3 Budget Vacations that Equal Big Family Fun!
Since I started this travel blog, I’ve heard many people say they can’t afford to take a vacation. I get that! The first three years my husband and I were married, we were full-time grad students with little income. Luxury vacations weren’t an option, but we scrimped for a weekend away now and then. Many years and three kids later, we still take cheap vacations! Sometimes it’s just good to get away! Here are three ideas to help you find time/money for a family getaway super cheap!
Cheap Vacation #1: Tent Camping
KOA Campgrounds, state parks, and privately owned campgrounds offer cheap vacation getaway options. Tent camping offers a super-cheap vacation, especially if you can borrow a friend’s tent.
What we did:
To be honest, while tent camping is not my favorite idea, I’d do it again because we did have fun! The cold, hard ground (even with an air mattress) wasn’t exactly kind to my back, but there’s something about fresh air, hiking in the woods and the smoky goodness of food cooked over a fire that makes for incredible family fun!
What we paid:
- Borrowed tent = free!
- Site rental at $18/night for three nights = $54
- Gas (20 miles from home) = $10
- Ice for the cooler at $1.25/bag = $3.75
- Firewood (there are cheaper options, but this was easy) = $24
- Food = ZERO. No additional cost over the regular food budget.
- TOTAL COST for this 4-day/3-night vacation: $91.75
Cheap Vacation #2: Cabin Rental
State parks, national parks and other campgrounds offer cabin rentals far cheaper than hotel rates. Some parks we have visited include: Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia, . Cabins offer more amenities than tents, though the options vary greatly. Some have only one room, while others offer two or three bedrooms. Many are basic, but some offer cable television, fireplaces and all the comforts of home!
What we did:
We’ve taken many cabin vacations. Our most recent cheap vacation was to a park in South Carolina. We stayed in a two-bedroom cabin with full kitchen and bathroom. While the place wasn’t fancy, we had comfy beds and the necessities of home. We took our food and bathroom supplies with us. We cooked some meals over the fire, a couple on the grill and heated chili on the stove.
What we paid:
- Cabin rental at $60/night for three nights: $180
- Gas (80 miles from home) = $36
- Charcoal = $16
- Food = ZERO. No additional cost over the regular food budget.
- TOTAL COST for this 4-day/3-night vacation: $232
Cheap Vacation #3: Budget Hotels with Amenities
Many budget friendly hotels offer great amenities, including swimming pools, free breakfast and lobby space. Selecting a budget hotel near parks improves the budget options, as most parks offer free hiking trails and other activities (grills, playgrounds, basketball, etc). Select a budget hotel close to home to enjoy a low-cost break from the pressures of everyday life. To schedule a vacation like this, use a hotel search site, such as hotels.com or travelocity, to find hotels with the amenities desired, in your price range and within easy driving distance of home.
What we did:
When our kids were young and our student loan bills were huge, cheap vacation ideas were the only vacation ideas! One time, we scheduled a mountain get-together with my brother and his family. We selected a hotel that offered an indoor pool, continental breakfast and lobby space. Our entire getaway revolved around that little hotel. The kids swam in the pool. The mommies enjoyed the hot tub. We ordered pizza and ate in the lobby. When bedtime rolled around, we tucked all the kids into one hotel room, while the adults played cards and board games in the adjoining room. At bedtime we moved our kids back to our room and then we did it again the next day. The weather didn’t cooperate on that trip, but if it had, we would have taken the kids hiking at nearby parks.
What we paid:
- Hotel room at $50/night for two nights: $100
- Gas (200 miles from home) = $50
- Food (pizza, subs, and one dinner out) = $80
- TOTAL COST for this 3-day/2-night vacation: $230
Becky Jane says
September 26, 2012 at 3:28 pmI’m all for the cabin. We did lots of tent camping when our kids were little, but now I’m more into the luxury of a quaint little cabin, with beds and a real bathroom!
Your information is useful for budget vacations. You’ve shown that vacations don’t have to be pricy to be fun. I appreciate the cost breakdown too. Thanks!
Karen says
September 26, 2012 at 5:07 pmBecky Jane, I’m all for cabins over tents too. My hubby and the kids still drag the tent out now and then, but I happily wait for the cabin adventures. The men need to bond, right?
