ideas for cheap vacation?

[thecowgirl]

anyone have ideas for cheap vacations? i am open to any and all vacation ideas!

thanks in advance!

[forHISglory]

Hi
The cheapest vacation we ever took was to the Washington DC area. Keep in mind this has been some time ago before gas prices shot up. We found motels to be reasonable in outlying areas. We just parked our car at the motel and took public transportation everywhere. We thought that the subways and buses were cheap and easy to navigate. At the time we went, the national park service ran hot dog and snack stands and those were cheap. We ate breakfast at the motel, lunch at the hot dog stands and supper was stuff out of our cooler and stuff from trips to a local market. The activities were the cheapest part of the vacation: FREE! Well, I guess our taxes had already paid for it, but we toured the White House, the Capital, the Smithsonian, National Archives, the FBI headquarters, Ford's Theatre, and many more places. All government places were free, and non-gov places were reasonable. It was an awesome trip that the kids still talk about.

[Lady_V]

Depends on where you are, who is going, how long you want to be gone and what you have on hand.

I want to say going camping is cheap, as long as you already have what you need or can borrow it from friends/family.

[FrugalWitch]

Stay home. Do a few backyard cookouts. Visit local museums, put your kids (if any) in the library Summer Reading program.

Stash the cash you'd be spending on vacation.

[PrairieRose]

We've done things like a 3-4 day road trip. We'd make reservations at a nice little cabin where we could cook or make breakfast and then have sandwiches for lunch. We'd also pack a bag of snacks and a cooler full of drinks for the road and the daytime. (We had 3 kids, snacks and drinks were a major expense if we bought them each time) Take some games, decks of cards and then enjoy some exploration time in the area around where you rent your cabin. We would go to the mountains sometimes b/c that was a huge change for us. There were museums, art galleries, lakes, etc.....Look for the best hotel deals, coupons for eateries (for your dinner time meals..after all you are on vacation) and for local attractions.

Or you could day trips from home. Designate a 'week' for vacation, plan things everyday....pool time, local attractions that you never frequent, historical sights, etc.....eat breakfast at home, pack your cooler with a picnic lunch and you're off. You could eat dinner out on these days to make it more like vacation . Take pics just like you would if you were at Disney World, someday you're gonna wish you had. Have fun!

[suki]

Depends on where you live. Here, in the Ozarks, it's a matter of staying in the area but getting out and seeing the area... hiking our parks, fishing the rivers, playing on the lakes, canoeing the streams... lots to do and it's all frugal.

[Mamaof2rugrats]

My vacations are usually to Branson or Memphis just because those are so close. If I'm really cheaping out though I will just go camping by the river for free!

[Grayce]

Tent camping is a fairly cheap vacation. We have many campgrounds within and hour or two. The kids love to swim so that is what we spend most of the time doing. Most campgrounds have playgrounds too. We cook all our own meals on the coleman stove and have campfires every night.

[pip]

Not sure if this counts as a vacation, but we're thinking of going on a mission trip to Mexico with our church (work in an orphanage there). There's $ needed for gas and food, and my kids are excited about it. Cheaper than a cruise, I guess!

[pkellyc]

If you day trip you might want to check out your local library. I know ours has discount passes for our aquarium, zoo, museums, and other attractions. We also would visit free attractions or events such as our submarine museum or concerts in the park series.
When our girls were small we camped in a tent. State parks are cheap but we liked to camp in private campgrounds. There were activities to keep the girls busy and was well worth the extra money.
Use the internet, it's like having you own personal travel agency at you finger tips. I love to do this. I look up everything from hiking trails to restaurants.

[suki]

Check your state tourism website. Some state parks have great cabins that were built by the CCC or the WPA and are really inexpensive. Mather Lodge at Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas is a budget accommodation with great views and trails to hike. There are many throughout our area in Arkansas and Missouri. Check your state for nearby gems!

[suki]

My vacations are usually to Branson or Memphis just because those are so close. If I'm really cheaping out though I will just go camping by the river for free!

I think we're neighbors. We're canoeing the Buffalo on the 4th for our family vacation this year.

[Jayne]

Do something as close to home as you can...day trips...or like we are doing a "staycation", hanging out in our own yard around our pool with friends!!