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Family Travel on a Budget- How We Do It

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When I got divorced, I thought I might never travel again. I was able, through a variety of opportunities, was able to continue to travel, but I was solo. Travel is something I value highly, and something I really want to share with my kids. I had to figure out some way, some how to continue to do it.

Fortunately, I have been able to do it. Through these tips and tricks, I have found ways to go places and experience the world with my kids on a budget! I will share with you some things that have been working for me.

Be flexible about where you’re willing to go, then choose wisely.

I never get stuck on a destination. There are a million and one places I want to see and a lot of things I want to do, so I am lucky because I’m pretty much down to go anywhere. This helps when you’re on a budget, because you can choose based on low prices. I always price out a few destinations for whatever my time frame is. We have really done well going to places that I previously would not have considered but that were priced well, and having an amazing time! I never would have considered taking kids to New Orleans, but it was one of our favorite- and cheap!- trips with kids.

I’ve used flight shopping websites like momondo.com to help my find cheap airfare. I never would have gone to Iceland, for example, had it not been a cheaper flight. But I’ve gotten to go twice!

Also, choose a place with a low cost of living. That means that food and entertainment are going to be cheaper there too. Mostly, this applies abroad. For example, I traveled to Wales and some small towns in England and spent a short time in London. This allowed me to see the country without blowing my entire budget on a high-priced city where everything is higher, including food and lodging.

Give a little, save a little.

We do a lot of at home dates and DIY dates that don’t cost us anything. We then use the money we would have spent on doing that stuff to buy experiences on our trip. We are wiling to give a little in this area of our life to enjoy our trip more. If you look at your budget, and you know you want to take a trip, you can take from some of your everyday expenses and set that aside. Eating out is a great example. We don’t eat out a lot because I’d rather eat out seaside somewhere than hit TGIFridays up the road.

We also ask for experiences as gifts for us and our kids. We use the money to buy experiences for travel. When we went to Disney, we asked for Disney gift cards. I also buy the tickets for attractions and experiences ahead of time, little by little.

Scavenge for discounts, bundles, and family deals.

I’m so not above calling ahead and saying, listen we have six people. What kind of deal do you have for groups? For school employees? For [insert whatever group you belong to here]? Are your kids a student? If I know someone who works for a company, I’ll ask them what kind of discounts they can get us.

I do this with lodging all. the. time. I will look online at prices, and then I’ll call and see if they can do me one better. Often, they will! I also comparison shop. I’ll also say hey we are looking at spending three days, but if we spend four, will you give us a discount? These kinds of things. The worse they can say is no! Go for it!

Also, many attractions and cities have bundles and combo discounts for attractions. I very much am not the person that needs to see EVERYTHING available, but if there are things I think our family would be interested in, I’d rather do that at a discounted price. Also, if you have flown somewhere, public transportation and/or those hop on/off buses are big money savers as well!

Look for free attractions!

There are a million state parks, national parks, city parks, municipalities, etc putting on programs and festivals. You can ALWAYS find free or low-cost activities for the family. For example, on our recent trip to the Carolinas, a state park does panning for gold for $2/person. Way more reasonable that those panning places you see along the strip! Also, most parks do educational and entertaining programs often. Check local parenting websites as well, as these are often full of into.

Fourth graders get a free National Park pass for the year- check that program out as well!

Also, most museums have a free day and/or time of day. Make sure you play your visit around those days.

AND don’t forget to check out those kids eat free, kids do free, kids get in free places! You can find LOTS of attractions with free kid entry, and as we know, many restaurants have kids eat free days. This is a big saver for us!

Also if you’re an outdoors person… the outdoors is FREE! The beach is FREE! The lake is FREE! And awesome!

Eat in and pack snacks- and bring your water bottle!

Nothing gets at your budget more than food. If you are prepared, you can really work this in your favor. We try not to eat more than one meal out a day when we travel, and we plan out take away vs sit down places.

