The weather is getting warmer and after a long winter of COVID-19 lock downs, many states are beginning to re-open, allowing people to look forward once again and begin making plans for ordinary things – like vacations. Of course, you’re working hard to manage your finances and stay on track with your debt settlement program. These tips can help you plan a vacation even if your budget is a little tighter than you would like.

Consider Camping

There are plenty of benefits for considering camping as we are still reeling from a global pandemic. Camping offers considerably lower cost accommodations than the average resort and allows you to enjoy the great outdoors while still adhering to current social distancing norms.

Camping allows you to limit the number of people you encounter in your journey and will help you shake off the cobwebs of many months when you may have felt cooped up inside. You’ll save on food costs when camping as well as you’ll be making your own food rather than going out to eat every meal.

Keep Your Vacation Somewhat Local

You want your vacation destination to be within easy driving distance. That eliminates the cost of flying off the top and can help you find some hidden gems close to home. Plus, there’s some degree of comfort in being close to home as venture out for the first time in months.

If your budget is really tight, but you still need to get away, consider finding new things to do even closer to home so that you can get there and back in one day. This eliminates the need for an overnight stay, and you can cut costs by eating before you leave and packing a picnic lunch. Then you only need to worry about one meal out of the house.

Establish Vacation Priorities

Different families have different ideas when it comes to what makes vacations exciting. For some, it’s about experiencing different cultures. For others, it’s about a little rest and relaxation. It doesn’t have to be about expensive theme parks and costly dinners out. Prioritize one or two more costly activities that are important to your family and then look for cheap or free alternatives to other activities along the way.

Plan Your Meals Wisely

Dining out while on vacation gets expensive quickly. Especially if you’re dining out every meal. It can easily bite into your vacation budget leaving little money for anything else. Consider preparing two meals per day of your vacation and eating out one. If possible, make the one meal per day lunch when you can often enjoy lighter fare and lower prices than dinner menus. This can help you cut costs in a huge way, making it much easier to stick to your budget.

Make Your Trip About Building Memories

Far too often we spend our vacations looking for the perfect souvenirs to buy and bring home. This time, skip the souvenir shops and opt for being in the moment instead. Go fly a kite on the beach with your family and collect seashells to bring home, take a hike in the woods and collect unique rocks, or pan for gold in a river. There are so many neat adventures and memories you can make together that don’t have to cost a fortune to experience.

We hope these tips will help you get the best of both worlds. The vacation from reality you need while sticking to your debt settlement program and living within your budget.