**This is a collaborative post
Holidays can be pricey, even when it’s just you and your significant other. However, when you begin to factor the cost of taking the whole family away, it can seem prohibitively expensive. Happily, all is not lost when it comes to family breaks, as there are some tactics that you can use to get away when you have a family, without breaking the bank. Read on to find out what they are.
Bargain all-inclusives
The first option to consider is an all-inclusive break. Now, I know you are probably thinking that this will be way too much money for everyone, but before you cross this type of break off the list of options, consider the following.
First of all, all-inclusives seem expensive because they usually run for 7, 10, or 14 days, and ask you to pay the entire price of your break including all your food and drink up front.
However, often when you do the maths, you will realise that they actually work out less than breaks when you pay for your accommodation, flight, and food and drink separately. After all, you don’t need to take spending money with you at all if you don’t want, because everything is already covered. Even ice creams for the kids!
Next, don’t forget that the prices for all-inclusive breaks differ widely depending on certain factors. In fact, if you choose to purchase during a sale, via a late, or early deal, or even when they offer free child places you can save anywhere up to the region of 50% of the total cost. Something that makes all-inclusive breaks a much more affordable option for those with families.
Road trips
Another option to consider is taking the family on a road trip, something that you can do in either your home country or abroad, and is a fantastic way of seeing multiple sites and locations during a single break.
Firstly, driving to your location, whether in your own vehicle, or a rental and stopping to see other sites along the way can be a lot cheaper than flying, or even getting the train. Which can easily go into hundreds of pounds for a whole family.
Next, when road tripping, you can choose to eat picnics at places of interest instead of stopping at roadside diners or at expensive restaurants. You can even plan your trip to begin each day with a visit to a local supermarket to stock up. An activity that means you won’t have to carry loads of food in the car along with you, yet can still save money, and keep everyone well fed.
Of course, you can also make such a break more appealing to the kids by letting them get involved in choosing the stops you will make, as well as setting them challenges in each place. Such as making a drawing, collecting certain items, or even taking a picture to be added into a scrapbook when you return home.
Be sure to plan your road trip route carefully. Lastly, don’t forget what you can easily combine road tripping with camping to save even more money, a topic that is covered in the paragraph below.
Camping
Camping, either in the UK or abroad might just be one of the cheapest ways of taking your family away for a break if you play it right.
To do this, you need to find a site that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg to stay there. With this in mind, it’s better to stay away from some of the more popular locations in the UK like Cornwall and Devon, where a single nights fee can cost anything up to £30!
The same logic applies if you are planning on taking the family overseas for a camping trip as well. Something that means a throughout search into where the most reasonably priced sites are located is well worth your time.
Of course, you also need to consider whether you want to camp in a tent or caravan too. Tents are usually the cheapest option both for site fees, and to get set up as well, as you can pick up a decent family size unit for around £100-200 in the sales. Remember too that for this single price you now own something that you can use it whenever you like, and so can save money on holidays in the future as well.
If you do decide to go for a caravan option, do remember that if you plan to tow this, it will cost you more petrol. Although by joining a group like the Caravan Club you can get access to some great sites at a fraction of the usual cost, something which can help you save a lot of money, on each break you go on.
Another reason that camping is one of the cheapest options is that you can easily cook food for the family yourself, instead of having to pay to eat out. In fact, in the most basic form, you don’t even have to buy a camping stove or BBQ because you can just use the campfire. Although cooking for a whole family for more than a day or so on an open flame can get a bit tedious and challenging after a while!
Holiday homes
At first glance, you may think that holiday homes abroad are anything but a budget break option. After all, aren’t vacation homes where the rich and famous people retreat to during the summer? Well, yes they do, but that doesn’t mean that a holiday property won’t be a financially savvy option over the long term that will allow your family to vacation abroad.
In fact, if you discover a particular spot that you love and find yourself returning to time and time again, a holiday home can be a significant investment that can save you money on hotels over time.
You can even check whether you can afford the mortgage on a vacation property by using tools like this reliable house loan calculator to work out the monthly cost. Something that could well be a great deal less than you expect, and for a place that is not only all your own when staying there, but that can prove a savvy financial investment when you sell it on later as well.
Daycations
Finally, if finances are particularly slim, why not consider going on a single or a bunch of daycations with the family?
A daycation is where you stay at home and pick some fun day trips in your local area to do. Luckily, you’ll probably find there are quite a few places that you have always meant to visit but never got around to, as well. Castles, beaches, country parks and museums are always a good place to start!
Remember too that many local councils run free events during holiday seasons such as summer, Easter, and Christmas which can provide budget-friendly fun for the kids. Also watch out for any free educational classes run by local museums and art galleries, as this is a fantastic way of getting the kids out and about without breaking the bank.
Also, if you really get stuck for ideas you can use sites like tripadvisor.co.uk to find some cheap, family friendly suggestions in your local area, that will make you daycations as much fun for the family as a travelling halfway around the world!
You can even put up a tent in the back garden for the kids if they want that immersive holiday experience. Which just prove you don’t have a spend a fortune on fun family breaks!