How to have a March Break vacation on a budget

March Break is fast approaching, and families are starting to plan activities for the kids’ week out of school.  Of course, vacations can be expensive, especially if you have many school kids in your family.  Here are some ideas to having a great March Break without BREAKING the bank.

1. Create a budget – AND STICK WITH IT.  Don’t forget to accommodate for transportation, sleep accommodation, meals, local transportation, attractions, shopping, and miscellaneous expenses.

2. Sign Up For Essential Hotel and Vacation Deal Alerts – The cheapest way to vacation is to stay somewhere within a close driving distance to home.  Look on popular websites such as Groupon, Hotels.com, RedFlagDeals to find deals on travel and things to do.

3. Check your credit card points – Although we don’t necessarily encourage the use of credit cards, check to see if your credit card accumulates travel points which can help you to save on flights and hotels.
4. Be spontaneous – Often times, hotels or airlines need to sell off remaining space last minute at discounted prices.  This leaves less time for you to prepare for your destination, but could save you tons of money!  Pack shorts AND snow pants (just in case).
5. Have a staycation – There’s nothing wrong with staying home and just relaxing with your friends and family.  We all need downtime, and this is the least expensive way to spend March Break.

Whatever you end up doing for March Break, make sure to be financially responsible and have fun!