We may only be in February, but spring break is just around the corner. As a parent, I know how eagerly my children anticipate this week’s escapade. However, procrastinating until the last moment can cause the expenses to rack up. Over time, I’ve discovered several strategies to reduce the cost of spring break.
STAYCATION:
The easiest way to save money during this vacation is to evade travel completely. Opting for a staycation with local activities provides numerous economical alternatives. Over the years, we’ve found various local pursuits to enjoy during spring break and save money.
MUSEUMS:
In my locale, there are several free museums that we enjoy visiting. And nothing beats free! Interestingly, a few of these museums participate in the ASTC passport program, a program worth exploring. If you are a member of one of the participating museums, you gain free admission to all the other listed museums across the country. The key to leveraging this program is to identify the current participating museums and visit as many as possible within a reasonable driving distance.
EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN:
Our kitchen serves as a playground to nurture our children’s culinary ambitions, no matter how quirky their ideas. Engaging children in cooking during the spring break can be a wonderful experience. If you have multiple children, this activity becomes even more fun as they collaborate to create recipes and present their dishes while honing their teamwork skills and later cleaning up – a decided plus!
PERFORMING AT HOME:
Staging a show is another excellent way to entertain the children during the spring break. Choose one of their beloved books or films, and encourage them to recreate it as a live performance. With our five children, one usually takes the role of a director while the others act, and together they take care of the costumes and set preparation. This single activity can keep them occupied all day until show time, and to add to the excitement, they prepare some inexpensive snacks for everyone to enjoy during the show.
EXPLORING LOCALLY:
Exploring locally is our preferred activity whenever we have time on our hands. Pack some healthy snacks and water bottles in a backpack and explore a nearby location based on children’s suggestions. You’d be surprised at what you can discover in your own vicinity without spending much beyond the gas for the car.
BUDGET TRAVELING:
If travel is on your agenda, there are effective strategies to ensure you don’t overshoot your budget:
– For those who prefer flying, scouting for airfare deals early can save a substantial amount of money. Choose Tuesday for ticket booking as prices are generally lower on this day. A few useful platforms to find deals are Matrix Airfare Search, AirFare Watchdog, Fare Compare, Kayak, Priceline, and Skyscanner.
– Driving to a nearby destination can cut costs further. The novelty of the journey can make the travel as exciting as the final destination.
– Accommodation can be the most expensive part of the trip. However, websites like Hotels.com, Trivago, Expedia, and Travelocity offer deals that could help you stay within your budget. Utilizing cashback programs like Ebates can yield even more savings.
– An alternative and novel approach is house sitting, which provides free accommodation. TrustedHousesitters.com is an excellent resource for this.
There are countless options to maintain a tight budget and still ensure a memorable spring break for your children. The real question is, which of these options will make this spring break the best one yet for your family?
When do you usually start planning your spring break to save the most? What are some of your most cost-effective, yet exhilarating, spring break experiences?
