Plan An Affordable Family Vacation

Because of the declining economy many families are now looking for an affordable family vacation. Before the decline, many people anxiously looked forward to planning that very special time of family fun each year. Lavish vacation spots were many times chosen due to the fact that the budget was not so tight.

A vacation is a way for us to renew our minds and bodies. Family vacations are truly special because they are conducive to family bonding. Just because your budget is tight, doesn't mean you necessarily have to give up spending time together on a highly anticipated family vacation. Here are a few ideas to help you with planning an affordable family vacation:

1. Pick vacation destinations that are close to home. Certainly, travel eats up a big chunk of the vacation budget. When you stay close to home you are cutting back on high gas prices and for many pricey airplane tickets. Often many of us are not fully aware of what wonderful vacation possibilities lurk very close to home. State parks, numerous museums and fun amusement parks are often within an easy drive for many people. The key is planning. If you can't afford a motel, then plan a daily excursion from your home to locations that your family will love. Should your family have a particular love for something, like amusement parks, then consider an overnight stay in a motel if your budget allows.

2. Consider camping for your family. Is there a vacation destination that your family would love, but is not within daily commuting distance? Then you should consider camping for your family. Camping certainly allows for an affordable family vacation. Costly hotel bills can quickly drain a budget. You can easily find state parks and campground parks throughout the country. With an average charge of around $25 a night, this is a great way to be kind to your vacation budget and at the same time provide an affordable family vacation. If you don't own any camping gear, then don't worry this can be rented.

3. Get the kids involved in choosing vacation activities. Children love being a part of family decision making. This is definitely true for planning vacations. When they become a part of the planning process, it will help to increase their excitability for going on vacations. If you have some teenagers in your family, you will probably be pleasantly surprised at some of the creative and fun filled things they will come up with. Be sure you make the children aware that money is a real concern. Let them take a look at the budget and give them guidelines to go by when planning vacations activities, so the budget is kept on course.

4. Carefully consider your travel dates. If your budget allows for long distance travel to resorts or popular vacation areas, then you can help cut back on expenses by choosing dates early or late in the summer. The middle dates are the most popular, as well as costly. Hotel rates are higher and special events during these times often make availability difficulty. Some people want to wait to the last minute to find a great travel deal for their vacation. This is risky to do. You have no assurance that something will be available, which could easily set the stage for disappointment for both you and your family.

5. Discuss souvenirs before the vacation starts. Buying souvenirs is a fun part of a vacation. We all love having something to remind us of an enjoyable time. When planning affordable family vacations, the expense of souvenirs needs to be considered as part of the budget. If the budget is really tight, then limit the souvenir shopping to just one item that the whole family might enjoy and collectively votes upon. However, if the vacation budget does permit, it would be better to allow each person to select one personal souvenir, as long as it stays within the budget. Girls can easily find some very affordable costume jewelry design pieces, in most vacations spots, that cover a variety of themes. Boys often have a special liking for anything that has to do with nature or outdoors and many times these items are quite affordable.

Start early in the process of planning your affordable family vacation. Doing so will enable family enthusiasm to grow as the vacation is planned and will create a great way for family bonding even before the vacation starts.

Most children love to go camping. Just give it a try. Ask your kids how they would like to go on a camping adventure this summer during vacation time and most likely you will hear a loud YES. Camping provides a wholesome fun environment for your family to find a lot of enjoyment. Hiking, camp trails, exploring nature, fishing, campfires, roasting marshmallows and lots of fresh clean air are just some of the fun adventures that camping provides.

You can find some wonderful state and national parks that offer great facilities for camping. Many times you can find facilities that offer hot showers, phones, potable water, restrooms and swimming amenities. For those with a real tight budget, a camping vacation is well worth considering. It makes a cheap summer vacation for the family to enjoy.

This would be a good choice for families that have a love for golf vacations, but find their budget will not stretch to fit this type of vacation. Camping will provide for lots of outdoor fun and other means sports entertainment such as fishing or hiking. Since camping is quite affordable, perhaps the budget might permit a round of golf for the family at a golf course near your camping area while on vacation. Look for public golf courses to keep the golf costs down. Should you plan on doing this, then be sure to pack your family's golf club sets, if space permits. This way you will not have to pay for rental golf clubs.

If you are considering a camping vacation for your family, then the link below will take you to a recreation gov site that will provides a great search module to find parks near your home.

http://www.recreation.gov/