Love chocolate? Me too! And amazingly enough, this post isn't about Halloween - what to do with that candy is a whole other post!
We just got back from a fun weekend getaway in Hershey, PA. So, yes, we had plenty of chocolate. I thought I'd give a quick rundown on the fun things to do as well as ways to save money at this location (and really any others as well).
The town of Hershey is all about chocolate - Hershey chocolate that is. Even the light posts are Hershey kisses! That being said, there is a lot to do, but a lot of it is pretty expensive!
Before the trip, I did a bit of research online - this definitely helped us save some money. I went to the Hershey World website and clicked on the coupons page. I was able to print off some very valuable coupons! I also checked my Entertainment membership (the online version of the Entertainment book) and found some additional B1G1 free coupons.
We stayed at the Bluegreen timeshare (courtesy of one of my ebay timeshare purchases).
The first day we were there, we visited the Hershey Museum - this was very pricey, but we were able to save $10 by using Foursquare on our phones - we each could take $5 off admission. There was an exhibit called the Chocolate Lab where we made our own candy bars - the kids loved this. After a day at the museum, we hit the grocery store to stock up on breakfast and sandwich fixings for our condo. Our evening entertainment was a swim in the condo pool and a movie and popcorn in the comfort of our living room (with a fireplace!!!).
The next day we decided to head to Easton, PA to visit the Crayola factory. I am so glad we did as it was my favorite part of the weekend. Although it isn't much of a factory tour, there were so many fun crafts and activities, we spent two hours just playing and creating. Very fun!!! When we arrived I asked if they had a AAA discount. They did, but they had a better "walk up" deal which was $2 off per admission. So, scored another $8 in savings! We ate lunch at McDonald's - not fancy but the kids loved it, and sandwiches in the room for dinner.
That night we went to Hershey Park in the Dark - the kids got to ride the rides, trick or treat and just have a blast! Once again, tickets were expensive, but before we left the condo I called the park and asked if there were any discounts (AAA or other). They didn't have an AAA discount, but the lady I spoke to told me that if we bought our tickets ahead of time at Giant grocery we could save $4 per adult ticket and $3 per kid. So, a quick 5 minute stop at Giant and we saved another $14 (plus didn't have to wait in line to buy tickets at the park).
We woke up Saturday to SNOW - lots of it!!! After a hearty breakfast in the room, we headed over to Chocolate World. Once again, a very pricey day, but my research at home paid off here. We used B1G1 free coupons for the Chocolate Tasting ($20 saved) and would have used my B1G1 free Trick or Treat Trolley coupons except it was canceled due to the weather - oh well, next time! I also had printed out a coupon for 20% off at the Dessert creations. They had a cute cake pop creation for only $3 - really a great deal - it included two cake pops, a bowl of chocolate syrup for dipping and a topping. Plenty for the kids. I used the coupon (saved $.60) and then I had another 20% off coupon so we passed that on to a family heading upstairs.
After all that chocolate, we moved on to the outlet mall for a bit of shopping - first stopping at the management center to show them my AAA card. That scored us a coupon book. We didn't spend much, but did save at least 20% on everything we did purchase thanks to the booklet. Once we were done, we gave the leftover coupons to another family - hopefully they were able to use some of them too!
So, we had a great time, did a lot of fun things, and also saved a little money in the process. I estimated I spent less than an hour researching savings, making phone calls, asking questions and printing off coupons and we saved $52.60 not counting our outlet mall savings - pretty good return on investment!
Showing posts with label budget travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Use your memberships wisely
Since I started talking about memberships yesterday, I thought I'd continue in the same theme today.
If you do decide to purchase a membership (or annual pass), make sure you use it wisely. What do I mean by that? Well, aside from ensuring you'll get your money's worth (i.e. visiting the place enough times), there are some other things you can do.
A few ideas:
- Check online or call and ask about member specials - for example, one of the museum memberships we own allows for free entrance into special events, another offers member only early entrance hours
- See if you can save money on other local attractions with your membership (I touched on that yesterday, but often even non-related attractions will offer a discounted rate)
- Ask if you can get friends/ family members in for a reduced price
- Check to see if there are discounts on classes or workshops - several places we've been members of offer children's programs at a discount for members - the kids have loved attending those!
- When you do visit, pack your lunch or a snack and remind your kids that you aren't buying items in the gift shops. It kind of defeats the purpose of saving money by going frequently if you pay an arm and a leg for concession food or toys. Our kids are so used to bringing our lunch they don't mind at all - it's like a "picnic" for them. As for gift shops - I'm not sure they know they exist as we avoid them!
Finally - use them! If you are on a limited budget consider asking for a membership for a Christmas or Birthday gift, and then GO!!! If you can only afford one a year, rotate locations for variety each year. To me, the best part of having a museum membership is I feel like we can go for a few hours, enjoy ourselves and then leave - it doesn't have to be an all day event and I don't have that pressure of "getting my money's worth" by staying all day!
Check out Frugal Friday at Life as Mom for more ideas!
If you do decide to purchase a membership (or annual pass), make sure you use it wisely. What do I mean by that? Well, aside from ensuring you'll get your money's worth (i.e. visiting the place enough times), there are some other things you can do.
A few ideas:
- Check online or call and ask about member specials - for example, one of the museum memberships we own allows for free entrance into special events, another offers member only early entrance hours
- See if you can save money on other local attractions with your membership (I touched on that yesterday, but often even non-related attractions will offer a discounted rate)
- Ask if you can get friends/ family members in for a reduced price
- Check to see if there are discounts on classes or workshops - several places we've been members of offer children's programs at a discount for members - the kids have loved attending those!