Vacation may be your time away from being a cook, but it is such a joy to visit somewhere new and hit a local market for some fresh local ingredients that may be different than you have at home!

If you stay in a hotel, many of them have breakfast. We always stay somewhere we can fix a meal. We typically eat breakfast in. We buy sausage and ham, then we often buy pastries or cereal and fruit at the local market. We bring lots of snacks with us.

We also eat a lot of picnics when we are on the go- like this obviously thrilling picnic we had on a recent trip! 😀

A huge money saver is simple- bring your own water bottle!

Pack a first aid kit and medications, but overall- pack light!

If you are traveling with family, you know you’re going to need a band aid along the way! But bringing other basic medications will save you time, money, and heartache on your trip. We always have Benadryl and Tylenol with us, among other things.

Also, always pack light. See this pink and black backpack?

It is typically my only piece of luggage, even for trips that are multiple weeks long. And it has gone everywhere with me. I never pay for additional luggage, and I can always navigate any public transportation or unexpected lodging changes because I have packed lightly. This has always been my number one travel advice I give.

I also try to make sure every individual, even the four year old individual, can handle their own luggage, so I’m not carrying everybody’s. But sometimes, yeah, you just use a luggage rack because that’s where you’re at with everything. Lucy’s expression says it all! 😀

The greatest tip I can give you when planning travel on a budget is keep an open mind and stay flexible! There have been so many opportunities I’ve taken, though I wasn’t sure what the kids would think of it, and guess what- they NEVER complain! They love it all! I also do not fear the road less taken, and I never regret our stops on the less beaten path. Pull over, check it out, try it once- you never win or lose- you only learn.

If you know in your heart your reason for traveling as a family, commit to it and make it happen. 😀 I’ve literally looked around my house and thought, what can I turn to cash here? in order to travel with my kids, even as simple as a YMCA lodge an hour and a half from home. I believe strongly in the power of travel in the lives of children. So I try to do whatever it takes! I hope some of these tips are things that you hadn’t considered or refresh your memory to help you take the best trip ever!

From the archive: The Restorative Power of Salt Water

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From the archive. Originally written May 31, 2016.

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It’s time to talk about my trip.  There’s so much to say, really.  Of course, I need to do the whole photos and recap post, but first, I think I’d like to talk about the effect of the trip on me personally.

When I walked out of that school on my last day there, I walked out with tears streaming down my face but I sighed a big sigh of relief.  Not that it was over, but that my last day was finally over.  I felt like I had been dreading that day forever, and had been living that day over and over everyday through a thousand different “lasts.”  After that, I went home, picked up my babies, and headed to the airport.  We flew just the three of us to meet their dad who had been out of town for business for a week.  I was so proud of myself when we arrived in Denver!  I felt like an accomplished mom- a real mom- for having successfully flown somewhere with two children three and under on my own.

Utah was so wonderful.  I immediately felt at ease when we arrived there.  For so many reasons.  But being reunited as a family, the mountains, Paul Simon, and my old, dear friends did wonders for my soul.  Utah was sweat- hiking, dancing, playing with the kids- lots of activity.

We headed off to California.  We went to Disneyland with the kids which was truly delightful.  Lots of play time.  We went to an aquarium and the beach.  I love the sea.  Nick does too, which made it extra lovely.  We stood at the edge and let the waves roll upon us together.  I had to hold tightly to him because the water is so powerful.  We did that over and over again, and it might have been my favorite part of the California trip.

Spending time with Spencer and the kids brought me back to Earth.  Spending time talking to Sam and listening to Paul Simon reminded me of who I am.  Salt water- tears, sweat, and the sea- restored me.  When I came home, I felt a million times better than I did when I left.  And a million times more like myself.  And a million times more ready to take on this next chapter of my life.  Isak Dinesen was right when she said, “The cure for anything is salt water- tears, sweat, or the sea.”  I needed a dose of each to cure me.  And it has.  I’m so grateful.

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Wildflower Hikes: Trail Among the Trees

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A nearby and old favorite- Trail Among the Trees at Rockwood Reservation!

