If your idea for a Family holiday of a lifetime involves traveling abroad, you’re not alone: 33 percent of American families took trips to international destinations last year, according to the AAA. While taking a long vacation with the kids may be a goal, it may seem like it will take a lifetime to save for it! The good news is that by planning early and setting realistic money-saving strategies, chances are that you’ll be able to travel the world on a shoestring, regardless of your budget. Whether you want to explore a far-flung destination, take the family on a unique adventure or organize a safari, here’s some tips to help you along the way.

Find Cheap Flights

While there aren’t usually any hard and fast rules to booking a bargain flight, it’s possible to find tricks for a cheap airfare and knowing prices in advance will help you work out how much you can afford. Try looking at a range of booking sites, changing your dates and watching out for any sales or promotions a particular airline has on offer. The key is to be flexible so don’t be worried if you don’t find anything within your budget on the first search; keep on the lookout for low-cost flights, and sign up for text or email alerts so you’ll know when a flight becomes cheaper. If you’re prepared to put in some time and effort, the opportunities for grabbing yourself a bargain are much higher.

Budget & Start Saving Early

The sooner you start to put money aside, the quicker you’ll have your family travel funds! It takes the average American nearly a year to save for a trip of a lifetime so knowing how to get the best bargains early enough will go a long way to increase funds. Get the whole family to join in and work out what ways you can start to save together. Additionally, draw up a budget plan that everyone can have a say in and make sure that they all know they have to stick to it. Don’t forget to also include travel insurance, any car hire options and how you can make your currency go further so you have a realistic idea of how much you’re likely to be paying out.

Tap Into Technology

Using handy tech and travel apps can help enormously towards lowering the costs of a Family Vacation right through from the whole planning stages to the actual vacation. In addition to signing up for voucher codes, discounts and email alerts, downloading travel apps to your smartphone or device will help you save your dollars while you’re traveling. This can include anything from choosing the best accommodation deals, getting reductions on eating out, filling your vehicle up with gas or providing free guidebooks. Many of these services will also offer a loyalty reward system which will help you save even more cash!

Don’t let the constraints of life stop you and your family from living the dream of a perfect vacation. Devising a good plan for saving your money and using online tools will make your goals more achievable and provide you with amazing memories to cherish for the rest of your life.