Sticking to a budget for your family vacation is crucial. After all, the buzz of a fun vacation is squashed if you have a big ol’ credit card bill waiting for you at home. And when you don’t blow your vacation budget, you have more money for the next family trip. That said, I’m going to call out an exception: When you can spend a little money to save time and hassle, do it. It will be the best investment for your family trip, and it could even save your vacation.
I have experienced this trade-off plenty of times on my own family trips, and science agrees: Spending money to save time makes people happier, according to research from Canada.
The concept makes even more sense when you think about family vacations. After all, taking a trip is all about spending quality time together—and stress-free, relaxed time is worth a lot to you. So budgeting for some time-saving extras on vacation can be a much better use of your money than, say, a fancy dinner (which your kids might not eat anyway) or a few new DVDs for the road trip. Research shows it’ll make you all happier, too.
Paying a little extra money to save time—and save your vacation
Take, for example, a call I got from my husband one day: I was in Detroit for work, and he and the kids were joining me there for a quick family vacation. (Yes to mixing business and fun!) But he did not sound relaxed; in fact, he was calling me to say they might not make the flight.
In fact, he was driving down the freeway toward the airport and didn’t think he’d have time to park in economy, unbuckle the car seats, wrangle three suitcases, board the bus to the terminal, check in, go through security and make it to the gate.
A bit of quick googling on my phone led me to a solution: airport valet parking. Eric was completely skeptical, and I’m pretty sure he felt a hefty dose of guilt when considering paying more for parking when there were plenty of spots in the economy lot. But, I reasoned, paying for valet parking was way cheaper than rebooking three flights.
In the end, he did opt for airport valet parking—and loved it. The folks there not only parked the car for him, saving loads of time and hassle; they also helped get the suitcases and car seats inside the terminal. Eric and the kids not only made the flight; they had a few extra minutes to play in the PDX airport playground and grab a snack.
Sure beats running through the airport with two kids!
Ideas to invest extra in your family vacation
You totally don’t need anyone’s permission to spring for a slight upgrade like airport valet parking—but if spending a bit more to save your vacation is still giving you a hangup, hear this: You’re worth it. Your family vacation is worth it. And the memories you’ll make together are certainly worth it.
So take science’s finding that spending a little more to save time and upgrade your fun will make you happier (on vacation and every day!). Here are some ideas to do just that.
- Stay in a prime location. You’ll pay more for hotel or house rental, but you’ll spend less time driving to all the fun things you’ve planned for your vacation.
- Pay for better parking. See my example above if you don’t believe me that a little extra money can make a big difference in enjoying your vacation.
- Get grocery delivery. If you’re staying at a house for an extended time, you’ll want to stock the fridge—but going to the grocery store is a drag when there are fun vacation activities you’re dying to do with the kids. Instead, buy staples online and have them delivered to your rental house.
- Order ahead. You can call a restaurant (or room service) on your way so you don’t have to wait for the kitchen to make your food. This one actually doesn’t necessarily cost money, but it will save you from distracting hungry kids while you figure out your order!
- Fly direct. Sure, you may pay a bit extra for fewer layovers, but think of all the stress you’ll avoid on your family trip.
We’ll be spending the money to save time—and have a more relaxed vacation—from now on. How about you?
Has spending a little extra money ever helped save your vacation? What extras do you budget for on vacation?
