I wanted to be sure to share with you, the great money-saving tips & ideas I've found to not only help the vacation more memorable, but even the car trip there.
Road Tripin'...
I have so many fond memories of a drive "out west" just before my fourth birthday. Here's some things we have ready for our long drive.
TOTE BAGS*. Each kiddo chooses a 'reasonably-sized' tote bag. The weeks leading up to the vacay, I'm on the lookout for things to toss in each tote. Dollar store finds, garage sale goodies, freebies, toys forgotten in the back of the closet; you name it. Something new (or forgotten), no matter how 'cheesy', will be an instant hit when you're bored.
I highly recommend creating your own scavenger hunt or 'travel bingo' based on the region(s) where you'll be traveling. You can do this on the computer (just place clip art on a grid) or hand make it...you can even use stickers. Some pictures on ours include TRAIN, HORSE, MOTORCYCLE, 18-WHEELER, BRIDGE, RIVER, GAS STATION, LAKE, etc.
In my girl tote=note pad, pen set, magic pad, activity pad/board (a traveling gift from her aunt), party favors, magnetic dress up dolls, paper dolls...
In my boy tote=dinosaurs, "new" (garage sale) spiderman coloring book, activity book, bag of markers, new car, party favors...
STOP BAGS. Bubbles, jump rope, hand sanitizer, & sun block for the rest stops.
POTTY SEAT. Had we not traveled with one of these in our past road trips, our drives would've been significantly longer. This not only keeps us from having to search for a restaurant or gas station, it keeps our kids from tinkling in their car seats (which would be awful!), AND saves them from being exposed to extra (nasty) public germs.
COOLER. Keeps us from stopping & paying for overpriced snacks/drinks. Which also wastes valuable drive time.
MOVIES. Thank the LORD for dvd players. Movies can burn hours on those car trips. Borrow movies from friends. Borrow them from the library (just be careful of heat warp!) Or like us, cash in coke reward points for blockbuster coups & rent those movies you've never seen.
Stopovers...
A modest but clean/safe hotel is a load off a road-weary mind. In the past, we've used priceline.com as well as other sources. If you plan ahead, packing some muffins, bagels, etc., along w/ juice & water, save breakfast money & some time in getting back on the road.
Be sure that if you plan to stopover, you pack those things separately so that it's easy to grab & saves time 'digging through' the rest of the bags.
Amusement Parks...
Disney tickets are cheaper, the more you buy. For example, for 2 days of Disney, we're paying 74.50/day...but had we had the leisure of spending 5 days in the parks, we'd only be spending 44.40/day.
With our research, we found that the best deals for tickets were part of travel 'packages'. If circumstances were different, we would've most likely taken advantage of a package. Go HERE to check out packages & even 'on sale' trips!
Souveniers...
Like all things our families do, at places that sell overpriced souveniers, I buy ahead of time. I can find Disney 'what-nots', at the Dollar Tree, at the Dollar Spot at Target, at Walmart in the clearance aisle, for dollars. Where as, I'll be dropping $20 on an Aerial necklace for my girl if we buy it at the park.
My friend Erica was smart about her kiddos' autograph books... she bought hers ahead of time at Michael's (in the dollar section) & decorated them with Disney stickers. Team that up w/ the 50% coupon & you've got cute autograph books for 50 cents a piece.
Meals...
Staying in a hotel/condo/suite/resort with a kitchen is your best bet. Then you have some control over when you're eating out. Breakfast is the cheapest meal to eat out. Also, my in-laws found this card: http://www.kidseatfreecard.com/ which is a fabulous deal.
I have to admit that if we didn't cut corners, our vacation might not happen... or at the very least, wouldn't be near as enjoyable. Two-teacher households don't exactly equal enormous wealth & frequent elaborate trips. Our frugality has paid off. And we'll have a great vacation as a reward!
Think of any tips I've missed out on? Please share in the comments! :)
2 comments:
WOW - these are GREAT tips...thanks so much for sharing...can't wait til we can go back to Disney again!!!
We do something similar. In their "Survival kit", as they call it, we put a folder with their "Itinerary". It has a map of the trip for them to follow along with. Interesting facts about where we are going. Day by day itineraries=we're OCD like that. it is age appropriate for each child- my oldest got a mini bio on Walt Disney and the history of the park. The youngest had color pages of alligators and disney characters. All of it was free from the internet. The kids figure gas mileage and miles traveled. My husband is a teacher and we try and use every teachable(free) moment we can. They liked it and have kept them from 2 years ago. What they really like is knowing what to expect each day. My husband and I try and take each(4) child on a date by themselves during the week, even if it is for a free breakfast just the 2 of us. They enjoy it. have a great time!
tia
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