11 days in the last frontier – Alaska, baby! It was one off my travel bucket list. Hiking, glaciers, mountains, rivers, and a refreshing hit of cold, crisp air.
As a family of 6 we have got budget travel down to a science. We get asked all the time our secrets. Today I am sharing some. If my family can do it, so can yours!
Our top 5 Travel Tips:
#5 – We quit staying in hotels! We always stay in a vacation rental.
Yup, spent only $80 a night on our wilderness cabin in the woods.
#4 – We always cook the majority of our meals. The benefit of a rental
is they come with kitchens. We meal plan out our trip, pack what
we can and then hit up the local stores. Meal budget for
this 11 day adventure less than $400. We are not big foodies so
missing out on the local hot spots is not a huge thing for us.
#3 – Avoid buying anything at the airport! Being hungry while in transit
is the worst, especially if its the kids whose bellies are grumbling.
I give my kids $5 to spend at the dollar store before we hit the
airport. 4 kids x $5 = $20 of food. My kids were fully fed for our 9
hour journey. Don’t dismiss the local dollar store, there is lots of
great food options in there!
We also bring refillable water bottles and fill them with water at the
airport.
#2 – Avoid overbooking your trip! We enjoy living each day on vacation
as we feel it. The days that feel the most stressed tend to be the
days we have a tour or a timed appointment. We tend to only book
one or two excursions if we book any at all. We love the great
outdoors = Free! Hiking, swimming, bonfires, etc! Total spent on
excursions, park fees, etc = $600.
#1 – Know your budget! Know how much you can spend and commit to
that amount. Nothing is better than having a trip of a lifetime and
then coming home and knowing it was all paid for in cash! Our
daily budget in Alaska = $120/a day (gas, food, gifts, etc).
If you want to know how I took my family of 6 to Alaska for 11 days WAY cheaper than we took our family of 6 to Disney for only 5. hit me up!
Always remember, when you have no debt more money hits the vacation budget way faster and with bigger $$ amounts!
Want more travel in your life? Feel like you are working more than your are playing? Embracing Your Means is here to create you a plan that puts the fun back in your lifestyle.
