Getting out of debt is a big job and requires a lot of sacrifice if you are serious. When most people begin their Christian Debt Relief program they just assume, “Well, no fun vacations for us for the next five years.”. While there will be many things that must be sacrificed, fun does not have to be one of them. You and your family can still have fun, even without an expensive yearly vacation. Here are a few alternatives to traditional family vacations that will save some money and make some lasting memories.

Kid’s Choice Week

If your kids are accustomed to taking a week-long vacation to somewhere exciting, present a “Kids Choice Week” as an alternative. Explain to your kids you will not be going on vacation, but instead, for an entire week every evening will be kid’s choice. Your kids get to choose the meal, the movie, the game the activity. Give each child a night that can be entirely their own to plan for the family to spend at home together. Your kids will love the concentrated time with each other and the feeling of being in charge.

Staycation

This is becoming a much more popular alternative in recent years. If you are in a position to take some time off work, plan a staycation. This is a great option for families that have a little money for a vacation but not really enough for travel expenses and hotel costs. Spend some time finding the most fun activities and attractions that are within driving distance of your house. You may think there aren’t any, but you’ll be surprised what you find once you start looking. Each day of your planned “staycation” you and your family will go experience a different place or activity. It could be an amusement park, museum, hiking trails. A week full of day trips. If you have really young children, you would be shocked at how much fun they might have just staying at home and getting to play with you for a few days. This is especially true for parents that work a lot. Just you being home will seem special to them.

Freebie Weekends

If you really have no extra cash, and you don’t think it wise to take time off from work, plan a month of freebie weekends for you and your family. Each state has loads of free activities offered at national parks, museums and other attractions throughout the year. Simply Google “free fun stuff to do” for your state. Pack a picnic lunch for each outing and all you’ve spent is a little extra gas money. This is a really nice alternative because your family will be looking forward to a new experience all month long.