5 Ways a Family of Five Can Save on Travel!!
Going on vacation when you’re a family of five can be challenging to your wallet. If you are determined to make a lifetime of family vacation memories with your larger family, it is possible to enjoy yourselves without spending too much. The key is to make a few adjustments in your vacation style. Here are five ways your family of five can start spending less on travel.
1. Stay in an Apartment
For travel, the biggest downfall to having a larger family is that the typical hotel room may not be able to accommodate you. Instead, you may have to resort to getting two hotel rooms that are next to each other, which can really make your budget increase. The better option is to choose a vacation rental apartment instead. Often, apartment rentals are less expensive and much more spacious than a cramped hotel room.
2. Look for Family Tickets
Another way your family can save on vacation costs is to look for family ticket packages. Instead of buying individual admissions to museums, theme parks, and other hot spots, look for family ticket packages that end up reducing the cost. If there aren’t any family ticket plans, see about buying student admissions for your children. Even better, look at local coupon websites near your destination’s location to find exclusive savings.
3. Find Free Family Events
Traveling with your family doesn’t mean that you have to pay for every moment. There are plenty of ways to enjoy your destination without spending any money. Most cities and tourist areas have plenty of options that are free. You could spend your time hanging out at the local public park and watch your children climb on the playgrounds and feed the ducks and swans. Another option is to explore national parks near your destination to discover a whole new world of adventure. Most major vacation spots will have info about what to do that’s free or low cost.
4. Rent a Car
Next, it’s a good idea to take a look at your transportation costs. While public transportation sometimes helps you save money, with a family of five it may be cheaper to rent a car instead. Be sure to talk to your car insurance agent before renting to check if your policy will cover you if your rental car gets damaged.
5. Use the Grocery Store
The last important money-saving tip is to spend less time in restaurants and more time at the grocery store. Dining out for every meal of your vacation can really add up in costs. Choose to buy groceries at the local food market instead to stretch your travel dollars even more. Breakfast can be a much quicker and smoother affair when you have supplies like milk and cereal already with you. Lunches can be delicious homemade picnic foods, like sandwiches and chips, that you can take with you. Dinner can be tastier than ever when you select popular local ingredients.
A family vacation is a great way to unwind and bond again with your kids and spouse. If you want to be able to enjoy more of these times together, look for these ways to reduce your costs significantly.
10 Comments
Kate Sarsfield
Self-catering is always cheaper but sometimes in off-peak getting a family room in an hotel can work out just as good.
Starla
All of these are such great tips.. so awesome to take advantage of these that way you can enjoy the actual vacation!
Tamra Phelps
Good ideas! I would try vacationing during off season, too, if possible. It’s less expensive & fewer crowds to fight.
KATE SARSFIELD
One thing that really annoys me about travelling is that just because I’m on my own I have to pay a ‘single supplement’ to hotels. I mean it’s bad enough without them having to rub my nose in it!
Diane K. Brimmer
Great ideas! When my family and I went to Florida we rented a house. It had 7 bedrooms in it. That was just great because my children are adults they had their own as well as my father and one for me and my husband. We bought our food at Walmart just down the street and cooked all our meals. We even had a pool and we could watch the fireworks a Disney from our yard. I highly recommend it.
Crystal Collier
Awesome ideas! My husband just got a job with Hilton, so we no longer have to worry about hotels, but everything else is an issue. We talked about me getting a part time job with an airline, just so we have both hotel and air. That would be the way to do it, eh?
Tina Buhrman
This is terrific advice! On our last family (of 4 1/2 at the time) vacation to Branson, MO, we rented a cabin for the week in lieu of a hotel. It was absolutely wonderful to have the space & amenities (including laundry room) of home while on vacation! We not only saved money by utilizing their weekly rate, but also by shopping for groceries & cooking meals there. It was an incredible trip!
michele
I so agree about apartment renting.. Most resort areas also have special weekly plans on condos.. You can rent with another family and really save money….
clojo9372
I never knew about vacation rental apartments! That could definitely save money if you have a large family. 🙂
Sara
This is a nice blog