For frugal families who are barely scraping by, holidays are almost always out of the question. After all, you can use that money for something more meaningful, like next month’s food budget.

Even if you were able to save up for a family holiday, it would most likely be for something inexpensive and not at all lavish. Just something fun enough for the kids, and has something for everyone all within your set budget. But you’re probably asking yourself: “Can I plan a holiday with my family under  a budget?”

Plan it now

The answer is yes. All you need is to have the right mindset. Once you have that down, it is now time for you to decide where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Luckily, planning trips is a lot easier thanks to travel agencies and the internet. In fact, we are here today to offer you some tips on the subject matter. Here are the steps you can take:

Find a place to go

Now that a decision has been made, it’s now time to decide where you want to go. For frugal families, it might be best for them to plan a big family holiday across the country before they can think about leaving it.

The reason for this is because they must first learn to appreciate their own backyards before they can go and see what the rest of the world has to offer. Conduct a family meeting and ask your family where they would like to go and what they want to learn.

Doing a bit of research beforehand can also help you and your family in making a decision. And some of the things you should consider before deciding on a location should be:

• Is there something for everyone there? Make sure that the destination will be kid-friendly if you’re planning to take the kids with you. It’s also essential to ensure that everyone will enjoy the trip
• Is it safe? Some places are safer than others, especially tourists. Take the time to do a quick background check on the destination to find out if it is relatively safe for tourists
• How is the weather? Some people can take hot weather; others can’t stand it. It’s important to know if the climate in your chosen destination will be comfortable for every family member.

How long will you stay?

Now that you’ve figured out where to go, the next question to ask is, how long will you stay there? Most holidays last from two to three days. It should be enough time to unwind and get all the rest and recreation you need.

However, if you’re planning a long itinerary for you and your kids, it might take more than just a few days. That is why we suggest creating your agenda now and ask everyone what they want to do. Next, find out if the activities they want to try are feasible before jotting it down.

Find how much everything will cost

Now that you have a rough idea of the destination and what you and your family want to do, it is now time to decide how much everything will cost you.

Once the dates have been decided, it’s now time to compute how much you will expect yourself to spend on this trip. Expenses include lodging, food, payment for any rentals like cars, airport parking spaces, and equipment for the activities you are planning to try. It’s also a good idea to have some extra cash on you in case of an emergency.

Once you’re comfortable with the expenses, book your tickets and make the necessary reservations. But if you don’t have the money ready, check out next point:

Save Save Save

We’ve all heard it before: family saves for over a year for their dream holiday. Now, it’s your turn to do it. You now have a target budget. So, make the necessary changes and build up the savings. You can have your spouse or the entire family chip in through the use of a savings jar. Have them put in any amount of money they can offer.

Choose to do a money challenge that will keep you motivated and eager to save money until you have enough.

Family holidays are a way for you to spend time with your families and creating memories that everyone can look back on. So, make the most out of your trip and don’t forget to enjoy.