7 Affordable Summer Vacation Ideas ...

Starting off this list of affordable summer vacation ideas is camping out in the great outdoors! In fact, I've already made plans to have a weekend camping trip to celebrate my birthday with my family and friends this year! If you can rough it out and tent it with no hookups, it will only cost around $40 a night. Having water and electric will probably run you about $50. When you think of that amount split between the number of people on your campsite, it's a steal! Not to mention you don't have to worry about going out to restaurants as you can just grill up some hot dogs, hamburgers, and s'mores! Plan other cheap activities like hiking, fishing, or boating and you've got yourself a great (and inexpensive) vacation!

What could be better than vacationing at home! Plan a long weekend where you take off a day or two of work to extend it, and plan fun activities in or around your house! It can be a great way to get out and have a little adventure without spending a ton of money on traveling and overnight costs. Some common staycation ideas include camping in your own backyard, having a movie or game night at home, or attending local festivals and exhibits. Make sure to promise not to do any extra cleaning, yard work, or anything else besides have fun! Also commit to turning off your phones and computers for a while to give yourselves time to relax and disconnect.

Groupon Getaways is a great resource to use in order to find cheaper vacations for you and the family. Most are package deals that include food, coupons, or entertainment along with your hotel. The only downside is that you usually can't use them for a Friday or Saturday night, so if anything you can use it as an excuse to take some time off work! Sign up for Groupon Getaway email updates and wait to see if a deal comes through that you will love! Their vacation deals cover everywhere from Paris to Florida!

Do you have friends or family living across the country or down in Florida that you've been meaning to visit? Well it's time to make some plans with them! Staying with family can drastically reduce your vacation cost by cutting out what you would have paid for room and board. All you have to pay are your travel costs, activities, and maybe buying a meal or two for your generous hosts! Plus your friends or family members may be able to suggest fun activities in their area you wouldn't have known about!

Did you know that summer camps aren't just for kids anymore? Well, consider a week-long adventure at a camp that caters to the whole family! Meals and lodging are included in the price, and you won't have to do any activity planning. In general, the lodging is usually rustic with wall tents or bunkhouses, but that's part of the reason it's so affordable! The YMCA offers several family camps across the U.S. and most have swimming pools, boating, fishing, sports, and camp fire nights. It can be a great way for the whole family to make some friends with other families too!

Believe it or not, cruises are a lot cheaper than most people think. This year especially, after all the bad publicity cruise lines have gotten! You can be sure a lot of them will be dropping their prices even more to get people on their boats. Plus the price you pay is usually all-inclusive, meaning food and drinks are all included in your original price. This means you and your family can eat and drink as much as you want! Cruises also have a bunch of activities included in the cost, so when you think about it, the one cost up front is a lot cheaper than you'd pay for everything on land!

Try to plan a few weekends of going to see your closest museums, aquariums, zoos, or any other tourist attraction. If you can find these tourist spots within driving distance, then you have a perfect mini-trip where you don't have to pay for a hotel or flights. Plus, it's a great activity that's both fun and educational. Also, museums usually only have a suggested donation amount, which can be even cheaper than most tourist spots. Water parks and amusement parks are also pretty cheap if you are able to drive to them, however beware of the expensive food, drinks, and games that come along with it!

A big tip for planning your summer vacations is to be careful of traveling on holidays as everything becomes much more expensive. Also (if you can help it), try booking flight times that most people don't want to take (early morning/late night) as they tend to be much cheaper. What vacation plans have you already made for this summer?