Written by Jay Sparrow
In a recent post we shared 23 Tips on How to Save Money for Travel. It’s a great post to get you started on your journey towards traveling more with your family. But now that you are on your way to saving enough money to embark on your adventure, how can you continue to save money when traveling with kids.
In this post we will share 21 ideas for you to consider as you look for ways to save money when traveling with kids. As you read through these ideas, try to think outside of the box and come up with other creative money saving ideas! Traveling with kids does not have to be expensive.
There are many ways to save and still have an amazing time without compromising your experience. Try some of these ideas on your next trip and remember, these tips can be used for anyone, not just those traveling with kids! Let’s dive in.
1. Look for free activities
Although this may be an obvious way to save money when traveling, it’s often overlooked. When we arrive at a new location, we always do a search for “free things to do in (insert location)”. We are always amazed at the number of free activities on offer in each of our destinations.
You will often find free walking tours, local parks, free or low cost museums, concerts, farmers markets, art performances, etc.
2. Consider house and pet sitting for FREE accommodation
If you love pets and wouldn’t mind looking after them as part of your vacation, then you should check out TrustedHousesitters. It’s a website that connects pet lovers with pet owners who are looking for someone to take care of their pets while they are on vacation.
The best part is, in return for looking after someone’s pets, you get FREE accomodation. There are literally hundreds of TrustedHousesitter opportunities across the globe. You just need to pop in your dates and prefered locations to see what’s available. Depending on your flexibility, you may never need to pay for accomodation again when traveling.
Is there a fee? Yes, there is a small annual fee to open a TrustedHousesitter account, but you more than get your money back with just one house sit.
If you have pets, you might consider letting others house sit for you!
If you own pets, why not set up a TrustedHousesitters account so that you can find someone to house sit FOR YOU. Would you rather have your fur babies in a kennel or have someone who loves pets take care of them for free?
3. Consider a Vacation Rental vs a Hotel
While we are on the topic of accomodation, consider a vacation rental over a hotel. You can find some great deals and get much more for your money when booking with sites like Airbnb.
There are pros and cons to both, so take the time to think about what you want to get out of your trip before booking your accommodation.
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4. Plan out your daily spending budget
If you are looking to save money when traveling, you really need to have a daily budget. This practice enables you to plan and see where your money goes and helps prevent you from coming up short before your trip ends. After you have decided how much you want to budget for the entire trip, divide that number by the number of days you are traveling and this is your daily budget.
Example, if your spending money budget is $1,000 for the entire trip and your trip will last 10 days, then your daily budget is $100 per day.
What does your daily budget include? You will need to consider food, (groceries vs eating out), snacks, drinks, activities, entrance fees, souvenirs, taxis, etc.
What if we have money left over?
Any money left over at the end of each day can roll over to a day when you know you will have more expensive activities planned.
The goal is to monitor your spending so that towards the end of your trip you don’t find yourself having to put additional expenses on credit cards or withdrawing more from ATM machines.
Love pets? Get FREE Accomodation!
5. Shop at farmers markets
Not only are farmers markets a fun morning activity, they can also serve as a great way to save money when traveling with kids. Plan to arrive early, and don’t just buy the first things you see. Walk around the entire market and price compare. Then go back to the stands where the produce was the freshest and offered the best price. Bonus: farmers markets are usually ripe with samples which provide a great, free mid-morning snack for the kiddos!
Want even better savings at the market?
If you arrive at the markets 15-30 minutes before they close, you can often negotiate better prices. Considering ‘fresh produce’ will not be as fresh in 24 hours and will likely end up on a compost pile, the sellers would rather make a little than nothing at all.
6. Ask the locals
Sparking up conversations with locals can really help you save money when traveling with kids. The locals know where the best deals can be found! If possible, try to ask those with kids themselves.
Ask for recommendations on where best to eat affordably and with the best play areas. Ask if there are any free or low-cost, kid-friendly events going on during your stay. Ask which grocery stores offer the best prices. Ask where the best parks are. You get the idea… Just ask.
