Many people wonder how you can travel when you are on a budget. Our family travels quite a bit and with 8-10 people we need to have a budget or we would never be able to afford to travel. We enjoy seeing the world and we have lots of fun without spending a lot.

There are so many ways to save money while traveling and I am only listing a few.

1. When staying at a motel, the cheapest is not always the best. Spend a few more dollars and make sure you get a free breakfast. Some motels have large hot breakfasts. Eating at the motel will be much cheaper then if you would go out to a restaurant with the whole family. Also stay at a motel that has the children stay for free. You can also check if children eat free with adult purchase at their restaurant. Make sure you book your motel room online. Usually it is cheaper then if you just walk in and ask the price.
2. Need tickets for museums, events, or places of interest? Always check to see if you can order them online ahead of time. Not only are they less expensive but you don’t need to wait in line to get tickets. I also like to check online ahead of time to see if the tickets are in our budget. No sense getting all excited only to find out when you get there that it would cost your family 450.00.
3. Check out the towns and cities where you will be traveling to and see what is free for you to do. Many museums are free and there is always lots of hiking that can be done. For our children we have found that a day on the free sand dunes was much more fun then an expensive day at a park.
4. When flying there are many ways to save money. Sign up for an airline’s credit card and you usually get a free ticket. Fly off season and the rates are always cheaper. Check the rates every day for a few weeks and discover which days they are lower. Usually Tuesdays the rates are cheaper. Also certain days of the week are cheaper to fly.
5. Go camping or tenting. There are many free or inexpensive places to camp. State parks have lovely campsites and are much less expensive then regular campgrounds. Some of them will even give you free firewood. Camping can also save you lots on food costs. You can make your food over a fire or camp stove for much less then eating at a restaurant.
6. One of our favorite ways to save money on traveling is to not eat at restaurants. We camp so we make all our meals in the camper or over the fire. If you stay at a motel, you can eat your free breakfast there and then pack a lunch. Then there will be no need to buy expensive food for lunch and you can just stop and have a lovely picnic. Then you would need to buy only one meal a day. For us it is a special treat to eat out and even when we do that we eat free. I always check my points on credit cards or other accounts and turn them in for gift card at restaurants before we leave.
7. Still feel like you can’t afford a vacation? Then do a staycation. You stay at home but during the day you  pack your lunch and go check out those museums and other places you always wanted to visit but never had time to. You might discover some very neat places right close to home.

The list could go on as there are so many ways you can save money while traveling. What are your favorite ways to save?