Editor's note: This article was originally published on Rachael Yerkes' blog, Travel Parent Eat. It has been modified and republished here with permission.

My husband and I have been blessed to travel all over the world. And the number one question I get about our family travels is how we afford it.

And while I think that is a personal question, I have decided to go ahead and open up, and share some of the details of our financial situation, and how we are able to "afford" to travel as much as we do.

I have read many articles, and most people say to do things like use reward points and frequent flyer miles, etc. That is not what we do. We do not use credit cards at all, so reward points are out. We only go on vacations we can pay cash for. We aren't brand loyal for flying, so while we have frequent flyer accounts, we rarely earn enough points with them to get free or reduced fares. And no one else pays for our vacations. We wish our parents would foot the bill, but they don't.

You might be thinking we must make a lot of money then. But we don't.

We are solidly in the lower middle class. My husband is a restaurant manager, and I work part-time at home. We have four kids, and probably make below the national average.

And yet we travel a lot. We sometimes take the kids, and we sometimes leave them with family. But we go. We try to go on two bigger vacations a year: one with kids, one without. We do some local getaways as well. Sometimes we drive, sometimes we fly, sometimes we cruise. But we always go.

So how do we afford it? Put simply: we make it a priority

Here are some of the specific ways we are able to save money to use for vacations and travel, and save money on vacation and travel to make it easier to afford:

1. We don't have car payments

We have two cars. I drive a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country that I think we paid about $3,000 for. My husband drives a 2004 Saturn Ion that was roughly $5,000. We decided a long time ago that instead of having a $250 to $400 a month car payment we would rather drive older, not as prestigious cars we could pay cash for, and have more discretionary income for travel. These cars are cheaper to insure, and free up a nice chunk of change for travel. If you have a car payment, ask yourself how much more you could travel if you had that much to spend on travel every month.

2. We give our kids a trip for Christmas instead of toys

As a family we love to travel, and we really don't need more "stuff," so we asked our kids what they would prefer. About four years ago we made the change. What we normally spent on Christmas we started applying to a fun family vacation. The kids still get a stocking, PJ's and books, and fun things from grandparents and cousins, etc. but from Mom and Dad they get a vacation.

On Christmas they get to open up an envelope with the destination and dates we are going. They sometimes get little coupon books for things like, "A souvenir" or "A treat at the airport or a stop on the road trip." We include any excursions or outings too. The kids love it. They look forward to it. They talk about where the trip might be. They speculate on what activities it will include. And we love it.

3. We budget for it

Travel is a category in our budget. Just like we budget for groceries, cell phone bills, and utilities, we budget for travel. Occasionally we have to dip into our travel fund for other things (that is life, right?) but whether it is $20 or $200, we try to put a little away each month to help with travel. When we get extra money (bonus, tax return, gifts, etc.) we usually save some of it, and use some of it for travel.

4. We prioritize it

I think this is one of the biggest things. We love to travel, and so it is a huge priority for us. That is where we spend a lot of our discretionary income. I rarely buy new clothes. I don't get my hair done often. I do my own nails. I cook almost every night of the week. We look for good deals on the things we do buy. We trade babysitting when we can. We go to matinee movies. We minimize our entertainment expenses by investing in season passes so that we can have fun all year long without spending tons of money. We spend a lot of time having fun at home playing board games, or kickball in the yard, or watching movies. We try to keep our fun free or low cost. And this means more money is available for travel.

5. We are flexible with our travel dates

This has been a huge advantage for us. A couple years ago, I was browsing online and found a 7-day cruise for the Western Mediterranean for just $250/person. I was able to find flights for under $1,000, and three weeks later we boarded the ship. But I was only able to do this because we could make last minute work. We don't typically travel during normal school breaks, or holidays. Part of that is because of my husband's job, but part of it is to save money. We don't go to Rome in June, we go in April when we can fly there for less and pay half the price for hotels. By being flexible in our travel dates we are able to see more for less. This has gotten harder now that our kids are in school, but we still do our best.

6. Shop deals

We keep our eyes open for deals, and we know a deal when we see one. We have an extensive list of places we want to go and see, and a fairly good idea of what the "normal" cost is to get there, stay there, and play there. So when I see a deal for one of those locations, I jump on it. We are deal chasers. We know we want to go certain places. We know we are going to spend a certain amount on travel each year, so we try to maximize the two by finding deals.

