In any case, vacations are meant to be times of refreshment and relaxation. But how often have we experienced just the opposite? We have seen the holidays-gone-amuck vacation movies. How do we keep from this happening to our family vacation? And how do we do it on a budget? Here are some steps to take that may help.

1. Plan
Without careful planning, a vacation can turn into a living nightmare. A carefully planned vacation doesn't mean, however, that there isn't any room for spur-of-the-moment activities. It just means that these unplanned excursions need to occur within an already worked out vacation plan.

Planning is essential to any type of vacation, whether it's a simple weekend spent in a tent, or a month traveling throughout the Southwest. In some ways, the simpler - or, perhaps, the more frugal - the vacation, the more planning is needed. For example, tent camping, one of the most economical kinds of vacation, can require the most planning.

2. Types of Vacations
There are lots of relaxing and fun vacations that couples and families can enjoy together that don't put a major crimp in the budget. Some of these include the following: tent camping, staying in a cabin, borrowing or renting a motor home from a friend, renting a vacation home, staying in hostels, staying in college dormitories, staying at the YMCA, exchanging a home with someone, vacation packages, and even traditional motel vacationing.

If you are considering a vacation type that you are unfamiliar with, check your local library or bookstore for books that list and describe the features each type. Each type of vacation is entirely different. For example, tent camping requires more work, but provides unique access to many gorgeous parts of the world. And hostels (whether youth or elder) offer a camaraderie with other travelers that you don't find in motels or cruise ships. What you are looking for is the key to picking the best vacation for your family.

3. Getting the Best Price
Once you know the type of trip you want, finding the frugal way to get it will be easier. To help you find the cheapest way to get to the trip of your choosing, review all of the resources available to you, including the Internet, travel clubs, travel agencies, and travel books. Below are a few phone numbers and Internet addresses to get you started.

For motels, think about the season and the days of the week you will stay as these effect the price. Then try contacting Central Hotel Reservation Center (800-554-2220) - they match your budget to a hotel anywhere.

One of the most helpful tools for saving on airline travel comes from the Internet. Don't rely on the airlines' 800 numbers for the lowest fares. The Internet can provide the lowest prices with the least amount of time invested to find them. Of course, as with any use of the Internet, do use caution. I never give my credit card number over the Internet, but rather call their 800# after I have obtained the price, the flight number, date and time.

To find travel web sites, do a search on the Internet using keywords such as travel, airline, and vacation. Here is one that I find helpful for price comparisons: http://city.net/forms/reservations. Days of the week and seasons greatly effect airline prices, so try a few dates and see if it lowers the price. For example, flying on the day before Thanksgiving will be costly and crowded, but flying on Thanksgiving morning is cheap and not crowded.

Excess airline seats can be obtained at a savings of 30%-75% off of regular fares. The airlines are trying to sell seats that would otherwise go unsold. The phone numbers for excess seats is different than reservation numbers, so I have listed some airlines' excess seat phone numbers: American (800) 344-6702, Continental (800) 231-0856, Northwest (800) 692-6961, TWA (800) 872-8362, USAirways (888) FLY-E-SAVERS.

Frugal travelers often snub travel agencies, thinking that the commission would inflate their ticket price. But often a discount travel agency has little to no overhead (no office, no receptionist, no glitzy ads) so they can pass savings on to you. Sometimes discount agencies add to their savings by buying up blocks of seats at a low price. Watch the newspaper for ads in the travel section for discount agencies, or here are a few to try: UniTravel Corp. (800)325-2222, TFI Tours Intl. (800)745-8000, 1-800-FLY-CHEAP, Airhitch (212)864-2000.

Happy trails!

Jonni McCoy is an author and speaker, living in Colorado Springs, CO. Her books include Miserly Moms: Living On One Income In A Two Income Economy (1996 Holly Hall) and Frugal Families: Making the Most of Your Hard Earned Money (1998 Holly Hall). You can find her at www.miserlymoms.com