Let’s be honest. Family travel can’t really be that cheap.

Fellow parents, at some point during your trip, you might have found yourself in a souvenir shop selling overpriced stuffed toys, staring at your youngling’s hypnotic puppy eyes — with one of your helpless hands involuntarily reaching for your wallet. You buy the dang made-in-China, Australia-labeled koala plushie. Youngling squeals with delight, calls you the best mum/dad ever and promises he/she won’t disturb your siesta (just for that day). But it doesn’t end there. There’s the kids’ activity pack you need to buy aboard the next flight (if on a budget plane), the Milo Dinosaur instead of iced lemon tea, the admission tickets for theme parks… And the list goes on.

Traveling with children may be more expensive but certainly there are ways to cut costs. Here are a few tips for cheap(ish) family travel.

1. Travel In Off-Peak Season

We all know this is a smart way to travel.

Unfortunately, quite tricky when you got kids in school. Ticket prices soar during school holidays, so choose destinations that are in their lean or shoulder season. Because this means cheaper accommodations, cheaper activities, and (possibly) cheaper flights within the country.

2. Book Flights In Advance

Or better yet, take advantage of airline sales (subscribe to alerts). Obviously, you need to take note of the school’s holiday dates first before going on a booking frenzy. If you miss out on sales, use flight search engines such as Traveloka to help you find good deals. It is important to know that every flight search engine/ online travel agent may only work with some partners. Meaning, they won’t show flight fares of some airlines that might be cheaper than the ones they’ve partnered with. So do multiple searches.

3. Check Luggage Allowance

Most (if not all) low-cost airlines charge passengers for every bag they check in. Have a clear vision of the amount of stuff you’re bringing for the trip so you don’t have to pay for too much luggage allowance (okay, it’s wise to pay for heaps for the flight going home if you intend to shop). Keep in mind, every paying passenger (aged 2 and below may not pay for the flight ticket) can bring a piece of carry on. Sometimes two, the other being a laptop or a handbag. So your child can bring a 7-kilo cabin bag as well — which is a generous amount. Take some of your items out of the check in bags and stash them here (might as well invest on sturdy kid’s stroller bag/rucksack).

Also, if bringing a pram and/or baby car seat, check if these will be weighed and added to your carry-on/check in weight too. To, yah know, avoid being charged a ridiculous amount and to avoid a brawl at the check in counter.

4. Check In Guesthouses and B&B (Or House-Sit)

Generally, guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts are cheaper than hotels. Hostels are cheap too but you should check if they are kid-friendly as some would host crazy, drunken parties on evenings. If it’s lean season and if you’re uhm, brave enough not to book your accommodations in advance, you can try haggling for the price. But don’t go too far. Be reasonable. Also, because these are small businesses, they can do you easy favours such as hiring a taxi for you to pick you up from the airport (or wherever you’re coming from) for a good price. May come out equivalent or cheaper than what you’d pay for public transport since you’re a group.

As for house-sitting, this may be a little difficult if you’re not flexible with your travel dates. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a whole house to yourselves in exchange of watering some plants and feeding/playing with the owner’s pets? Have a look at Home Sitters Worldwide and see how it works.

5. Eat/Shop Where Locals Do

Don’t eat in restaurants in close proximity to tourist attractions. Obviously, their prices are geared towards tourists. Plus food may not be authentic as it’s made to suit international taste. Sure, you can find something for the kids (a kids meal seems to just always be breaded and fried anything), but maybe you can request for something off the menu at some small, family-run eatery — since usually the owners are the cooks themselves. Great opportunity to interact with locals too.

If your child refuses to eat anything at all, buy groceries from a local store and cook something back at the guesthouse or B&B (you’re checked in here for the full kitchen as well). Try to buy fruit and veggies from locals at a nearby market. Not only are the goods cheaper, you get to help a small business as well.

6. Bring Your Own Snacks

Which you’ve purchased from the grocery store, where they’re cheaper than in 24-hour convenience stores and shops near tourist attractions. Not only will this help you cut costs, you get to choose healthier options. Also, if you’re a little paranoid (as you should be when traveling with a child) about food poisoning, bringing your own food is a good way to avoid that.

7. Research Free Things To Do

Children (at certain ages) can be easily entertained. You take them to public beaches (heck, take them to a playground’s sand pit) or a green park populated by other kids and they will find something to do. My five year-old was raised “on the road”, and she’s really good at keeping herself entertained when we’re outdoors. We’d always tell her we’re going on an adventure, and tell her stories (fiction and nonfiction) as we navigate a temple complex or a city square. We make sure she’s really involved, and we ask her about her own observations. “Why is there so many dark brown people? (Kenya)”, “Look she’s got small eyes, maybe she’s from China or Japan? (Singapore)”.

8. Ask About Family Admission Packages/Discounts

A lot of museums and parks offer a discounted bundle for families (though usually it’s for a group of 2 adults and 2 kids). Always check options before purchasing tickets. Sometimes, tickets sold online are cheaper too than at the gate.

It’s also worth checking group buying sites and search under the travel category. Not only will you stumble upon discounted tickets, you’ll also learn about other tourist attractions that are not mentioned in your guide book.

There are so many other ways to cut down the costs. But be sensible. Don’t sacrifice comfort — it is after all, a family vacation. It should be fun for everyone. Most of all, it should be enriching for the kids.