7. We are OK with cheap!

We aren't too proud to stay in a less than perfect hotel, fly on red eye flights, or with "crappy" airlines, attend a time-share presentation to get discounted tickets or incentives. When we are in Europe, we don't stay in Villas, we stay in Ibis Budget. We don't fly first class, we fly coach. We have sat through a number of time-share presentations to get a discount on Disney tickets, or activities in Maui for less. Again it is a matter of priorities. We would rather give up a little comfort if it means saving money so we can take the whole family, do more, see more, and have more fun.

8. Spend smarter

We spend on the things that matter to us the most, and save on the rest. For example, we pack our own food and try and stay in condos with kitchens to save on eating. We pack minimal clothes so we don't have to pay for extra luggage, and realize we might be wearing the same things in a lot of photos. We pay to skip lines so we can see more faster, but don't pay for guides if we can check out the guide book from the library and learn about the place ourselves.

9. We own a timeshare

We invested in a time-share back before kids, paid it off fast, and really use it. We know that timeshare ownership gets a bad rap, and I totally think in many ways it is deserved. But if you really use it, it is worth every penny.

10. We don't pay for extra luggage, food, etc.

This is just one example, but the point is, when we travel, we are very conscious of minimizing unnecessary expenses. When we cruise we eat on board, because it is already paid for. If we can take public transportation rather than renting a car or taking a taxi, we do it. If assigned seats on a flight are more expensive, we hope the gate agent will take mercy on us and the other passengers and seat our children by us. We bring our car seat so we don't have to rent one. We use the GPS on our phones so we don't have to rent one. We don't buy the beverage package on the cruise ship. You get the idea.

11. We research

We research the destinations to find the cheapest way to afford the things we want to do. In other words, we often invest time in order to save money. But if we can find a pass that gets us into stuff for less we usually take advantage of it. Taking a few hours to research what there is to do, and how to do it for less can save a bundle, especially when there are six people involved.

12. We rarely use groups or guided travel

We instead buy (or check out) the guides, and educate ourselves, book our own connections, and figure things out for ourselves. There is something to be said about having someone else arrange everything for you. We used a service like this for a two-week trip we went on in Europe. It was our first time overseas, so we loved having someone else arrange all transfers, guides, hotels, buses, and activities. It made the language barriers, etc., less intimidating. But had we taken the time to figure those things out for ourselves, we would have saved probably a third the cost of the trip, or more. You pay for the convenience, so if you can find a way to do it yourself, figure out your own transportation and activities, educate yourself about the sites you visit, etc., then you will save. Again, it is a matter of priority.

13. We drive

Flying six people to anywhere is going to be expensive. Even if you get a cheap flight. And so when we can we drive. It takes longer, which can be an issue if you have limited vacation time. But we have found that we can make the drive a fun part of the vacation, and it saves us a bundle.

14. We do whatever it takes to make it possible

This is probably a little bit of repeat, but travel is something we really value. When I really want to go somewhere and we can't afford it, I look for a way to earn extra money, whether that is donating plasma, or taking on more freelance work, or clipping some coupons to save a little here and there. I look for ways to make it affordable, which might mean staying with a friend, or saving the more exotic destinations for when we have a bigger budget. I look for ways to use money we would have been spending anyway and apply it toward vacation, for example, I am always happy to get a trip or getaway for a birthday gift. We skip anniversary gifts and instead go somewhere.

15. We put in the work

If you aren't willing to do the research to find the deals, or make sacrifices (like eating out or driving a nice car), then chances are you will find it harder to afford the kind of travel you want without a big income. We wouldn't be able to afford to take our family of six on vacations if we didn't do the work to find a good price on flights, accommodations, and activities. If we weren't willing to plan, pack smart, cook, research destinations etc., and sacrifice other things.

I hope this helps. I truly love being able to explore so many parts of the world, and I wish we could afford more travel than we currently enjoy.

The post Awesome travel without an awesome income appeared first on FamilyToday.

Moms do not have to do all the work alone. There are ways to do it all, and be it all, without actually doing it ALL! Does that even make sense?

I call them Mom Hacks! Ways of being the super-star mom without running yourself into the ground. Here are my favorite hacks to employ.

Carpool

I love having my kids involved in things, but let's be honest, one of the hardest parts of all the activities is driving kids here, there, and everywhere. Recently, I signed my daughter up for an activity and made sure she went the same time as a neighbor. Now we switch off driving, and it makes a huge difference in my schedule.

Freezer Meals

One of the best things I ever did was start a freezer meal group. Once a month, five ladies and I make two different meals and swap. I then have 10 meals, 12 if I made two for myself too. They are ready in my freezer for those days when we run from one thing to the next. I love it. It is a life saver. And it works because we follow some easy rules.

