Family Vacation Budgeting: How to Spend the Least Money and Have the Most Frugal Fun

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A vacation on a budget can still be a priceless experience. All you need is a little advanced planning and some vacation savings savvy.

Doing some simple vacation budgeting before you leave not only saves you money but can give you peace of mind. With a clear idea of how much all the up front necessities will cost, you can then plan your other activities and discretionary spending around that.

Don't forget to give yourself a financial cushion for the unexpected.

Top 25 Ways to Save Money on Vacation

Vacation Budgeting for Accommodations

Save at the Beach. If your family loves a beach vacation (like mine does) consider a lake resort rather than an ocean resort. Staying at a lake resort is generally less expensive and offers the same fun stuff as ocean resorts, minus rough waves, salt water, and dangerous rip tides. In my opinion, lake resorts are always a bit more family friendly.

Consider all types of accommodations. Depending on your destination, staying at a hostel, a campground, renting or even swapping a vacation home might be your most economical and enjoyable option.

Always do the math. Most people assume that a travel package gets you some savings, but most are just marketing gimmicks and don't save you any real cash. So if you're going to purchase a package make sure you're going to use everything included and always compare the package price to the cost of each individual component of your trip.

Book Online. Most airfare, hotels and car rentals will cost you less if you book online. Even after you book keep checking pricing. If you find a deal better than the one you got ask for the better deal.

Vacation Budgeting for Transportation

Consider renting a car. If you're going to be paying out of pocket for airport shuttles and transportation once you reach your destination you may want to consider renting a car. Renting a car could save you money and you have the convenience of having "your own" transportation.

Rent weekly vs. daily. Always check weekly car rental rates vs. daily rates. If you only need a car for 5 days it can sometimes cost LESS if you rent at the 7 day weekly rate and simply return the car early.

Book Economy. If you're visiting a city with big rental car usage book the cheapest car you can. Chances are they will be sold out and you'll get a free upgrade to a larger vehicle. This has always happened to us, but if not, and you need to upgrade at the counter that's usually always cheaper than booking an upgraded car to begin with.

Cheap gas. Take a little time to check the gas prices at your vacation destination. Make note of the gas stations that have the lowest prices and fill up there before starting your adventure. Its safest to overestimate your vacation budgeting for gas.

Vacation Budgeting for Meals

Purchase as much as you can ahead of time. Already having things like, park passes, tickets to shows and attractions, or even some meals paid for in advance will make things less stressful and in some cases free up more discretionary spending cash.

Check if there is a meal plan available. Meal plans can include two, sometimes three, meals a day. In some cases, like with Disney's dining plan, you can save a lot of money by paying up front for food. However, keep in mind that most resorts offer meal plans as a convenience, not necessarily as a savings tool, so check out exactly what you're getting to determine if a meal plan will meet your families needs. Estimate how much paying for each meal as you go would cost and see which works better for your family.

Check for free Breakfasts. Lots of hotels and motels will offer some sort of free breakfast. Anything from coffee and danish; to a juice bar, cold and hot cereals and assorted breads.

DIY lunches. Save money by planning on a few simple lunches you can do yourself. A quick trip to a nearby grocery store to pick up bread, lunch meats, snacks and drinks can feed the whole family for what it would cost to feed one of you in a restaurant. Pack a picnic lunch that you can stop and eat wherever you happen to be.

Look for "Kids Eat Free" offers. Some hotel chains, like Holiday Inn, offer programs where kids can eat for free. If you stay at one of these establishments then get a room with a small fridge and a microwave you can really make a dent in your vacation budgeting by saving quite a bit on meals.

Splurge on Lunch. Vacation time is definitely when you want to treat yourself. If you want to treat the family to sit down restaurant meals do it at lunchtime or even breakfast. These two meals will generally costs a family much less than dinner in the same place.

Bring refillable bottles. Buy everyone a souvenir refillable water bottle and carry them whenever it's convenient. Constant buying of water and soft drinks during a day at a theme park, or at the beach can add up. A refillable drink bottle can cut that cost considerably during the course of a day. Refilling your own bottle at a convenience store soda fountain will cost you less than using one of their cups and most times gets you more drink.

Have groceries delivered. If your accommodations provide you with a kitchen, or even just a fridge and microwave check the local markets for delivery service. These days most grocery chains with locations near major attractions will have this service. It's great to have things like diapers, juice, snacks, drinks, milk and cereal delivered to your door. We've done this on vacation and you can't beat it. You can even order online before you leave home.

Print coupons from the net. Lots of national restaurant chains have websites and you'll find any special offers, coupons and promotions there. Check out the sites of places like Denny's, Bob Evans, Red Robin, and IHop to find out who's going to give you the best deal while you're away.

Vacation Budgeting for Everything Else

Purchase souvenirs anywhere BUT your destination. When my family goes to Disney World we purchase souvenirs on Clearance at the Disney store where we live. I hide them from the kids then give them out during the course of the vacation. Disney and other trademark items can even be found in Walmart. If you can't do that, then shop at the junk/souvenir shops surrounding the theme park versus shopping in the parks.

Give the kids their own money. Planning souvenir money is an important part of vacation budgeting. Months before our vacation my kids start doing extra chores to earn "vacation bucks". I keep a running total and this is the money they get right before our trip, with the understanding that it's to be used for whatever souvenirs or treats they want during vacation. This teaches them to control their own spending, and keeps me from having to say "No" a zillion times a day. It's amazing how frugal kids can be with "their own" money. The peace of mind YOU get is priceless.

Use your resort amenities. Plan to spend at least one day at your resort. The pool, playground, fitness and game rooms are all included in the cost of your stay and make for a very fun-filled low cost day. This is a great day to have that picnic or plan for lunch in your room.

Bring movies from home. If the weather, exhaustion, or even illness cause you to need to spend an afternoon in your room, you can keep the fun going by watching some movies. Rather than Pay-Per-View or renting from your hotel, plan ahead and bring movies from home. Most rooms will have a DVD player. Something from the discount store clearance bin can be saved for vacation, or even Netflix can be popped in your suitcase. Since there are no late fees, just mail them back when you're done. The library is another great place to find movies and audio books for days spent indoors or long car rides.

Bring your own stroller. Stroller rental can add up quickly. If you've got a folding, easy to carry stroller bring it with you. One of the easiest vacation budgeting tips to follow.

Go coupon hunting. My kids love grabbing free pamphlets fliers, and booklets from wherever we go. Hotel lobbies have racks of them and a lot of them contain coupons for local attractions and restaurants. Send your kids on a coupon hunting mission then spend about 10 minutes clipping the ones you can put to use.

Check the local online news. Before you leave check the local online paper for city you're going to be visiting. You can find local attractions, coupons, offers, and maybe even some free events, festivals, exhibits or shows happening while you'll be in town.

Ask for freebies. You might be surprised at what you can still get for free. Call the customer service line of the resort or theme park you're planning to visit and ask what special or free offers are available. Sometimes traveling in a large enough group; being a member of certain professional organizations; or even celebrating a particular event can make you eligible for special offers, perks or freebies.