Editor's Note: Congratulations to Julie, Becki, and DeeDee for winning this week's contest!
Summer is right around the corner! The kids will be out of school, the weather will be gorgeous, and people are starting to make travel plans. Summer tends to be one of the best times for families to get out of town and have quality family time. However, some families tend to stay close to home during the summer to avoid breaking the bank.
Are you planning a summer vacation? If yes, where are you headed? Will you make a travel budget? How do you plan to save money on your trip? If you aren't traveling this summer, will you be staycationing?
Tell us if you are planning a summer vacation and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
We're doing three giveaways — one for random comments, one for random Facebook "Likes", and another one for random tweets.
If you're inspired to write a whole blog post OR you have a photo on flickr to share, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.
Good Luck!
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Yes, we are going to Washington DC. My family is excited to check out all the memorials and museums.
Just a Memorial Day Weekend Vacation!
Why go on vacation when everyone else does and it is more expensive? Nope, we'll do a few "staycation" days here and there during the summer, but we're going on vacation when everyone else is in school! Disney World in late November/early December is awesome!
Scuba diving in Bonaire! We got a good deal going through our local dive shop.
I don't know if it's exactly a vacation, but I'm due to give birth in two weeks! My mom is driving up when the baby is born, so my husband will be taking his vacation days before she arrives and after she leaves.
My wife and I took an early vacation (in order to save on airfare) to visit friends in Amsterdam, so we may be done for the year. Although, we're hoping to get out to California to visit friends and family, it may prove a bit challenging, in terms of staying under budget. Let's hope for reduced airfare sometime soon...!
We are going away to Montreal for our anniversary trip (sans child) and separately, we are going to Sesame Place (for the child). We've already paid for the accommodation, plane tickets from our 2010 tax return, and saving little by little. For the Sesame Place trip, we used tax return from 2011 year.
About 6 years ago we moved to the beach so we live at our favorite vacation spot. The only problem with living at the beach is that you take it for granted and daily life gets int the way. This summer, I plan on weekly trip to the beach but I know that that it is unrealistic to make it every week with all the summer Church activities that are planned.
We are planning a two small vacations in conjunction with trips for family weddings this summer
I "liked" Wise Bread on Facebook long ago!
Summer vacation has been planned for quite some time. I am heading to Panama City, Florida. I don't have a budget (never use budgets since I am naturally cautious with all spending). I am saving money by taking a red-eye flight that was cheaper and staying with friends that live in the area.
Yes - we're planning two separate weeks at the beach. We're lucky enough to tag along with friends and my husband's parents, so we pay for gas, food and extras, but not the lodging! It's great.
We will have a 7 week summer vacation in Europe. We rented an efficiency apt and plan short trips to neighboring countires, with the efficiency being our hub. Including our plane tickets ($2600), my husband and I set aside about 5000.00 to have a great time.
Yes, we are planning to go to Chicago then head north to circle Lake Michigan and visit friends along the way in Door County, Mackinac Island, Frankenmuth, Ann Arbor and back home.
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Yes, we will be traveling to Hot Springs with coupons - very reasonable fun area to stay!
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Yes, I am planning a vacation to Fort Lauderdale, FL in July. Whoo Hoo!!!
Since my husband and I don't have children, we try to avoid the rush of true "Summer" vacations and instead take an early fall vacation. Our goal is to got to Disney World (yes - I said no kids!) for a week. We are keeping an eye open on special sales and have a vacation fund that we contribute to weekly.
We plan to go camping, the ultimate frugal vacation (as we already have most of the supplies accumulated over the years). Maybe later in the year when the heat (and prices) have dropped a bit, we'll also hit Disneyland (which we also already have tickets for, Christmas present from the grandparents).
No money for a vacation, no time off for a staycation. Welcome to our world after being pounded (actually still) by the recession since January 2009. FUN!
What a timely post! I'm planning my vacation today! We're headed down to the Cape and plan to camp for a few days to save some money.
I haven't planned yet, but hope to take a weekend trip somewhere over the summer.
No, hubby just got off extended medical leave so he has no vacation time :( We'll do day trips to the beach tho.
