Many people blame their lack of traveling on money issues or having small children, but the thing you must remember is it is entirely possible to book fabulous family holidays on a modest budget, you just need to do some research and some penny pinching where it counts! After coming back from our road trip in the USA, staying in RV parks in New Orleans I learned a lot about budgeting to share with you all. Here is a list of a few things to keep in mind when planning your next trip.
Plan in advance
The earlier that you book the cheaper your flights and accommodations will be! There are many travel agencies, online companies and services that offer package deals for groups or families. They often include flights, hotels, and transportation all in one sum. Every company differs but this is a great way to save money and to take away some of the stress of figuring out the minute details yourself. The internet has opened up a whole new world of savings for trips because websites and travel agencies often offer “Red hot” or “Flash” deals that can sometimes cut prices in half! Planning in advance ensures you will explore your options and figure out what is the best deal for your family’s budget. Some popular booking websites worth checking out include; Travelocity, Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, Kayak, Priceline, Trip Advisor, Yapta, Hotels.com, and DealBase.com.
Timing
Every destination has a “high season” and a “low season”, the prices of flights, hotels and activities can be drastically different based on what season it is in that particular area. Do not disregard this when booking and planning, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars simply based on what week in May you decide to book. With school age children it is more difficult because most holidays must be planned for times that they are off school, but high and low season is different in every country and destination, so if you do some research you may find a place that matches with your desired time frame!
Make smart choices
Once you throw on your bathing suit, get on the beach, and stop reading your emails, it is easy to be tempted to buy everything you see. Tourist destinations are always overpriced and eating out for every meal, especially with a large family can get very expensive, very quickly. It is therefore smart to look into renting holiday houses with fully functioning kitchens, laundry and possibly beach access. This cuts down on a huge portion of traveling expenses: FOOD! Buying groceries and eating breakfast, lunch and snacks at home is a great way to save money.
If you have a whole house, there is tons of room to entertain your family at home and enjoy bonding time and experiences that are not only valuable but also free! It is easy to get tempted to buy the ticket to every show, attraction, or boating trip offered, but make smart choices and remember what holiday is actually about.
Another roadblock that could potentially and often does occur is an issue with ATM withdrawals/transactions, carrying cash, needing more cash or having credit cards lost or stolen. After all the hard work planning and budgeting for your vacation, once you are there you have to be smart about how you handle your money. Luckily, there is an awesome website called TransFast that allows its users to transfer money internationally, whether it is cash or direct transfers into various accounts. You can count on TransFast to be a reliable guardian for your money so you can sit back, relax and enjoy your holiday! Follow these steps and you can enjoy a beautiful family holiday without breaking your bank… what are you waiting for?