- When you do visit, pack your lunch or a snack and remind your kids that you aren't buying items in the gift shops. It kind of defeats the purpose of saving money by going frequently if you pay an arm and a leg for concession food or toys. Our kids are so used to bringing our lunch they don't mind at all - it's like a "picnic" for them. As for gift shops - I'm not sure they know they exist as we avoid them!
Finally - use them! If you are on a limited budget consider asking for a membership for a Christmas or Birthday gift, and then GO!!! If you can only afford one a year, rotate locations for variety each year. To me, the best part of having a museum membership is I feel like we can go for a few hours, enjoy ourselves and then leave - it doesn't have to be an all day event and I don't have that pressure of "getting my money's worth" by staying all day!
Check out Frugal Friday at Life as Mom for more ideas!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Save Money on Entertainment
As you probably all know by now, I love to go do things with my family, but I also love to save money, and let's face it - events, museums, etc. are EXPENSIVE!
One of the ways I save money is by purchasing memberships. If there is a place we want to go, I always check the membership price and do a cost analysis to see if it makes sense to buy a membership. For example:
Membership to nearby Science Museum: $65 for a year
One day entrance for our family: $28
So, if we will go more than 2x in the next year, the membership is a better deal. Typically, once we purchase the membership we end up saving lots more because we'll go to that location when we are looking for something to do since "it's already paid for." But, sometimes, we pay full price or find a B1G1 free coupon and use that instead - depends upon if I think we'll visit the place enough times to make the membership worthwhile - don't spend extra money on a membership if you won't really use it (been there, done that!).
These days, if you keep your eyes open, you can score even better deals on memberships! For example, yesterday the membership for the example above was on sale on Groupon for $30! Of course I purchased it, because not only do we only have to visit twice, but this particular membership included free or reduced admission to 250 other science museums. Since I know we'll take several long and short vacations this summer, I've paid for a number of admissions to various fun museums - including some of the biggies in Chicago like the Field Museum! What a deal - thinking ahead will really save me in the long run.
I'll try to remember to add up our savings over the year - it will be fun to check back next year and see how much we really save!
I'm such a fan of Groupon - if you haven't checked it out yet, please do so - and remember to check nearby cities or places you will vacation in the near future also. These links take you to my referral page, but if you aren't comfortable with that, just go to the main page - it's a great place to find a fun bargain.
One of the ways I save money is by purchasing memberships. If there is a place we want to go, I always check the membership price and do a cost analysis to see if it makes sense to buy a membership. For example:
Membership to nearby Science Museum: $65 for a year
One day entrance for our family: $28
So, if we will go more than 2x in the next year, the membership is a better deal. Typically, once we purchase the membership we end up saving lots more because we'll go to that location when we are looking for something to do since "it's already paid for." But, sometimes, we pay full price or find a B1G1 free coupon and use that instead - depends upon if I think we'll visit the place enough times to make the membership worthwhile - don't spend extra money on a membership if you won't really use it (been there, done that!).
These days, if you keep your eyes open, you can score even better deals on memberships! For example, yesterday the membership for the example above was on sale on Groupon for $30! Of course I purchased it, because not only do we only have to visit twice, but this particular membership included free or reduced admission to 250 other science museums. Since I know we'll take several long and short vacations this summer, I've paid for a number of admissions to various fun museums - including some of the biggies in Chicago like the Field Museum! What a deal - thinking ahead will really save me in the long run.
I'll try to remember to add up our savings over the year - it will be fun to check back next year and see how much we really save!
I'm such a fan of Groupon - if you haven't checked it out yet, please do so - and remember to check nearby cities or places you will vacation in the near future also. These links take you to my referral page, but if you aren't comfortable with that, just go to the main page - it's a great place to find a fun bargain.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Midwest Skiing
How fun - one of my goals for this month was to write and publish a travel article. It's just Associated Content, but still, I did it - very fun! So, here it is - all about skiing in Michigan (place of our annual ski trip):
Skiing Article
Skiing Article
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mini Vacations
It's been a busy first few months of school - more so for my husband than myself I think. We've decided to take off for the weekend with some friends to a nearby city. This is a trip that we take as a family every fall and they've decided to tag along.
Although the city is only an hour and a half away, by staying in a hotel (sharing an affordable 2 bedroom suite at a Staybridge), doing "vacation" things - festival, restaurant meals, local zoo, this trip always feels like a real getaway. In past years we've come home very relaxed.
We joke with our friends that this is the "year of the vacation." And, truth be told, it has been. We've managed at least a weekend away almost every month. We've made some fun memories without spending a fortune.
I've shared some tips in the past, but since this trip is with friends, our spending patters will be different. I'll be sure to share some cost saving ideas next week when we return!
Oh, and tonight is our first "official" family fun night. We do family stuff all the time, but I thought the kids would enjoy a weekly tradition, and Thursday is typically our light night - plus, it will make the weekend feel like it's starting earlier. If the weather is nice we are going to play putt putt (thanks to a great Groupon deal I purchased a few weeks ago). If it's raining, it will be board games and popcorn!
Although the city is only an hour and a half away, by staying in a hotel (sharing an affordable 2 bedroom suite at a Staybridge), doing "vacation" things - festival, restaurant meals, local zoo, this trip always feels like a real getaway. In past years we've come home very relaxed.
We joke with our friends that this is the "year of the vacation." And, truth be told, it has been. We've managed at least a weekend away almost every month. We've made some fun memories without spending a fortune.
I've shared some tips in the past, but since this trip is with friends, our spending patters will be different. I'll be sure to share some cost saving ideas next week when we return!
Oh, and tonight is our first "official" family fun night. We do family stuff all the time, but I thought the kids would enjoy a weekly tradition, and Thursday is typically our light night - plus, it will make the weekend feel like it's starting earlier. If the weather is nice we are going to play putt putt (thanks to a great Groupon deal I purchased a few weeks ago). If it's raining, it will be board games and popcorn!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Plan your vacation week!
