It's tough to keep from spending during your getaway. Here are some ideas for how you can manage your vacation dollars.

MEALS

Food is the part of vacation that can be an unknown and can seriously eat into your budget. You can avoid this by planning ahead and counting on preparing at least some of your meals. Whether you are traveling by car, plane, boat, or train, be sure to take along snacks for the trip. If you are headed to a city or a resort area and are driving, you'll be well advised to take along groceries to avoid the high prices in these areas. Otherwise, seek out a supermarket once you arrive. Even if you simply have a refrigerator in a hotel room, you can still stock up on cereal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast, and sandwich fixings for lunch.

ACTIVITIES

Families traveling to cities should check out City Pass to see if your destination participates in this money-saving program (New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Hollywood currently participate). City Pass is a ticket to top attractions at a single price that is usually about half of what you would pay for separate admissions.

Many museums and zoos offer free days or evenings; find out what these times are and plan accordingly. If you are visiting theme parks, look into both multi-day passes and half-day rates (if you know you'll only want to spend a few hours at a park, you may only have to pay half-price in the late afternoon).

Don't forget about free or nearly free recreation such as city parks and playgrounds, hiking and biking trails, and factory tours, where you can see everything from baseballs to chocolate being made. Again, call the local Chamber of Commerce or CVB in advance to see if they offer any coupons or discounts to family attractions.

THE LITTLE THINGS

When budgeting for vacation, you'll want to set aside at least a small sum for the unexpected. One area where you don't have to be caught off guard is souvenir purchases. Most kids want to come away from a vacation with a remembrance of some sort. Your best bet is to decide on an amount to spend and give that to each child at the beginning of the trip. You'll find that most kids will be more cautious in their spending when the money is coming out of their own pockets. Your best souvenirs will be the photos you take, so be sure to bring plenty of film to avoid having to pay top dollar at gift shops, convenience stores and the like.

Catherine McGrady is a freelance writer in Columbia, SC.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Originally published in January 2001. Updated August 2002.