You’re planning a Florida vacation with your family and teenager in tow? Are your out of your mind? At least save some money (and some sanity).
As part of our year of experiences our family has decided to go on a summer vacation. If your vacation plans (like ours) involves teenagers and Florida, I’ve got a few ways to save money with you.
- Start planning/booking now. Some of the more popular destinations book out early and fast. Which brings me to my second tip.
- Book a less popular destination. Let’s take Florida for example. There are hundreds of beach towns that you can’t name off the top of your head. Some are within a short drive of popular destinations. Why not explore a little off the beaten path from Orlando to Disney?
- Find a hotel without all the bells and whistles. Say you have a choice of two beachside hotels. Both have beach access and the number of rooms/bathrooms you need but, only one has a pool. Consider the one without the pool. You might save some money. By making this choice we saved $400 on a week’s stay.
- Have family, will travel. Have a family member with extra room and an open heart near a vacation destination? Stay with them for a few days, enjoy their company and then, move on to a beachside stay. It’s a hybrid approach that let’s you have fun in the sun and visit with family.
- Book a place with a kitchen/kitchenette. Dining out every meal, every day, can eat up a substantial part of your budget. Maybe you can even get your teen to cook some of the meals and allow you to relax a bit (perish the thought).
- Is your teen an “only”? This one, is more a way to save your sanity than money and help maximize the mental health aspects of the vacation. Is your teen and only and does he/she have a friend? Consider bringing them along on trip. This helps answer the constant “What are we doing? Where are we going? I am bored.” Parental circle of hell.
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