When planning a family reunion, it's easy for things to financially get out of hand. Every expense can add up quickly—from lodging and meals to group outings, local attractions and printing T-shirts to commemorate the special occasion. If you and your extended family are dreaming of an epic destination get-together, how can you create a memorable event without blowing your budget? Let's take a look at a few ways.
1. Plan as Far Out as Possible
Plan your destination family reunion as far ahead as you can. Doing so may help you snag the lowest rates on travel, lodging and car rentals as they become available. Not only that, but you can also pin down a destination and dates for your gathering.
Ask family members interested in attending the reunion to weigh in on what times of the year they can travel and what kind of weather and parts of the country they prefer to gather in. You can start a group chat online, use an email thread or try free versions of tools like Doodle to create polls on everyone's preferences and availability.
2. Look at Off-season Prices
If your family has some flexibility in when they can travel, consider looking at off-season prices of different destinations to snag the best deals. Not only will traveling to a popular destination in the off-season save you money, but you can also expect fewer tourists and crowds.
For example, from January to March, your family can enjoy activities in off-season destinations, like whale watching in Northern California's Mendocino County. And if your family is open to hotter destinations, visiting desert terrain (like Tucson, Arizona) during the summer can mean off-season prices at resorts.1
Planning a family reunion at a spot during the off-season will require more research about the weather, sightseeing options and local business hours of attractions, but it can save you a significant chunk of money.
3. Consider Discounted Venues
Go beyond some of the pricier options for a venue; consider these ideas for less-expensive places to hold your reunion:
- • Choose a parks department-run center or state park lodge.
- • Use a vacation rental platform to rent a large house that can double as lodging and a venue. Just be sure to check the rules, as some rentals don't permit parties and large gatherings.
- • Create a "picnic tour" in which you convene and enjoy simple, homemade meals at several parks throughout your reunion.
Another idea: Host your reunion on a weekday or off-peak time during a weekend, such as in the morning or early afternoon. You might have an easier time negotiating a discounted rate.
4. Turn It Into a Potluck
A family gathering is an opportune time to whip out family recipes handed down from generation to generation. What better time to cook your grandma's meatloaf or your great-great uncle's Depression-era tuna buns? To up the fun factor, turn it into a friendly cook-off competition. Who can make the best chili? Or who can concoct the tastiest version of your family's favorite pasta dishes?
5. Go the Do-it-yourself Route
Rent a camper van to shuttle from one destination to the next. You can also cook homemade meals and pack ready-to-go snacks to save money on food. This will reduce those inevitable trips to the snack aisle at the convenience store or fast-food meals.
6. Look Into All-inclusive Packages
At first glance, all-inclusive packages at a resort might seem more expensive than going the do-it-yourself route and handpicking what you do and where. However, do the math to see how the cost of booking your family reunion at a resort stacks up against other options. You might find it actually costs less to host the reunion at an all-inclusive resort than to organize it on your own.
All-inclusive resorts typically cover your stay, food, drinks and some activities. Some resorts might offer free childcare, so you can also fold in some "grown-ups only" activities. Plus, this saves you the hassle of planning some of the details of your trip.
Some of the most affordable all-inclusive resort destinations include the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.2 And as mentioned, traveling during off-peak times of the year and planning well ahead can help you save on these all-inclusive resorts. Also, resorts might offer discounts on flights and car rentals. It doesn't hurt to ask and see what options and packages are available.
7. Ask Family to Weigh in
Tap into the collective hive mind and ask family members to offer their ideas, desires and suggestions for fun activities. This will take some of the load off the primary organizer. Plus, letting your family have a say in how you'll spend your family reunion ensures there's something for everyone.
For folks who aren't able to travel to the reunion festivities, give them the option to get involved. Perhaps you can organize a letter-writing or card-making activity, where attendees send snail mail correspondence to nonattenders.
8. Create a Formal Budget
To figure out how much you need to save, create a family reunion budget and jot down all the different anticipated expenses, which might include:
- • Airfare
- • Vans, minibuses or large vehicles to travel from spot to spot
- • Lodging
- • Meals and snacks
- • Attractions
- • Group games and activities
- • Childcare and pet care
You can also scour Etsy or Pinterest for an A-to-Z family reunion budget template. This can be a handy way to put numbers to your vision for your gathering, then start to save!
9. Set Up a Savings Account
If you'd like participants to chip in for certain parts of the family reunion, consider creating a separate savings account for the event and pooling funds to it. To keep it simple, designate a few overseers of the account.
You'll also want to consider different financial situations and income levels for your family members. Contributions from a widowed grandparent or cousin fresh out of college might look different than your "double-income, no kids" aunt and uncle. Suss out beforehand what each family member can reasonably add to the pot.
For expenses you're saving for individually, consider setting up an automatic savings plan. Drum up a plan and jot down how much you'd need to save regularly. You can make steady progress to save for the memorable event, which equates to not adding to your debt load. It's a win-win.
Last Word
Getting together with family members far and wide can make for a magical time of togetherness, camaraderie, remembering cherished memories and creating new ones. Money—or a lack thereof—shouldn't get in the way. By planning ahead, thinking of ways to save and coming up with affordable ideas, you can create a memorable destination family reunion.
Jackie Lam is an L.A.-based money writer whose work has appeared in Salon.com, Refinery29, Time, Forbes, Business Insider and BuzzFeed, among others.
LEARN MORE: Climbing That Mountain: How to Save for a Big Dream
Sources/references
1. Navarro, C. and Levius, T. The Best Destinations for Off-Season Travel, from Iceland to Okinawa. Condé Nast Traveler. Published January 13, 2022.
2. Wood, N. and Forster, T. J. 11 Top Affordable All-Inclusive Resorts to Visit in 2023. U.S. News & World Report. Updated February 7, 2023.