_
Family Vacations on a Budget
_If your family has the yearly tradition of travel, the current recession may be crimping your style. Don’t let a simple thing like money stand in the way of having fun! Gather the kids together and get creative with this list of fun family vacations that won’t cause a foreclosure.
1. Camping.
In this day in age, very few kids get to have the experience of camping out in the woods in a tent, building a fire and singing songs in the pitch black of night. What better entertainment than taking the time to tell each other ghost stories, roast a marshmallow together or look at the stars?
Your kids will love the adventure and the cost of most state campgrounds is quite low. As for the equipment, unless you plan on going every weekend, there’s no point to invest. Borrow a tent from your friends and offer to lend something of yours in return.
2. Outdoor Festivals.
Packing up the kids and heading to an outdoor festival is an excellent alternative to throwing down hundreds of dollars to hit up a theme park. Outdoor festivals are prevalent in the summertime, rarely charge admission and do offer a myriad of fun activities for children to enjoy. These festivals also boast culinary delights like pies and ice cream, guaranteed to please any palette.
3. The Lake.
Renting a cabin on a lake is a less expensive but equally fun option than staying at a hotel/resort. The kids can enjoy hunting for frogs and playing in the water, and the adults can enjoy simple pleasures like canoeing or catching up on a good book. The option to cook in the kitchen instead of heading out for every meal is an added bonus that can really help you save.
4. Visit family.
Vacations are rarely spent seeing the ones we love the most. This year, why not enjoy the benefit of free lodging and drive on over to see relatives you love but never find the time to see? Developing relationships with our loved ones is one of the most important parts of life, but without taking the time to do it, we miss out. Thanks to the recession for the option to slow down and smell the roses… and maybe some of Grandma’s cooking.
5. Road trip it.
Set a budget, hop in the car and take off. Roadside motels are a lot less expensive than fancy resorts and exploring and discovering new parts of the country can be just as much fun. Be sure to stock up on your car games and books on tape – then enjoy wherever the road takes you.
When faced with cutting back on your budget, finding ways to keep up important traditions like a family vacation are just as important as the money you plan to save. With these simple alternatives to an expensive trip, financial pressure will be lifted and the opportunity to truly enjoy your time off maximized with the reason you work in the first place – living a quality life surrounded by people you love.
1. Camping.
In this day in age, very few kids get to have the experience of camping out in the woods in a tent, building a fire and singing songs in the pitch black of night. What better entertainment than taking the time to tell each other ghost stories, roast a marshmallow together or look at the stars?
Your kids will love the adventure and the cost of most state campgrounds is quite low. As for the equipment, unless you plan on going every weekend, there’s no point to invest. Borrow a tent from your friends and offer to lend something of yours in return.
2. Outdoor Festivals.
Packing up the kids and heading to an outdoor festival is an excellent alternative to throwing down hundreds of dollars to hit up a theme park. Outdoor festivals are prevalent in the summertime, rarely charge admission and do offer a myriad of fun activities for children to enjoy. These festivals also boast culinary delights like pies and ice cream, guaranteed to please any palette.
3. The Lake.
Renting a cabin on a lake is a less expensive but equally fun option than staying at a hotel/resort. The kids can enjoy hunting for frogs and playing in the water, and the adults can enjoy simple pleasures like canoeing or catching up on a good book. The option to cook in the kitchen instead of heading out for every meal is an added bonus that can really help you save.
4. Visit family.
Vacations are rarely spent seeing the ones we love the most. This year, why not enjoy the benefit of free lodging and drive on over to see relatives you love but never find the time to see? Developing relationships with our loved ones is one of the most important parts of life, but without taking the time to do it, we miss out. Thanks to the recession for the option to slow down and smell the roses… and maybe some of Grandma’s cooking.
5. Road trip it.
Set a budget, hop in the car and take off. Roadside motels are a lot less expensive than fancy resorts and exploring and discovering new parts of the country can be just as much fun. Be sure to stock up on your car games and books on tape – then enjoy wherever the road takes you.
When faced with cutting back on your budget, finding ways to keep up important traditions like a family vacation are just as important as the money you plan to save. With these simple alternatives to an expensive trip, financial pressure will be lifted and the opportunity to truly enjoy your time off maximized with the reason you work in the first place – living a quality life surrounded by people you love.