Babysitter Swaps

You can be the best mom ever, a great budgeter, and have a social life by finding another mom in a similar situation as you and swap babysitting a couple times a month. My friend and I used to swap date night babysitting. Our kids loved getting together each week, and we loved having date nights without the cost of a sitter. It worked for both of us. Whoever babysat that night was in charge of everything, dinner, homework, etc. It was a true night off, and well worth having a few extra kids on alternate weeks.

Housekeeper

I wish I could afford a daily housekeeper, or even a weekly one, but I can't. Sometimes I just run out of time, and I go a few too many weeks without scrubbing the toilets. A great way to keep your house clean, without doing all the deep cleaning yourself, is to hire someone to come in once every couple weeks, or whatever you can afford. For example, before a big event, after you just had a baby, or during the summer months when the kids aren't in school.

Audiobooks

Sounds crazy, right? One thing about being a mom is never having time to pursue your own interests - for me it is reading. I used to be so well-read. But these days to read a book means giving up sleep, neglecting the housework, or both. But with audiobooks, that is not a problem. I can listen to the latest books, or whatever books I want while cleaning the house, waiting for kids to get out of school, or sitting on the soccer field during half-time.

The post 5 tips for doing it all, without actually doing it all appeared first on FamilyToday.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Rachael Yerkes' blog, Travel Parent Eat. It has been republished here with permission.

I have been married to my husband for more than a third of my life. 10 Years! That sounds like a lot to me right now. But the best part is, I know I will be married to him for the rest of my life. Despite high divorce stats, and low societal expectations for marital longevity, I am confident that Brett and I are in it for eternity.

How am I so confident? Because Brett and I work on our marriage every single day. We take time each week for us. We have four kids, and we both work, so finding time for our weekly date night would not happen if we didn't prioritize it. But we do! We go out once a week, EVERY week. Never fail!

I always see lists of date ideas on Pinterest and I want to throw up. Don't get me wrong, it is great someone put together a list of ideas, and I totally applaud the sentiment, as well as many of the ideas, but most of the time I am like, "Who did these women marry? My husband would NOT enjoy half of this stuff." It is often kind of cheesy, and far too sentimental to make our regular date night rotation. That is why I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to spend a date night. Some are low cost, some are not. But the point is we always get out and have fun together!

1. The restaurant passport

I love dinner dates. They are a great way to talk. They also mean I get to eat, and not clean up the mess. Big win-win in my book.

I am one of those people who tend to order the same thing every time I go to a restaurant. I know I like it, so I order it because then I am not wasting food or my money, or have to be put in an awkward position of telling the server that the food was not to my liking. But the same places and the same orders gets a little boring.

Date night should not be boring. So we decided to be a little adventurous, and we created a kind of restaurant passport. The idea being to try as many new places as possible. Here is my suggestion for how to do it: Go on Yelp and make a list of the first 12 restaurants that come up. Then once a month visit one of those places. Choose one and eat at it for your date night. Then if you want, you can write a Yelp review together about the experience.

2. The great outdoors

My favorite date my husband and I ever went on before we got married was sledding on this little hill in a cemetery. We had a blast not just zipping down the hill, but tackling each other into snow banks, white washing one another, and of course flirting in the cold. We warmed up by drinking hot cocoa.

The outdoors offer lots of things to do, so do what sounds fun. Snow shoe, hike, bike, fish, swim, tube down a river, skate on a pond. The idea is that you shouldn't discount the outdoors just because it is cheap/free. There is a lot of fun to be had.

3. The new experience date night

I am all about branching out and trying new things. Thus, every once in a while I like date night to involve some of those things. For example, we went indoor sky diving for a date night. Pretty cool stuff. It doesn't matter what it is, rock climbing, swimming with sharks, taking a pottery class or a dance class. We took scuba diving instructions together, and the twice-weekly class served as our date night. We got dinner before, held hands during, and talked to and from. Trying new things together is a great way to bond, make memories, and forge a stronger marriage. Plus it is fun.

4. The "at-home" date

I only recommend this as a last resort. We go on a weekly date, but every now and then we can't find a sitter, no matter how hard we try. And that is when the at-home date is crucial to master. The key is to wait until the kids are in bed and to turn off the smart phones, tablets, and other distracting devices.

We try to make it special. So not what we would do on a normal night. This might mean take out, it might mean not watching TV, it usually involves playing some kind of board game, and renting a movie, making a special dinner, or in our case, planning a vacation (our favorite thing to do).