7. Shop at resale shops for great deals
Take advantage of the low prices offered at resale shops. When traveling, it’s not uncommon to find yourself regretting not packed something. This can range from a sweater for your toddler to a belt for your jeans to a stroller or portable crib. Rather than heading to a local store and buying new, (when you already own the item back home!), search for a local resale shop and see if they have the item you need.
Not only will it be much more affordable than buying new, but you can sell the item back to the store before your trip ends and get some of your money back!!
It worked for us in Perth
At the time of writing this post, we are in Perth, Australia. Given we are here for a month, we decided we wanted a stroller for our soon-to-be 2 year old son. We visited a local resale shop and got a decent stroller for $10 USD.
It might not be shiny new, but it’s perfectly functional and comfortable for our son. A new similar stroller would have easily cost us in the region of $50+ USD.
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8. Take snacks and water when you venture out
Kids love snacks. (Who are we kidding– so do adults!) When planning your weekly grocery budget, add snacks to the list. You will find buying snacks in bulk will save you a ton of money.
When we travel, we ALWAYS have a snack bag on hand and we ALWAYS take water with us. Our snack bag will consist of things like granola bars, sliced carrot sticks, raisins, crackers, baby food pouches, etc.
Snacks and water cost a small fortune when you buy them from tourist attractions. Besides, taking your own water in your reusable container is better for the environment!
9. Consider a credit card that offers free access to airport lounges - Reduce the stress!
Airport food is expensive. If you have access to the lounges then all your food and drinks are free. Plus, you and your family can relax before boarding your flight.
We use the American Express Platinum card which offers Priority Pass access to over 1,300 airport lounges around the world. While this credit card has a high annual fee, it more than pays for itself with an annual $200 Uber credit, $200 airline credit, $100 Saks credit, Global Entry and TSA Pre, airport lounge access, 5X points on flights, hotel benefits, car rental coverage, travel and purchase protection, and much, much more.
When possible we like to get to airports a little early so we can enjoy the benefits of the clubs, feed the kids, and start our adventure early!
10. Consider credit cards that earn points or miles
If you are already using credit cards for your daily and travel expenses, then why not use cards that earn points or miles? Over time your regular spending can earn points or miles that can be used for free hotel stays or free flights. When looking for ways to save money traveling with kids, free flights and accommodation is attractive!
We have two cards, the American Express Platinum (mentioned above) and the United Explorer MilagePlus Visa card. We use one for business expenses and one for personal spending.
Both offer great sign up bonuses, and both have excellent travel benefits.
Please only consider getting these cards if you know you can pay off your balance each month.
11. Get your Phone unlocked
Having your phone unlocked will allow you to activate sim cards in different countries using your phone. Many countries offer much more affordable cell phone plans than in the U.S.
A couple of first hand examples
In Thailand we were paying ~$9 USD per month for unlimited calls, text and data. In Australia, we paid ~$14 USD per month for 30GB of data and unlimited calls and text.
If you are traveling outside of the country for just a short period of time, it might just be best to contact your cell phone provider and ask what international packages they offer.
12. Call Grandpa and Grandma using Apps!
Using online apps to call home can really help save money on your phone bill when traveling with kids. It’s important to stay connected with loved ones while traveling and the best way to do this is for FREE. Consider Skype, Viber, Whatsapp and Facebook messenger to name just a few.
No need to miss that weekly catch up with Grandma!
13. Get the best deals on flights!
If you want the best deals on flights, it helps to be flexible with your departure times, dates and itinerary. Using sites like BookingBuddy and Kiwi.com can help you identify some great deals. They will search all of the major airlines for you and give you the best prices. You can also use these search tool to get the best prices on hotels and rental cars!
When doing your research, take the time to change your preferences. Try looking at flights that depart a day later or a day earlier. Maybe consider flying out of or into a different airport?
14. Use social media to your advantage
Search for Facebook groups that are local to your destination. Connecting with the local community can really help you find affordable and free events that might be going on. It is also a great way to meet new people and form lasting friendships.
15. Avoid foreign transaction and ATM withdrawal fees
Before you depart on your next adventure, check with your bank to ensure the card you plan to use while traveling does not charge foreign transaction fees or international ATM withdrawal fees. If your cards do not offer good travel benefits, consider getting a new card for your travels.
