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MoneyWi$e: Budget-friendly Vacation Tips · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Whether you are planning a cross-country road trip, a weekend camping excursion,
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  or something somewhere in between, the family vacation can be an epic experience
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  that is talked about fondly for decades.
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  Welcome to Money Wise on Talking FACS, where we share information you can use
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  to enhance your family's quality of life in relation to managing your finances.
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  I am your host, Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support
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  with Family and Consumer Sciences in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture,
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  Food, and Environment at the University of Kentucky.
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  I am excited to take a journey with you as today we talk about experiences over
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  expenses, family vacations on a budget.
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  This episode is packed with tips to help you save money while you create meaningful memories.
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  My guests are Senior Extension Specialist for Family and Relationship Development, Dr.
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  Kerri Ashurst, and Kristen Jowers, Extension Specialist for One Op. Welcome to you both.
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  Thank you. Thanks, Mindy. It's good to be here.
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  What are families spending on vacations?
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  It really depends, Mindy. I tried finding a state average or even a national
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  average, and it really depends on where you go and how many people you're traveling with.
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  For example, the expenses of flying your family of four to Orlando to go to
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  the theme parks are very different from a road trip camping in a national park.
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  Things like flights, fuel, food, and entertainment costs can vary enormously
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  and make a trip for a family of four range from hundreds to the thousands very quickly.
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  As we talked about before we got on the podcast, I just returned from a trip
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  last night and there was a family of five in the rows in front of me.
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  And I was calculating in my head, oh, my goodness, what did they spend just
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  on the airfare? So I can't imagine what their other expenses might be.
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  And Kerri, I know that you and your daughter love to travel together.
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  And so tell me a little bit about how your expenses might vary from a large family.
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  Yes, we sure do. And, you know, it's just for me, I'm a single parent and it's just me and my daughter.
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  But I'll tell you, sometimes I don't know when it comes to airline tickets or
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  theme park tickets or different things, how it can be done because I'm just
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  trying to pay for two a lot of the time.
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  And, you know, we love to go places like the beach, but beach vacations can
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  almost be too expensive to try to do sometimes.
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  One of the things that I try to do is just really spend a lot of time reading before I book.
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  I try to look for coupons, discount codes, that kind of thing before I book
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  things and just really try to do my homework as well as I can ahead of time.
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  What are some tips that you can share about saving on locations and lodging?
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  Because I know they can vary greatly as well.
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  Yes, Mindy. And when you have kids in school, I know sometimes it's not possible
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  to book trips outside of the summer or during off-peak season.
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  But you can still choose low-cost destinations like going on a road trip to
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  a state or national park. Not only are they incredibly beautiful,
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  but they provide just a perfect landscape for an affordable adventure.
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  I also kind of believe that sometimes the best adventures are waiting for us
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  in our own backyard. So consider vacations that might actually be closer to home.
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  You don't have to be into camping to have an affordable vacation.
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  You can plan vacations around where your family members live,
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  maybe even set up a house swap with other family members or friends.
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  And if you have a place that you really want to go that's a popular tourist destination,
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  find accommodations outside of the heavy tourist areas and then even look into
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  splitting costs of the hotel or a vacation rental with family or friends.
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  Those lodging expenses can sometimes increase after that initial advertised price or sticker price.
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  So you want to ask up front about fees like resort fees, pet fees.
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  Cleaning fees, sometimes even parking fees, because those are mandatory charges
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  that will factor into the overall
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  cost of your accommodations and have an impact on your budget as well.
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  So many good points there, Kristen. And I love what you said about your own backyard.
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  You know, I'm in Kentucky, for example, and there are just so many incredible
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  places right in my own home state that people can go to that they may not even know exist.
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  With the lodging and all the extra fees you just mentioned, too,
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  one of the things I try to really focus on is booking things like the lodging,
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  especially, as far ahead of time as I can.
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  Because for the most part, not always, but for the most part,
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  it seems like the further ahead you book the lodging, the more picks you can
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  get for locations and costs with things like places that have free cancellation
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  policies or some of those sorts of things.
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  You know, once you wait longer and get closer to the time, some of those options can be gone.
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  And I love that both of you talked about looking for places in your own backyard,
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  because as you know, we are currently talking about travel in Big Blue Book
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  Club, and we're looking at the book, My Old Kentucky Road Trip.
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  And so we're talking about those
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  off-the-beaten-path locations that really do save you a lot of money.
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  And the book talks about those places that are very low cost or even no cost that you can visit.
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  So I know that food costs can really sneak up on you during a trip because,
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  you know, the $2 or $3 at every stop along the way can really add up.
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  So what are some of your go-to strategies for keeping these meal expenses or
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  snack expenses in check?
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  That's right, Mindy. Food can definitely be a big expense at home and especially
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  when you're on vacation if you're not prepared.
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  So pack snacks and easy meals for the road, snacks for road trips.
