Do you remember travel before kids? “Oh, flight deal for $50 – snag it!” Now multiply that by five, plus lodging, meals, etc., and affording to travel with your family gets much more challenging. Throw in the added expenses that come with being a medical mom or special needs family, and you’re sunk.
However, that doesn’t need to be the case. We’re a family of five who meets their medical insurance deductible every year – and still travels often. Many of these budget travel hacks will apply to any family, but some are specific to disabilities or special needs… and some are just more needed by families in those categories!
Know where your discounts are
This is a big one for special needs families! If you have an access card because of a special need or disability, there are several places that give you discounted admission – with entrance fees at only $1-$3. The best resource for this is Museums4All. If I’m looking for a specific destination, and I don’t see it on their list, I double check the state-by-state EBT list.
Many wish-fulfillment programs are open to families with life-altering disabilities, not just life-threatening. Each program will only allow you to participate once, but if there’s something big your child wants to do – this could be a great opportunity!
Proof of a permanent disability gets you a lifetime pass to the National Parks system – for the person with the disability and whoever else is traveling in the same vehicle. This card also gets you discounts on camping and lodging in National Parks.
Many cities, and several entire states, don’t charge for public parking if you have a handicap placard. Always google “free handicap parking in __________” before you go.
This one’s not specific to families with disabilities; but, if it’s applicable to you, always remember to ask about AAA or military discounts.
Know where to find the deals
If you’re looking to book a specific attraction (like an expensive amusement park), subscribe to their emails. Everyone has deals sooner or later, so be in the loop for the ones you want. LEGOLAND almost always runs a huge sale for Black Friday, but you won’t see it if you’re not on the email list.
Most museums, gardens, galleries, and similar attractions have free or discounted days. Check the website before you go. For example, on Museum Day, participating museums and cultural institutions around the U.S. offer free admission. Many individual institutions also charge less for an evening admission, or a certain day of each week or month.
Online deal sites often have significantly discounted admission to main attractions. Just be sure to read the fine print because there’s limited customer service and usually no returns.
Know how to spend your money
Brace yourself. This is hands down our biggest tip.
Credit cards can help you earn airline miles. What my financial management classes in high school and college didn’t teach me was that if you put your everyday expenses on a credit card, and pay your bills on time, you can use your credit card reward miles to see the world. We don’t pay extra for this. We don’t accrue a balance. We still live within our budget, but each dollar spent is also earning us miles.
We first stumbled upon this idea when we were in the adoption process for our son. The adoption community shared that if we charged $3,000 of our adoption expenses (that we had already fundraised for, so it wasn’t coming from nowhere) on a new credit card, we would earn 8 nights at our hotel in China.
Funny, even though this was such a good experience, I didn’t know there were other options like this for a long time! A travel credit card is a great way to earn free travel through your usual expenses.
We are currently teaming up with the United QuestSM Card. I put all of my Christmas shopping on the card (I didn’t go wild, just the usual), as well as our usual expenses (think gas and groceries), to meet the spending requirement for the 80,000 mile bonus miles. The United Quest Card has an annual fee, but the benefits of the card help make up for it.
Consider broadening your horizon to allow a credit card to earn you miles for travel.
(This is a paid ad, but represents our honest opinions)
Know where to spend your money
This is similar to how you budget in your everyday life – the same strict rules need to apply to travel. If you can’t afford Starbucks on your way to work every day, you probably shouldn’t do it on vacation, either. After all, you didn’t travel to Germany for the coffee.
Before you go, plan out what your splurge items are, and where you can save. For example, if you’re visiting the red rock regions, it may be worth it to skip a meal or two out and splurge on Antelope Canyon. Plan ahead for where you want to put your money. On that note…
Don’t eat your money
Food is a big part of any cultural experience… but that doesn’t mean you have to eat in every restaurant available.
Go grocery shopping and eat some meals in.
Pack snacks so you’re not buying a $3 bag of Dorito’s at a roadside stand.
When you do go out to eat, ask how big the meals are. Two of my kids are light eaters. They can almost always share a meal. Actually, we’ve been to some restaurants where the portions are so large that all three can share. We’ve all been to those restaurants where the meals are massive and you have to throw half away because you’re traveling, and it won’t keep. Ask how big the meals are and split it up when appropriate. You and your partner could split a meal and an appetizer/dessert/soup/salad if you’re not quite sure one meal is enough.
Be flexible
I hate that every budget travel article mentions traveling off season, because when your life is built around school-based services it isn’t really an option. That said, if you can, do it. Prices are significantly lower when demand is down.
If you can’t, don’t panic. There are other ways to be flexible.
Look at other nearby airport options for both departure and arrival.
Compare the cost of a round trip car rental versus returning it in a different location (where there may also be a cheaper airport!).
If you’re staying in the city, consider skipping the rental and taking public transportation. The subway is often hit or miss with accessibility, but overall we’ve had great experiences with public buses.
Do your research
You’re reading this, so you’re already off to a great start!
When you’re booking a hotel, instead of booking through a booking site, call the hotel directly. Often, they can beat the price and save themselves the fee for booking through a third party.
Google “free things to do in__________” and you’ll find authentic local opportunities that won’t cost you a thing. There may even be so many options that you’ll find you don’t need to pay for any other attractions.
Make sure you’re looking at the whole picture. There are often hidden taxes and fees. When possible, filter to search by a final price. Even when it’s not, make sure to read the fine print to make sure you’re not going to end up paying separately for parking, cleaning fees, resort fees, etc..
Consider one way flights. It’s sometimes cheaper to book two one way tickets, than one round trip. Make sure to check, because this can vary drastically in both directions!