Heartland Directory - Rural Living 2013 Issue | Seite 16

Vacations can still be fun on a tight budget Planning and creative thinking can offset a lack of money T aking a vacation is fun but can be pricey, especially for an entire family. Limited finances, though, don’t have to mean calling off vacation plans altogether. It simply means you may have to do a little creative planning. The first thing to do is set a budget. How much can you afford to spend? This will be a major factor in determining where you will go and what you’ll do on your vacation. Having a budget will also help you resist the spontaneous spending that can make vacation costs spiral out of control. One way to save money while traveling is to pack a lunch for everyone. Often, with the right planning, you can fix a lunch for the entire family for the price of one restaurant meal. Another way to save money is to 16 eat lunch at a restaurant and save the homemade sandwiches for dinner. Dinner is more expensive at many restaurants. If money is really tight, you may want to plan several day trips. This will eliminate the cost of a hotel room and will cut out at least one meal expense, since you can eat at home. Nearby cities like Chicago and Indianapolis offer many familyfriendly places to visit. State parks also offer a cheap alternative to a longer vacation. Heartland Directory of Rural Living 2013 And if you simply can’t afford a big vacation, use a little creative thinking to turn your residence into a vacation spot. Pitching a tent in the backyard for an overnight “camping” experience can be fun for the entire family. Or plan some type of event, like a backyard Olympics that will make staying at home more fun. You may also consider swapping houses for the night with a neighbor or friend in a similar financial crunch so you each experience something different. You’ll want to make sure that they’re someone you’re close too and can trust. In the end, vacation is more about spending time with loved ones and creating a peaceful state of mind than where you go. That means you can still have a lovely vacation, even if finances are limited.