To avoid airfare, think about a city or region that your family has never explored, a place that's still within a comfortable driving distance. For instance, if you live in Wisconsin, many members of your family may have never been to Canada -- something that builds excitement at the approximate price of fuel. Explore online the cultural offerings in your chosen city for inexpensive or free destinations. In Cleveland, for example, the city's world-renown art museum is free to the public; its Museum of Natural History or Botanical Gardens, on the other hand, will cost you.
Dust off the tents and clear out the spiders for a family getaway that evokes nostalgia and fond new memories at just above the cost of getting there with a fully packed cooler. Don't scrimp in the food department, either; cooking out can be a bonding family activity but has to involve food that everybody likes. You can scrimp on the cost of lodging, though, since some of the best campgrounds in the United States are also some of the cheapest places to stay the night.
It doesn't cost anything to witness the vast yawn of the Grand Canyon, the splendor of Yosemite or the alligator-crawling mystery of Florida's Everglades. Historical sites also offer some of the cheapest places to take your children to be educated without them knowing it. Online research ahead of time will help you make pit stops along your trip at places that will improve your family's understanding and appreciation of the world. Places like Washington, D.C., are loaded with free or inexpensive attractions, in this case centering on the federal government and the country's history. Places like the Cadillac Ranch, a public art display in the middle of the Texas desert, or even the oldest McDonald's restaurant in Downey, California, make for cost-effective and kid-friendly memories off the beaten path.
If you insist on spending money on traditional vacation staples like hotels and tourist attractions, plan far in advance and seek package deals from reputable travel agencies to direct more of your budget toward ticket and restaurant prices. Many vacation resorts in certain regions that are saturated in lodging options -- such as Orlando -- offer family packages in which children stay free. Some hotels even work out marketing deals with area attractions so you can have discount or even free admission to amusement parks that your kids would love -- all included in the price of your room. Contact the parks first and ask if they have any partner hotels.
