Top 10 Creative and Affordable Vacation Ideas

Oh yeah! No vacation is a fun vacation if you come back with a big gaping chunk eaten out of your bank balance. Twitter Moms has encouraged me to come up with my top 10 creative affordable vacation ideas and these are just a few I'm randomly throwing out into my post based on our trips to Disney and Sea World but boy can you cost cut when you sit down and get serious about saving some buckaroos for an Awesome BUT Affordable Vacation with the family!

My 10 tips on how to enjoy an affordable vacation....

1. Search the web for coupons or online deals. (For instance from now till the end of the year you just pay 5$ for a kid's entry ticket into Sea World, when you buy an adult's entry ticket....now that's savings. Similarly I've been receiving emails about Kids Dining Free at Disney when you book end of the year) You can also find some great deals through your store memberships like Sam's Club.
   
2. Buy souvenirs or surprises from home and hide them in your travel bag. It saves spending an arm and a leg buying expensive prezzies at tourist destinations. (Also check Ebay)
   
3. Carry your own 'munch on' snacks and beverages into parks, historical sites and tourist spots. You'd be surprised at how much even a simple bottle of Ozarka will cost! (Ouch!!)
   
4. If you have ample vacation time off and if you know your family can handle a fun family trip on the road, I'd say drive. It always helps having your own car in a new place and saves you the hassle and finances of renting a car. (I personally would not travel on a long road trip with an infant or young kids but then that's just me. Plus with Hubby's work schedule we just wouldn't be able to take a long time off)
5. In some places like Orlando, you can sign up to try out the Timeshare programs. For a nominal price, you can stay in a beautiful hotel close to your tourist park/destination of interest and enjoy the benefits any regular paying hotel guest would enjoy. The only requirement would be attending a timeshare presentation for perhaps 2 hours or a little longer on one morning of your stay there.
   
6. Monitor air travel fares, hotel reservation rates 3-4 months prior to actually making a trip. Subscribe to sites like Orbitz and Expedia. You can get some great prices if you do a little ground work those several weeks prior to your trip.
   
7. If you have little ones who're yet to get into school, I'd say travel off season. The rates are just great for hotel stays, park tickets, flight fares and even car rentals. Also try getting to your destination and leaving there sometime during the week and not during the weekend.
   
8. If you plan to fly to your vacation destination and intend to rent a car, I'd say carry your kids car seats because it saves the additional expense of renting the seats with the car and everybody knows familiarity for a child always helps.
   
9. If you really want to take a vacation with the family but just can't afford to go too far or visit a theme park, why don't you subscribe to your local Tourist Guide Brochure and take day trips to local towns, cities, wildlife reserves, parks with historical significance? Not only will this allow you to travel to the spot and drive back the same day but it will also allow you to take several 'mini vacations' with the family over the summer and will help you orient you with other places around your locality.
10. If you have older kids, you can take them camping to nearby camping spots, have family cook outs and teach them a few 'outdoor survival' musts.

In the end, what's important is being able to have a great time with the family. You don't really have to go somewhere extravagant or pricey nor do you have to spend a lot on a vacation. Focus on each other and with a little research prior to your trip, you can have yourselves a family vacation to remember!




** EBMR Disclaimer: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the Toyota Sienna and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” **

Labels: Mommy Tips, Toyota, Twitter Moms

posted by Marina@EBMR @ 4:13 PM