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  But even if you're going to be on a plane, you can pack.
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  Some people will pack snacks just so that they're not grabbing convenience foods along the way.
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  You'll also want to pack a reusable water bottle so that you can stay hydrated
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  and avoid those convenience foods that are available.
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  And then if you do have to eat out, try eating outside of major tourist areas.
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  Try sharing larger portions. If you're going to be in one place for a few days,
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  consider grocery shopping so that you can fuel yourself throughout your trip
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  without eating out all of your meals.
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  I kind of laughed when you made that comment about snacks.
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  I take so many snacks with me everywhere I go, whether I'm flying or driving somewhere.
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  I pack as many snacks as I can and different options because I know that can
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  end up saving us a lot of money.
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  And when my daughter and I travel, we also try to do things like having two meals a day.
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  So, you know, something like breakfast and an earlier dinner or an early lunch
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  and a dinner or something like that rather than three meals in one day because
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  food can just be so very expensive.
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  And then one nice thing for my daughter and me too is trying to share food,
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  like maybe getting an appetizer and one entree or something where we can share it.
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  And, you know, I mentioned it before too, doing my homework,
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  I try to really look at what's in the area.
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  That's the great thing about having things like Google Maps these days.
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  You can look at reviews, but you can also look at cost and try to find things
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  that won't break the bank or that can even help you if you're like me.
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  I have a child who's a fairly picky eater.
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  There's just some options that won't really be options for us.
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  So try to find the places that are the good prices and have some of the good
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  options that she'll eat. And then, you know, staying at places like a hotel,
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  for example, or another place where breakfast is included, or somewhere where
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  there's a little kitchenette where you can actually cook meals and go to the grocery store.
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  I tell you, these messages really hit home.
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  I was packing the other night for an overnight trip, and my granddaughter just happened to be here.
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  And the next day, as I was sitting in traffic because there had been an accident on the road,
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  I was delighted to realize that she had put a couple bags of crackers in my
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  bag because I didn't have time to stop for lunch because of this accident on the highway.
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  And so I was glad that she listens to my messages and put some snacks in my
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  bag for me so I didn't have to sit there and be hungry.
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  What really comes to mind when I said at the opening of this show,
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  experiences over expenses?
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  Mindy, I think valuing experiences over expenses is not just quickly jumping
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  to the conclusion that everything that costs money is more fun.
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  So there's so many opportunities for impulse spending when you're on vacation
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  from those quick food and beverages, even souvenirs.
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  I know I've been on trips in the past where I thought I have to bring back something
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  for everyone in my family.
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  And those costs can definitely add up. So creating a menu of things that comprise
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  of free and low-cost options for wherever you're traveling to,
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  things from nature walks to hiking,
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  pool days or lake days and picnics.
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  You'll want to look into free entertainment within the community,
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  including tours, movie nights, concerts, museums.
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  So whether that's in your own town or in the new place that you're visiting,
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  these activities will help you to make memories without overspending.
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  Yeah, and we talked before about even things that are in your own backyard and
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  such. I love to be outdoors.
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  And there's just so many different experiences that can happen outdoors that
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  don't cost a thing. and I try to really look at it from a standpoint of balancing
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  experience on the trips that I take.
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  I don't have to be doing something every single day that I'm gone and I think sometimes that's hard.
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  We want to plan and I know I love experiences so I try to get in as many as
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  I can but then sometimes I realize maybe it's a little too much and sometimes
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  our vacations and our trips places and having those experiences,
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  part of it is being in the moment, just sitting, reflecting,
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  visiting with friends and family, sitting at a pool or at the beach, taking a walk.
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  All of those things are absolutely free, and they can be some of the best experiences in life.
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  Oh, definitely. And, you know, all of those little knickknacks or tchotchkes
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  that you bring home with you, you're going to have to dust or find a place to store.
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  So just leave them. Don't bring them home.
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  You know, unfortunately, scammers often target travelers.
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  So what are some red flags that we should look out for when we're booking trips
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  or special activities so that we can not be the victims of those nefarious characters?
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  It's true, though. Scammers are definitely targeting travelers,
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  especially online. So I think a rule of thumb is if it sounds too good to be
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  true, like if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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  There's a lot of pressure from scammers to pressuring you into making quick decisions.
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  So there'll be like act fast deals that expire in a few hours or even a few minutes.
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  And so just be cautious of those.
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  If you're using a website to book your travel, whether that's your accommodations
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  or entertainment, do your research.
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  If you're going through an unfamiliar company or vendor, ask your friends and
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  family who they've used, what their experience has been like,
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  and research different companies that you haven't heard of potentially before.
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  And then when you're traveling, if you're going to be accessing and connecting
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  to public Wi-Fi, think about protecting your banking information and your personal
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  information, as well as when you're booking online. Mm-hmm.
