It’s that time of year when many families take a vacation and, all too often, end up spending a fortune.  Well, it does not have to be that way.  With a little planning, your family can have a fun filled and relaxing vacation.  Here are a few tips to help you have that vacation without having to sacrifice your life’s savings.

Go With-In Driving Distance

Look around the area you live in and see what’s close to you that could be a fun location to visit.  You can save on car rental and pricy airline tickets.  I have a large family and it could easily cost us $300 a person for air travel.  There are usually tons of things with-in driving distance to go visit and skip the extra costs.

Choose Hotels with Free Activities

Always plan ahead and make a reservation for the hotel you will be staying.  Ask about discounts while reserving.  Many times you will get a discount just by asking.  Also, ask about what kind of free activities your hotel has available.  Many times hotels will have a pool, game room, fitness center, free movies, free breakfast or even kids eat free.  My family could easily spend a day at the hotel pool and have fun.  We are already paying for this luxury so why not use it.

Look for All-Day Passes

Looking for something to do for the whole day?  Look for places that have all-day passes.  You will get to spend all day there and not have to worry about finding something else to do.  Many times places like amusement parks, museums and other fun places have these.

Get a Room with a Kitchen

Don’t plan on eating every meal out.  This could easily cost a large family hundreds of dollars.  Get a room with a kitchen and prepare easy foods right in your room.  Bring plenty of snacks for the kids, so you don’t have to stop to spend money on them, especially at convenience stores where everything is more expensive.  Also, bring a cooler, most hotels offer free ice, so take advantage of it. Fill your cooler before leaving and pack a lunch or even a dinner to eat while out.  There are usually lots of great parks and other neat places to stop and have a picnic.

Bring Your Own Kid Gear

Bring your own stroller.  This might be a hassle but you could easily pay up to $30 a day to rent one.  Also, don’t forget the car seat if you will be renting a car.  Why pay for something if you already have it? Use this money for something else, or just save it.

Take a “Staycation”

My family has decided to take a “staycation” this year.  A staycation is where you stay at your own home and plan to visit things that are close to you so you don’t have to pay for a hotel. This requires a little planning.  There are probably lots of free places right where you live that you may not have visited.  Look online and see what you can find.  See if you can find some hiking trails, state parks, or other places you have never visited.  We are also going to take advantage of our yearly family pass for a local pool. Make sure you pack a cooler before leaving each day and go out and enjoy the day.  It has been reported that these types of vacation are becoming the norm for a lot of families.  Who says you can’t have a relaxing, fun-filled vacation while staying at home? Decide on a start and an end time for your staycation.  Make this a chore free time.  Don’t make your bed, vacuum, clean out closet, or pull weeds.  Don’t invite people over this is your vacation time and you are not available.  Many people report coming away a lot more rested after these types of vacations because there is less stress and worry.

Use Cash

I think this is one of the greatest tips.  Don’t take a vacation you will be paying on for years to come.  Save up for it.  Vacations are not a need.  You can still have fun and make priceless lifetime memories that won’t take you a lifetime to pay off.