Travelling, alone, as a couple, or as a family has a unique ability to open our eyes, and our hearts to new sights, sounds, and experiences. It also has the unique ability to open and empty our wallets! It dosn't have to though. With a little preparation travel on budget is entirely possible.
Plan Ahead
Spend a bit of time researching your destination, find out when peak and off seasons are, you can save thousands just by changing the dates of your stay a few weeks. Keep your eye open for deals, you may find that some destinations ( like disney) have a pretty reliable schedule for discounts.
Use Credit and Loyalty Cards to Your Advantage
There are people who literally travel the world for free, because they know how to maximize their reward card. Take advantage of sign up bonuses and special events, and if you really want to get the most out of your miles, arrange to have your bills be paid from your credit card automatically, its amazing how quickly your points can add up
Be Flexible
There are many cost effective alternatives almost anywhere you travel. Avoid he pricey all inclusive and rent a house or condo, websites such as VRBO.com can take a lot of the guess work out of finding places to stay.
Take the same approach with your food, go off the main tourist strip and eat where the locals eat, not only will you save a ton of money, you'll probably experience the local culture in a much more intimate way.
Avoid the Group Tours
a lot of the time you can take public transit, and pay your own way in for a quarter of the cost the tour companies are going to charge you. Take a look at the local attractions before you leave and you may even be bale to buy tickets online at even greater discounts. My family was able to buy four tickets to a popular Cancun area nature attraction for less than what the resort was charging for one ticket.
Save on Water
One simple way that we have found to save money, and stay hydrated, is to make sure we always have our reusable water bottles with us. A water bottle at a tourist attraction can cost up to $5, multiply that by 4 people, several times a day, and you're spending a small fortune on water alone. By bringing our own water with us, we save money, and stay hydrated.
Do you have nay tips to save money on your family vacations? Share them in the comments below.
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