Family Vacation Saving Dollar Tips

Some tips on saving money:

Research, research, research. Research your destination. For example, does your destination have an off-season? What are the transportation costs (gas vs. flying)? These are some questions to get you thinking about researching your destination.

Consider traveling in the middle of the week. Oftentimes flying or hotel fares are cheaper if traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday, for example, as opposed to Friday or Saturday. Flexibility is key.

Do you belong to auto clubs (i.e. AAA)? Is someone in your family a member of the military? Car rental agencies, hotels, some museums, etc. offer discounts for these members. Sometimes even your auto insurance or credit card company might offer discounts on travel so you can call and find out if they offer discounts to their customers.

Consider bringing food or grocery shopping at your destination. Eating three meals a day at restaurants can add up. Consider packing snacks and beverages with you (especially helpful when traveling by car). At your destination, go to a nearby grocery store and buy groceries to make a picnic lunch or bagels and juice for breakfast, for example. You could store perishables in the hotel minibar refrigerator or get a cooler for the car.