• I found ways to make traveling more affordable for my family of five. • I use credit card points and book trips with other families to reduce hotel and food costs. • I also started a travel fund and tuck money away every month.

I used to scroll through friends' glamorous-looking vacation photos and feel a familiar pang, knowing there was no way my family could afford trips like that. But I didn't want to stew in jealousy, so I decided to figure out how we could travel more on our budget.

I started by prioritizing more local trips

Since some of my favorite travel memories aren't from far-off places but from day adventures or quick weekend trips, I learned to prioritize them in our calendar. Mini vacations are cheaper — no flights, rental cars, time off work, or dog sitters needed,

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