So, we have a list of things we want to do this week (with input from everyone - my 3 year old added "eat candy"). How to decide when to do what?
Well, there are a few restaurants we love to visit while we are here, so I looked up their phone numbers and made a quick call to see if they have any specials this week. Sure enough, five minutes later I discovered our favorite Mexican restaurant has drink specials and unlimited chips and salsa on Mondays, and our favorite Tapas restaurant has drink specials and a live band on Tuesday nights.
With that knowledge we looked at our list of activities and loosely (it is vacation after all) planned out a few scenarios for each day.
We spent yesterday by the pool and our resort had a free bounce house on Mondays, so the kids enjoyed that. Last night we had Mexican and thanks to a B1G1 coupon from our Entertainment book, the drink specials (99 cent Margaritas) and chips/ salsa deal, all four of us ate (with 4 margaritas - two each but they were small) for $26 including tip. We had a healthly blackened mahi mahi fajita dish and a simple 3 tacos with black beans and rice. Yummy and we ended up unable to eat it all! After that one of the things we wanted to do was scope out a place to stay for next year - we plan on doing something really cool and staying at Animal Kingdom. It was actually really fun to tour the resort (they even showed us a room). We walked down and looked at the animals and we were there when they were doing the music in the lobby. Our original plan was to have dessert at one of the restaurants there, but by the time we were ready it was 9:00. So, instead, we stopped at Publix, purchased a Warm Delight and made quick cakes in the room. Total spent for the day: $28.
Tomorrow night is Tapas thanks to their specials on Tuesdays - YUMMY!
Well, there are a few restaurants we love to visit while we are here, so I looked up their phone numbers and made a quick call to see if they have any specials this week. Sure enough, five minutes later I discovered our favorite Mexican restaurant has drink specials and unlimited chips and salsa on Mondays, and our favorite Tapas restaurant has drink specials and a live band on Tuesday nights.
With that knowledge we looked at our list of activities and loosely (it is vacation after all) planned out a few scenarios for each day.
We spent yesterday by the pool and our resort had a free bounce house on Mondays, so the kids enjoyed that. Last night we had Mexican and thanks to a B1G1 coupon from our Entertainment book, the drink specials (99 cent Margaritas) and chips/ salsa deal, all four of us ate (with 4 margaritas - two each but they were small) for $26 including tip. We had a healthly blackened mahi mahi fajita dish and a simple 3 tacos with black beans and rice. Yummy and we ended up unable to eat it all! After that one of the things we wanted to do was scope out a place to stay for next year - we plan on doing something really cool and staying at Animal Kingdom. It was actually really fun to tour the resort (they even showed us a room). We walked down and looked at the animals and we were there when they were doing the music in the lobby. Our original plan was to have dessert at one of the restaurants there, but by the time we were ready it was 9:00. So, instead, we stopped at Publix, purchased a Warm Delight and made quick cakes in the room. Total spent for the day: $28.
Tomorrow night is Tapas thanks to their specials on Tuesdays - YUMMY!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Last week of traveling!
Hard to believe our month long trip is almost at an end. We spent the weekend visiting with friends and family (everyone came to us) and so aside from two meals out, just ate in the condo. We did do great on our two dinners out:
Saturday we took our SIL and BIL to TRex as a thank you for spending her vacation with us. I had a $50 gift card from MyPoints (happy to send an invite if anyone is interested), and we used our Rainforest Cafe Safari card for a free appetizer. So, for the six of us our total out of pocket was $44 and change. Not bad!
Sunday we had friends from out of town visit and since the kids were all worn out from swimming in the pool all day we ordered pizza from Uno. They had a deal for 2 pizzas for carryout for $19.99. I had a $5 off coupon from the Entertainment Book, so it cost us $16 and change - for all eight of us! We even had leftovers which fed us lunch today.
This week we are trying to finish up the things we like to do in Orlando and haven't gotten to yet (due to our multiple nights at Sea World). We made a list this morning and have been figuring out the best days to cross items off - more on that tomorrow!
Saturday we took our SIL and BIL to TRex as a thank you for spending her vacation with us. I had a $50 gift card from MyPoints (happy to send an invite if anyone is interested), and we used our Rainforest Cafe Safari card for a free appetizer. So, for the six of us our total out of pocket was $44 and change. Not bad!
Sunday we had friends from out of town visit and since the kids were all worn out from swimming in the pool all day we ordered pizza from Uno. They had a deal for 2 pizzas for carryout for $19.99. I had a $5 off coupon from the Entertainment Book, so it cost us $16 and change - for all eight of us! We even had leftovers which fed us lunch today.
This week we are trying to finish up the things we like to do in Orlando and haven't gotten to yet (due to our multiple nights at Sea World). We made a list this morning and have been figuring out the best days to cross items off - more on that tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Magazine Deal!
Well, along our latest topic of Budget Travel, there is a terrific deal this week on the magazine "Budget Travel." I've received it on and off for a number of years (mostly whenever I get a good deal), and it's a fun magazine to read when daydreaming of trips. There are some good tips in there and sometimes fun articles about places to visit. Right now, if you go to
BestDealMagazines
you'll find it on the weekly special. After you place your order, use the coupon code: WKLYSPEC to get an additional percentage off - ends up costing you $3.75 for a year.
If you go through EBATES you'll get 10% back on your purhcase also!
BestDealMagazines
you'll find it on the weekly special. After you place your order, use the coupon code: WKLYSPEC to get an additional percentage off - ends up costing you $3.75 for a year.
If you go through EBATES you'll get 10% back on your purhcase also!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Savings at the beach
We've been at the beach for the past few days. This is an EASY place to save a lot of money and still have a terrific vacation.
