With the gas prices increasing rapidly and the cost of everything going up you are probably wondering how you are going to take a summer vacation this year. The economy makes it very hard and makes many of us afraid to spend any money. And many of us do not have the money to spend to begin with but want something to do so we can have a great and memorable summer. You can still go away this summer without having to go broke. Here are a few tips that I have for you that my family and I do during the summer and throughout the year.

1. You do not always have to go far away to have a great vacation. Find things to do and places to go that are close to you. With the Internet being full of resources, just get on-line and look up what there is around you if you are not sure. You can also go to your local tourism center and get tons of information. If you are a member of AAA, they also have a great supply of information that is available to you at no charge.

2. Camping is a great vacation and very inexpensive for a family. There are campgrounds all over and most campgrounds have tons of things to do. Most amusement parks have campgrounds very close by also. You can save money and have quality time with your family swimming, fishing, hiking, riding bikes, or just sitting around a campfire together.

3. Take day trips. Our family loves to take day trips throughout the year. Read the local paper and look up the happenings in your area. For the summer, find the local pools or other places you can go swimming. Get up early in the morning and go to a park to spend the day and have a picnic and hike or ride bikes.

4. Movie night! Check in your area because alot of places show movies outside weekly at a small cost or no cost at all. I know in my area they show a movie every Friday night at the local park outside throughout the summer. Everyone brings there blankets or chairs and has a great time.

4. There are so many options available to you without having to break the bank. The most important thing is the time spent with family and kids. My children love the summers that we have, and we never really go any further than a couple of hours in the car.

So before you decide you just can't take that vacation this summer or have to tell the kids, just read over this information and consider giving it a try. You may find that you will have a wonderful time and maybe even start a new tradition for your family.

Learn more about this author, Tanya Cunningham.
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