Money Saving Tips for Family Holidays

Money Saving Tips for Family Holidays!

Is it possible to have a crowd-pleasing family vacation and still fit within a tight budget? Although just spending time together should be pleasure enough, you still want to be able to enjoy yourself when you hit the road on a family holiday. Keep the following tips in mind to see the sights together without breaking the bank!

Keep dates flexible.

It’s understandable if you’re only able to get time off together during a specific window of time, but if at all possible it’s best to keep your travel dates flexible. Plan in advance to search alternative travel dates or even consider traveling slightly off-season. If you are willing to travel outside of the peak travel dates, even by a few days, you could benefit from the best deals on hotels, flights, and car rentals.

Drive more efficiently.

If you plan on driving across the country, fuel will be one of your biggest expenses. You can lower your fuel bill by choosing a more efficient car to begin with, but there are a few tips that can make any car run more efficiently. Drive at a steady speed on the highway, avoiding sudden stops or starts. Take your car in for servicing before you leave to make sure it’s running in top shape, topping up fluids and replacing old tires if necessary. You can find more information here about tires for sale, in case you need some new ones for the road. Tire pressure can have a major impact on fuel economy, so even if you are sticking with your old ones be sure they’re properly inflated.

Use money-saving travel apps.

There are a number of travel apps designed to help families save money on fuel, accommodation, and food. Download apps like Gas Buddy to compare fuel prices, or Yelp to find cost-effective dining options at your destination.

Look for self-catering accommodation.

If you want to save money on hotel costs, think about renting a house or condo instead. It may not seem intuitive to pay less per night and receive more space in return, but weekly house rental rates tend to be much cheaper than nightly hotel rates! You benefit not only from the lower price, but you also gain access to your very own kitchen which allows you to save money on food.

Buy tickets to attractions in advance.

Family-oriented attractions like amusement parks can carry hefty entry fees, but some allow you to save money by purchasing tickets in advance. Some amusement parks charge children by height rather than age, so keep this in mind when comparing prices. Similarly, if you’re visiting several attractions in a city you may be able to get a discount price if you buy them all at the same time. It’s worth looking at online coupon sites like Groupon before you leave too, because you may benefit from special family deals for popular attractions.

Buy travel basics at home.

If you have limited room in your luggage, it may make sense to buy things like swimsuits, bug spray, or sunscreen at your destination. Yet you’ll pay a steep mark-up for these travel basics, so if you truly want to save you’ll need to buy these at home and cram them in.

These are just a  few money saving tips for family holidays and to help shave costs on the road. You don’t have to sacrifice on your next family holiday by keeping a sharp eye out for great deals and grabbing them when they arise!

How do you save money when you travel?

Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!