5. The out of the box dinner and a movie

This is when you do something rather traditional but with a spin. So, for example, maybe see a foreign movie and try a new cuisine. Or, get take out and eat it at a drive in theater. There is nothing wrong with dinner and a movie for a date night. It is a classic for a reason. But you don't have to get in a date night rut or be too predictable either. Mix it up. Redbox and homemade dinner work, or your favorite chain restaurant and a Cinemark. As long as you both have fun!

I 100 percent believe that date nights are crucial to a successful marriage. I am totally bias because I love date night, and never miss them if I can help it. Having babies has occasionally gotten in the way, but we still do an "at-home" date night where we mostly just stare at and talk about our perfect baby. However, I digress ... date nights are essential to our marriage. Partly because they keep me sane, partly because I enjoy them immensely, and partly because they help my husband and I reconnect and feel love for each other.

We are best friends, and we NEED to spend time together, time where we don't talk about work, kids, finances, or other stresses. Rather, time where we can work through differences and get back to "us."

Date nights help us touch base, we use them as a foundation to work through problems, and remember why we enjoy spending time together. When it comes to our marriage things aren't perfect, and probably never will be. In fact, we have continuous arguments over three things: The first is me feeling like my hubby puts sports above the family from time to time; the second is when I feel like he is not contributing enough around the house and with the kids; and the third is when he feels like I overrun and interrupt him (I have a pretty strong personality). But our efforts to stay connected mean these problems don't become grounds for divorce. Instead they are opportunities to strengthen our marriage.

Despite frustrations we take the time to reconnect, and find the good in one another on our weekly date night. We spend a few minutes airing our grievances, along with our joys. Then we have some fun together. It is as simple as that. I hope if you aren't already going on a weekly date night that you will.

The post 5 date night ideas to keep the spark alive appeared first on FamilyToday.

Recently it seems like more and more of my friends are getting divorced. Growing up I think I knew one individual personally who was divorced. Now I have lost track. Scratch that, I don't even try and keep track.

Marriages aren't what they used to be. Or is it the people in them? Either way, with divorce becoming socially acceptable and far too frequent, I thought it would be nice to address what things you can do to protect your marriage from this outcome.

I know that every circumstance is different, this is not my soap box on condemnation for those who divorce, rather this is for those who want stronger, happier, healthier marriages, it involves some practical tips for "divorce-proofing" the relationship.

I mean what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than figure out how to love the people you are with better?

Communicate

Don't roll your eyes or stop reading "¦ I know this sounds like marriage 101 right? There is a reason this is on the list, but this is not just making an effort to communicate everything better, and talk about anything and everything, but to also change the way you communicate.

What changes should you make?

How about giving up the need to be right? According to one of our readers, "Give up the need to prove you are right. Most often it benefits everyone to just let it go. Less power struggles, more love." What matters more, being right or your relationship?

Stop complacency

Don't let yourself grow complacent in your relationship. Don't be content with where you are - want more and work for more. Take notice, you can't just want something, you have to be willing to work for it too. Good thing the work can be fun.

Have date nights, find things you can do together to have fun, laugh, and play. It is easy to grow complacent in your relationship when you aren't actively trying to make it grow.

Couples who play together stay together, but date nights aren't the only solution, work together, pray together, kiss a lot and talk about what you want to change/grow/improve in your marriage. Then take steps to do so.

Improve yourself

Again, pretty standard stuff, but it works. Quit trying to change your partner, instead change yourself. You will be a lot happier if you take time to work on you, and quit nit-picking what you have no control over (namely them).

I could spend all day complaining about things about my spouse, but the fact is, he is human and so am I. For everything he can improve, I probably have 10 things I need to work on. Best way to make the marriage stronger is to make the individuals that make up that partnership stronger, which means I can work on me.

Say thanks

Show some gratitude. It is hard to feel grateful for a spouse who is pushing your buttons, but take a minute to say "thanks." Focus on what you are grateful for, it will make you happier, and your marriage happier.

I love the idea of creating a gratitude list, where you write down things you could thank your spouse for when you are in a good mood, that way, when things get rocky, you have a list to look at.

I am sure there are a million other things you can do, but let's start with these few. I mean, I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed. So, stop trying to be right all the time, play together, focus on improving yourself, and show some gratitude. I promise it works. I am no expert, but these simple tips have worked for me, I have been with my hubby for over 11 years (married over 10), but I still have eternity to go "¦ and I am looking forward to it.

The post Divorce proof marriage appeared first on FamilyToday.