We'd like to do a couple weekend trips this summer. No real plans but I'll take anything that only requires a morning drive and something that I can Priceline.
Already liked you on Facebook. We're taking a three-week trip to Chicago. We're saving money by staying with family, using travel miles for the flight, and using our annual memberships at the science museum where we live to get reduced rates at other museums. We're also looking for free stuff to do, like picnic at the Grant Park music festival. And I used the trip to teach the kids how to help do things on the cheap. We have a chart of ways they can help save money (bring their own snacks in the car instead of begging me to stop and buy something while we're on the road, don't complain about taking the smaller, fuel-efficient car to school, etc.). Every time they do something on the chart, we put that much money in our travel fund.
doing a stay-cation. money is tight.
I'm planning to go to New York this summer for my birthday!
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No, our money is going towards visiting various colleges. Short visits so not much of a vacation.
https://twitter.com/#!/missluckybreaks/status/204977506279899136
Commented and liked on Facebook as well! :)
This year, we'll probably just day trips to the beach. I tried to plan a bigger trip with my daughter, but we couldn't get our schedule together. I love the beach anyway, so I'm good to go!
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We are going on vacation to cape cod. We rented a small house within walking distance to the beach and bike trails. We don't have a budget, but plan on cooking our own meals to save money.
My summer vacation, as usual, will be a trip to Portland OR and its environs - an escape from Phoenix heat for a week or so, combined with visits to my sister and her family and my son and his family, including the newest, my grandson who will be 2 by the time I see him this summer.
This summer I am getting married, so my vacation will be our honeymoon. Our plan is to camp some to save some money.
I'm hoping to make it to Chicago this summer but, due to a series of rather large medical bills, we might be staycationing instead.
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Tweeted reply:
https://twitter.com/#!/KelRo1/status/204998472812855296
Yellowstone for us this summer~
road trip! southwest.
Yes, going to Branson Big Cedar Resort. SO looking forward to it!!
Our entire family is packing up and going to visit the oldest daughter in North Carolina for a week in July. Fun times are planned :)
We just got back from our big summer vacation. We went to Las Vegas for 4 nights to celebrate our first anniversary.
The timing for our big summer trip is dictated by the academic calendar at the university that we both work for (between the spring and summer terms).
I'm planning to go to my 5 year college reunion! No big summer vacay though - I've only been at my job a year so I don't have enough vacation days for something big.
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I tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/junethomemaker/status/205021458307624960
We are going to the UK in December, so we are skipping the summer vacation...but we did decide to go on a short road trip to Colorado Springs for Memorial day weekend.
I'll be joining my husband and in-laws on our annual trip to Hilton Head Island in August and also going to London for a work conference and adding a few days for sightseeing! We're also traveling to Provincetown, MA for a wedding and will stay another night or two.
Not really a vacation but a couple of days getaway to the beach (I hope)
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https://twitter.com/#!/elliebunny24/status/205050883451527168
my tweet
I don't need to go on vacation - I live in Las Vegas! :)
Tweeted here: https://twitter.com/grigorylukin/status/205063280371314688
I already like you guys on facebook. :^D
Yes, a trip to Florida and a trip to Boston/New Hampshire area!
I'm a teacher, so just not having to work is like a vacation!
Yes, we are visiting friends in Florida.
Yes. We are actually hoping to do several mini vacations during the summer. We'll be buying season passes to Carowinds and visting there for 2-3 days during June, July, August and October.
not really. just for memorial day weekend!
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tweeted https://twitter.com/oshkoshbgosh123/status/205096244501168129
No, maybe to the state parks but that's it
I'd love to go somewhere for a vacation, but haven't for years. I'll be "staycationing" again. It'd be fun to try a real vacation one day. Mostly I go places on google maps.
We haven't decided yet, but probably will go.
I'll be in Sao Paulo, Brazil (where it is actually winter). My plans are to enjoy all this city has to offer--museums, street life, parks, and some of the most frenetic nightlife on the planet.
I'm taking two weeks this summer. One week we're driving to a timeshare my in-laws own and let us use for free in the Rockies. In total, it should cost $1000 for food and gas, which we have budgeted. The second week, we're driving to Wisconsin, simply because we've never been there. Touring around the lush Wisconsin countryside should cost a budgeted $1500 for gas, a cheap hotel (including breakfast) and food. The bigger worry is all of the email I'll have backed up when I get back to work each Monday I return.
