Summer is here and it is the time that people begin to think about taking a break from their everyday lives and going on a summer vacation.
Most children are on holiday from school during the summer months, so the family has the ability to go away for longer periods of time.
The problem is the economy.
Prices on everything from the gas that powers our vehicles to the food we need to eat, have gone up in the recent past.
The wages we are being paid have not risen as quickly as the prices have, and paying for a summer vacation is getting more difficult to do.
There are a lot of things that you can do on a summer vacation to make it more affordable.
Here are a few tips on inexpensive summer vacation ideas.
When you are traveling in a car to your destination, carry a cooler with drinks you purchased at home rather than purchasing drinks at rest stops.
A twelve pack carton of named brand soda will cost you around $4.
00 at the market.
That means that each can of soda, will cost you 33 cents, and if you buy the same can of soda at a rest stop it will cost you 75 cents.
That is more than double the cost.
When you look for a hotel, you should look at motels that have a small kitchen area in the room.
It will cost the average four person family around $30 dollars to eat lunch in a fast food restaurant.
You could keep sandwich makings in the mini fridge in the kitchenette of your room, and save this daily cost.
If you go to the market and purchase the necessary lunch items to feed four people for five days you will spend roughly sixty dollars, or less, depending on the sandwich makings that you prefer.
That means you will save about $90 dollars on lunch expenses in a five-day period.
Try taking the family on a camping trip to a state park near you.
You can camp near beaches, lakes and parks.
The cost is less than half of what a trip to another city would be, and the relaxing time spent in the outdoors will be a welcome relief.
You can also try staying at home during vacation, and make day trips to see some of the local attractions around your home.
Chances are there are many such attractions nearby that you have never taken the time to see.