16. Pick up a local tourism card for discounts!
Many cities offer tourism cards. Depending on the card, they may provide free access to visitor attractions, public transportation, discounts at restaurants and shops, special family pricing, etc. If you are planning a busy itinerary, this might be a good investment. Be sure to ask if they have a family card as these are often more affordable!
17. Grab some tourist brochures for coupons!
You know the ones. When you arrive at an airport or hotel you always see a stand with a bunch of brochures for local things to do. Many of these offer discounts and coupons. Take a few minutes to browse the brochures and see if any of them spark your interest.
Bonus Tip: Did you know that Groupon is available in many other countries and not just the U.S.? You can find some great deals on Groupon that are sure to help you save money while traveling with kids.
18. Save a bunch and travel in the off season
If your schedule allows, traveling in the off season can really help you save some money when traveling with kids. Flights and accommodation are often cheaper, and local tourist attractions sometimes offer reduced entrance fees.
Another benefit of traveling in the off season is that there will be less tourists which will hopefully lend itself to a calmer and more authentic experience. Just be sure to plan ahead and make sure the attractions you want to see are open when you are in town.
19. Eat out less or at optimal times
Trying local food can be one of the main pleasures of traveling, so we are certainly not saying don’t eat out when you travel. However, consider limiting the number of times you eat out to make the experience more special.
Also, consider eating out for lunch as opposed to dinner. Lunch menus are often cheaper than dinner menus. If you do plan to eat out for dinner, call ahead and find out if they have a happy hour menu and then plan to eat a little earlier. (This usually works better for young kids anyway!)
Feeding one mouth at restaurants can be expensive, feeding 3 or 4+ can quickly derail your budget.
20. Don't eat at locations close to tourist attractions.
Typically speaking, the closer you are to tourist attractions the more expensive restaurants are. Finding a restaurant one or two blocks away will sometimes reduce your bill considerably. You will also be exploring different parts of the city and may find better food and a more relaxing environment.
21. Book accommodation outside of the city
As with restaurants, the same holds true for accomodation. Typically hotels and rentals are more expensive the closer you are to the main tourist attractions. For many of us, the goal is to get out and explore, so save some money on accommodation by staying a little further away and put the savings towards really enjoying your new surroundings.
Having said that…
Don’t book accomodation too far away from the main area you came to explore. Otherwise the cost of transport each day could add up to more than the savings of staying outside of the city!
I hope you found this article valuable. If you want some tips on how to save more money for your travel dreams, read 23 Tips on How to Save Money to Travel. You can also check out our Travel Resources page for an extensive list of websites and companies that can help you save BIG money when traveling with or without kids!
Please share this post with any friends that you think would love to save more money on their next travel adventure! Also, if you have any other money saving tips you think our readers would like to know, please leave a comment below.
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10 thoughts on “How to Save Money When Traveling with Kids”
Some great tips. We always either camp or book a place with a kitchen to to help save money when travelling since it means we can prep our own meals for the most part. It is pretty amazing the number of coupons you can find at the tourist info for attractions and often they are buy one get one.
We love to camp, we hope to do some camping next month in New Zealand. Enjoy your travels!
Great tips. I love farmers’s markets. I can’t resist taking a look whenever I find one. Also, we always try to eat where the locals eat. That’s where you’ll find the best food.
These are all great ways to save money on travel, with or without kids. Thanks so much for compiling this list of money-saving tips!
These are all great! This is good not only just for travelling with kids, but just travelling in general. My husband and I travelled for 4 months and our AMEX saved our butts! The lounges in the airports made travel days so much easier!
All fabulous tips for traveling and saving $$! We are headed to Europe this summer and will keep these in mind.
Thank you and safe travels!
Wow so many tips I need to read it again and make notes.
When recently in Rome the guide who took us round the city sights told us where the locals eat for the best food. Plus loads of other tips.
We had explored booking this guided tour on line but it was so confusing and we found when we just turned up we got the tour much cheaper.
Sharing thank you.
Thank you! Thank you for sharing your money saving experience! Hope you had an amazing time in Rome! We love it there!
Greetings! I’ve been following your blog for a long time now and finally
got the courage to go ahead and give you a
shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the good work!