Promising your family the vacation of a lifetime is one of the most irresponsible things a parent can do. You know you don’t have the money for it, yet you still promise everyone a trip they’ll never forget. What’s the matter with you? Don’t worry; today, you’ll learn some of the most savvy tips for a frugal family vacation.
1. Go Camping
Thankfully, you can quickly salvage grandiose vacation promises by taking your family to the great outdoors. There are thousands of campgrounds scattered across the United States that you can trick your family into thinking it’s the most luxurious vacation they’ve ever had. Honestly, with no internet access and indoor plumbing, what’s the worst that can happen if you take your family camping? Your kids will love it!
2. Bring Lots of Food
Whether driving cross-country or staying at an upscale resort, food costs money, and feeding your family can quickly drain your bank account. Fortunately, the solution is straightforward: Bring as much food as possible on your trip! Every sandwich, snack, and soda you bring in the car or smuggle through airport security means countless money saved in the end.
3. Always Use Navigation While Driving
Part of vacationing is ensuring you take the most efficient route possible, especially on the road. I advise always using your vehicle’s or phone’s GPS navigation system since it guarantees you always take the quickest route and avoid time-wasting things like getting stuck in gridlocked traffic. It doesn’t matter if you “don’t need directions,” always use navigation!
4. Think Like a Kid
It’s time to think like one of your kids if you are trying to save as much money as possible. Unless you’ve raised absolute brats, your family will love a family vacation filled with the bare necessities; they want a fun pool to splash around in and some kid-friendly activities to indulge in. Don’t overthink it; not every vacation must be a weeklong stay at a theme park!
5. Keep Your Eyes Peeled
You’ll never know when you’ll stumble upon the vacation deal of a lifetime, so keep your eyes peeled and never stop researching. Arguably, the most crucial part of a successful family vacation is the planning process. Therefore, never stop scouring the internet for coupon codes, informative articles, and deals that can help make the lofty promises you sold your poor family a reality.
6. Open a New Credit Card Account
In 2024, many credit cards include new account sign-up bonuses that can be pretty lucrative! If you have good credit and are responsible with your credit card use, take advantage of these sign-up offers. You’ll often be rewarded with free hotel stays and heavily discounted airfare. But don’t tell your spouse that you opened another credit card.
7. Travel With a Richer Family
I have no proof of this, but I strongly suspect my parents got close with another family just to take advantage of the other family’s generosity. No judgment here; how else could we have afforded to go to Disney World in the 90s? Use this method as a blueprint: Befriend a family that makes much more money than you, get invited to vacation with them, and hope they’ll generously offer to pay for some (or all) of the trip! It worked for me; it can work for you.
8. Utilize Credit Card Rewards
If you’re not taking advantage of extensive and valuable credit card rewards, you’re leaving money on the table. Your family deserves the best vacation ever, and giving them that is far easier by utilizing your credit card rewards. In the blink of an eye, hotel stays, flights, and experiences become affordable. If you hoard credit card rewards, it’s time to finally cash in!
9. Keep Airport Spending to a Minimum
I don’t know if you realize this, but every item found at airports costs approximately 10,000 times more than anywhere else. From cheeseburgers to cell phone chargers and everything in between, spending money at an airport is a terrible way to start (or end) a family vacation. By being sensible with bringing food to the airport, you can experience significant savings.
10. Stretch the Truth at Check-In
Whenever you check in to a hotel, telling a little white lie or two is okay. Always tell the front desk person that you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion, regardless if it’s truthful! You’ll often be rewarded with perks from the hotel you wouldn’t usually receive. It’s not the most moral strategy, but your family will thank you. No judgment here!
11. Choose a Staycation
Depending on your family’s willingness to collectively accept the fact you promised them a vacation you can’t possibly afford, a staycation is a viable alternative to, you know, going somewhere else. With enough creativity, your backyard can transform into a campground, and a living room can become an epic beach resort (as long as you don’t mind destroying your carpet with sand). It’s time to show off your ingenuity!
12. Choose Hotels Offering Free Breakfast
If you’re struggling between multiple hotels, I advise you to choose ones that offer complimentary breakfast for your family. Feeding your family for free at the hotel buffet is an invaluable money-saving perk, and you should jump at any opportunity to stay at a hotel that offers it. Don’t forget to encourage your family to overeat; if they eat enough to make it until dinner, even better.
