If you’re on a tight budget these days, the idea of a family vacation may seem impossible. But, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have fun on a family vacation. You can still have an incredible time and build lasting memories without breaking the bank. Here are five ideas for affordable family holidays.

1. Take a “staycation” – Stay at home and become a tourist in your own backyard. So often people have never visited the local attractions that draw tourists to the area where they live. If you have young children, they may actually enjoy this type of vacation far more that a trip to some far off destination. Expensive vacations are often lost on small children who are just as happy with a trip to the zoo or a day at a water-park. Take a stroll with the pushchairs to the tourist bureau or a local hotel and pick up brochures on all of the local events and attractions. Many venues will have special offers and family group discounts available. Involve the children in selecting destinations for daytrips.
2. Do a Home Swap – An increasingly popular vacation option is to swap homes with a family in another city or another country. You can even opt to exchange automobiles. Your whole family can go somewhere that they have always wanted to visit for a fraction of the cost of a normal vacation. To find a swap partner you’ll need to register with a reputable home swap company. In the UK check out the HomeForSwaps website or the US based exchangehomes.com. Both companies have international listings of people looking to swap their homes.
3. Go on a Volunteers Vacation – Many different types of charitable organizations are looking for volunteers for everything from saving sea turtles and their habitat in Greece to working with orphaned or abandoned children in Romania, or working on a reforestation project in Australia. It’s an opportunity for your whole family to experience the joy of giving back, immersing themselves in the local culture and doing something that really makes a difference. It can be a life altering experience, particularly for the teens in your family.
4. Embark on a Camping Trip – Getting back to nature is an inexpensive way to spend your family vacation if you’re able to manage without the luxuries of home such as your little cherub not sleeping on their cot bed mattress with the toddler beds being replaced by a blown up mattress.  Bringing their own bedding is worth doing if they are experiencing camping for the first time this can act as a comfort blanket for them. You can rent or borrow camping equipment, particularly if it’s your first family camping adventure. Kids love the novelty of sleeping outdoors, telling stories around the campfire and exploring the countryside. Choose a time of year or a destination where there isn’t much chance of rainfall. Whether you stay in the UK or head for the continent, you can find campsites that, for a few pounds a night, offer amenities like hot showers and play grounds for the kids.
5. Book a Last-Minute Vacation – If you’re adventurous and flexible you can save up to seventy percent by taking advantage of last-minute vacation deals. Simply schedule your family vacation then wait until two weeks before you plan to leave to start looking for vacation packages. At that point, hotels and resorts that are not going to be at full occupancy, or airlines that have flights that are not full, offer deep discounts. You may have been thinking Costa del Sol, but end up having a fantastic vacation on a tropical isle in the Caribbean for far less money.