Affordable vacation strategy
What are your tricks? I just looked at the internet for any new ideas I haven't yet considered and it didn't yield much new useful info. I'm just looking for any new ideas I haven't yet conside...
Forum Discussion
My basic strategy is stay at state parks if convenient. Wal Mart Overnight if convenient.
But don't penny pinch to a fault. Pick a destination you can afford. If going to Disney stay at Ft Wilderness for the full experience vs. a cheaper alternative(at least the first tme).
If it's going to be an all day thing. Be prepared to buy lunch somewhere vs. eating PB&J or some penny pinching alternative. Leaving the high priced attraction to return to the car is a costly waste of premium time.
Shoot for Pizza or Mc D's vs. the museum cafeteria.
Vacation is generally the families one time a year to enjoy themselves.
Enjoy it to the fullest. It is not the time to cheat yourselves.
In the end it is more about time than money. You will get a chance to earn/save money however you will not relive the vacation moments.
Be it lunch,a nice CG or an attraction, on vacation I try to live for the moment vs. living for the dollar. I can recapture the $$$'s in time but the moment can never be recreated.
As I get older I come to understand that the family vacation era is a limited amount of time. The kids will go off on their own one day. I try to enjoy the vacation moment to the fullest vs. trying to save money.
THere are plenty of reasons and times to save money, however vacation is not one of those times.
Set a budget,pick a destination you can afford and enjoy yourself.
The OP's trip sounds like a blast.
I live in the middle of all of the OP's destinations. Yes they can be expensive places however you are better off cutting back on the scope of the trip vs. starving, eating peanuts, or not participating.
You came all the way there to enjoys yourself,choose another way/time to save money.
Don't spend the money on fuel to go to NYC/DC/wherever if you can't afford to eat and visit the attractions.Don't visit the attractions if you can't afford to participate.
I'm not suggesting you blow your mortgage payment but I am encouraging you to enjoy yourself without guilt or worry about the cost.
An east coast tour will not be cheap. Save where you can, but more importantly enjoy the moment it is a once in a lifetime adventure/moment.
Sure you could over night at a Wal-Mart. But overnight at a CG with a pool can be a lot more memorable. I have done both.
Only you can decide the budget/details.
There is no magic bullet. Make the goal to enjoy yourself and you will have a good time. Don't let the budget dictate the adventure. There will be times to save and times to splurge.
But more importantly there will no no do overs. Enjoy your trip and don't fret over finances.
But don't penny pinch to a fault. Pick a destination you can afford. If going to Disney stay at Ft Wilderness for the full experience vs. a cheaper alternative(at least the first tme).
If it's going to be an all day thing. Be prepared to buy lunch somewhere vs. eating PB&J or some penny pinching alternative. Leaving the high priced attraction to return to the car is a costly waste of premium time.
Shoot for Pizza or Mc D's vs. the museum cafeteria.
Vacation is generally the families one time a year to enjoy themselves.
Enjoy it to the fullest. It is not the time to cheat yourselves.
In the end it is more about time than money. You will get a chance to earn/save money however you will not relive the vacation moments.
Be it lunch,a nice CG or an attraction, on vacation I try to live for the moment vs. living for the dollar. I can recapture the $$$'s in time but the moment can never be recreated.
As I get older I come to understand that the family vacation era is a limited amount of time. The kids will go off on their own one day. I try to enjoy the vacation moment to the fullest vs. trying to save money.
THere are plenty of reasons and times to save money, however vacation is not one of those times.
Set a budget,pick a destination you can afford and enjoy yourself.
The OP's trip sounds like a blast.
I live in the middle of all of the OP's destinations. Yes they can be expensive places however you are better off cutting back on the scope of the trip vs. starving, eating peanuts, or not participating.
You came all the way there to enjoys yourself,choose another way/time to save money.
Don't spend the money on fuel to go to NYC/DC/wherever if you can't afford to eat and visit the attractions.Don't visit the attractions if you can't afford to participate.
I'm not suggesting you blow your mortgage payment but I am encouraging you to enjoy yourself without guilt or worry about the cost.
An east coast tour will not be cheap. Save where you can, but more importantly enjoy the moment it is a once in a lifetime adventure/moment.
Sure you could over night at a Wal-Mart. But overnight at a CG with a pool can be a lot more memorable. I have done both.
Only you can decide the budget/details.
There is no magic bullet. Make the goal to enjoy yourself and you will have a good time. Don't let the budget dictate the adventure. There will be times to save and times to splurge.
But more importantly there will no no do overs. Enjoy your trip and don't fret over finances.