This trail is at Rockwood Reservations. This is a conservation area, one of the oldest in Missouri. I have strong and fond memories of attending day camps and outdoor activities here as a kid, and I love this area. There are several great trails out here, and it is a super popular place to hike, bike, picnic, and birdwatch. Click here for a link to a map of the area.

Trail Among the Trees is my favorite. There’s variety and it’s beautiful. It’s listed on the map as 1.5 miles long, but All Trails has it just under two miles long The end of the trail does not completely loop to the trail head, so you will have to walk between them. There is also a connection to the Lime Kiln Trail, and doing these together makes an absolutely delightful hike. The trail is a mix of natural and paved surface.

It truly is a trail among the trees, as it climbs up a ridge and back down again. The elevation gain is about 250 feet. You begin on a paved trail that switches up the slope. This is a gorgeous run. You get up to natural surface and rocky surface and you emerge on the edge of a ridge with a gorgeous view of the tree tops. And there’s a bench. 🙂

You then continue to rise up the ridge and then walk along the ridge among the treetops for a while. This is paved again. Then you switch back down the ridge and there are a couple of bridges and you follow above the creek, then descend down to a creek crossing. You then follow a natural surface trail next to a creek and a bluff for a while until you come out on the road. There used to be a staircase, but the trail is rerouted at this time.

This is one of my favorite trails, and it is often what I choose on my birthday becauase of all the wildflowers! There is something magical about walking among the treetops when the dogwoods and redbuds are blooming, along with the bright spring green leaves appearing. It makes you feel things.

Solo Hiking: My little tips and tricks

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I post lots of pictures of my hikes, and people often say I’m “brave” because I am often alone, or it is just me and my kids. I would say upwards of 50% of my hiking is done alone, much to my mother’s dismay. It’s really a matter of circumstance more than choice, and it just kind of is what it is. (Though if anybody ever wants to hike together, I’m pretty much always down!)

Hiking solo can be a very rewarding experience. I have come to really enjoy my solitutde. It also helped me become more comfortable with selfies- ha! But I haven’t always been comofrtable doing this, and this past winter, I had a few weird experiences that, once again, were good reminders of how to increase safety on a solo adventure. I’ve also maybe seen one too many episodes of Unsolved Mysteries for comfort.

But seriously, I haven’t always been comfortable doing this! But as my experiences became more frequent, my confidence increased. Being prepared is my super secret to doing it, and I wanted to share my own experiences and tips with anybody who is considering it themselves. I’m not an expert, but I do it often.

Being prepared means a lot of things, and I think all of these tips kind of roll into “be prepared.” Specifically, these are some ways to prepare

Choose the right trail for you.

If you are going to be alone, it is very important to choose a trail that is a) well-maintainted, b) well-traveled, and c) well within your abilities.

It’s very important to know your limits. You don’t want to get yourself into a situation where you are isolated or where you are able to hike in but unable to hike out due to exhaustion or something.

I made this huge mistake once. I chose a trail while I was solo hiking in Wales. It ended up to be beyond my capacity, not so much in ability length or difficulty wise, but beyond my agrophobic tendencies. So I ended up in quite a pickle! Now I always check topographic maps as part of my research and look at reviews to understand what the drop offs and heights are like so I can compare to my own ability to handle it.

Communicate

Tell somewhere your plans- where you plan to go, when, and how long you estimate it may take. And then stick with your plan! Of course, let someone know once you start out and once you return as well. If you are able to register with the park and/or ranger, do so. Many places have a registration box at the trailhead.

There are also apps to map your hike and even communicate with your people. Cairn Hiking App features real-time tracking information for your “safety circle” and will send out texts when you start and when you complete. It also shows you maps of cell reception on and around trails. You can download maps as well. I always map my hikes on All Trails as well. Some of these features are paid features. I use the free versions of each of these apps.

Another good thing to bring and have is a two way satellite communication device. Here’s a good REI article about them. I’ve also seen a ham radio recommended.

