Frugal Summer Fun - from National Payday

Thank you to National Payday for this article.  National Payday has some great blogging articles about saving money.

Posted on April 7th, 2010 by admin in Budgets & Money Management, Just For Fun, Kids and Family, Saving Money

You might be wondering how you can afford a vacation this year, what with the fall out from the credit crisis. Things may be getting better, but you may still feel a bit uneasy about spending too much, particularly when it’s a non-essential like having fun. Don’t worry! You don’t have to give up taking some time to enjoy yourself, particularly when you focus on these family vacation ideas on a budget.


Get a Visitors Membership Pass

Many local attractions like museums and zoos offer an all-inclusive membership. By buying the membership, you can get access to other points of interest on your journey. The types of organizations that do these are usually museums, science centers, aquariums, and zoos. Anything historical or educational may have a membership pass, and it can also be discounted if you belong to a special demographic, like being a student or senior citizen.

Visit a New Fun Spot

Much of the joy of vacationing is just being somewhere different. Instead of going to the same old haunts, why not pick some out-of-the-way place that can offer you new memories? Maybe your want to visit Washington, D.C. instead of Acapulco, Mexico. Maybe you want to go to the mountains instead of the beach. By picking a new location, you may enjoy the scenery more and that’s free.

Go Camping

You can be adventuresome and sleep in a tent, or rent a RV and do it up in style. Depending on your budget and the size of your family, you can cave on lodging and eating out. In addition, you are right in the middle of the best attraction on Earth – Mother Nature. Just run the numbers before you commit to renting a recreational vehicle. You will want to know how much they charge for renting the vehicle, for miles, and for running the generator, and any other fees like sales tax. Don’t forget to include monies for fishing and gaming licenses, if that’s part of your wilderness adventure.

Plan Your Fun for Relaxing Times

You won’t be fishing, inner tubing, or cooking all the time. You can plan fun family activities like board games and craft projects in the times when you’re not outside. Having fun with the whole family doesn’t mean you have to spend any money at all. Save the budget for really special occasions.

Blog, Tweet, or Facebook Your Friends

There are plenty of wireless areas everywhere you go, and if you’re traveling with your laptop and a digital camera or camera phone it can be a great way to post pictures and keep your social network updated on your trip. You will find this not only helps you to look at everything with an appreciative eye, but also keeps the travel disasters on a humorous note to tell your friends later. It can also help to create a photo album of great memories as you go along, to look at later when the trip is finally over.