We know you want to take your family on vacation, we know you need a break, but the money is just not there.
We can figure out a plan that you can afford.
Parents often hope to give their child things that they did not have when they were growing up. Family vacation is a big part of family culture, but what if your budget is very small or there just isn’t any money?
Focus on why you want a family vacation and plan to get that done.
Do you want:
Family Memories?
Relaxation?
To Get Away?
Adventure?
Education?
Culture?
All of these can be accomplished on little to no money. I have some ideas and inspiration for your family.
The key is to build anticipation and plan to spend time doing things you do not normally do.
I have some hacks to make your family vacation relaxing, exciting, fun and memorable.
Let’s do this mama.
Its gonna be simple:
- Choose Goals
- Plan Activities
- Build Anticipation
- Record Memories
Goals Worksheet
I am a teacher and I love a good worksheet, so I made this Vacation Priorities sheet to help you and your family decide exactly what you are looking for in a vacation.
Grab this worksheet and call a family meeting.
Pass the sheet around and let everyone choose one or two things that are important to them, and hope for some overlap.
I think that lists like this can really help you clarify what you are trying to accomplish.
You can use the sheet to guide conversation and talk about what would be the most fun and fulfilling for your family.
Consider the list of activities, make a list of 5 activities that everyone could look forward to, or have everyone make their own list of 5 and see what gets the most votes.
This list can inspire a cheap or free vacation.
How to Plan a Vacation Without Money
When you are needing a vacation, but funds are tight you need to look at all your resources.
Vacation usually has 3 components:
Lodging
Food
Entertainment
Travel
Food
The thing to remember about food is that you would be eating if you were home, so you already have a food budget.
You may not be able to eat at many restaurants, but you can use your normal food budget to eat while on vacation, so don’t stress about that.
Lodging and travel costs are the ones to consider.
Travel
Here at Mom Van Up we love road trips as a cheap and awesome way to travel! On a small budget I recommend road trips and local destinations.
When you are looking at a road trip, see if you can save some gas money. Try listing something on Facebook Marketplace or set aside a few dollars in a jar on top of the fridge.
Use this resource to make a gas budget and see how far you can go.
THEN
Use Within Hours to find a destination that fits your gas budget. (Be sure to budget for gas there and back!)
I love Within Hours for vacation inspiration, there are lots of places you may have never visited and never thought of! We usually travel North and South, but there are some cool things West of us that I had not considered.
You do not need a fancy destination to make the vacation really fun. Look at your family’s worksheet, do you want a party or a spa day? Those are best accomplished at home or close to home.
Lodging
Sleeping away from home is what makes a vacation relaxing for some people. If you are set on a hotel you should shop around.
Budget hotel lines like Motel 6, Microtel Inn, and Super 8 can be a really good choice. We have loved Microtel Inn and Suites and find them really clean and affordable.
Check several locations and read reviews.
You can also try HipCamp, it is like AirBnB, but focuses on outdoor spaces, boondock camping, cabins and RV sites. We have found some really cool and affordable lodging options with Hip Camp.
Sleeping at home will save you money, and it is the best choice if your entertainment cost will be high. If you have little kids a living room campout can be just as exciting as a resort.
Sleep in the guest room or in the living room to change it up.
Entertainment
Entertainment can be free or cheap:
Free Vacation Entertainment
Hiking
Visit Parks
Playgrounds
Welcome Centers
Free Museums
Splash Pads
Cheap Vacation Entertainment
At Home Spa Treatments
Thrift Store Shopping
DIY Projects
Local Plays
Museums
Fairs and Festivals
Farmer’s Markets
New Hobby (Knitting, crochet, painting, woodcarving, woodburning)
Look at your Vacation Priorities sheet and choose free or cheap ideas to fill your vacation time. Choose 1-2 big events and plan for meals to be a little special too.
So, now that you have worked through the steps I will give you some sample plans for free or cheap vacations.
Ideas for Free or Cheap Family Vacations
These are appropriate for families of all sizes and budgets. Many of these are ideas that we have used for our family of 6.
