Memorial Day is a time to celebrate America and get together with family. There is a good chance some kind of activity is going on near you during Memorial Day Weekend. Trips are a blast, but our budgets don’t always allow for them! So what are the best ways to budget for a family friendly memorial day weekend trip?

While we would all love to have the funds to go anywhere on a whim, that’s not a reality for most! Planning and saving ahead of time are the main ways makes trips possible. So where do you start?

Best Ways to Budget for a Family Friendly Memorial Day Weekend Trip

Our friend Candice Schaffer from Algin Management, Madison Realty Capital , 90 Morton, and The Harland has come up with a list of the best ways to budget for a family friendly memorial day weekend trip:

Taking a vacation is a great way to bond with your whole family while escaping the stresses of your day-to-day life. In fact, vacations are a great way to relieve tension and broaden your horizons; one study even links vacationing to increased creativity. However, coming up with the cash necessary to take a vacation with the whole family can be difficult, even for the most resolute penny-pinchers.

So, how do budget-conscious families make it work? Making the most of a long weekend, rather than spending a full week on a trip, can help you enjoy the relaxation you want without breaking the bank—and luckily, Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner. And before you even book your trip, make sure to check out our top suggestions for how to effortlessly stash away some cash for a memorable trip this Memorial Day.

Budget for a Family Friendly Memorial Day Weekend Trip

1. Prepare your meals at home:

It may seem like a small change, but committing to preparing every meal at home in the time leading up to your vacation can help you stash away some serious money. If you normally spend $10 a day on a takeout lunch, but it only costs you $1.50 to make a sandwich and grab some fruit from home, you can save up to $187 by the end of a single month.

Over a year, you’ll have pocketed more than $2200, more than enough for a nice trip for you and your family. Better yet, research conducted at Johns Hopkins confirms that meals cooked at home are, on the whole, healthier than takeout options.

2. Carpool:

The average American commute distance is 15 miles each way, meaning that many families are spending upwards of $50 to fuel up their cars every single week.

Luckily, carpooling can help you cut down on this expense while saving the environment at the same time. If you split your usual gas cost with four coworkers, you can save hundreds of dollars every month.

3. Sell your old clothes:

If you have clothing in your closet that you haven’t worn for over six months, it’s time to consider getting rid of it. However, that doesn’t mean that donating it is your only option. Sites like Poshmark, Thread Up, and The Real Real can help you pare down some of that excess and earn money doing it.

Considering research from Closetmaid suggests that the average American woman has more than 103 items in her closet, chances are you could afford to let a few things go.

4. Coupon:

Want to wind up with a few more dollars in your wallet after making your usual purchases? Go ahead and try couponing! While there are plenty of easy, printable coupons you can find online from manufacturers like Procter & Gamble and Kraft, you can also ask your neighbors for their junk mail and clip extra coupons from their excess.

While many people assume the site is best used for spa packages and experiences, you can even save major cash on everyday items with Groupon Coupons, and use the very same site to book and save on your vacation.

5. Pay in cash:

Instead of putting your purchases on credit cards and paying the minimum every month, force yourself to stick to a budget by opting for a cash-only week or month instead. By only letting yourself get what you can buy with the cash in your wallet, you’ll save yourself lots of money and avoid those interest charges you might otherwise rack up on your credit card.

When you want to save some serious cash on those runs to the store for paper towels, soap, and diapers, The Secret to Saving Money at Target will keep more money in your wallet in the long run.

Saving money isn’t always easy, but the awesome Memorial Day weekend vacation you’ll get to enjoy with your family after pinching a few pennies will be well worth it. Just make a few changes to your routine today and in no time, you’ll be lounging on a beach with your family close by and your troubles a million miles away.

There Ya Go!

Thanks Candice for your great list of the Best Ways to Budget for a Family Friendly Memorial Day Weekend Trip. What is your favorite tip for weekend vacations? Let us know in the comments below!