A couple of weeks ago we took an honest-to-goodness family vacation for the first time in what seems like forever. We went to North Carolina's Outer Banks with three other families for a week. The weather cooperated nicely and we all had a chance to just chill out. (Notwithstanding the severe case of beach brain I had coming back!)
The vacation ended up being less expensive than I would have expected, considering the (large) size of the beach house, the amenities, and how close to the beach we were.
Here are some of the things we did to reduce the costs of this getaway:
- We went to a nearby beach — one that was an easy day's drive. Other places might have had nicer waters, but these were just fine, and we saved quite a bit on gas.
- We went at the tail end of the season. Going down at the end of August instead of the middle of August cut the cost of the rental over 40%. (Though we were sweating a little bit with Hurricane Isaac; hurricanes are more likely as the summer winds down.) This time was good because it was the week before the public schools started back up.
- We didn't rent an ocean-front house. We were ocean-side (as opposed to sound-side) so we could walk to the beach easily. The walk was only about five minutes. Ocean-front rentals would have been about twice as expensive for the same size.
- We split meal preparation and ate most of our meals in the house. Further, the meals were easy. My wife made chili; others brought fixings for tortillas, barbecue, and other easy meals.
- We took good advantage of the beach and the amenities in the house. The Netflix subscription, pool table, hot tub, decks, private pool, etc., were already paid for, as was the beach, of course.
- In most cases the excursions were free or low-cost. Climbing to the top of a historic lighthouse was inexpensive, as was seeing the first flight attractions at Kitty Hawk. There was plenty to do down there without dropping a lot of money. The kids were occupied for most of the morning crabbing — all for the cost of some turkey necks and some string.
- The beach house was an ethical bribe for baby sitters. We let a couple of young ladies stay with us and eat with us at the beach house in exchange for being two extra sets of eyes for our little ones (our nine children ranged in ages from three to eight). Other than that, there was no out-of-pocket costs for the baby sitters.
Great idea to sponsor some teenager’s beach vacay in exchange for the extra sets of eyes!
We did all of the following with our friends earlier this year (well, we didn’t go at the end of the season, but right before it really heated up) – but we didn’t take sitters, and we REALLY wish we would have!
Thanks for the tips, i was already planning my vacations, and now with your tips i will try to save some real money! that was some nice reading! good article!
It looks like you know how to save some money while on vacation! With so many kids, I’d imagine you’d have to find some ways to save money! Next time we go on vacation, I’m thinking about spending with cash so that sliding the old debit card doesn’t get too out of hand.
@Crista: Yes, the babysitters were nice.
@Elizabeth: The beginning of the season is also a good time to save, so that works too!
@John: Absolutely. It’s not a bargain if you have to pay on a balance. 🙂
Sounds like you had a blast!
Nice tips!
We are about to enter the summer season down here in the southern hemisphere, so very timely…
Agree with other commenters – sounds like you had a BLAST!
What a beautiful part of the country! Great tips! Traveling at the beginning or end of the season often proves quieter as well as cheaper. Can’t beat that!
Two thumbs up! You guys are really great! Saving money is such a big pleasure. And I also learned some tips from you. Thank You for sharing this article.