I love traveling with my family as much as I love eating! But sometimes finances (and the lack thereof) put a damper on travel plans to a degree. Every year, we go somewhere during the summer months and stay away for three or four weeks at a time. However, we are on a tight budget (we don’t spend any money at all, except money for essentials like food, gas, and lodging). We have been traveling as a family for many years. We rarely travel alone like some people do. There are always two or three carloads of kids and grandkids and friends and family and their kids coming over to have a little fun! But we have a good time no matter where we end up. Let me tell you our little secret to having a great time traveling on a tight budget.
As you travel from one place to another, find the cheapest gas available. Sometimes driving away from the interstate you can find gas up to 12 or 15 cents cheaper, give or take. It pays to shop around.
#1: Reserve your rooms several months in advance or in advance to save money. Also remember that room rates are usually cheaper during the first part of the week and prices go up on weekends. Every few dollars saved can be used for other things. Depending on the time of year, consider this: a motel with an indoor or heated pool during the winter months is a good idea because kids can swim. Even in summer, an indoor pool is ideal in case of rain. Have a little fun yourself. Grab your swimming toys and jump in!
#2: If you plan to take the family somewhere fun and exciting, it’s best to plan ahead. He knows where you’re going. Let the Internet be your next best friend. Get familiar with your destination. Contact the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist Office and ask for brochures, travel guides and maps. Don’t be shy, ask questions. Find out all about the free festivities taking place in the city during the week of your planned stay. Remember your budget. If you’re bringing kids and other family members on the trip, the more you have to do, the better. Sometimes gifts are more fun than you think.
Next, decide on one or two paid activities (remember to stay within your budget) like the zoo or an amusement park and book online. Some zoos/aquariums offer a combo package that can save around $10-12 per person; You can usually find great deals online, but be careful when buying tickets online; be sure to read the fine print.
If you have any questions about what you are buying, please call the number listed and ask before you buy. If it’s not clear what you’re buying online, then it’s not clear what you’re getting.
A free adventure tip: If you’re running out of things to do and the kids are bored, take them to visit a local pet store. It’s free to watch. A mini home zoo! Sometimes pet stores have activities, sometimes they don’t.
#3: Months before the trip, set aside at least two rolls of quarters per person for expense allowances. Tell each person how much money they have for the duration of the trip and stick to it. It’s hard to give in when the little ones spend their entire allowance and whine for more. When you’re on a budget sometimes you have to sacrifice a few little things to stay within your means.
Quarters are just as easily spent as dollars. They may seem a little bulkier, but this is a great way to keep your hands off credit cards and out of your wallet every time you stop by.
#4: Set aside several rolls of quarters for laundry each night. It makes sense to start saving early. Shop local dollar stores for laundry detergent. Buy a container that will last you the length of your trip. What you have left over you can always take home.
Bring the kids a beach towel and bathing suit. When you’re done in the pool, hang your wet items over the shower for the next time you want to swim.
When we started going on vacation with the grandchildren, I brought the towels and the bathing suit, but they would go swimming several times a day and they would not wear the wet bathing suit again because they were wet and cold. I would have at least 4 washing machines full of wet clothes every day. It’s not happening now. It might be a little uncomfortable for them and a little cold, but they’re going to swim and be drenched in a matter of minutes.
Doing laundry is expensive if you are budgeting your funds. Save the money for something else.
#5: Stay away from coffee shops. Starbucks is expensive. Why pay $4 or 5 for a cup of coffee when you bring your own coffee pot and can of coffee? Bring the sugar and cream too. You like tea? Bring your own. You can drink as much as you want and you won’t spend a fortune on just one cup.
Bring a thermos on the trip. During the ride home, you can fill up a large thermos for less than the cost of a medium cup of coffee, usually around $1.59 per thermos. And it holds several cups.
#6: Bring the coolers. Fill them up with plenty of water and your favorite beverages for the road trip ahead.
#7: If you are planning your trip months in advance, this is good. Remember that you will have to eat. We go out to eat every day, once a day, usually at a fast food restaurant because of the cheap menus. But one way we do it and don’t have to detract from our travel budget is really simple. Gift cards for restaurants. Every week, several months before our trip, I take out $10-15 of my shopping money and buy a gift card to Burger King, Wendy’s, Sonic, Dairy Queen, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Applebee’s, Denny’s, or I-Hop. Cracker Barrel also has letters available. There may be others, but these are some of our favorites. You can find these gift cards at dollar stores or Walmart and they can be redeemed at any time.
Buying a card once a week is not as bad as it seems. You’ll probably never lose the $10 or $15 you spend of your grocery money either way.
I do this every week and when it’s time to travel I usually have enough gift cards for our family and we dine out every day of the trip. It does not come out of our budget for living expenses reserved for our trip.
I usually book motels that offer a deluxe breakfast (waffles, eggs, everything…) so we don’t worry too much about it. Also, some assorted fruit, breakfast bars, some boxes of cereal and milk in the room take care of that and between snacks throughout the day. Lunch is usually sandwiches and chips or a bowl of canned soup.
It may seem like a bit more work to prepare, but if you’re limited to spending money to eat out, this is the only way to go. I know. If you have a bunch of hungry kids and you don’t have money saved up to feed them a burger once in a while, you’ll end up wanting to stay home. If they’re ungrateful and think you’re cheap, so what? They will forget it and will only remember the good times they had with you when it’s all over. I was there, I did that!
#8: Take a few minutes to yourself while you’re gone. Let someone watch the little ones while you take a dip in the pool or relax in the jacuzzi by yourself. Or take a walk on the beach with your partner and just enjoy some alone time with your favorite person or by yourself, whichever you prefer. It’s free, and it’s good for the soul and it’s good for what ails you. Just because you’re on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your trip. I’ve been doing this for over twenty years and every ride we take just gets better and better.
Enjoy a movie in the room while everyone else is in the pool. Take a hot bubble bath and drink a glass of wine. Relaxation is free and revives the spirit!
Those are my tips for today guys! Traveling is fun, exciting, and expensive, but you can enjoy it on a limited budget. You just have to learn what works best for you.