Fix Up Your House
Spend as much or as little as you would like making your space fun and functional.
Just rearranging furniture can bring you new energy to your home and make you smile when you walk through the door.
Try organizing your closets or clean out your wardrobe.
If you have a small budget you could paint! I recommend that you paint your bedroom or bathroom, a personal space that is just for you!
Learn a New Craft
Head out to the hobby store and pick up the supplies for a new project. This can be fun for the whole family or something to feed your soul.
Some hobbies are more expensive than others so consider choosing something that you can get started with on a budget.
Crochet
Knit
Upcycle Furniture
Sewing
Painting
Chess
Origami
Sushi Making
Cake Decorating
Puzzles
Kayaking
Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Soccer
You can choose anything you have been wanting to learn more about and make it a family event to learn a new skill.
Visitor’s Center
Visitor’s Centers are my secret weapon for destinations. These free destinations often have museum quality displays and local experts who can recommend places to eat and things to do in the area.
If you live close to a state capital you are almost sure to have a beautiful Visitor’s Center available to you.
Public Art
Visit local public art installations, statues, murals, sculpture gardens and coffee shops are all ways you can see beautiful artwork for free.
This is a great free activity for a staycation. Learn a bit about the art before you go to help get everyone excited about seeing it.
Spa Day At Home
Grab some face masks or new nail polish and play some spa music to have a relaxing night at home.
I have set up a foot spa for my kids and it was really special.
If you have a diffuser, diffuse some lavender and make it an indulgent relaxing evening.
Do some spa snacks and cucumber water to complete the effect.
Read A Good Book
Reading allows you to travel without leaving home!
Choose a book that the whole family will enjoy and read it aloud or listen to an audiobook together with some snacks.
You can create a cozy reading area and everyone can enjoy and make some themed snacks. Harry Potter is a good example here. Grab a pack of Every Flavor Bean and make it a great, memorable game.
Do a Service Project
A service project is a great vacation opportunity. It can take some planning, but you can find great opportunities to do a project together.
Service Project Vacation Ideas
Food Bank Meal Prep
Habitat For Humanity
Adopt a Highway CleanUp
Toy Drive
Canned Food Drive
Playground Clean Up
Build a My Little Free Library
You can organize your own event and have everyone pitch in to make an impact in your own community!
You can organize a fundraiser like a car wash or candy sales for an organization that is meaningful for your family. This is an incredible way to use your vacation time.
Free Events
Every town and city hosts some local events. We have a Harvest Festival, a Car Show, library story time and a great river that we can visit.
We live in a very small town and these are just some of the free events.
Look around for free events in your city and surrounding cities and plan your vacation around these great things.
Public Concerts
One of the events that many cities offer all summer long is Public Concerts and Public Plays.
If you have found a great town in Within Hours, check to see if they have a concert series or Shakespere in the Park and plan to visit when you can enjoy this free entertainment.
Pack a cooler of snacks and a picnic blanket and your vacation is really rounding out.
Document the Memories
The most important thing you can do on your trip is to document the memories and talk about it when you get back.
This has two benifits:
Stress Reduction
Shared Memories and Family Culture
Sharing the memories with your family and your partner extend the stress reducing benifits of vacation. You will enjoy the memories as much as you enjoyed the vacation (maybe more).
Having family stories is an important part of a happy family.
No matter how big or small the vacation, be sure you have some pictures, a journal or videos from your trip and display them and talk about it.
This article has my favorite 11 ways to document a family vacation.
Can I take a vacation if I do not have any money?
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to vacation for free. With the right expectations a free vacation can be one that brings lifelong memories and stress reduction.
Plan to stay closer to home, plan ahead to eat from the cooler, and plan to enjoy free entertainment.
The key to a free vacation is to plan it.
You will need to spend some money, but it can be the same amount you would spend staying home.
Bonus Tip
I do want to mention that, at time of writing, the cruise industry is really pushing and there are great deals to be had. This is not free!
If you choose to try cruising be sure to account for travel expenses and avoid extras like drink packages, paid restaurants, excursions and souvenir shopping that add up.
