With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, a lot people have travel on their brains. The problem is — a bunch of folks are also low on cash (damn economy). Still, a lack of funds is no excuse to stay home and have a boring summer… you just have to get creative, cut back on a few luxuries, and do things like your parents did (well, at least how my parents did things).
How to Travel Like My Parents (A.K.A. Cheap):
1. Don’t Eat Out – One of the biggest ways to save money is by NOT eating out. This means you’ll have to pack a cooler, bring your own snacks, and cook your own meals (gasp!) It does take some effort to buy food, load it up, and ensure it stays properly cooled, but it is worth it in the long run. Plus, once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that bringing your own food saves time (you never have to wait around in restaurants), and it is also kind of fun; there’s nothing like spreading out a meal on a blanket and enjoying it under a warm sun or a starry night.
2. Camp – No matter where you’re going there’s bound to be a campground nearby (we even found one near New York City). It’s true, camping isn’t very glamorous, but how much time do you actually spend in your lodgings when you’re vacationing? Usually, not that much. If a tent or RV is completely out of the question, many campgrounds have cabins you can rent for less than most hotel rooms. As long as you can shower and have somewhere to sleep, what’s the big deal?
3. Steer Clear of Commercialized Tourist Destinations – What do I mean by “commercialized tourist destinations?” Think places like Disney, Six Flags, cruise ships, Las Vegas, etc. I’ve got nothing against these places and have been on vacation to several of them; however, they’re expensive – not good when your funds are low. Don’t let their TV commercials fool you, nothing about them is cheap, and they are designed to milk money from people every step of the way.
So, where should you go instead?
My parents almost always took us somewhere naturey or with a natural wonder– national parks, beaches, mountains, etc. These places are nice because the surroundings themselves offer a lot of built-in and free things to do. You can spend an entire day at the beach relaxing, surfing, building sand castles, throwing Frisbees, etc. without spending a dime. Similarly mountains often have places where you can tube, fish, kayak, swim, hike, or just explore for little or no money.
For those very reasons, national park attendance has been up the past several years as people are rediscovering the simple joys of nature. And if you have children who are typically tethered to their computers or game systems, you’ll love seeing them play outside (the way kids used to).
4. Go Somewhere Relatively Close
My parents rarely planned vacations that were farther than one or two states away, which meant we could always drive to our destination (airfare is a budget buster!) Besides not spending cash on expensive airfare, we also saved on gas and were able to spend more of our vacation days having fun instead of traveling.
You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re a million miles away from your ordinary life and the headaches of your office manager job. The biggest thing is just being in a new environment and doing things out of your regular routine. I’ve yet to find any state that doesn’t have something interesting to see, so get out there and find it.
5. Use Cash
It’s okay to bring a credit card in case of emergency, but don’t use it to pay for ANY of your vacation. Before you go, decide how much you want to spend and stick to that amount. If you have children, expect them to beg you for souvenirs and other stuff (I know I always did). You can deter this by giving them each a certain amount of money before the trip begins and allow them to spend it on whatever they want; the only caveat, once it’s gone, they don’t get any more.
If you decide to vacation “like my parents,” I’d love to hear about your experience. Share with us what you did and how much money you saved (as compared to a “commercial” vacation).
