You can make your family vacation even more exciting by including your children in the planning stages of your travel. Children can save money for vacations if you guide them on how to do it. They can use the money for souvenirs or other special purchases.

Depending on your child’s  age or ability decide how to save money for a trip:

• Give them extra chores to earn money for your upcoming vacation.
• They can either start their own or donate to the family’s change jar. If donating, the money is actually divided among the children only. Don’t let them know that until right after the change is transferred into paper money!
• Have them help with pre-vacation chores like packing their pajamas, choosing a certain number of toys to take along, finding tote bags, etc. for a set fee per chore.
• Reward your children for thinking of ways to save money when planning your vacation. You will need to help them with this but it can be a fun learning experience.
• Tell your children before you leave how much money they can spend or how many souvenirs they can purchase with their money. If you plan on adding to their money discuss that, as well as how to look for less expensive items to purchase and not buying on the first day.
• Using the internet with your children to plan your vacation can enable them to understand what things cost. For example if you’re flying, visit the travel website you’re using and show them the air fare costs. If you’re driving, use maps online to route your trip. Talk about gas prices.
• Use websites for your destination. Find the hotel site you’ll be staying at, the activities you plan on taking part in, the dining options you’ll have, etc. Check on the prices of meals if possible. Then show them how much you can save by either bringing picnic lunches or eating at a less expensive restaurant. Find sites that show general or actual prices of souvenirs. Search for outlets near your destination that provide less expensive items. All of this information can guide your children in learning how to save money on your trip.
• As for souvenirs, make rules in advance. If your child purchases something and then whines or complains that they want something else, but has no more money to spend, let them know the consequences. You can take their item away for the day or an hour for example.
• Focus on the positives, find ways to have fun with your children’s help, without spending too much money. One of my older daughter’s favorite memories is my packing lunch when we’d go to the water parks and to the theme parks in Florida. She told me when she was older that even though there was food to buy, she felt loved because I’d pack something special to eat and would remember everything, including the napkins!
• Your children will learn that being together, seeing new places, and finding fun along the way is the best part of family vacations not how much money they can spend.

It’s easy to teach your children to save money for vacations when they know that something great is coming up soon. Take advantage of planning for a trip to include money management skills as part of the fun.