twenty-second search saved us $75!
(I wrote an entire post about this specific subject at Money Saving Mom a few years ago- you can read it by clicking here.)
4.) Stay in accommodations with a kitchen
Sure, sometimes these cost more per night BUT the savings you get from cooking most of your meals instead of eating out will most likely be significant- especially if you have a large family. I definitely don’t like cooking all my meals when on vacation (it is, after all, vacation!) but it saves so much money to eat the largest portion (no pun intended!) of our meals in the cabin/house/hotel room.
Sometimes, I even get creative and make up new recipes like I did with my Peaches and Cream Monkey Bread!
Bonus: sometimes (ok, usually) eating out is much more work with a lot of kids than eating a sandwich!
5.) Be content with having a day or two with no planned activities
Besides being good for the budget, we find it relaxing if we just chill for one full day at the house where we’re staying. The kids can watch movies, I can watch Food Network, and no one has to get out of their PJs!
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I grew up vacationing with my family once a year, and Ben and I have made it a priority in our family to travel. It’s just part of our monthly budget to set aside the funds to get away a few times a year- it’s healthy for our family, our marriage, and our ministry lives!
Do you like to travel? What are your favorite places to go?
Originally posted Oct 21, 2013
About Kelli Hays
Great tips! Thanks!! I had no idea about those flight-booking days…