Take a family trip without breaking the bank

In a survey by Choice Hotels International, 87 percent of Americans said they plan to take as many vacations as the previous year, but all those costs can add up. We have the tips for a great vacation without an extravagant price tag.

Planning to get away this summer? Here are some tips to save you money. First, with discount food apps the whole family can dine without overspending. The app KidsEatFree tells you where to find deals for kids' meals and the app ScoutMob offers 50% to 100% off deals for restaurants from Atlanta all the way to Seattle.

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Another way to cut back on costs is look into alternatives to hotels. Home exchange, where you swap houses with someone else, is free and you can find places all over the world. Home exchange companies normally only charge a membership fee or monthly listing fee. Check out homeexchange.com or digsville.com.

Finally, fly at the right time. Airlines have midweek deals and the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday.

A current trend among couples about to get married is to set up a site where guests can donate money to their honeymoon rather than giving a traditional gift. People can decide how much they want to give and even what the money will be used for, such as flight and hotel costs or even trip activities.