13. Book Flights Early
While there’s no foolproof plan to guarantee you will get the best airfare prices by booking early, doing so gives you the peace of mind to plan the rest of your family vacation. Book flights early; we’ve all waited too long to book airfare before and suffered sticker shock when we finally pulled the trigger. You’re better than that!
14. Build a Budget (and Stick to It)
Building and sticking to a sensible budget is vital, like other large financial undertakings. By putting numbers and figures down on paper, you’ll have a complete picture of what you can and can’t afford for this vacation. The road to a successful family vacation becomes more apparent when you know exactly how much you can spend!
15. Avoid Holiday Travel
I can’t overstate this tip enough: Avoid holiday travel at all costs. Everything is more expensive during the holiday season, from gasoline to hotel stays. Shockingly, many Americans use the holidays as an excuse to vacation, but the savviest families wait until the holidays are long gone before embarking on a trip of a lifetime.
16. Be Flexible
Above all else, planning a vacation with your family requires you (and everyone involved) to be as flexible as possible. Don’t hesitate to be creative because, for the sake of your family, you should be prepared to pivot at any possible moment. It doesn’t matter if a vacation has been booked for months; if you find a better deal that saves money, don’t be afraid to do so!
17. Avoid Disney
According to countless vacationers, avoiding the money trap known as Disney resorts is essential to having a fantastic and frugal family vacation. For example, agreeing to take your family to Disney World means accepting that you’ll be in debt for many months after completing the trip. Cut out needless stress from your life by getting ahead of the potential problem: Tell your family Disney burned down. Boom; problem solved.
18. Consider a Home Swap
If you’re okay with thinking outside the box, consider temporarily “swapping” homes with family or friends! (Please note: I said “home swap,” not “spouse swap.”) This strategy increases the traditional staycation and potentially gives your family a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bonus points if you can swap homes with somebody with a much better house than you!
19. Consider Going All-Inclusive
I’m constantly surprised by how affordable all-inclusive vacations are compared to paying for everything a la carte! Consider making the jump to an all-inclusive resort for your next family vacation. Many properties don’t charge you to bring along your kids, making them an invaluable opportunity to have a great time and maximize your spending dollars! Trust me, there’s nothing better than leaving your wallet in the room safe and enjoying the all-inclusive life.
20. Take a Page From Sitcoms
As many classic sitcoms have shown us, sometimes the most memorable family vacations occur when a parent forgets all about it, packs the family up in the car, and drives into the night. While this strategy should be considered only in an emergency, I feel like you haven’t been properly digesting these tips anyway, so I might as well prepare you for a worst-case scenario.
21. Go On a Road Trip
Instead of staying in a luxury resort or booking flights that add up to thousands of dollars, a road trip can be a viable vacation alternative for frugal-minded families. Sure, you’ll be subject to endless rounds of the license plate game, and nobody will ever agree on what music to play, but if you play your cards right, your most significant expense will be gas for your vehicle!
22. Utilize Last-Minute Deals
If you’re not opposed to waiting until the last minute to plan your trip thoroughly, countless last-minute deal apps for your smartphone can help you capitalize on fantastic hotel stays! HotelTonight, for example, is an app that caters to last-minute travelers by giving them amazing deals later in the day. (Of course, this method is not for the faint of heart.)
23. Pack Smart
When packing, getting your family on the same page is imperative. The last thing anybody wants is to stop at a convenience store to grab deodorant or toothpaste because someone left it at home; that’s how money is needlessly spent on vacation. The more essentials you pack, the more money you’ll save. There is zero excuse for forgetting to pack efficiently!
24. Ditch the Family Entirely
Listen, I’m going to be straight with you. You promised your family a vacation you can’t possibly afford, so it’s time to take drastic action. It’s time to leave your family. Don’t worry, you’ll find a new one soon enough. It’s time to stop reading this, calmly stand up, and begin discreetly packing your bags. Announce to your loved ones that you must go to the store “real quick,” and head to your vehicle. Then, drive away. It doesn’t matter where you go. Meet me at the nearest bar; I don’t care. Ultimately, you’ll save tons of money on this vacation because you no longer have to go on it.
