I had a friend once ask me how could we can afford to take a family of five to Europe, and the answer is simple: prioritize. We are not wealthy and it is not cheap. We spend up to a year and a half planning and prepaying, and yes, some months that means no extra dinners and sandwiches for lunch.
Always start with a budget. What works for your family won’t work for every family. We usually start with cheap flights. When we find flight deals, we talk to the kids and consider the destination. Will we be able to find affordable housing there? What will the food cost? We have definitely made the mistake of getting a cheap flight and finding out later it was way more expensive to explore than we anticipated, so be sure to do your research before booking.
Next up, where can you get the biggest deal? We like to use airline miles or hotel points when available, but only if that offers a bigger discount than paying cash. We also like the ability to cancel within a short period of time using those miles or points. (I’m not headed to the Caribbean if there’s a hurricane on the way) Not all systems are the same, so be sure to check before you book or consider vacation insurance.
Then you can decide is there something you would like to splurge on while on vacation. We love exploring and getting cultural experiences when traveling with the kids. Museums, tours, or even boating excursions are among our favorites. You can also find discounts using sites like TripAdvisor or Airbnb.
Finally, consider your food costs and how you can save when you are traveling. My kids ages range from picky to less picky. That means I have packs of pop tarts and Easy Mac in my suitcase. We also love hotels with breakfasts and happy hours (we call it Cracker Time but that’s a subject for another blog). Take advantage of every small perk you can find and only buy one big meal a day. Don’t blow out your budget on food (unless it’s really good food).
Happy Traveling, BW
