Prioritize your vacation – Determine how important a vacation is to you and your family and make plans accordingly. If the vacation you’re set on is an expensive one, and it’s important to you, then go ahead and have fun. However, make plans now for how you’re going to pay for your fun. This could mean cutting spending in other areas of your budget ahead of time to save the necessary money.

Use credit for convenienceM – You may want to take a credit card along for safety and convenience. However, it is important to remember that credit should not be used as an extension of your income. No matter how much fun you had on a vacation, it’s never fun to still be paying it off years later. In fact, if you put at $2,000 vacation on your 18% interest credit card and make only the minimum monthly payments, it would take you more than 18 years to pay it off.

Do your homework – Visit the local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Bureau in the area if you are planning to visit to find out about free or low-cost entertainment and activities. Many areas have local parks, playgrounds, museums, community concerts, annual festivals, art exhibits, fairs and craft shows to enhance your vacation plans without breaking your budget. Consider alternatives closer to home to cut down on travel costs, or plan day trips to eliminate the cost of lodging.