How to save thousands of dollars on your family vacation

Ten years ago, within the span of a couple of months, my now husband and I moved to a new city, bought our first home, started new jobs and got married. Tackling four major life events in under 60 days was very exciting, but it was also incredibly expensive, leaving us with little money to fund a honeymoon.

But we were young and in love and in need of a break. So instead of completely forgoing a vacation, we bought a tent, packed up our Toyota Matrix and embarked on a 2,000 kilometre road trip to the West Coast.

This summer, to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we decided to take a similar vacation — only this time, we’d be travelling with three little passengers in tow. We wanted our kids to share some of the experiences we’d had. We wanted to hear their breath catch in their throats as we travelled through the heart of the rocky mountains and see the excitement on their faces as they sidestepped crabs and jellyfish in the Pacific Ocean.

With a little planning, we were able to do all this and more, and keep our costs in check in the process. Here’s how.