Family vacations are the best for making memories! Vacations though tend to be pricey BUT there are some things you can do to try and cut costs at least a little bit. There are big things like shop for deals on airfare, lodging, and transportation. I recommend ALL of those things if you can. But there are some smaller things you can do to try and cut costs at least a little bit too. These tips I find, work to cut the edges off an expensive vacation.

Tip 1: Bring a reusable water bottle! Water is a very expensive and necessary item on any vacation. We just returned from a vacation where water was $4 a bottle! Six days times five people…you can do the math! I recommend you pack a water bottle. Almost every restaurant or snack stand will give you cups of water or at the very least ice. Keep filling up your bottle! You may even find a filling station like we did which was a HUGE savings for us!

Tip 2: Try to rent an apartment or a place with an efficiency kitchen and cook your own meals. Now I am not suggesting you cook EVERY meal! That is not a vacation! But if you can go to a grocery store or have groceries delivered, you can make breakfasts and lunches at your location. This makes it not only more cost-efficient but also more convenient. On our last vacation, we made frozen pizza one night.

Tip 3: Take advantage of Happy Hours! So Happy Hours are not just for drinking! I think of Happy Hours as the Early Bird Special for vacationers! Many vacation hot spots offer Happy Hour specials. These may not offer a full menu but they almost always offer a decent selection at a cheaper price. So I recommend eating breakfast, having a light lunch, and then hitting the Happy Hour between 4-6 for an early, cheaper dinner!

Tip 4: When you do go out for meals try to stick to water as your beverage or share drinks if possible. Beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) can push your bill way up! Try to stick to FREE water to keep your bill in check. If you must order a drink of some sort, order it without ice and ask for another cup so you can share.

Tip 5: For those of you flying, plan your snacks and pack your own. I try to buy individual size snacks a few weeks before my trip when I can get them on sale. Then I ask each family member to “shop” and pack their snack bag that they can keep in their carry on bags on the plane. This allows us to avoid those pricey snacks in the airport and helps us to curb our hunger on our trips.