How to Save Money when Traveling with Kids | Family Travel Savings Fund | Motherhood Unplugged

I previously wrote about How to Save Money for a Travel Fund mainly targeting those who have young children or are single travelers. Some of those tips can also be applied to those with families and here are a few more that may be more applicable to your lifestyle as a family:

1. Cut back on eating out, pack your lunch when going to work and pack your kids lunch too instead of paying for their lunches at school.

2. Nix the cable and stream online for less. Most often your kids shows will be online at Youtube, Hulu or Netflix; there is something for everyone!

3. Hand me down clothes! I try to recycle my oldest child's clothes as much as possible.

4. Adapt the minimalist mentality, buy only what is absolutely necessary from your clothing, shoes, housewares and furniture. I know it's hard in this culture where we are constantly bombarded with advertisement telling us what latest product is a must have but if you lessen the amount of 'stuff' you accumulate your coins will definitely add up.

5. Link up with other families and split the cost of the vacation. I've been wanting to book a trip to a cabin in the Fall or a ski trip to Colorado in the winter and splitting the cost of the cabin rental would save everyone money.

6. Stay at an Airbnb instead of an all inclusive resort.

7. Sign your kids up for sky mile accounts on all the airlines you travel on to use later as cash.

8. Use your credit card points towards travel.

9. Be a tourist in your city and save money on traveling to another destination, read about how here.

10. Trade in your expensive car and buy one for cash OR keep the one that's already paid off instead of upgrading; especially if there's nothing wrong with it.

11. Become financially responsible, you need to learn how to manage your money so that a large percentage of your take home pay can go towards things you want like travel and not debt. Track your spending on an app like Mint and budget ruthlessly. Shy away from friends who don't have the same mindset. If your girlfriends invitation to hang out always results in you spending money suggest something that won't and explain that your family is on track to traveling with your extra savings.

12. Celebrate birthdays + graduation + Christmas with travel. Decide as a family to spend your collective money on travel and remind your children of this when it comes time for birthday, graduation and Christmas presents. I tell my children this every time we drive by Target and they ask to just go 'look at the toys.' I let them know that in order for us to go on vacation, which they love by the way, that we can't shop and buy toys all of the time because we have to save for our trips. They are only 3 + 5 now but by explaining this concept hopefully they will grow to save their own money for things that they value in the future as well.

13. Fly as much as you can while your kids are still under 2, since they are free 99! Use your maternity leave as a real vacation.

14. Consider flying during the week if you can afford to miss a few days of school before breaks because this will save you a ton during non peak days.

15. Pack less and pay less for baggage fees. This also ties into being a minimalist, you will have less clothes and less desire to pack your entire wardrobe for a trip.

16. Opt for low-key over popular destinations. Kids will be happy wherever they are if they have been taught to appreciate the value and luxury of going on vacation. You don't have to spend a week at Disney, you can also spend a week in Belize going scuba diving in The Blue Hole.

Have anymore great tips? Let me know.

Happy Travels

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