Taking your children on vacation is one of life’s little pleasures. There is, after all, nothing better than seeing your kids have a good time and forgetting about school for a bit – just allowing them to be kids. Vacations are also important for you as a parent, as it gives you some much-needed downtime and also the chance for you to bond more with your kids. However, family vacations don’t often come cheap. Airlines and holiday providers alike have a nasty habit of hiking up their prices during the school summer break, making it harder for many low-income families to afford some time away. Every family deserves to enjoy a vacation every once in a while, though. If you’re desperate to surprise your kids with a trip away but don’t know how you’re going to afford it, here are some ways you can get around it and pull off the holiday of a lifetime.
Be flexible with your flight times
Sure, you may already be limited in what flights you can take thanks to your children’s school schedule. But if you want to score a cheap deal on getting from A to B, you are going to need to be reasonably flexible with what flights you choose. Thankfully, many airline websites now let you view flights across a whole month so that you can pick the cheapest days. You may also find that flying at specific times of day work out a lot cheaper. Of course, getting your kids to the airport at 4 am isn’t easy for any parent. But, if it’s going to save you $300 over flying in the afternoon, grit your teeth – a saving like that is always worth the hassle!
Find the extra cash
Aside from working extra hours (not always feasible), you may wonder what else there is to do to make money to fund your vacation. In reality, you have a whole hoard of options in front of you, providing you use your imagination. One way you can go about unearthing money that belongs to you is by reading this Liberty Settlement Funding structured settlement review. You might have your annuities paid to your monthly as originally agreed, but if you need a lump sum of money imminently, you may be able to have it all paid to you in one go. Cutting back on unnecessary expenses and selling things in your home you don’t need can also raise a surprising amount of cash for your trip.
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Use budget accommodation
Budget accommodation in the modern day doesn’t always mean ‘low-quality accommodation.’ Websites like Air BnB have revolutionized budget lodgings, and you can even get hostels these days that provide private, family sized rooms for next to nothing. Sure, you may be attached to the idea of a luxury hotel room – but at what cost? As you’ll most likely be out and about all day with the kids anyway, you probably won’t spend that much time in your lodgings. Therefore, save your pennies for activities instead and book something more wallet-friendly.