by JQ Adams

Created on: January 26, 2009

Making the ends meet and even trying to get ahead financially all year long, families may often postpone thinking about vacation planning until summer has already begun. Even if you haven't been saving all year long, you can still plan and afford a great family getaway.Here are 7 tips to help you find a little summer fun:

1. Decide Where You Are Going and How Much You Will Spend

Consider how much it will cost to buy gas, airline tickets, hotel rooms, food, additional tickets or entrance fees for parks or other activities, and even the souvenirs. Write down all of the figures and add them together. If you think the total amount of expenses is way too much, start cutting down some of the expenses and changing the itinerary until it becomes something you can live with and still be fun.

2. Cut Costs at Home to Save For the Trip

Think about all of the extras you spend money on that could be cut out of daily life. Put away the money you could save on reducing your cable services, canceling unused memberships, and being more frugal at the grocery store. Not only will get some extra cash for a trip, you can also learn to live without the extras and keep stashing the savings for next year.

3. Save the Fun for Later

Keep thinking about how much fun your family will have on the trip as you cut back on normal family entertainment, such as going to movies, out to eat, and other things that cost money. Plan instead for free family fun, like hiking, visiting parks, or renting movies at home.

4. Sell Your Junk

With a perfect excuse to make spring cleaning a family affair, have everyone collect the things they don't need, use, or want and orchestrate a yard sale to earn extra cash for the trip. Let the kids keep any money they earn on their stuff as an incentive to gather more things. Not only do you get to enjoy the extra cash, you also get your house cleaned and ready for the summer.

5. Designate Your Tax Refund

Plan to use all of the money from any tax returns you may be getting. Open a special savings account just for your vacation fund that no one can touch, or use a service such as SmartyPig to help you save.

6. Set Goals - Make Them Visible

Create an easy-to-follow chart for the wall that shows money goal milestones. Family member may be more inclined to work harder for goals they can see and kids may get a little competitive about who can save more money.

7. Cash in On Credit Card and Other Reward Programs

Check out the requirements of any credit card bonus programs you have or advantage discounts you get through organizations like AAA or even where you work. Frequent flier miles, travel discounts, and cash back opportunities can be incorporated into your savings plan.

Keep notes about your savings adventure along the way and get a head start on next year's trip as you begin to understand how easy it can be to save up. Starting early for next year will you many extra months of saving opportunities, allowing you and your family to plan an even better trip next year.

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