Real ways to budget family vacations

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can have a terrific family vacation while on a budget. You don't have to sacrifice fun because of lack of money. There are all kinds of vacations that can be had within almost every budget. While traveling is good for the economy and for your soul, it can be hard on your wallet. In fact, AAA estimates that a family of four should budget at least $244 per day for meals, lodging and automobile travel costs. And that figure doesn't include the staple of family vacations--entertainment. As usual, the best way to keep the costs down is to plan ahead and make informed decisions. But how do you start? You start with family input, a survey of your resources, and a well-thought out plan. We'll not only show you how to do that easily, but we'll also give you all kinds of ideas for family vacations and ways that you can make them affordable and fun! Always dreamed of going to Disney World? You can! Think the Caribbean is out of reach? It's not! We've compiled the advice and suggestions from many vacation experts and ad
ded some of our own experiences as well to give you this comprehensive guide to taking a family vacation on a budget! We'll show you different ways to save money on airfare, hotels, transportation, and eating. We'll also give you some great specific ideas for family vacations that won't break the bank along with some suggestions to help you save money and time in general while on your family getaway. Whether it's a summer trip, spring break jaunt, or wintering in the tropics, you'll be able to plan your dream vacation without breaking the bank. You'll get maximum fun without sacrificing every penny of your hard earned

dollars ­ and you may even come back with a little extra to save for that next vacation! What are you waiting for? Read on!

SAVING FOR YOUR VACATION
There are many effective ways to save for your family vacation. When you spend 40 hours a week slaving at your job, you deserve to have some time to get away from the rat race, relax, and enjoy your family. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll need a plan for saving up the money you need. While this may seem like a simple proposition, some people find it difficult to lay aside some money each pay period. The key here is discipline. Open up a separate savings account specifically meant for your vacation money. If your employer offers direct deposit, you can usually specify a certain amount of money be put into this account. Some banks will schedule an automatic direct transfer to your savings account if you don't have direct deposit or if you are not able to deposit money into two separate accounts. Examine the amount of money your family spends weekly or monthly on family entertainment and fast food restaurants. Then reduce that amount, storing the remainder away for your trip. So that a pending vacat
ion doesn't become a joy-buster, shop around for freebie and reduced-cost entertainment options to enjoy during the months before you depart. Another good way to save up money is to save your change. When you use cash, resolve to only use paper money. Then take the change you receive and put it aside

at the end of every day. You'll be surprised at how quickly it can build up. One family reported that they kept a "vacation jar" in a convenient place and each family member would deposit change and the occasional dollar bill into it. When they emptied the jar and had it counted, they had managed to save $5,000 ­ enough for them to enjoy a tropical getaway to Grand Cayman Island! While you may not have that much in your change jar, emptying it at vacation time can mean extra spending money or that little boost you need to go on your dream vacation. Be sure and involve your kids in the saving venture. This is a great time to teach the valuable lessons of saving and budgeting money. Look for other ways to add extra cash to the vacation coffer. One family we know would save aluminum cans and take them into the recycling plant periodically for cash. Throughout the course of a year, they managed to accumulate an extra $1,000 for their vacation. You could have a rummage sale to earn extra vacation cash as well. T
here are plenty of opportunities out there to add to your vacation savings. You just need to think outside of the box and resolve that any extra cash you get will go toward your family vacation. You need to budget realistically. Vacations need not be expensive. Budget an amount and stick to it. If you're driving, set a fixed spending amount ($150 per day, for example). Include all of your expenses, gas, meals, admissions, special activities, etc.