When planning our family jaunts away to distant shores, it can be ridiculously difficult to maintain any sense of logic and reason when it comes to a budget. Excursions can cost the Earth, food and drink costs can spiral astronomically, and the spending money that you have set aside can diminish at a much faster rate than you anticipated. The ubiquitous annual summer vacation should be fun, stress-free and foster quality family time. However, it can often become fraught with budget worries and feelings of parental guilt because you can’t afford to do every that your little darlings have their heart set on. All is not lost, and there is a way you can fight back against the budget-busting family holiday. Take a look at these ways you can save money while still enjoying the family holiday of a lifetime.
Delegate
While it may sound counter-intuitive, allowing a tour operator to take over the planning of your holiday can save you money in the long run. If budgeting is tricky, you could ensure that all of your flights, accommodation, food and excursions are paid for upfront before you even set foot on a plane. While maybe not the most cost-effective strategy when planning your annual vacation, you will have everything covered from the get-go, and there will be no hidden surprises when you arrive at your destination. While summer holidays for kids can be expensive, allowing an expert to custom plan your itinerary bespoke to your requirements means you could be spending a fortnight in sunnier climes without needing to worry about your finances.
Compare
If you are going to self-organise your travel, it’s vital that you get the best deal for the hotels you are planning to stay at and the activities you are planning to partake in. If your family loves nothing better than hot-footing it to a water-sports venue or fancies launching themselves down a whole host of slides at an aqua park, it might pay to book these in advance and utilise Tripadvisor to find the best deals. It doesn’t matter if you are planning a week in Weymouth or a fortnight in South America, you can still save your pennies by planning out a skeleton itinerary and booking in advance.
Flights
If you don’t mind waking up at the crack of dawn or landing in a foreign land in the middle of the night, you could save a small fortune on your flights. Factor in the cost of flying from your smaller yet more local airport. You may be able to save money by flying from a larger airport further away from home. Even if you have to take a taxi ride there, the fare and flight combined may still work out cheaper than heading to your tiny local airport. If you have a little more budget to spend you could look at the cost to charter private jet. It can be a lot more accessible and affordable than you think. It also allows you a lot more flexibility for your holiday.
While on holiday abroad, it can be tough to keep an eye on the purse strings. However, by utilising the freebies that are inevitably on offer such as a beach, national parks and small museums as well as implementing these three strategies, you can enjoy your family vacations without breaking the bank.
