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Other Articles:

Traveling with Kids: Make an Entertainment Bag -- a sure way to keep the kids happy while on that summer road trip

Disney Savers Tips for saving money at the Magic Kingdom

Tips for the Frugal Traveler You don't have to sacrifice when vacationing on a budget

I keep a beach bag in my closet ready to go with beach towels, bathing suits, suntan lotion, sun glasses, camera & film. I even add a book or magazine to read. This is a real time saver! -- Tammy from FL

Think Hilton Head Island and others are too rich for your blood now that you have kid? Well, think again. Many of these resort areas have condos and town homes for rent for the week. They are substantially cheaper than staying at a fancy hotel. Plus, you'll have a kitchen of your own. allowing you to hit the local supermarket for breakfast and lunch foods. This will save you a lot of money because you'll only be eating out for dinner...and only if you choose. It's a great alternative to staying in a hotel. It gives you more of a home away from home feeling. -- Lori from NJ

Although it may seem risky, we usually do not make reservations when traveling. We have discovered that most hotels have a better last minute rate, which has saved us as much as $30 per night! If the city of choice seems booked up, we've always found something within 30 minutes, and those options are cheaper also. We eat out only when sick of sandwiches and such, that we buy ingredients for at grocery stores along the way. -- Kym from MN

I live quite a distance from my family and sometimes I cannot find someone to water my plants on short notice when I travel. I have found that a plastic child's swimming pool does the trick. Fill the pool about 3 inches of water and place it in a sunny location. They can survive pretty well for about a week. -- Esther from CO

Take a cooler!
Keep the spare crayons in the cooler! Sounds funny, huh? Saves scraping the crayons off the car seat, dashboard.
Pack sets of clothes for each kid separately in plastic re-sealable bags! (Sets! socks, undies, etc) Label them with days of the week. Bags also double duty as dirty laundry bags. You can also use the bags to rinse out stains before they set in. Take some laundry detergent, add water, detergent swish and rinse and dry. -- Liz from TX

If you switch long distance carriers, you might be eligible for free plane tickets. We got a free Sun Country ticket for switching, and a Northwest Airlines ticket for switching again. -- Marla from NJ

One of the biggest expenses after gas is food. We take a cooler and make sandwiches, and refill 20oz pop bottles with Koolaid. If you have a camp stove, one of my favorite travel meals is to boil a cooking bag of rice and heat a can of beef stew. serve the beef stew over the rice. Really good. Some states have a visitor center near the state line. Look for brochures about free or cheap places to visit. -- Marti from OH

Always call the chamber of commerce or look on the internet for money saving coupons for area attractions or lodging. Another good place to look for savings are at state welcome centers along the highways. -- Kristie from MI

To save money on vacations our family of six camps instead of staying at hotels. Most camp sights are only $15-$25. We also cook our food ahead of time so we save money by not eating out every day. We took a 6 day trip to Niagara Falls (we live in Indiana) and it cost us less then $300 for the entire trip. Our kids had so much fun they did not want to go home. -- Kandra from IN

Here are some ways my family saves money when going on vacation. We like to go camping because it is a lot less than staying in a motel room. Then to save money eating out I will plan on making most of the meals at the camp site. When we decide where we would like to go on vacation, we usually pick one large event to hit during the week. Then we will go hiking, fishing, or tour the town most of the week. It's amazing how much free stuff there is to do at most vacation spots. For traveling in the car. I make up a travel kit for my daughter. In it is coloring books, pens, paper, books, hand held video game, and a walkman. I also have snack on hand for all the family. This way we all have an enjoyable trip. -- Diana from PA

When making hotel reservations, always call the hotel directly instead of calling the 800 number. Ask the reservationist if they have any sales or promotions going on. We've received deals like free breakfasts and savings up to $50 off the normal rate by doing this. -- Kim from MN

Traveling long distances with kids? My first realization was, Normal house rules need not apply. You're on vacation! 2.WARNING: crayons melt when left out in a car in the summer. 3.Pack a loaf of bread, a cooler full of favorite items-bologna, cheese... grab extra ketchup, mustard packets from fast food restaurants or the deli. Bulk food aisle items like animal crackers, gummies, pretzels, gorp (trail mix) are less expensive than individually foil wrapped kind. A rest stop picnic/potty break saves time and money. Plus, the kids have already made their food choices so you don't have to wait to read a menu. You can replace the "gimmick-toy" with a souvenir from your trip. -- Jodi from IN

We have two boys and a dog. We drove to Flagstaff, AZ a couple years ago. There were not a lot of funds for hotels and eating out, so we did our own thing. Our trip took four days and three nights. We ate breakfast at fast food places, picnic lunches from cooler in van, and when time to stop for night we ate nice dinner. We would drive a little more and find camp ground and pitch our tent. Our camping at night ran anywhere from $6 to $10 a night. Sometimes we would pull off road early and set up camp and explore area we were in. Kids and dog loved trip and parents, too. -- Flora from IL

We take vacations with our friends who have children the same age as ours. For lodging, we always look for a condo type situation with 3 bedrooms (one for each couple and a room for the kids to share). We always get a great place and sharing the cost makes it very affordable. This year we are also taking along a college student to help with the children and give us a chance to do a few things on our own. We will have a nice vacation with the family but also have some time to ourselves. Two vacations for the price of one. -- Tracy from OK

My traveling tip (Actually my husbands) saves time and money. Cooking while traveling is the way to go. My husband is a truck driver and he bought a converter and a crock pot and he cooks most of his meals while he's out on the road. When we travel on vacation we put the crock pot in a milk crate and put it in the trunk while it's cooking. That way in case of sudden stops the food won't go flying and possibly burn someone. We usually take cans of heat and eat foods for the convenience and the fact that we can have a hot lunch AND a hot supper. But you could use it for it's intended purpose of actually COOKING a meal, but you might only get 1 meal a day cooked with it. When we get hungry, we pull into a roadside park and enjoy our hot meal. -- Vicki from TX

Stick a disposable camera in your glove compartment and/or diaper bag, and even if you left your camera at home, you will still have one handy in case you just have to get that picture. -- Mae from OH

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