Commented and liked on Facebook as well! :) Can't wait for my staycation!
I'm planning a trip to Singapore (where my parents live), Bali and Bangkok in July! It will take up a bunch of savings but if I don't travel at this age (23) it's only going to get harder and harder. Also, think of all the free miles I'm going to get!
We go to my father's lake house every year. All we need to do is pay for gas to get there and groceries for the week. My kids don't know anything else since we can't afford big trips. But they love it and look forwad to it every year. No internet, no cell phone, no TV for a week. Good for the soul.
I wish we could afford a summer vacation! In lieu of that, my husband and I are celebrating our third anniversary with a trip to Disneyland, followed by maybe a sushi dinner?
Dreaming of awesome vacation but will not have one... just local pool, walks in the park, barbecues and ice cream with the little one
Yes Tubing down a river 1/2 hr away at least once a week durring the summer. Plan on driving along the blue ridge skyway & camping in the parks for at least a week. Already spent 4 days camping at the beach. 4th of July bash is still up in the air.....
We only have around $350.00 extra to spend on fun this summer...rentals at redbox with grill outs parties are standard here
I'm planning a trip (with my baby boy, and my sister) to go see my grandparents, who live several states away. The biggest expense will be the gas to get there -- we're lucky enough at to be able to stay at their place. :)
We hope to hit historical sites along the way, and possibly a few craft stands, too -- just enjoying each other & our time together is key.
We are going to Myrtle Beach this summer. We purchased a week at a condo at a fund raising auction for $275! We are driving down and we will be bringing/buying food for the week. We will probably go out to eat a few times and go to the beach. Our family from Florida will be meeting us there, so it will be a great family reunion and vacation all in one.
We will be heading to San Francisco and staying with family in order to stretch our travel dollars.
No. Had to buy a new washer/dryer set, new tires/alignment and a root canal/crown all in the same month. No vacation this year.
I take a short one to the lake!
I like you on Facebook. (But not that way.)
I'm planning a couple of vacations. Am already on the first, a two-month stay in Anchorage, Alaska (house-sitting and hanging out afterward).
In late July I'm heading to New Jersey to see my dad and other relatives. From there I am going to a house-sitting job in New York City, which I view as 12 more opportunities to try and get one of those returned tickets to "The Book of Mormon."
I may also do a frugal weekend in Portland, Ore., in mid-July. And in early September I hope to see a bunch of you guys at the Financial Blogger Conference in Denver.
We can't afford a real trip this summer (in money or time), but we have a few long weekends booked throughout the summer. I'm most looking forward to a trip to Seattle for an outdoor concert and the King Tut exhibit.
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We're headed south
We just came back from an amazing trip to the Amazon Basin in Ecuador. So, with the exception of visiting my folks and sending my son back to college on the East Coast, we are done traveling for the next few years.
Not this year due to a series of unforseen events. We had a death in the family and helped with final expenses and had a major medical issue and our health insurance has a 7K out of pocket deductable each year. This has been a painful year so far.
I can't afford to travel but I'm lucky to live not far from beaches.
Going to hit up the Gulf shores!
Absolutely! This year will be the first year we've been able to afford a getaway, so we're heading for our favorite place, Niagara Falls, ON! We purposefully chose a hotel with a substantial breakfast, and are taking some simple nonperishables for dinner (bread, pb, jelly, chips, fruit, jerky, etc), to keep costs down. Combine that with prepurchasing tickets where we can and using our credit card to pay for everything (better exchange rate) only to pay it off as soon as we get back. We're very excited!!
We're going camping in Jekyll Island, GA. Looking forward to going to Savannah for the day. Hope to relax, go kayaking, horseback riding, and fun in the sun and water!
We took our big trip in February. Our only plans for the summer are an extended weekend camping. We save money by watching for sales on food, snacks and drink for several weeks before we leave. I think it also saves us money that everyone in our group chips in to the meals, so we don't each have to each bring enough for each meal. Our camping fees are non-negotiable, but only $22/night.
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