Many people will be foregoing their family vacations this year because of the current economic climate.Others, however, are determined to enjoy a vacation, but are looking for ways to save money while still having a great trip.

Flexibility is probably the main key to saving on a vacation. Investigate several possible scenarios for you and your family. You will then be able to choose the one that’s right for you and your budget. Consider alternate sites for your vacation. Be flexible with travel times, especially if you are flying. You can often save hundreds of dollars just by switching a flight from Sunday, a very busy day, to Tuesday, the slowest day for the airlines.

Visit websites for airlines, hotels, and local points of interest and register for e-mail notification of special offers, etc. Also, consider contacting a local travel agent. Although they earn a fee, they often have access to better deals than you can obtain on your own so that, in the long run, they can save you money.

Consider driving to your destination. This eliminates airline costs and, with gas prices much lower this year, the savings could be substantial. Also, pack a lunch, snacks, etc. for the trip and you’ll be able to avoid restaurant costs while traveling.

If you plan to use frequent flyer points to book a flight, it is necessary that you plan very early. Popular flights are often full months in advance for the allowable number of seats that can be occupied by frequent flyers.

By planning your vacation during the “off peak” season, you can save on almost every aspect of it. Often the weather is still very enjoyable, hotel rates should be down, and restaurants will most likely be offering lower prices for meals.

We are all anxiously awaiting a housing recovery so that home values and sales will increase and this turnaround will, hopefully, help pull us out of the current recession. The government is offering an $8,000 incentive to new homebuyers (and those who have not owned a home for three years) and, yet, people are still unsure if they want to take the risk. Everyone knows someone who has been through a foreclosure on their home, and no one else wants to go through this heartbreak and major financial setback. The Real Estate Industry and a number of homebuilders and developers are offering a solution to those people who are hesitating to commit to a home for fear of losing their jobs.

One major national real estate chain has developed a job loss protection plan for buyers. The seller of the home purchases the protection for a flat fee of $500 and includes it with the sale of their property. If the buyers lose their jobs within the first two years after they purchase the home, the plan will pay up to $1,800 per month for six months towards their mortgage payments. So many people are living in fear of losing their jobs that this extra insurance may be the extra incentive necessary to help them decide to purchase their new home.

A local builder is offering a similar program but his pays up to $1,500 per month and it is included in the price of the home.

I am certain that many real estate offices and builders will begin offering plans of this type to potential buyers in the hope of removing the stress and worry of job loss while instilling confidence in them to move ahead with the purchase of homes being offered at very competitive prices with low interest rates.