Vacationing is truly something that we have incorporated into our lifestyle many years ago. When it was just us, with one baby we were able to go and come as we pleased. We were able to pack an overnight bag for a weekend trip and that would be accommodating for our size family. However, throughout the years and after having four more children things have changed dramatically. The way that we pack and prepare for vacation has totally changed.

As a large family, we now need a minimum of two large suitcases.

We typically travel a minimum of a week at a time. This totals up to 12 weeks of year. It seems as though I get a little bit more savvy in the way I pack our suitcases. I typically don’t like to fill up our truck with suitcases and bags because my OCD starts kicking in. But yes, I like to drive in a nice uncluttered clean vehicle. Therefore, I am very frugal when it comes to packing. Trust me, I had my years of being extra. I used to have to pay extra money to bring an extra carry-on suitcase on the flight as well as pay extra for heavy suitcases over 50lbs.

I typically shop for my children at the end of each season.

This is how I get the most bang for my buck. For example, I purchased summer clothes in the fall and purchase winter clothes in the summer when the items are all on sale. I don’t focus on the latest trends but more on the deals and savings.

Now that I have a large family, I try not to pack their entire wardrobe for vacations.

I am so glad I learned my lesson. I now like to pack the bare necessities. Typically when we go on vacation, we go shopping anyway. It’s inevitable, I’m always forgetting some thing. Also, most of our condo stays feature a washer and dryer which makes it easier not to have to pack so many clothes especially for our children. I do however, pack at least two pair of swim wear for each child. I make sure that I pack all of the safety swimming gear for my children (life jackets etc.). I also packed one pair of sneakers and one pair of sandals for each child.

Lately, I’ve been having our children help me pick out their clothes weeks before vacation. I do this because I want them to be responsible and learn how to pack her own suitcase. Many years I did it by myself and I used to drive myself nuts. No, not anymore.

As a large family everyone has the opportunity to assist.

I typically instruct my children to put aside their underclothes (socks, underwear, undershirts, and pajamas) and then I helped them pick out their outfits for the week. This makes it a whole lot easier on my behalf. Then all I have to do is sort everything before packing it.

Large Families, Don’t forget the electronics, tablets, And games!

I used to be that parent that believed that my children shouldn’t use tablets and cell phones. However, as a large family with my children who like to talk a whole lot, I have an entirely new perspective on electronics. I love the electronics! Yes, the electronics keep them busy and occupied. We just have to be sure to pack their chargers. We also made certain that we pack our children’s laptops for the road trip. Let’s face it, we live in a society that is ran by technology. Children as early as two years old are able to navigate and work with any kind of electronic once given the opportunity.

Since we are very spontaneous, we used to pack the night before we traveled.

This used to work for us because it was just us three in the beginning. However, this is no longer effective with our large family now. If I were to do that, I would be leave toothbrushes, hair products, slippers and all those little essentials behind.

Each of our children are allowed to bring a mini book bag with their toys, books, and accessories in it. I instructed them that if any of their personal items can not fit into the book bag then it must stay behind.

After packing up our suitcases, we then do a thorough cleaning.

There’s nothing worse in my opinion, then coming home after a wonderful vacation to a messy house.

Yes, we’ve been there and done that. It’s totally overwhelming. However, not anymore! Every time that we leave for vacation, we make sure that we take our time and clean our home. Yes, we clean bathrooms, kitchen, mop our floors and do laundry before we leave on vacation.

My husband typically make sure that our truck is filled up with gas. He also make sure that we don’t need an oil change or any kind of fluids in our truck. If we do, he takes the car to get serviced.

After we clean, I typically pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, juices and water for the ride. I am very frugal and I typically do not like to buy outside food. Therefore, we are able to save tremendously this way without having to purchase outside fast food while traveling. This frugal hack has definitely changed the way we vacation and pack.

Again, I would like to thank you all for taking the time out to read over our blog posts. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave me a comment below. I love to read through your comments. Until next time, be safe and stay healthy.