Can I Afford a Family Vacation? All the Benefits of Family Travel, Plus Budgeting Tips

Before you completely write off taking a vacation this year, consider some of the benefits that can make it worthwhile. Here are just a few of the many benefits you receive by taking a break from your everyday life and spending the valuable time with your family.

Stress is a silent killer. Your whole family experiences it, though to different degrees. Our kids are often stressed about school or their own jobs. Chronic stress can lead to several health problems, like a greater risk of heart attacks and an inability to relax. Before you start to feel burned out, take a vacation. It will help you feel like you can breathe again when experiencing high stress.

When you travel somewhere new, you can learn some history and try new things that help you know what life was like in the past or what the location is famous for now. If you want to experience the world around you, traveling is the best way to remind you how different certain areas are while giving you a greater appreciation of the world.

When you travel with your family, you're building bonds that last for a lifetime. Vacations are necessary stress-free times to spend time with loved ones, as around 66% of full-time American workers say they don’t have a work-life balance.

Taking a break and going somewhere new with your family helps strengthen your connections in a more relaxing environment.

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While you don't want to take on something you can't afford, you still deserve a break that'll leave you feeling refreshed. The average family vacation costs around $1,145 for each member of the family, which can seem like a big chunk of money. But it is possible to lower that number. Here are a few cost-cutting tips for the next time you take a family vacation:

When choosing your destination and method of travel, search the internet for cheaper options that are still safe for families, and know which locations will be more affordable. For example, it'll almost always be less expensive to drive than to fly, but flying may be your only option if you’re going abroad or cross-country.

You should also know what activities and experiences you'd like to do before you get there. Ticket prices for excursions can sometimes go up when you try to by them last-minute, or they can sell out, leaving you with fewer options.

Make dinner reservations in advance so you have time to review menus and find affordable options. It will be much easier to stick to a budget if you avoid last-minute or impulsive decisions.

When you visit a new place, you likely won't know everything about it until you explore it a bit. But you need to plan for one thing — tourist taxes. Tourism taxes can help reverse some of the damage done by tourism and allow an area to thrive.

You may see them on a hotel bill, where there might be different types of taxes listed for out-of-state residents. While they’re not always avoidable, you should factor them into your initial budget so you're not shocked when you get the bill.

If you have a family full of impulse spenders, consider limiting how much people can use for souvenirs. Gift store revenue is projected to be over $16 billion in the US by 2024. Finding a gift for everyone you love can be tempting, but if you can cut back on souvenirs, you should. After all, they may just sit there and collect dust once you return home.

Similarly, if you bring your own water bottle to places, you won't have to buy plastic water bottles constantly. It's a simple switch that could cut costs, depending on how much you and your family drink. Reusable items may cost more before you set out on your trip, but they can save you money when looking for a cost-effective way to navigate your vacation.

It's one thing just to save money for a vacation, but you can take your planning up a notch by determining what you're willing to spend down to the dollar. Longer trips will likely lead you to do more things, so you may have to figure out your major expenses to save yourself money.

Some common expenses for more extended vacations might include:

• Groceries
• Gasoline or travel tickets
• Hotel upgrades
• Spa packages

Doing something like planning out meals for a week can help you save money on expensive restaurants. Try to make room in your budget for a few spontaneous experiences though, especially if you work on a budget for everything else.

Though it might be more expensive up front, it can save busy parents time when planning a family vacation. An all-inclusive experience includes food, drinks, and some forms of entertainment with your stay, meaning you'll need to do little planning or budgeting for a successful vacation.

You won’t need to pay for transportation, like rental cars or tour buses, if you stick to the amenities offered at your resort. Kids sometimes stay free at all-inclusive resorts, which is another added benefit.