We would have done more than we have, but we've had an influx of the stomach flu - no fun while you are on vacation. So far everyone has had it except my husband - I guess that's one way to save a lot - don't eat! Kidding aside, we went to the grocery the first night we arrived and stocked up on food and that turned out great - we haven't gone out to eat at all since someone has always felt sick, so aside from our grocery stop we've spent nothing on food since Friday!
The beach is terrific as once you've gotten your room, the activities are free. We spend most days alternating between the ocean (which is beautiful here) and the pools. We brought sand and water toys from home, along with a great beach umbrella we purchased at Sam's Club three years ago and a few fold up chairs. Our room is so close to the ocean we don't even bother to pack food - we just run back when we get hungry.
A big plus of staying at a timeshare/ condo resort is the activities - we honestly never thought of that when we first purchased (off ebay super cheap of course), but the activities are so fun for the kids! This week alone we've enjoyed pool games, free cookies and lemonade, games at the activities center (checkers, connect 4, rock band, air hockey), bingo and more. The kids really look forward to these and most are free!
Our resort is older, but still very nice and very close to the ocean (2 min walk). Plus there is a pool right on the ocean. With two bedrooms and a full kitchen, we have everything we need. Plus, by snagging an older, but clean and well maintained location I was able to get it for a steal - including trade in and maintenance fees, this week is costing us $360.
I'll take $360 a week for sun, sand and swimming any day!
Hopefully today we'll be on the mend and I'll have some tips for saving outside the resort!
We would have done more than we have, but we've had an influx of the stomach flu - no fun while you are on vacation. So far everyone has had it except my husband - I guess that's one way to save a lot - don't eat! Kidding aside, we went to the grocery the first night we arrived and stocked up on food and that turned out great - we haven't gone out to eat at all since someone has always felt sick, so aside from our grocery stop we've spent nothing on food since Friday!
The beach is terrific as once you've gotten your room, the activities are free. We spend most days alternating between the ocean (which is beautiful here) and the pools. We brought sand and water toys from home, along with a great beach umbrella we purchased at Sam's Club three years ago and a few fold up chairs. Our room is so close to the ocean we don't even bother to pack food - we just run back when we get hungry.
A big plus of staying at a timeshare/ condo resort is the activities - we honestly never thought of that when we first purchased (off ebay super cheap of course), but the activities are so fun for the kids! This week alone we've enjoyed pool games, free cookies and lemonade, games at the activities center (checkers, connect 4, rock band, air hockey), bingo and more. The kids really look forward to these and most are free!
Our resort is older, but still very nice and very close to the ocean (2 min walk). Plus there is a pool right on the ocean. With two bedrooms and a full kitchen, we have everything we need. Plus, by snagging an older, but clean and well maintained location I was able to get it for a steal - including trade in and maintenance fees, this week is costing us $360.
I'll take $360 a week for sun, sand and swimming any day!
Hopefully today we'll be on the mend and I'll have some tips for saving outside the resort!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Theme Restaurant Experience at a low cost!
Still traveling and still saving money!
Monday night we were back at Sea World - really getting our use out of those annual passes! No money spent out of pocket. I took the morning off and we did a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's - no big savings there expect it is less expensive to have breakfast than lunch or dinner. Afterwards, we rode the monorail around and then the boat from the Magic Kingdom to the ticket and transportation area and the monorail back to the Contemporary where we had left our car. The kids think the monorail is fun and the boat was deserted since we were going the opposite direction from the Magic Kingdom. We ate at the condo the rest of the day . . .
Tuesday I worked all day and the kids and hubby went to Sea World to play in the splash pad all morning. In the evening we went to Downtown Disney, and had a nice dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe - we split two meals and with our 10% DVC discount, got out for $17. Since the meal was light, after a few hours of window shopping, we decided to have dessert at the new T-Rex restaurant. It is similar to Rainforest Cafe, but dinosaur themed. This was the perfect way to have the restaurant experience at a minimal cost. We got the HUGE volcano dessert (comes out with dry ice smoke), and split it with two pieces of chocolate cake left to take home for later. Total cost was $15, but I had a $10 Rainforest Cafe coupon (courtesy of their Safari Club which is free to join), so out of pocket, after tip we spent $9. Total cost for another big day of fun: $26!!!
Monday night we were back at Sea World - really getting our use out of those annual passes! No money spent out of pocket. I took the morning off and we did a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's - no big savings there expect it is less expensive to have breakfast than lunch or dinner. Afterwards, we rode the monorail around and then the boat from the Magic Kingdom to the ticket and transportation area and the monorail back to the Contemporary where we had left our car. The kids think the monorail is fun and the boat was deserted since we were going the opposite direction from the Magic Kingdom. We ate at the condo the rest of the day . . .
Tuesday I worked all day and the kids and hubby went to Sea World to play in the splash pad all morning. In the evening we went to Downtown Disney, and had a nice dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe - we split two meals and with our 10% DVC discount, got out for $17. Since the meal was light, after a few hours of window shopping, we decided to have dessert at the new T-Rex restaurant. It is similar to Rainforest Cafe, but dinosaur themed. This was the perfect way to have the restaurant experience at a minimal cost. We got the HUGE volcano dessert (comes out with dry ice smoke), and split it with two pieces of chocolate cake left to take home for later. Total cost was $15, but I had a $10 Rainforest Cafe coupon (courtesy of their Safari Club which is free to join), so out of pocket, after tip we spent $9. Total cost for another big day of fun: $26!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Theme Park Savings
Well, the weekend was spent at the parks - we went to the Magic Kingdom Saturday and Sea World last night.