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  Very good ideas. And one thing I try to be careful about is booking anything
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  that says it's completely non-refundable or that charges a really large non-refundable deposit.
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  If I'm given the option between something that has that, something that doesn't,
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  I'm going to try to veer toward the things that don't have it because that money's
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  gone once you've spent it, even if you have to cancel for any reason or weather
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  gets you or anything else.
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  And then I don't know about the two of you, but one thing that's happened to
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  me some, it seems to happen more now, is someone calling me.
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  Or texting me and asking me for some sensitive information like an account number
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  or a credit card number or something.
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  And it might be legit, but that's where you have to be careful.
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  And one thing I've done before is maybe I've booked something through some kind
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  of a group app or something like that.
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  I'm better off to call the company myself to make sure something's legit before
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  I just trust something that I received by text message that claims it's representing
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  a certain business or organization, just blindly giving them the information.
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  So that's just one thing that I've had happen to me a lot. It seems like more recently.
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  And I'd rather spend the extra time calling to make sure before I give someone
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  some sensitive info like a credit card.
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  And then I just always try to read a lot of the fine print that comes with offers.
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  There's a lot of catches out there.
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  You love those vacation plans that say, For low cost or no cost,
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  you can come to our resort.
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  But then you find out you have to spend three days and give away your first child. Yes.
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  Sometimes a family vacation doesn't have to involve the whole family packing up and heading out.
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  Sometimes summer camps include day camps and can offer kids amazing experiences.
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  So they may be a fraction of the cost of a whole vacation for the whole family.
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  And maybe they'll even be a free opportunity.
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  So you can reach out to your county extension office to learn more about summer
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  camp opportunities in your area.
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  And camps may be grouped by age or a special scene or offer something for the whole family.
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  One such camping opportunity that we have through Kentucky Family and Consumer
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  Sciences Extension is for military families that are active or on veteran status.
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  So Carrie, can you tell us a little bit about the Military Family Camping Program.
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  Sure. Yeah, I could talk for days about camp and camping programs, Mindy.
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  But one of the things that we offer through Family Consumer Sciences is a parent-teen
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  camping experience where the service member or veteran, parent or guardian,
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  and their teenage child or children come together. And it's all free.
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  And so you can check out the University of Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camps program.
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  And I think we'll be putting some of that info up, maybe.
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  We've been offering these camps since 2012, and we've held them in five different states.
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  So even though we're in Kentucky, we've held them in multiple neighboring states.
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  And as I said, they're all free, and they give a parent or guardian and teenager
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  the chance to try all kinds of different things. kayaking, rock climbing,
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  zip lining, whitewater rafting, and a whole lot more, and being out in the outdoors.
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  And it all happens while you're getting to connect with other military youth
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  and military parents or guardians.
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  And so, again, as Mindy said, it's active or veteran status that we offer these
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  unique camps for, and then teenagers coming with them that are ages 13 to 18.
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  That just sounds amazing to me. Yes. What kind of impacts have you seen these
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  camps have on the teens who attend Cary?
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  Oh, Kristen, we've gotten to see some real magic. I know I've used that word
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  with you on some other things recently.
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  We've gotten to watch military youth form friendships with other youth that
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  share many commonalities with them.
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  And we've gotten to see parents communicate with their youth and transform their parenting.
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  They've created some pretty unforgettable memories together over the time that
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  they spend at these camps together.
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  And we've had the opportunity to get to watch military youth really learn resilience
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  in action as they try some of these new things that they've maybe never done
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  before and meet new people from all over the country and step up into leadership
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  positions through the activities we offer.
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  And I know you said that these camps happen all over the country,
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  but to sign up for our programs, do they have to live in Kentucky and how do
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  they find out more about them?
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  No, they do not need to live in Kentucky. Okay.
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  So we have people come from all over the country to our camps that we offer
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  that are for the parent or guardian and teen to attend together.
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  But then there are also a number of different camps that are through Purdue
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  University that are offered all through various states in the country that are
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  for military teens to come to by themselves.
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  And so we'll drop some links in the show notes so that people can check out the camps.
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  And there is also a Facebook profile that you can follow for more information.
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  That Facebook profile is simply Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camps.
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  And all through May, we will celebrate Military Appreciation Month.
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  So if you are a service member, a military spouse, a military kid,
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  a military teen or veteran, first of all, we thank you for your service and
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  your sacrifices don't go unnoticed.
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  We hope that this episode helps you plan for an upcoming vacation or take advantage
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  of the summer camps designed specifically with you in mind.
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  And if you're a professional who works with military families,
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  We invite you to check out OneOp for free virtual professional development on
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  our website at OneOp.org.
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  And as Kerri said, we'll have links that are available in the show notes.
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  And we hope that you will enjoy planning your travels and then enjoy those travels together.
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  I thank you both for your time. Thank you. And if you are just tuning in,
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  you're listening to Talking FACS, and we're available wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
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