When it comes to vacations, they can be some of the most valuable ways we spend our time. Vacations can actually help make us healthier and family vacations might be some of the best memories your kids ever have. To take trips more frequently, and never forget them, check out this list of tips. Sometimes budget gets in the way; sometimes work does. It is time to get rid of those hindrances, however, and start enjoying a fantastic vacation.
Save On Travel
One of the biggest hindrances to going on vacation is money. Hotels are expensive. Flying is expensive, but driving takes forever. If you are bringing the entire family, the trip becomes even more costly. Rather than saying no to vacations entirely, you can find ways to take vacations for less. Check out lesser-known tourist destinations, like Cooperstown, NY, and take a taxi from Cooperstown to Albany International Airport. Save on airfare by browsing with an incognito tab (websites will jack airfare prices once they know you are looking) or buying on Sunday, which is currently the cheapest day to get tickets. Once you have arrived, save money by renting an Airbnb or VRBO instead of a hotel. Besides the fact that the per-night rate is probably cheaper, you will also save money by cooking in the kitchen for some of your meals. Vacation does not have to be expensive, as long as you take some effort to save.
Unplug From Work
You may have read some of those studies on why vacations lower our stress and reduce our risk of heart issues, but that does not really apply if you are still checking work emails on the side. Instead of sort-of working on the sly, get rid of work totally. If you are on vacation, you are on vacation. No one gets to interrupt this time with your friends, family, or spouse. To truly take a break, do not even think about work. For every day that you are gone, so is the office, thus experience an adventure totally work-free.
Make Memories
For a really incredible time, you will want to remember the memories you made. What was that really hilarious thing your 17-year-old said? How did the beach really look before the thunderstorm? Take photos and even hang canvas prints of your vacation when you come home. Make a photo album (the old-fashioned kind) and have the entire family contribute comments and memories to each shot. While everyone gets a souvenir they regret at some point in their life, meaningful souvenirs, like carved wood, home decor, or art can often be a life-long means of remembrance. Besides photos and souvenirs, you can remember your trip by keeping a travel journal. You can keep a private account or you can have an everyone’s-property journal, where games of hangman get played, memories get recorded, and funny quotes get written down. With everyone contributing, it will be easy to fill an entire journal with one trip and that diary can be your family’s way of remembering the vacation forever. Vacations might be a few days or a couple of weeks, but the memories you make are often some of your most prized experiences.
My best way to save money is to travel during middle season. Still good weather but cheaper and the beaches/sights are less crowded.