How to save at the Magic Kingdom . . . I've mentioned this before, but I purchase 10 day, no expiration passes online and we use 2 - 3 days a year. My tickets end up costing about $30 a day - big savings over the $70+ for a one day pass! We also save money at Disney on food by: 1 - splitting a double burger and a hot dog meal for lunch - with the toppings bar and ordering an extra bun ($.85), we spend under $20 and get plenty of food for the four of us. We actually didn't eat it all! 2 - order ice water - any restaurant that sells fountain drinks will happily give you an ice water for the asking. If you can't stand Orlando water (I don't mind it myself), just add a drink mix pack - one is the perfect size for the cup. This tip alone will easily save you $10 a day, you'll stay hydrated and you don't have to carry around water bottles! We only had one meal at the park, went home around 3:00, dinner in the condo and returned at 7:00 when the weather had cooled off. Total spent $25 for the day (lunch and a snack).
How to save at Sea World . . . last year we purchased annual passes - they cost us $30 more than a day pass and are good for 365 days from date of purchase. Best part - they include parking ($12 savings a day). We went three times last summer, once at Christmas and will go several times this week. Last night we went about 7:00after dinner, and since the park closed at 10:00, enjoyed most of the rides (no lines that late at night), visited a few of the exhibits and then watched the fireworks. Lunch was at a great BBQ place (local dive) using a coupon in the Entertainment book (purchased for $12 end of the year), split two meals for the four of us. Then we did get Mickey Ice Cream Bars at Downtown Disney on our way home from Sea World. Total spent $26 for the day (lunch and ice cream).
How to save at the Magic Kingdom . . . I've mentioned this before, but I purchase 10 day, no expiration passes online and we use 2 - 3 days a year. My tickets end up costing about $30 a day - big savings over the $70+ for a one day pass! We also save money at Disney on food by: 1 - splitting a double burger and a hot dog meal for lunch - with the toppings bar and ordering an extra bun ($.85), we spend under $20 and get plenty of food for the four of us. We actually didn't eat it all! 2 - order ice water - any restaurant that sells fountain drinks will happily give you an ice water for the asking. If you can't stand Orlando water (I don't mind it myself), just add a drink mix pack - one is the perfect size for the cup. This tip alone will easily save you $10 a day, you'll stay hydrated and you don't have to carry around water bottles! We only had one meal at the park, went home around 3:00, dinner in the condo and returned at 7:00 when the weather had cooled off. Total spent $25 for the day (lunch and a snack).
How to save at Sea World . . . last year we purchased annual passes - they cost us $30 more than a day pass and are good for 365 days from date of purchase. Best part - they include parking ($12 savings a day). We went three times last summer, once at Christmas and will go several times this week. Last night we went about 7:00after dinner, and since the park closed at 10:00, enjoyed most of the rides (no lines that late at night), visited a few of the exhibits and then watched the fireworks. Lunch was at a great BBQ place (local dive) using a coupon in the Entertainment book (purchased for $12 end of the year), split two meals for the four of us. Then we did get Mickey Ice Cream Bars at Downtown Disney on our way home from Sea World. Total spent $26 for the day (lunch and ice cream).
Friday, June 4, 2010
Save money on the road
We've taken off on our month long June trip - this is something we've done the past few years. This year, I thought I'd document some of the ways we save money on the road - in real time!
So, today's big savings (and it's only 9:23 AM):
Stopped at Walgreen's on my way to "work." I had a few Register Rewards (RR) that expire Sunday - even though I'm not at home, doesn't mean I can't still play a condensed version of the drugstore game! I picked up the vitamins and Ecotrin that were on this week's RR, used my $2 Ecotrin coupon (yes I brought some of my coupons along), my expiring RR and also picked up a case of water. We leave family tonight for a condo, so we'll need some water. It was on sale for $2.99, but after my RR I paid a total of $1.61 for everything. Plus I got back $11 in RR that expire 6/18.
I wrote down in my calendar a reminder to visit Walgreen's before the 18th and use the RR for either something we need or something to roll them. There are Walgreen's where we are headed, so easy enough to swing in. I still have a $3 RR to use by Sunday, so when we arrive I'll run over for CoffeeMate and milk. The CoffeeMate, milk and water are all things we would have purchased at the grocery once we arrived at our condo, so by using my RR I've saved us at least $9!
Savings #2 for the day - while I travel I still work from Starbucks, restaurants, etc. Today I'm at ABC - because they have free coffee this morning! I still purchased a muffin (because I feel like I should give them some money for the free wireless!), but saved $1.60 on my coffee - with free refills I'm set for the morning.
Just because you're on vacation or away from home doesn't mean you can't save! More tips to follow as they happen!
So, today's big savings (and it's only 9:23 AM):
Stopped at Walgreen's on my way to "work." I had a few Register Rewards (RR) that expire Sunday - even though I'm not at home, doesn't mean I can't still play a condensed version of the drugstore game! I picked up the vitamins and Ecotrin that were on this week's RR, used my $2 Ecotrin coupon (yes I brought some of my coupons along), my expiring RR and also picked up a case of water. We leave family tonight for a condo, so we'll need some water. It was on sale for $2.99, but after my RR I paid a total of $1.61 for everything. Plus I got back $11 in RR that expire 6/18.
I wrote down in my calendar a reminder to visit Walgreen's before the 18th and use the RR for either something we need or something to roll them. There are Walgreen's where we are headed, so easy enough to swing in. I still have a $3 RR to use by Sunday, so when we arrive I'll run over for CoffeeMate and milk. The CoffeeMate, milk and water are all things we would have purchased at the grocery once we arrived at our condo, so by using my RR I've saved us at least $9!
Savings #2 for the day - while I travel I still work from Starbucks, restaurants, etc. Today I'm at ABC - because they have free coffee this morning! I still purchased a muffin (because I feel like I should give them some money for the free wireless!), but saved $1.60 on my coffee - with free refills I'm set for the morning.