Olusola says
September 26, 2012 at 2:36 pmLove these ideas. I hope to spend next year summer taking a lot of short and cheap family vacations and the cabin rental sounds like a to-do
Karen says
September 26, 2012 at 5:06 pmOlusola, If you are in the US, consider a KOA campgrounds membership. KOA campgrounds have cabins and they offer 10% discounts to members. Save where you can!
Cynthia says
September 26, 2012 at 2:31 amI went tent camping as a kid and LOVED it, haven’t done it as an adult (probably would not love as much). Would like to do it at least once with our son – so he can have the tent camping experience. I love how you gave a breakdown of costs! NIce.
Karen says
September 26, 2012 at 8:37 amThanks, Cynthia. It’s one thing to say it’s inexpensive, but when people see the numbers, that really makes a difference. Tent camping + boys = necessity! At least once. 🙂
Jenn says
September 26, 2012 at 1:57 amGreat ideas!!
Karen says
September 26, 2012 at 8:36 amThanks, Jenn. I like to vacation so much I had to find inexpensive options!
Carla Barilá Karam says
September 25, 2012 at 10:32 pmKaren… two words… GREAT JOB!!! What a well put-together, well written article! This is by far one of my favs! One doesn’t believe it until they see the proof in the pudding!! Grace, peace and blessings… Carla
Karen says
September 26, 2012 at 8:36 amThere’s the pudding then! 🙂 Do you have a vacation in the works, Carla? Or is your BIG NEWS keeping you distracted? LOL
Kristine Gavilano says
September 25, 2012 at 8:14 pmYou always give excellent ideas for budget vacations! My family can apply these when my boy gets old enough to have tent camping and the others. I love camping. 🙂
Karen says
September 25, 2012 at 8:54 pmKristine, thanks! We took our first tent camping trip when my second was only 15 months old. The nice thing about it was he didn’t need to get up at 3:00 a.m. to trek to the bathroom. Diapers were my friend!
Shannon Milholland says
September 25, 2012 at 4:23 pmTent camping is definitely out for us but we’ve done both of the other two quite successfully. I just booked our beach travel for Fall Break and am literally counting down the days!!!
Karen says
September 25, 2012 at 4:34 pmYAY!!!! I’m counting down the days (11) until I see my sweet Samford son’s face! I can’t believe he’s been gone so long… or that I’m taking it so well. 🙂
Emiliana Martin says
September 25, 2012 at 3:46 pmThese are excellent ideas! We went to a Palm Springs resort off-season where a girlfriend worked. She gave us an employee discount. The pool, spa, etc. were excellent and we were able to afford adjoining rooms. We basically hung out poolside, checked out downtown Palm Springs shops, restaurants, movies and the infamous tram up the mountain. I don’t think we spent more than $350.
Karen says
September 25, 2012 at 4:33 pmNICE!!! Does she want to hook me up??? **wink, wink**
Courtney~Mommy LaDy Club says
September 25, 2012 at 1:46 pmThis takes me back to the trips with our girls! My husband and I like to say/joke now that our only way of roughing it, is to not have an umbrella in our mai tai..hee hee;)
Karen says
September 25, 2012 at 4:33 pmCourtney, I’m right there with you. Family reunions keep us grounded! Economical for all the different stages of life, but I sure do like my umbrella drinks, oceanside, from the bar at the infinity pool! 🙂
Rosey says
September 25, 2012 at 12:57 pmWe look for cost-efficient trips too. Soon I’m going to be looking for ways to book our Spring Break vacation in the least expensive manner possible, and you can bet I’ll keep checking back here for possible tips. Where there’s a will there’s a way…or so they say, and I’ve found that true w/affordable vacationing.
Your ideas are good ones. We don’t have a camper, but I’ve seen where you can camp at amusement parks in the summertime too, and you stay right on the grounds extremely cheap! So while patrons are paying $300 a night for hotels right next to you…if you have a camper, you’re staying for a tenth of that w/the exact same location. Sure you’ll miss some of the perks of an expensive hotel, but when you’re on that kind of a vacation (where you’re using the hotel mainly for sleep/shower only) it’s okay. 🙂
Karen says
September 25, 2012 at 1:21 pmAbsolutely, Rosey! My favorite cheap vacation is the cabin. I highlighted one cabin stay in the post, but we stay in cabins often when we travel. Parks near cities offer the quiet away from the bustle and space without the expense! 🙂 Keep me posted on your trip plans. I can’t wait to hear more. 🙂