Vacationing on a Budget in Your Own Backyard

Tough economic times have changed the way that many people view vacations. You used to save money and days off of work all year for your big vacation. Whether it was a quick vacation across the state or country or a big International vacation, you always had something planned for those days off work that included the whole family. Now you find yourself removing vacations from the yearly calendar rather than adding them.




You don’t have to sacrifice taking your family on fun vacations each year if you plan them right. You may not be able to afford flying you, your spouse and all of your children to Australia for an extravagant journey through the outback, but with some careful financial planning, you can still afford to take them somewhere special during those vacation days. Maybe there used to be a time when you would fly your entire family across the country to walk the Hollywood stars of Los Angeles, but that time has passed for now and you find yourself struggling to afford the cable so your children can watch the Hollywood stars on television - let alone walk along their stars in Los Angeles.



If you’re looking for something you can do with your family during your vacation days that doesn’t cost a lot of money, all you have to do is look in your own backyard. You should start saving a little bit of extra money each chance you get and set it aside for a simple vacation in your own town. You can get online and research campsites close to your house. All you need to do is find a reasonably priced tent for your family to stay in and save enough money to fill your gas tank for the drive to the campsite. Spend a little bit of money on hotdogs and marshmallows and your family will be able to enjoy a simple vacation without flying somewhere expensive and far from your house.



Camping is an inexpensive way to vacation as long as you don’t purchase expensive camping equipment. Your children can enjoy roasting hotdogs with sticks they find around the campsite and making s’mores out of marshmallows, chocolate and gram crackers. You can develop a simple budget a few months before your camping trip to ensure you don’t spend too much money on the vacation. Ask your friends and family members if anyone has a tent you can borrow to cut down on the financial cost even more. If you don’t have sleeping bags for everyone to sleep in, you can use blankets and sheets from your house and make beds in the tent for your children.



Finding a vacation spot close to your house will save you on the travel expenses and allows you to have more money available for food and beverages. Camping is one of the least expensive forms of vacationing and can still be fun for the whole family. Just remember to budget for bug spray!





About the Author: Victoria Crowdell loves creating articles to help people with day-to-day life. She writes on a variety of subjects including DIY, fitness and credit control services, and wishes she was a bit better at practicing what she preaches on all three counts.