Just because you're on vacation or away from home doesn't mean you can't save! More tips to follow as they happen!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Travel Writing
One of my goals in October was to learn more about Travel Writing. Well, along with taking a class online, I submitted an article to Associated Content. I know it's very easy to get published there, but still, it was exciting to have an article accepted and even get paid a few dollars for it!
Here's the link:
Family Fun in Fort Wayne!
Here's the link:
Family Fun in Fort Wayne!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Frugal Friday - mini vacation
By now, if you've read any of my previous posts, it's probably obvious I love to travel. Sometimes we just don't have the time to take a long vacation. So, we take a mini vacation. Not only are they time savers, they are typically budget friendly also.
This week Wed/ Thurs was a family "vacation." We drove to a city one hour north of us (not much in gas), stayed in a hotel (with an indoor pool and free breakfast) using our points, used coupons for dining out and spent yesterday at the zoo. We did spend more than we could have - (because we can afford to and we felt like it), but we figured out we could have done the entire two day trip for around $60 - including gas, free lodging, the zoo, rides at the zoo, dinner Wed and lunch Thursday.
We all had so much fun and it felt so relaxing to "get away." This morning as I was getting my daughter ready for preschool she said "I don't want to go to school today." I said "why honey, I thought you liked school?" Her answer: "I do, but I want to go on more vacations instead."
I think she's gotten the travel bug too!
This week Wed/ Thurs was a family "vacation." We drove to a city one hour north of us (not much in gas), stayed in a hotel (with an indoor pool and free breakfast) using our points, used coupons for dining out and spent yesterday at the zoo. We did spend more than we could have - (because we can afford to and we felt like it), but we figured out we could have done the entire two day trip for around $60 - including gas, free lodging, the zoo, rides at the zoo, dinner Wed and lunch Thursday.
We all had so much fun and it felt so relaxing to "get away." This morning as I was getting my daughter ready for preschool she said "I don't want to go to school today." I said "why honey, I thought you liked school?" Her answer: "I do, but I want to go on more vacations instead."
I think she's gotten the travel bug too!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Frugal Friday - eating out!
We don't eat out often, but when we do, unless it's our local sushi joint, we always use a coupon. A great resource I've mentioned before is Restaurant.com You can purchase a $25 coupon for $10 at many different restaurants around the country. There are some stipulations (like gratuity included, specific total bill amount, etc.), so make sure and read the fine print before you purchase. The site also often has deals for 60% or more off - like right now if you use the code: FESTIVE you can get 60% off your order, so for only $4 you can purchase a $25 coupon.
We often use these when traveling. On a trip to Vegas this summer we picked up two for $8 total (a 60% off sale) and had two nice dinners for $20 and $14 (including the cost of the certificate).
We often use these when traveling. On a trip to Vegas this summer we picked up two for $8 total (a 60% off sale) and had two nice dinners for $20 and $14 (including the cost of the certificate).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Travel Thursdays - Disney!!!!
We go to Disney every year - but we do it very inexpensively. I'll outline our last trip (although not in as much detail as the ski trip) below:
Tickets: Since we go every year, I purchased ten day passes with no expiration, park hopper and the water park extras. Two adult tickets and one child was about $1000 - I used Mousesavers to find the best deal. Yes, this was expensive, but I bought those tickets three years ago and we've made three trips to Disney since - we still have four or five days left - when we go to Orlando we only actually visit the parks two or three days. With the water park addition, tickets are about $30 a day - versus the $70 one day front gate price!!! Three days: $270
Transportation: We stayed two weeks, so we drove - gas cost us about $272 (for our minivan).
Lodging: We used our timeshares - a mere 28K points scored us a nice two bedroom at the Sheraton Vistana (excellent location). Then we spent four nights at Vero Beach with our Disney points - Sun - Wed, so low point nights and we decided on an ocean front inn room - so not much bigger than a hotel room, but a great view! The rest of week two was spent visiting friends. Total cost: $553
Food: While in Orlando, we only ate out four times - we used the Entertainment book (purchased end of the year with an ebates refund for $12) for two of those - total cost was $90. One of those finds was a WONDERFUL new place for us - we are already looking forward to going there again next year! We went to the grocery when we arrived (and brought some food) $65. This enabled us to take our own snacks and water into the parks. In addition, we got to the parks early, left at lunch time and went back after dinner. Saved money and good rest for the kids. We did eat out more at the beach as we didn't have a full kitchen. But, we found some great local spots by asking around. We also enjoyed a few early bird discounts while there - good for us since our kids need to eat around 5:00 anyways, so $160. Total food: $315
Entertainment: Three days at the parks, many days at the pool and beach, a little window shopping, a few stops at playgrounds and some visiting with friends kept us very busy. We also took advantage of the kids programs at the timeshares. All of them were free except for one cooking class my daughter took. Since I already included park tickets above, this total was $7
Laundry: I only packed seven days worth of clothing for each of us, and both timeshares had free laundry, so this time the cost was 0 (I packed my own detergent - those free samples are perfect).
Extras: We let each kid pick something special to buy and encouraged them to wait until the end of the week to decide. My daughter picked a Minnie Mouse from WalMart for $6 and my son was so little we just picked up a water ball for him to play with at the pool. As the kids get older we'll probably set a price limit for this category. We also got my son his first haircut on Mainstreet - $15 including Mickey Ears!!! Finally, at Goofy's Candy shop we made our own pretzels - they are three for $3.50 so a real bargain and fun for all of us. Total cost: $28.50
So, a two week trip to Disney and the beach: $1445.50
Yes, this was expensive, but much better than those commercials - 5 nights/ 4 days for $1500 . . . I'm pretty pleased and since we go every year, we get better at making it more affordable each year!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Travel Thursdays - Real life examples
I thought it be fun to wrap up this series with the details of some of our recent trips:
Ski vacation on the cheap!
