Just because the economy has you down is no reason to dump the family vacation. It's still possible to have an affordable family vacation by employing a few of these tips.

1. Mooch off the relatives.
Sometimes just a change of scenery is enough. If you have a cousin you sort of like who lives somewhere you might like to explore, call and ask whether she'd be willing to have you and the family visit for a few days. But--and this is important--be entirely honest about your plans, needs and wants during the visit. Do you want to solidify family bonds by spending all your time together? Or are you just looking for a free bed and breakfast? Are you willing to repay the favor by hosting your cousin's family in the future? It's always best to have the details worked out in advance. Otherwise that next family reunion could turn into a real testy affair.

2. Consider a house swap.
This is an option if you like where your cousin lives, but aren't all that fond of the actual cousin. Ask whether her family might like to spend a week at your house while you spend a week at hers. If you don't have willing relatives in other locations--or you prefer dealing with strangers to dealing with your own kin--you can always turn to the Internet. There are house swap sites that charge an annual fee (usually around $100) and will pair you up with another family somewhere else in the world. You stay in their house and they stay in yours. Among the sites: houseswap.com, homeforswap.com and homeexchange.com.

3. Troll the Internet.
These days, the travel deals are amazing and the Internet is the place to find them. Sites such as cheapcaribbean.com, which offers deals to Caribbean resorts; Yapta.com, which looks for great airfare deals and even provides refunds if the price goes down, and travelzoo.com, which sends out weekly emails with the best deals around, are great places to look for low prices.

4. Rent a condo.
If you have to pay for lodging on your family vacation, at least choose an option that lets you save money on food. A condo with a kitchen makes it easy to eat cheap--cereal and milk for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, leftovers from last night's splurge at a restaurant for dinner.

5. Double up.
Consider vacationing with another family to split expenses (and, perhaps, child care duties so each couple gets a little private time). It might allow you to rent a bigger condo that gives everyone more room for privacy or cut your gas bill in half.

6. Do the free stuff.
Every town has free stuff to do. Call the local convention and tourism bureau to find out what events and attractions are free and kid-friendly. For a list of free, fun and family-friendly things to do in many U.S. towns, check out the Free in 50 States feature on TravelingMom.com.

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