Travel season is upon us! If you’re like me, you love the idea of traveling and giving your kids the experiences of seeing new places but executing those plans and fitting all you want to do into your *very tight* budget is a totally different story! In this post, I share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way for traveling with kids on a budget.
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I love to travel. I love seeing new places and meeting new people. Watching my kids experience new places and learn new things is one of my most favorite things. It’s a big part of why I homeschool. I love spending time with my kids and watching them learn new things and experience the world for the first time.
With five kids, traveling can be, how can I put this? Expensive. Even before we had kids, we were in graduate school with part time jobs. So traveling was often out of reach. We have always lived quite a ways from family, like several states over kinda far. I have had to learn on-the-go how to travel on a budget. As each of my babies was born, I continued learning tips and tricks for traveling on a budget with kids.
Traveling with kids on a budget: It all starts with planning
Some people love to plan. They can plan trip after trip and activity after activity. Other people prefer to wing it and come up with things on the go. I fall somewhere in between. I enjoy planning and researching. But when it comes to actually making the final decisions and pulling the trigger on finalizing things, I get scared. What if something happens and I’m out that money? What if I find a better deal after I’ve already paid? Oh, commitment.
When traveling on a budget, though, planning is a must. The best deals are rarely found last minute. Early bird pricing is a real thing and can save lots of money. So buckle up and let’s talk through ways to plan a trip on a budget.
Ways to save on travel
- Gas is a major expense for any trip. I personally like to use the app Get Upside to find the best deals. It uses your location to locate gas stations nearby that offer cash back through their program. They even include the store front so you can get a percentage back on your drinks and snacks too! You can sign up through this link. (This is my referral link.)
- If you’re flying and/or renting a car, doing multiple searches on different deal finder sites is the way to go. They often have bundle deals (even including car rentals) that you wouldn’t be able to find on the franchise websites. I have found amazing deals through these types of sites. Also, there are still some smaller, cheaper airlines out there. Allegiant Air is a good one. Look for airlines that fly out of the smaller airports in your area rather than the big airports. The downsides of those airlines would be the limited locations they fly out of and longer wait times due to no onsite mechanics at the smaller airports.
- Try to plan your trip for non-peak travel times and, especially if flying, do your traveling on non-peak days/times. Flexibility in dates and time at the beginning of planning is key for finding the best deals.
Ways to save on lodging
- As mentioned previously, many of the deal finder sites offer bundle deals for flight, car rental, and/or hotel combined. That’s a good way to find a bundled deal.
- If you’re willing to stay in non-traditional lodgings, there are many options available:
- If you are a camping family, there are tons of free and very low-cost campgrounds throughout the US. They can be both tent and RV friendly. Most are first-come-first-serve, so you always want to have a backup plan just in case. I have personal friends who successfully stay at these types of no-frills campsites regularly. A quick Google search brings up plenty of websites for finding these user-vetted campgrounds.
- Even traditional campgrounds are most often cheaper than a hotel stay. Many have cabins or permanent RV’s for rent. And the amenities – such as a pool, playground, etc. – are great.
- State and National Parks. While not often free, both State and National Parks offer many camping options for way less than a traditional campground. Plenty even have low-cost cabins for non-campers. The amenities vary per park, but the cabins usually have at least the basic necessities for sleeping. I love this option.
- AirBnB. Not a new thing anymore but there are AirBnB options for just about every type and size of traveler/group. Prices vary as well, but if you look for non-peak days and less-touristy areas you can find a good deal.
Ways to save on food
- The first and most obvious way to save on food is to grocery shop at home and bring all your food with you. That way you won’t have to eat out or shop at unfamiliar stores in priced-for-tourists areas.
- The Get Upside App I mentioned earlier for gas savings also has restaurants with cash back options in the area.
- One option would be to stick with chain restaurants you’re familiar with as menus and pricing don’t vary a whole lot (they do often vary slightly, but not as much as unfamiliar place). But where is the fun in that?
- Welcome centers, visitor centers, hotels, campgrounds, etc often offer brochures and coupon books for area restaurants and attractions. Bundle deals are often the way to go! Many areas have a visitor center. They usually have clean restrooms and the inside scoop on things to do in the area. People often overlook these hidden gems of information.
- You could budget to eat in for breakfast, pack a picnic for lunch, and eat out for dinner. That way you’re not spending money on every meal but still get the experience of the unique dining the area has to offer.
- Check for Groupon deals in the area before you go.
- Send a call out on your social media to find out places your followers have been. Chances are someone you know has been where you’re going. Friends are great resources for pro/cons and pricing. (Be safe and don’t share what dates you’ll be gone.)
- Eat where the locals eat instead of the tourist-trap restaurants. You can always ask the employees of the places you go where their favorite restaurants are/what restaurants represent the area well.
Ways to save on entertainment
- Search online for things to do in the area. Google is your friend. (Or you can try the search engine Swagbucks. It gives the same results as Google but with points back for searching that you can put toward giftcards for your trip! I reviewed this cool money-earning search engine over in this post.)
- Most areas have whole websites devoted to things to do in an area. Some good search terms would be “things to do in _____.” You can add “for adults,” “for kids,” or “for families” for more specific results. Add in the word “free” or “low-cost” and you are sure to find some great options.
- Another search option would be to put your destination paired with the word “kids.”
- A great thing about these cold searches is that they often include reviews by people who have actually been to those places.
- Metropolitan areas have lots of free things to do. You can often spend days exploring in a big city without spending any money.
- National parks are often free. And, you can do the Junior Ranger program with your kids for more free fun at National Parks.
- State parks are low-cost.
- Be sure to bring books, games, art supplies, etc for any downtime you may have (car ride, anyone?) to keep from spending any unplanned/unbudgeted money.
- Again, make use of social media. Ask your friends and followers about things they’ve done and recommend (or don’t recommend) in the area. (Remember, no sharing of specific travel dates!)
Let’s be honest. Travel is expensive, especially these days. But you can totally set and stick with a budget if you start early, plan thoroughly, and think outside the box. Planning is key for traveling with kids on a budget. If you follow these tips and tricks, you can have fun and stay in budget.
I have other posts with tips about traveling that I’ve picked up along the way. Traveling with Babies, Traveling with Toddlers, and Traveling with Kids. Check them out!
I’d love to hear some tips and tricks you’ve picked up along the way! Feel free to share them in the comments or through the Contact page above.
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