My Top 10 Creative and Affordable Vacation Ideas

We love taking family vacations, but the economy has certainly put a crimp in our vacation budget!  I always try to save money in everything I do, so of course, I want to save money while on vacation as well.  Here is my top 10 list of ways I save money while on vacation.  You can visit twittermoms to learn about other ways.

1.  Plan your vacations in advance.  You can get state travel guides, maps and even coupons to use on your trip.
2.  Stock up on snack items.  You'd be surprised how much money you can save by taking your own drinks and snacks with you, instead of buying them on the road.
3.  Travel by car instead of plane.  Almost anywhere you travel, you need a car.  When you go by plane you have to rent a car, driving saves that added expense.
4.  Travel off the beaten path.  There are so many wonderful and interesting sites to see, all you have to do is look for them...on the backroads!
5.  Travel mid-week when possible.  Hotel rooms are usually more expensive on weekends, and are usually more packed as well.  If you're going for a few days, go midweek, you'll save money.
6.  Travel off season.  If you visit places during the off season, you can save money on hotel rooms and you can usually get souvineers at cheaper prices too.
7.  Travel with friends or family.  You can always split the cost of cabins or hotel suites and get more room for a much cheaper cost.
8.  Eat in your room.  Get a room with a kitchen and do some cooking in the room.  Cabins and suite hotels are ideal and save money on always going out to eat.
9.  Eat early bird meals.  Many restaurants offer deals for people who eat early.  This can come in handy when eating dinner out.  You can usually save up to 50% doing this.
10.  Visit local zoos or parks.  Your local area parks or zoos are ideal places to go with kids.  The prices are reasonable and the kids can release their energy in the great outdoors.

I hope these tips were helpful to someone.  I had a blast putting it together!

Until next time,
Have a Blessed Day!
Shelly

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Toyota Sienna and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.