Uncle Roger's Notebooks of Daily Life

Budget Vacations - Going Away Without Going Broke

If you've got children, chances are money is perpetually tight. Even in the best of times, the darn kids are always outgrowing or wearing through their clothes, demanding food, and wanting to take classes and join clubs and organizations. In tough economic times like these, it's even worse. And then, summer comes along and they expect to go on holiday. As if anyone could afford that.

It's not, however, impossible to take a vacation, even with kids. I certainly don't recommend leaving them home alone; you may not have a house to come home to, by the time they're done. So what options does a family have for getting away without getting in trouble, financially? Here are some ideas for you.

Camping

Camping is one of the best vacations a family can take. Kids love being out in nature, collecting rocks and sticks, chasing bugs, and climbing trees. Best of all, it's cheap. Why pay $100 or more for a hotel room when you can sleep out under the stars for a fraction of that? Plus, you don't need to pay for expensive attractions when you've got trails to be hiked, campfires to be built, and streams to be dammed.

Sure, there is some basic equipment you'll need -- a tent, sleeping bags, a stove -- but once you have them, you'll have them for years. (I've had the same stove for a quarter of a century.) Everything else you'll need -- cooking, serving, and eating gear, clothes, and food -- you either already have or would buy anyway. Note that rarely are there any expensive restaurants in the middle of the forest.

You can also visit your local thrift shop to get cheap plates, pots, and flatware. If you're new to camping, chances are you know someone who isn't and most campers are happy to share their love of the outdoors with others. If you like to do your homework online, Pete's Family Camping Site has a lot of good information. About.com's Camping site has some good info too.

House Swaps

House swapping -- where you stay in someone else's home while they stay in yours -- has been around for half a century and became popular in the 70's. Around 1971, a family across the street from us traded houses with a family from England for the summer. They had a son my age and we played together every day all summer long. I remember crying when they got on the plane to go home. (Danny Traeger, if you're out there, give me a shout, eh?)

The advantage is clear -- you don't pay for lodging. In addition, because you're staying in someone's home, you have access to a full kitchen (save on meals!) and you don't have to worry about finding a housesitter. Home exchanges are often done internationally, so you may find yourself taking that trip to London, Rio, or Sydney you've always dreamed of.

There are lots of websites that will help you facilitate trades; I would recommend going with an established, respected organization. Some that I have seen recommended (based on personal experiences) include InterVac and Homelink International (both of which claim to have started the whole thing in the 50's), Home Exchange, and the International Home Exchange Network. Know Your Trade is a directory of home exchange websites.

Vacation Home Rentals

When Rachel and I got married, we spent our honeymoon (a long weekend) at a wonderful house in the Russian River town of Monte Rio. We had a wonderful time and not just because we were newly married. We'd stayed there before (and after) and each time we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It's not, unfortunately, our house or even the home of anyone we knew -- it was a rental.

In most big vacation destinations, you can find homes available for rent by the day, week, or even month. Some are rented out by the owners themselves, but many are managed by a company that specializes in vacation rentals such as Russian River Getaways, the company from whom we rented our honeymoon home. (I can't recommend them highly enough, by the way.)

Now, while renting a house for a couple or a single family is not a budget proposition, renting a larger home for two or three families to share can be quite affordable. Like a home exchange, you get the advantage of an actual home but because most are second homes used only for vacationing, they are generally furnished with recreation in mind. This might include a hot tub or a canoe and will almost certainly mean you'll find plenty of information about local attractions.

We spent a week in Yosemite, sharing a house with a friend of Rachel's and her family and it worked out well. Another advantage is that sharing a house with another family (or two or three) means your kids have built in playmates and you and the other parents can trade off taking care of the kids.

Visiting Friends and Family

If we wanted to (and, really, we do want to) visit Seattle, New York, Vancouver, Munich, or Tokyo, we would have a place to stay for free. It's not that I have the goods on hotel managers in those places; it's that I have friends there. Friends that have either said we should come visit and stay with them or whom I would feel comfortable asking to do so.

Now, crashing at a friend's place is something we normally associate with college kids, but it can certainly work for families too. Family and friends are not just a reason to go but can be the whole destination at times. In San Francisco, spare bedrooms are an uncommon item, but elsewhere, especially outside the big cities, houses tend to be a bit larger, including a den or family room or even, occasionally, a small guest house.

Naturally, staying with friends is not going to offer the same luxury and privacy as a hotel or other traditional vacation lodging and you do generally have to spend time with your hosts, but if you stick to family you get along with and good, close friends (and, really, would you want to stay with someone you weren't that close to?) you should be fine.

There is, however, one major downside to this -- you have to be prepared to reciprocate. The friends who turned their game room into your holiday resort may want to come visit your fair town as well. So be prepared to dig out the sleeping bags and spend a couple of weeks sleeping on the floor in the kids' room.

So don't let the economy get you down -- or keep you home. Life is short and the kids will be grown and gone before you know it. Get out there and build some great memories while you can!