- Plan ahead! This is super important! You don’t want to spend money on a trip and there get there and not know where to go or what they have to do. It would suck to come home and then have a friend tell you about something awesome that they did there that you did not even know existed. If you’re anything like me, then you want to make sure you get the most out of your time and money. You will every time when you plan ahead. I like to first Google “things to do in (insert place).” Other phrases I like to Google include: “unique places to visit in (insert place),” “family (or kid) friendly activities in (insert place),” and “top free attractions in (insert place).” You can obviously customize it to fit your needs. If you and your significant other are planning a romantic trip, just Google “romantic date night in (insert place).”
- Know where you are going to eat and check out their prices. You don’t want to be out and about when hunger strikes and you have no idea what there is to eat. A quick Google search like, “best places to eat in (insert place),” “best breakfast/lunch/dinner places in (insert place),” or “cheap places to eat in (insert place)” will help you to have an idea of where your family can go and even help avoid the “I dunno, what do you want?” conversation.
- Make a list. Type up your top 10 attractions and rank them. Put the places you absolutely have to make time for at the top and work your way down to the attractions you will visit if you have time. Next to that, write down there hours of operation and what it will cost. Knowing this ahead of time will help you know if you will have enough money to do everything you want or if you need to save more or cross something off the list. Make another list for your restaurants. The same concept: rank them, write down their hours, and estimate a price range. The hours and day of operation are very important. The last you want is to look forward to going to a certain place only for them to be closed that day. Here are two PDF files to help you: Top 10 Activities (2) Top 10 Activities *Money Saving Tips* If breakfast is free with your hotel stay then utilize it. That is one less meal that you have to pay for. Or just eat out for breakfast one day if you are a breakfast person and/or you have found a breakfast place that looks amazing and you cannot pass it up. If you have a long drive for your trip then I would suggest leaving right after you have eaten breakfast/lunch/supper. This prevents stopping along the way and spending the money that could be used for some of the attractions you will want to go to later. Pack snacks for the road/hotel like chips, nuts, or pretzels (or anything else that will last the car ride).
- Stick to your budget! I like to have a certain amount of money for attractions, a certain amount for food, and a certain amount for souvenirs. If you know how much you have to spend then it helps you plan everything that was just mentioned above. I always feel calmer knowing that I know what each attraction/restaurant will cost and that we will have plenty of money for everything. You do not want to be stressed about running out of money on your trip.
Hopefully, these tips will make your trips a little less stressful and will allow you to relax and enjoy your time away. Let me know how you or your family save money on trips!