Our daughter was almost four and so we decided to get her on skis this year. Flying to one of the big resorts out West seemed like a waste of money for such a beginning skier, so we decided to drive up to the Boyne, MI area - it's about a seven hour drive for us - very doable. Skiing can be a VERY expensive vacation, but I think we did pretty well.
We knew we would need someone to help us watch our daughter while we skied, so we enlisted the Grandparents to come along - a free trip for them in exchange for some childcare! On the agenda was skiing, a little shopping and a waterpark day - this was based upon what we knew was available in the area from previous trips and a little internet research.
We took one vehicle so gas (at the time) cost us about $55 each way. We used one of our timeshares - trading in a measly 42K points got us a two bedroom slopeside. Cost of 1/3 of our points and the RCI trade in was $347.00.
With transportation and lodging covered, we needed to get down to activities and food. We are lucky in that we have our own skis, but my daughter did not. Rental skis for her were $15. We decided we would ski two days, sign up for one lesson for her and take her ourselves one day. Luckily the resort we went to had some nice deals. The beginner lift (which had two nice runs) was free if you asked for a lift ticket the day before. Sundays there was a ski special $22 if you ski 12:30 - 4:30. Finally, you could purchase half day tickets (any four hours) for $33. We found out all this info by checking out the site before we left home.
Food was covered by packing our own breakfast, lunch and snack foods - this was easy since we were driving. Once we arrived, we picked up all the dining guides and entertainment guides and spent some time looking through them. We found some great deals and coupons this way!
Here's how it panned out:
Friday - we left afterschool and arrive late night. We stopped at Ruby Tuesday's on the way for dinner - we all got salad bars and one kids meal for the kids to split. A little pricey at $50 for the 6 of us.
Saturday - breakfast at the condo then we walked over, signed dd up for ski school (very pricey at $60) and bought ourselves two half day lift tickets ($66). I bought a large pizza at the resort with a 10% off coupon for $20. This was lunch for all of us today along with our drinks at the condo. We skied all afternoon, then came back and went exploring for dinner. I actually can't remember where we ended up for dinner, but I'm sure it was reasonable - no more than $40 for all of us.
Sunday - relaxed at the condo in the morning, then hubby and I skied the afternoon session $44 - a great deal! My parents took advantage of the kids program at the timeshare and the kids did free activities all afternoon. We ate leftover pizza and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was a local whitefish place (the area is known for whitefish) we found in one of the dining guide - it was fantastic and inexpensive. We purchased one dinner and one kids meal for the four of us and my parents split one meal. $30 including drinks for all of us.
Monday - we got up early and did the timeshare presentation - both my husband and I first and got three free waterpark passes, and then my parents did it and got $100 in gift cards. Breakfast was also included. It was interesting to see the other resorts as we really liked this place. The kids participated in activites in the morning while we took turns doing the presentations. After a lunch in the condo we went to the waterpark while my parents relaxed and did some sightseeing. The kids had a blast and we spent the entire afternoon there. We spent $4 on a pretzel and drink for a snack. For dinner that evening we tried a local Mexican place that had a happy hour special of $2 for any taco or enchilada. With free chips and salsa, a side of rice and beans for our kids and even a few drinks the price was an amazing $20 for all of us - and the food was FANTASTIC!!!! That night, the kids stayed at the condo with my parents and we took my dad to the local casino. They had quarter roulette and $3 tables - we gambled $20 each and spent several hours there.
Tuesday - we had gotten the free lift tickets so took my daughter skiing on the beginners runs - it was a blast and cost $15 for her rental - what a bargain!!!! In the afternoon we went to downtown Petosky and shopped around. At the timeshare presentation yesterday we had also received coupon books so we had a couple of buy one get one free lattes at the local coffee shop. Total cost was $5.00 for 3 lattes and one hot chocolate. YUM! Dinner was another local spot - decent food, but nothing spectacular. We used some of my parents gift cards from Monday, so the cost was $20 out of pocket for all of us. We went back to the casino for a few hours and my dad ended up winning $1500 - good bonus for him.
Wednesday - we had to get back to school, so we had to forgo the last few days of vacation. We drove home, stopped at Subway for lunch $25 but used a gift card so $15 out of pocket.
It was a fantastic trip - we all had a blast and agreed it will have to become an annual vacation.
Gas: $110
Lodging: $347
Food: $214 for 4 adults and 2 kids (15 meals) I packed food from home, didn't buy anything special.
Skiing: $200 - 2 half days, 1 day ski school and 3 hours "free" skiing on one lift
Waterpark: $0 (included the snack in food)
Other: activities at the condo were free; gambling ended up free as we won back all our money plus some (and we started out with their money signing up for the awards card)
Total cost: $871 for a ski vacation for six - pretty darn good as our old trips out West were easily $2500 for the two of us!!!
Lessons learned: hit the Mexican place twice - it was THAT good; don't bother with the ski lesson; get our hands on a coupon book earlier in the trip`
Sorry this was so long, based upon that I think I'll wait until next week to review our recent trip to Disney! Hope this was interesting - it was fun for me to re-live our fun time!
Ski vacation on the cheap!
Our daughter was almost four and so we decided to get her on skis this year. Flying to one of the big resorts out West seemed like a waste of money for such a beginning skier, so we decided to drive up to the Boyne, MI area - it's about a seven hour drive for us - very doable. Skiing can be a VERY expensive vacation, but I think we did pretty well.
We knew we would need someone to help us watch our daughter while we skied, so we enlisted the Grandparents to come along - a free trip for them in exchange for some childcare! On the agenda was skiing, a little shopping and a waterpark day - this was based upon what we knew was available in the area from previous trips and a little internet research.
