HOW TO VACATION ON A BUDGET

Hi everyone,

As you know, my family loves to travel but flights, hotels and everything in between certainly adds up money-wise. But with all of my experiences I’ve learned a few easy tips to make a getaway inexpensive but equally as fun. This summer we’ve been traveling a lot, but my parents were in town and we still wanted to get in a small escape from the city. Summers here can be unpleasant with all of the heat and noise - so getting in small trips on the weekends is ideal. Here’s my way of maximizing your budget while on vacation, no matter where you go!

1. Go somewhere driving distance away. We chose the Hudson Valley, a beautiful area of upstate New York that has a ton to do for both kids and adults. The landscape is beautiful and just two and a half hours away from the center of NYC. Flights can be super expensive for a family of five, especially in the summer. Instead, load up the car with snacks and games and make a road trip out of it!

2. Use AirBnb, VRBO, HomeAway or other apps. We found an amazing and affordable f armhouse that was located in Lagrangeville at the heart of Hudson Valley. It was a spacious house on 9 acres of land and a short drive to farmer’s markets, hiking trails, horseback riding and scenic towns. My tip is to contact the owners and ask f there are any deals available - sometimes you can get an extra day if you are staying through the weekend or a special discount based off the seasonal rates.

3. Rent with family or friends! Aside from this making the trip more fun, it also cuts the cost down! We love traveling with other families who have kids around our kids’ age - it’s a double win.

4. Make supermarkets your friend. Eating out at restaurants every night can burn a serious hole in your wallet - especially when feeding the whole family. We make the local supermarket our first stop on vacation and pick up everyone’s favorites - fruits, fresh veggies, snacks and even wine for me and Noam. Oftentimes small markets have amazing local products like jam, fresh breads, cheeses and more. Exploring these little gems is great for foodies like me.

5. Watch out for price changes with price alerts. If you do want to travel by plane, set up a price alert or use sites like Skyscanner to scout out the cheapest options. I recently found an amazing deal from NYC to Miami - $70 round-trip! Cheap flights are possible, you just have to look for them in the right places and wait for the price to drop.

Do you have any travel plans this summer? If so, what do you do to keep the costs down for you and the whole family?

Neshikot,

Dikla