Vacations are the time of year when families come together to enjoy each other's company, experience adventure, relax and just have a good time overall. However, for most families, vacations can also be an expensive time of year. This is particularly true when it comes to hotel costs. Did you know that short-term vacation rentals can actually save you money? Deciding to take advantage of a fully furnished short-term rental rather than a traditional hotel can save you money in a number of different ways.

Food

After your hotel and airline costs, one of the greatest expenses you will likely incur are food costs. In terms of vacation food costs, it takes around $60 per day to feed an adult and another $45 a day to feed a child under the age of 10.

A family a four could easily rack up more than $1000 in food costs on a 10 day trip. If you're like most people, this is a considerable cost. With a short-term rental, you will have access to a full range kitchen. Instead of dining out each day, you can help mitigate your food costs by cooking.

Parking

Staying in a hotel will generally also come along with additional parking costs. The location of the hotel and whether or not you choose to self- or valet park will determine how much pay, but you could easily spend $20 a day in parking cost. For a 10 day hotel stay, this is $200 in parking fees.

Most short-term vacation rentals come with on-site parking that you can take advantage of without incurring an additional costs. Short-term rentals allow you to eliminate this cost and put this money towards enjoying your family vacation.

Entertainment

Choosing a short-term rental over a traditional hotel can also save you in your entertainment costs. If you're traveling with young children, you understand that keeping them engaged and entertained is sometimes both difficult and costly. While you can still go out and explore what the area has to offer, you can also take advantage of some of the perks right inside the rental.

Whether it's a game system or a DVD player, you can spend some of your time enjoying your rental while still entertaining your children. This keeps everyone happy without crashing your vacation budget.

Choosing a short-term vacation rental offers a number of benefits for you and your family. The next time you're planning a vacation, don't limit yourself to a traditional hotel.