Know your surroundings

It’s really important to know the weather forecast before planning your hike. And even after planning, stay updated on the weather expectations for your hike. Always dress appropriately for the weather. It’s also a good idea to have an understanding of the wildlife you may encounter on the trail and bring anything you might need in case of a run-in with one of these wild creatures! Know the terrain and come prepared for what you may meet. I’ve seen people wearing flip flops on very rugged trails- don’t do this!

Maintain awareness

No headphones, or at least not two at a time. I remember hiking Arthur’s Seat in Scotland and I just needed something, so I did listen to some music but on low and with one headphone. That’s as much as I feel is safe, and I don’t even do that much most of the time. Don’t watch tv on your phone or otherwise distract yourself. It’s important to stay aware of your surroundings when you are on a solo hike. Take the opportunity to just be present and mindful of your surroundings on an outing like this, for further enjoyment of course, but also for safety’s sake!

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Be prepared

Bring your pack. Make sure you have the Ten Essentials (click here for an excellent REI article on the Ten Essentials). Make sure you have these things everytime you go out, even if you feel like it’s overkill or you don’t need it for such a short hike. You never know when that short hike may become unexpectedly long! I’ve been there!

I do truly enjoy my solitude in the woods, but again, ti wasn’t always that way. My confidence has grown as I’ve done it more frequently. I also know that feeling prepared has contributed to that feeling as well. These are good tips for hiking anytime with anybody. I hope that while I am not an expert, some of these may have resonated with you in some way. Happy hiking!

Back on the Trail at Bangert Island

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My kids got quarantined for a couple weeks right after Thanksgiving. There were a few things about this that were less than ideal. Among these was that we hiked that Saturday and then we had to put the kibosh on it for a couple weeks.

Luckily, we have a lovely backyard with woods and room to play, so they got lots of outside time anyway, but not any proper hiking.

People often ask me if my kids like hiking. They definitely do! But what I will say is that one of my kids usually protests the idea of hiking and then has a grand ole time once we’re out there and afterward, talks about how fun and awesome it was.

There are lots of games and activities you can entertain kids with while hiking but I never really do them when it’s just my family out there. I am very patient to go at their pace, looking at every rock and leaf and acorn cap. They ask lovely questions, they play and imagine, and I love it.

We have gone with other families a few times, ones that want to rush along. Sometimes you do have to usher the children along, but I really enjoy meandering through the woods with my kids and allowing them the time to really engage with nature. I think that’s why they don’t need additional activities or motivation.

Sometimes we pretend to be animals, we listen very carefully to the sounds to see what we can hear, we try to find certain objects (like a scavenger hunt), but I allow this to be driven by them. It is an absolute delight of my life.

They learn so much about not only nature and their world but also themselves on these excursions. They learn how much they’re capable of, they learn to take risks, they learn about safety, they learn about being courageous, they learn about kindness, they learn the value of life. And I learn a ton about them too.

After the quarantine, I traded the week with the kids’ dad, so I don’t have them the couple weeks leading up til Christmas. Normally, we do a Christmaggedon list of Christmas activities. We couldn’t due to the timing and the quarantine, and for a minute, I was a little sad and mad about this. We will do a post-Christmaggedon maybe, or maybe not. Maybe it’s just the year and time to chill out? I’m bad at that. 🙂

All this to say that we were happily back on the trail last weekend, and I was once again reminded how important hiking is to me and my wellness and to my kids as well.

We went to Bangert Island, which is lovely and is sometimes flooded out, so this was a perfect time to go. There is lots of road noise, but my kids love the woods and the river views, as well as being able to see the bridge and the casino. It’s also completely flat, so littles and beginners do very well here.

It’s located very near highways 94 and 70 in St. Charles and is maintained by St. Charles County Parks. It is a loop with some interconnected trails, so you can really make the hike as long or as short as you like. Close to home (for us) and is great for an after school walk in the woods before it gets dark, as it gets dark so early in the winter. We sure enjoyed it!

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