Our top 10 budget vacation activities

1.Beach days

Keep it simple! Whether you are traveling with kids or not, you can have a virtually free day at the beach. Pack a lunch and pack a cooler and bring along your favorites. One of my favorite things I've noticed at a lot of beaches lately is the "beach toy library", where they have beach toys that you can borrow for your beach day. I've seen everything from kids sand toys to volleyballs and footballs so everyone can be active and have a fun time at the beach. If chilling is more your thing, rent or bring an umbrella and just enjoy the view and the drinks.

2. Find a state park and grill out

Sometimes we get sick of eating out at restaurants so much on vacation and just want some simple foods on the grill. We will look into seeing if there's a state or local park that offers free grills and head there. We've talked about in previous articles how one of our favorite things to do on vacation is simply go to a local grocery store, so that is what we do. Depending on what we are feeling, we will either get some local fish or we may keep it simple and get hamburgers or chicken.

3. Look up local festivals/markets

This is one of my favorite things to do because you never know what you will find. And most of these have free local entertainment so you can sit around and enjoy locals bands without spending a dollar. Some even offer free food samples (and if you are really lucky, free wine samples), so that's another plus! You may even find some knickknacks you didn't even know you needed (just make sure you don't have wine eyes and you can fit in your suitcase on the way home)!

4. Take the free trolley/bus and site see

We have done this in a lot of cities and beach towns as not only a way to get from point A to point B, but to also just see the town in real life without having a tour guide showing you the highlights. You get to come up with your own ideas and perspectives on the things you see. And you may also meet some locals who give you some cool information for nothing!

5. Rent/buy cheap fishing poles

We have gotten cheap fishing poles to fish before we had kids and now since we have kids. Before kids, we would end our night a lot of times by fishing under the moonlight while enjoying our nightcap. Since kids, it has become a cheap activity that our kids love and when they catch a fish, it is pure joy on their faces when we reel it in (even if it's the same fish so both boys think they caught a fish). So find a local fishing pier, ask the locals and they will tell you everything you need to know. Just always double check you don't need a fishing license.

6. Go to the park/splash pad

Now that we have kids traveling with us, no matter where we go, we are always looking up where the best park/splash pad is. It is a free activity that helps burn the kids energy and gives them something to look forward to (or bribe them) in order to make it through the activity that you as parents want to enjoy. But I will say, it has become one of my favorite parts of the trip to watch the kids interact and play with other children and just laugh and have fun even though, they come from 2 different worlds and don't even speak the same language. I've also got to talk to some amazing parents from all over the world which has really opened up my eyes to different parenting techniques from around the globe.

7. Hiking trails

We enjoy finding hiking trails when we need a break from the business and want to exercise, but don't feel like wasting our time in a gym on vacation. We use the site www.alltrails.com to look up trails virtually everywhere in the world. It tells you long the trail is, the difficulty level, elevation gain, if it is kid/wheelchair/ stroller friendly, and what type of things you may see on the trail. You can find a short, easy trail or as strenuous as you want.

8. Rent bikes/scooters and site see

I like biking around cities and beach towns. Most cities now have a contactless system where with downloading an app and entering a credit card, you can rent the bike/ scooter for as long as you want. Most beach towns have some sort of shop that provides these services. I've seen at both the pay as you and local shops, where they offer bikes with child seats so this can be an activity you do with or without kids! And then parking and entry for things is free a lot of times if you aren't in a car!

9. Go to a hotel bar and watch a cover band

We love just going to a hotel bar that has a local cover bar playing and just hang out, whether for a few songs or a few hours. A lot of times, the talent is really good and it is fun to just sit at an outdoor bar and just hang out. Even if drinking isn't your thing, you can always ask them to make you an alcohol free drink and then watch the band and the people!

10. Look for free or donation based classes

Check the local town or county page and see if there are any free or donation based classes going on in the area! You get a free or very cheap class and you can help out the locals or a good cause too. I've done yoga classes this way, but you can also find cooking, sand castle making classes or search and see if there is any that interest you! There are also free activities listed for children, too, that might be exciting! So check online, on Facebook, or even look at billboards!

There are so many ways you can have a great time on vacation without breaking the bank and your kids (and you) will be having so much fun, they won't know difference! Tell us in the comments what are some of your favorite budget activities!