We recently were able to go on a family vacation to the Smoky Mountains! We were able to meet up with my husband’s parents later in the week when they came down to visit with us...It was such a blessing to visit with them because we haven’t been to see them much in the last year due to the pandemic. It was so relaxing to get away and just spend time together as a family...
I love vacations but I know vacations can be so pricey!! I wanted to share a few tips on how we “vacation on a budget”. Although we enjoy vacations immensely, we do not like to “break the bank”. Without some planning and preparation, vacations can easily turn more stressful than relaxing. Often, the financial repercussions follow you home. 😫
The big thing we do is set a budget way in advance. We decide how much money we are willing to spend on the trip. This includes everything— money for lodging/gas, money for activities, money for food, money for souvenirs/tshirts for the kids, etc. (We usually save for vacation 6-9 months in advance. By preparing early, we can have an adequate budget to accommodate where we want to visit.
We decide what destination (or destinations) we want to travel to. I usually do some research before the vacation on what activities the destination location offers. We usually pick just a couple of main things to pay to do or to go to. You do not have to do “everything” especially if your destination location is a main tourist location. Most of the time, tourist destination activities are usually pretty pricey so by limiting the amount of activities that you pre-decide to do will help keep you within your set budget. If you will go off the beaten path, a lot of times, there is a lot of free things you can do if you just look for them. Spending time in nature is usually free — sightseeing a lot of times is free—or simply driving around “taking in new territory“ as my husband likes to put it can be fun!! Vacations shouldn’t be so packed with activities that when you get home, you are more tired than you went. Vacation is all about relaxing, and spending time with those you love.
Be aware of the peak season... You will pay way more for lodging if your trip is during the peak season. Lodging prices fluctuate greatly. Going during the off season (even slightly— a couple days can even make a difference!) will reduce the amount of money you will spend on lodging. Also, if you are just taking a short vacation—avoiding the weekend also can save you money. Mon-Thursday lodging rates are significantly less than Friday-Sunday rates at most places. So timing does matter in terms of saving money...
We also look for coupons for the attractions we already decided to do when we arrive at our destination. A lot of tourist attractions will print brochures with coupons in them and you can find them at visitor welcome centers, rest stops, gas stations, sometimes even in local restaurants and hotels. These coupons often will be a significant amount of discount ($10 off, BOGO, $2 off, free item).
We also try to rent affordable lodging ...We have stayed at cabins/Airbnbs in the past and this is a great option especially if you are going with other people that can split the lodging bill with you. We have gone to the (PFYC) Pentecostal Fire Youth Conference in Pigeon Forge, TN for as little as $280 for Tues-Sat lodging. This is because if there are several families that all want to go, you can rent a nicer, more expensive, cabin and divide the cost several ways. This is a very cost effective way to rent lodging if you are traveling with other people. My parents, my brother and his family, and our family all went to Alabama for a youth camp a couple of years ago. We had never been to this camp before so we decided not to stay on the grounds the first time. We were able to rent a cabin not too far from the camp. Because there were 3 family groups splitting the cost, we were able to stay much more affordably (and in a nicer location) than if we had tried to find lodging in our own. So if you are traveling with your extended family or friends, that may be a viable option for you to consider.
This past vacation, we were traveling on our own so we didn’t acquire lodging with someone else. Once we arrived, we were blessed to find Mainstay Suites Conference Center (410 Pine Mountain Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863). This hotel was very nice and clean. The staff was amazing, friendly, and super helpful!! They upgraded our room to a balcony room for free and also gave us multiple discounts to save money!! The hotel also provided free breakfast which is always a huge plus with kids!! But the main thing about this hotel is that every room is a suite. Each room has a kitchenette complete with a full size refrigerator and a stovetop and a sitting area.
Having a refrigerator and a stovetop allowed us to make several meals ourselves so we didn’t have to pay to eat out for every meal. I already had brought simple breakfast food, snacks and lunch food. We ran to Walmart and got some basic groceries...I also packed picnic lunches for the days we were doing outdoor activities. We were able to enjoy our lunch while enjoying nature!! Having a picnic lunch was very exciting for the kids and saved us money in the process. I understand a lot of women probably don’t want to cook while on vacation. I totally get that! But making a few meals yourself will greatly reduce the amount of money spent on eating out. We have been doing this trick for a long time and we have saved so much money!!
In the past, I have even brought meals that I already prepared (pre-made at home and froze) and my crockpot on vacation with us. (Soups, chilis, stews, etc. are all great freezer meal travel options) All you have to do is pop a frozen meal in a crockpot in the morning and later, when you are ready to eat, waalaa! A hot, tasty meal!!! This method ensured Mama got a break and didn’t have to spend a lot of time slaving over the stove but we also had a homemade, hot meal. It was especially nice when we were at PFYC — usually PFYC is right in the middle of spring break. So you have thousands of Holiness people and also multitudes of just regular tourists on spring break...this always seems to make all the restaurants so crowded and a lot of times, there are long wait times. By doing some preparation at home and thinking ahead, we were able to avoid the crowds, eat quickly, and have more time to relax, visit with others, and save money!
Another option for a cheap dinner is to go to the local Walmart or grocery store at your vacation location. Pick up some hot, fried chicken from the deli or rotisserie chicken, and some microwave sides. My mother-in-law did this when we were visiting with them later in the week when we went over to their cabin. She bought a rotisserie chicken, Bob Evans mashed potatoes (microwaveable), a couple cans of sweet corn, and a package of Hawaiian rolls. This simple dinner was quick to prepare and yummy! It fed all of us very cost effectively. We were able to enjoy each other’s company without the distractions of being in a restaurant. We probably would have spend at least $50 more if we would have chosen to eat out. (This is also a great option if you have small kids that have trouble sitting still in restaurants— having a simple dinner at your lodging will make dinner time more enjoyable and low key.)
Set a budget in advance for purchases while you are on vacation... we usually give each kid $20 for their vacation money. They can use that money to buy a vacation T-shirt, toy, or souvenir. This limits the extra purchases that add up. The kids know once that $20 from Mom and Dad is gone, it’s gone... (often, they will save their own money from birthdays or gifts to bring with them so they will have extra money themselves. Set the expectations before even going on vacation. Teach the kids the value of money! It’s not an endless supply for anything you want. Give them the money to spend themselves if they are old enough to do so. Reiterate that is all the money they get. It will make them be extra diligent in making sure of their purchases!! ( also, another tip I have done in the past when the kids were younger— look on eBay and see if there may be a T-shirt or stuffed animal for considerably less than it would be at the location gift shop. We were going to a zoo when the kids were younger. I was able to find several items including T-shirts for half the price I would have paid in a gift shop. I bought them, washed the items, and stuck them in a backpack. When we were at the zoo, and the kids wanted souvenirs, I pulled out the items I had previously bought and the kids were overjoyed at all their “new” stuff! I glanced at some of the prices at the gift shop and realized I had saved a ton of money! You don’t always have to say “No” to your kids when they want some souvenirs. Sometimes, you just have to have a plan!
“In the end, kids won’t remember that fancy toy or game you bought them, they will remember the time you spent with them.” – K. Heath
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“Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” – Leigh Hunt
-❤️ Tiphanie
Stay tuned for part 2 (How to vacation from home if you don’t have time off or enough money) coming tomorrow———————
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