Death To Week Long Vacations

Call me lucky. I live in an area that most people leave their homes for to vacation to. I'm sure I'm not the only one that lives in a shore community. And I know that some of you live in a bustling city or an up-and-coming town in the country. Most of these areas have a bunch of summer activities and most of them are for free. If your town does not have anything going on this summer, perhaps it's the neighboring communities that you are more than welcome to participate in. My point is, is that most towns offer lots of fun in the sun during the summer months so why spend all your money for just one week vacation away?

Some people make a modest living. They have children and a home and other expenses. These are the people to whom my blog is dedicated to. To the women (and men) who are just your average blue collared workers who need to have a break but cannot afford the all-expenses paid, tropical vacation for a family of 5. Last year, I booked Disney World for my family. We are a family of 5 on the weekends (as my husband had a child previously). So going to Disney as a family of 4 was not going to happen. For the 4 days we would be staying there we picked a modest hotel, a cheaper meal plan and thought of ways to save some money here and there. I.e. bringing our own snacks and breakfasts, driving instead of flying, etc.... The total cost to just get there was about $5,000.00. That's a lot.

Well... it is now July 15th and we have done something every weekend since the beginning of June. We have even been doing things during the week when time allows for it. We fill up our schedules with playdates, backyard BBQs and trips to Six Flags (yes, we are fortunate enough to live near an amusement park and get the season pass so it's affordable), we will spend hours in kiddie pools, visit local summer happenings at the library or downtown, we will watch fireworks at the boardwalk, have beach days, go camping and the list continues.

With two toddler boys and great weather motivating me, I scope out all the fun things happening on Facebook and in the local newspapers. We make plans with family and friends to get together. And my favorite thing to do is go on weekend get-a-ways. We choose a town close by and spend the entire day there. If we are really feeling adventurous, we will stay over one night and spend the next day as well because $400.00 for two days away compared to $4,000.00 for 4 days in Disney is a no-brainer!

So, if you're trying to stick to a budget but also have fun and entertain these children this summer, be sure to check out what's happening where you live first! Then venture from there. The summer lasts for months, going away for one week isn't going to be nearly enough to keep you and your family sane all summer long.