Family Vacation Travel Budget Categories - And How to Save Money on Each of Them

Planning a family vacation takes work. Knowing what kind of budget you have to work with makes this job easier.

If you plan for each of the following budget categories you should avoid unexpected financial surprises on your trip.

Lodging

This category has a lot of room for flexibility. You can stay anywhere from a spare bedroom at a friend's or relatives home, to a tent, to a low or high budget hotel, to a five star resort.

Unless your accommodations are the main part of your trip, i.e. a cruise, avoid making this a large part of your travel expenses.

Be sure to budget for the nights you may stay overnight while you are traveling to your destination.

Transportation

This category may be dictated by your destination. You cannot drive across the entire country during a one week vacation nor can you take a bus from the United States to France.

But there are several transportation choices to choose from and some of them, like a train or a cruise ship can make the travel time an adventure by itself and can add fun and excitement to your trip while not stretching your budget.

Food

If you are on a limited budget you can plan to cook some of your meals in your hotel room.

You can also pack your own snacks and take advantage of the continental breakfast if your hotel offers one.

If you are visiting a region that is known for a certain kind of food be sure to budget for enough money to enjoy the local cuisine.

Entertainment

This may be the category that your trip revolves around. If your reason for visiting Southern California is to take in one or more of that area's many theme parks then add that expense to your budget.

You may want to balance the major expense with several other low cost or free activities like visiting the Tide Pools and Point Loma in San Diego or spending a day at the beach.

Many museums offer free days. Do some research to see if you can find this offer in the area where you will be vacationing.

Tipping

Just about every service you receive on your trip will expect some kind of tip.

You can avoid some of these by not using valet parking and using a luggage cart to transport your luggage at the airport and your hotel.

I know that most service employees rely on their tips for their wage, but if you find yourself short of funds toward the end of your trip due to miscalculating your expenses or an unexpected emergency expense, tipping is one area where you can cut back.

Avoid incurring this expense if possible, but if necessary do what you can and offer a sincere thank you along with the tip.

Pet Care

If you are a pet owner you will either need to plan for pet expenses on your trip or plan to have your animal cared for while you are away.

One way to save money on this expense is to choose lodging options where pets are easily accommodated like a tent or a camping trailer.

If you are leaving your pet at home then try to find just one person or family to care for your pet, your home, your yard, etc.

Home Care

Unless you can rely on a neighbor, a friend, or a relative to check on your home and make sure your yard is cared for and everything is safe and secure you may need to hire someone to do this task.

Young, single people are great for this job as their lives are usually flexible. Ask around to see if someone you know can recommend someone for this job.

A possible way to save money if you live near a college or university is to plan your trip just before the semester begins or ends. There may be student who has to arrive early or stay late due to transportation or job issues and they would gladly watch your home, possibly for free, to avoid the expense of staying in a hotel. If you find a possibility be sure to check them out, including checking references, and interview them before you give them the keys to your home.

Gifts for Friends, Relatives, and People Who Host You in Their Homes

These are common expenses, but are completely optional.

It is nice to give a gift in these situations, especially if you haven't seen the person in a while, but if money is tight either skip the gift and write a nice card instead or take several pictures of you and the person(s) together. When you get home make a print of one or several pictures, purchase a nice frame for them and then mail it with a note thanking them for your visit.

If you purchase gifts before you depart on your trip be sure to allow room in your luggage and your vehicle to transport them.

Spending Money & Souvenirs

This expense can be a huge budget buster if you aren't careful.

To cut down on some of your spending money expense purchase snacks and drinks to keep in a small cooler in your car and your hotel room. This will help you to avoid expensive convenience store and vending machine expenses.

For ideas on how to save money on souvenirs see my article "How to Bring Home Memories Without Busting the Zipper on Your Bag or Your Budget".

Emergency Fund

This doesn't have to be an actual cash amount, but it is a good idea to have at least some funds available on a credit card just in case. You never know when you may have an unexpected medical expense or need to pay for a car repair.

While you can't necessarily compare prices in an actual emergency, having extra funds available will prevent you from reaching into your already planned expenses if necessary.

Insurance

Make sure that you car insurance is adequate and that it is good where you will be traveling.

You may also consider purchasing travel insurance to cover unexpected emergencies and a medical insurance policy if you are traveling out of the country.

Research rate quotes for these kinds of insurances to get the best coverage for the lowest rates.

Take some time to consider how you will spend your travel budget before you leave home and you will be able to avoid unnecessary expenses and get the best prices on everything you do.

Paula L. Farris loves to explore new places with her husband of 20 years and her 4 children. The trips they have taken include Portland, OR, San Diego, CA, Colorado Springs/Denver, CO, Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico, and several locations in Arizona.

She has traveled with her children as young as one week old all the way to teenagers. She is an expert on the subject of family travel.

Paula is the owner of http://www.StressFreeFamilyTravel.com and the author of two ebooks on the subject of family travel, "101+ Ways to Enjoy the Journey as Much as the Destination" and "201+ Ways for YOUR Family to Travel on a Budget".

Drop by her site learn tips for removing the stress from your next family vacation.

Copyright 2008, Paula Farris, All Rights Reserved

This report can be given away to anyone or reproduced in any publication as long as this resource box is attached.

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