MoneyMindedMoms: My Free Spring Break Vacation (Almost)

My bank account and I have been arguing over whether my family can afford to go on vacation for Spring Break. I think we can, but my bank account thinks we cannot. Rather than give in and forget the whole trip, I decided to get creative. Here’s how my family is going on a road trip for practically nothing.

I live in Indianapolis, so we can drive just about anywhere. My dream has always been to take my kids to Washington, D.C. My husband told me that if I could prove to him that we could do the trip within a very small budget, he would agree that we should go. I set about looking for hotel rooms, tour buses, and restaurants at the cheapest prices.

By booking in advance and using a combination of rewards points from previous travel, I was able to get our rooms for free (including breakfast at the hotel). Combining the trip with a short business trip in Pittsburgh will help pay for the gas. Using daily coupon sites and Restaurant.com for the last two months, I have been able to get meals and attraction tickets at less than half price.

Going to D.C., I investigated every free museum and monument that we might want to visit, and there are many! Our biggest expense is $100 in tour trolley tickets for 2 days, and I managed to save that much in prepaid credit cards I received as prizes from different contests, along with a little leftover for souvenirs.

Our trip may not be 4-star, but it doesn’t need to be. We’ll be spending time as family enjoying our nation’s capitol and learning along the way. Even my husband had to admit that my budgeting, planning, and creative thinking paid off big for us this time.

Tricia Meyer is an attorney, blogger, affiliate marketer, wife, and mother of two daughters. Her cash back site Sunshine Rewards helps moms save money with coupons and shopping rebates. Her newest venture, Hunger Games Fan, combines her love of deals with pop culture.