When your family begins to expand, you may find the thought of vacationing, particularly on a budget, overwhelming. After all, family trips aren’t inexpensive. Between airfare, accommodations, meals, and unforeseen expenditures, not to mention the potentially mind-numbing process of planning, you might feel like throwing in the towel before you ever hit the road or sky! But fear not— I have the ultimate solution to your affordable family vacation dilemma: Staycations!
Now, interpretations of a staycation may vary. Some believe that it means you simply stay at your own home, while in actuality, many opt to book a hotel in their own city or one nearby. Allow me to enumerate several ways your staycation can be a cost-effective family vacation, all while making you feel like you’ve whisked your family off to a grand adventure!
DRIVING DISTANCE: Select a destination that you can reach by car within your local area. When it comes to family vacations, sights within two hours of commute are ideal. If you think there’s nothing of interest within a two-hour drive, consider renting a house equipped with a pool. This change of scenery can create that “vacation feeling” with the added bonus of not having to tidy up. Time the drive right and you may get lucky with the kids sleeping during the journey! If you’re city dwellers, why not act as tourists for a weekend? Stay at a local hotel and finally get round to doing all those things you’ve always wanted to do but just haven’t had the chance. This way, you can skirt around your day-to-day responsibilities and truly indulge in a different kind of family time. Plus, by forgoing air travel (one of the costlier aspects of a family vacation), you could save a considerable amount.
COST-EFFECTIVE ACCOMMODATIONS: Reside in a hotel in your city or a neighbouring one for that luxury vacation feel. Even if budget is a concern, sites like Priceline or Hotel Tonight offer deals on accommodations. All your kids are really concerned about is the presence of a pool anyway! If a hotel doesn’t fit your budget, platforms like Airbnb offer home rentals as an alternative. This is often preferable when travelling with young children, as you have an entire house at your disposal and thus don’t need to worry about restless kids disturbing neighbours.
BYOF: Bring Your Own Food. Accommodations and travel usually eat up most of your vacation budget. The rest often goes towards meals, which can quickly add up when dining out. But if you rent a house, you can save by preparing some meals at home. Breakfast and dinner are generally cheaper when home-cooked. Pack the leftover for lunch which will save you even more!
BUDGET FOR IT: If a family vacation feels unattainable but you’re determined to make it happen, start budgeting now. By saving even a small amount like $25 per week, in just a year you’ll have accumulated $1,300! That sum can go a long way in covering a four-day mini-break or perhaps up to a week for a family of four.
