Top Five Ways To Score Free Or Cheap Vacation Digs

Visiting exotic locales and eating out at scenic restaurants make for a great family vacation, but it also can quickly add up to a budget killer. You don’t have to opt for a staycation just because funds are low, though. You can still plan family vacation ideas on a budget that help you to have fun while saving money on lodging. Here are some things to consider when you are trying to plan a budget-friendly vacation.

1. Camping

Budget-friendly outings can start with a sense of adventure and fun, if you decide to go camping. There are numerous campgrounds around the United States and in Europe that offer a way to see the countryside without spending on expensive hotel rooms. An entire family can pitch one tent, or rent a cabin, and pay for one campsite rather than two or three hotel rooms. Many camps come with swimming pools, outdoor activities like boating or fishing, and even shower facilities.

2. Swap Your Home

If you’re not into camping and prefer to be in a city environment, you can still get online and do a bit of home swapping. All you do is advertise your home ahead of time on a site like homeexchange.com that allows you to list your home for swap with others looking for the same vacation arrangements. You can find a great way to save money not just locally, but score a nice home in Europe. Just be sure to get as much information about the place you’re staying at with pictures and emails.

3. Share The Joy

Know of another family that wants to go to a similar destination, like the beach? It’s not unusual for multiple families to rent a couple of weeks at a beach side house on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The strategy is to share the joy and the cost of the home rental, to offset the price of lodging. If you kids have friends whose family would enjoy this arrangement, it’s a great way to double the fun and half the costs.

4. Caretaking/House Sitting

Instead of swapping a home, splitting the cost, or paying anything, why not attempt to get lodging for free? If you plan to have extra time on your hands and your family is small, you can opt to exchange caretaking or house sitting responsibilities for staying at someone else’s home. It does require that you work some of the time on your vacation, but if you ascertain what will be expected of you and find it suitable, it can be a nice way to enjoy a free stay while you explore a totally new locale.

5. Visit Relatives

If you’re on good terms with your relatives and they live in fun places, why not see if they mind you visiting? You can return the favor to them, when they decide they want to visit you. This option comes with built in tour guides, and a knowledge of the area that is priceless. They can tell you were the cheap attractions are and even let you in on only things the locals know about that are budget-friendly.