If you’ve been thinking up cheap vacation ideas here are a few to get you started.
Camping
Camping is an age old family activity that definitely fits the cheap bill.
With camping you have a few options. You can rent, or borrow a camper, and park it a campground or you can find a nice place to pitch a tent. My family always goes the tent route.
We invested in a large tent and a couple of air mattresses a few years ago that repeatedly meet our camping needs.
Amusement Parks
Amusement parks aren’t cheap per se, but they are much less inexpensive than taking your family a trip around the country.
Since I live in a small town with not much to do taking my kids to an amusement park that is an hour or more away always feels like a getaway. After spending time at the amusement park all day we just rent a hotel room.
This can cost a few hundred dollars total but this is the kids’ idea of a great vacation!
A Weekend Hotel Stay
Sometimes it’s nice to just explore a new city. This doesn’t have to be expensive at all.
Find a decent hotel to stay in and then explore the city for the weekend. Take walks, explore new restaurants and shops, and just kick back.
Visiting Family in Different Locations
If you have family that live in different states one cost effective way to travel is to stay with your family.
Sure, you’ll still have to pay for airfare or other transportation costs but you’ll have access to free housing and most likely, free food.
Visit a National Park
The last vacation I took where I actually left the state (and visited the next state over) was a trip to a national park. My family and I booked a three night stay in a cabin and drove to Mammoth Cave, KY. There were tons of inexpensive things to do like walking the trails and learning the history of the area.
It was fun for the whole family including my two small children!
What Ideas Do You Have?
Vacations don’t have to cost tons of money. A few hundred dollars can buy you an extremely relaxing and refreshing get away as long as you’re able to make a few compromises.