We took one vehicle so gas (at the time) cost us about $55 each way. We used one of our timeshares - trading in a measly 42K points got us a two bedroom slopeside. Cost of 1/3 of our points and the RCI trade in was $347.00.
With transportation and lodging covered, we needed to get down to activities and food. We are lucky in that we have our own skis, but my daughter did not. Rental skis for her were $15. We decided we would ski two days, sign up for one lesson for her and take her ourselves one day. Luckily the resort we went to had some nice deals. The beginner lift (which had two nice runs) was free if you asked for a lift ticket the day before. Sundays there was a ski special $22 if you ski 12:30 - 4:30. Finally, you could purchase half day tickets (any four hours) for $33. We found out all this info by checking out the site before we left home.
Food was covered by packing our own breakfast, lunch and snack foods - this was easy since we were driving. Once we arrived, we picked up all the dining guides and entertainment guides and spent some time looking through them. We found some great deals and coupons this way!
Here's how it panned out:
Friday - we left afterschool and arrive late night. We stopped at Ruby Tuesday's on the way for dinner - we all got salad bars and one kids meal for the kids to split. A little pricey at $50 for the 6 of us.
Saturday - breakfast at the condo then we walked over, signed dd up for ski school (very pricey at $60) and bought ourselves two half day lift tickets ($66). I bought a large pizza at the resort with a 10% off coupon for $20. This was lunch for all of us today along with our drinks at the condo. We skied all afternoon, then came back and went exploring for dinner. I actually can't remember where we ended up for dinner, but I'm sure it was reasonable - no more than $40 for all of us.
Sunday - relaxed at the condo in the morning, then hubby and I skied the afternoon session $44 - a great deal! My parents took advantage of the kids program at the timeshare and the kids did free activities all afternoon. We ate leftover pizza and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was a local whitefish place (the area is known for whitefish) we found in one of the dining guide - it was fantastic and inexpensive. We purchased one dinner and one kids meal for the four of us and my parents split one meal. $30 including drinks for all of us.
Monday - we got up early and did the timeshare presentation - both my husband and I first and got three free waterpark passes, and then my parents did it and got $100 in gift cards. Breakfast was also included. It was interesting to see the other resorts as we really liked this place. The kids participated in activites in the morning while we took turns doing the presentations. After a lunch in the condo we went to the waterpark while my parents relaxed and did some sightseeing. The kids had a blast and we spent the entire afternoon there. We spent $4 on a pretzel and drink for a snack. For dinner that evening we tried a local Mexican place that had a happy hour special of $2 for any taco or enchilada. With free chips and salsa, a side of rice and beans for our kids and even a few drinks the price was an amazing $20 for all of us - and the food was FANTASTIC!!!! That night, the kids stayed at the condo with my parents and we took my dad to the local casino. They had quarter roulette and $3 tables - we gambled $20 each and spent several hours there.
Tuesday - we had gotten the free lift tickets so took my daughter skiing on the beginners runs - it was a blast and cost $15 for her rental - what a bargain!!!! In the afternoon we went to downtown Petosky and shopped around. At the timeshare presentation yesterday we had also received coupon books so we had a couple of buy one get one free lattes at the local coffee shop. Total cost was $5.00 for 3 lattes and one hot chocolate. YUM! Dinner was another local spot - decent food, but nothing spectacular. We used some of my parents gift cards from Monday, so the cost was $20 out of pocket for all of us. We went back to the casino for a few hours and my dad ended up winning $1500 - good bonus for him.
Wednesday - we had to get back to school, so we had to forgo the last few days of vacation. We drove home, stopped at Subway for lunch $25 but used a gift card so $15 out of pocket.
It was a fantastic trip - we all had a blast and agreed it will have to become an annual vacation.
Gas: $110
Lodging: $347
Food: $214 for 4 adults and 2 kids (15 meals) I packed food from home, didn't buy anything special.
Skiing: $200 - 2 half days, 1 day ski school and 3 hours "free" skiing on one lift
Waterpark: $0 (included the snack in food)
Other: activities at the condo were free; gambling ended up free as we won back all our money plus some (and we started out with their money signing up for the awards card)
Total cost: $871 for a ski vacation for six - pretty darn good as our old trips out West were easily $2500 for the two of us!!!
Lessons learned: hit the Mexican place twice - it was THAT good; don't bother with the ski lesson; get our hands on a coupon book earlier in the trip`
Sorry this was so long, based upon that I think I'll wait until next week to review our recent trip to Disney! Hope this was interesting - it was fun for me to re-live our fun time!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Travel Thursdays - Miscellaneous Tips
This has been a fun series to write - one of my favorite topics. We are nearing the end - next week I'll showcase a few examples of some of our recent trips. Today I thought I'd share some miscellaneous tips.
1. Read guide books - this is a great way to get ideas of things to do, places to go, etc. Don't buy them however, get them from the library. They are typically updated annually, so why spend money on something that will be out of date in less than a year.
2. Keep a file for future trips. Whenever I find an article about a place I'd like to go, I rip it out and put it in my vacation file. Then, when it's time to plan a trip I pull out the file and see if there is anything useful. I do clean this file out annually to keep it from getting too big!
3. Involve the whole family. If the kids (and spouse) are involved in the planning, they will be more excited about the trip. This also takes the burden off of you as sole entertainment provider!
4. Go with the flow. It's good to have some things scheduled, but it's also fun to just go with the flow sometimes. Often the best memories are unplanned - and a little flexibility can make for less stress and sometimes more fun!
5. Ask the locals. I know I've mentioned this in past weeks, but I can't emphasize it enough - you can get such great tips on everything from where to eat to what to do - information you could never find on your own. Plus, you will meet some interesting people along the way.
6. Try something new. Just because you haven't done it, eaten it, etc. doesn't mean it's not fun. Vacations are a great time to step outside your comfort zone - your kids will love it!
7. Don't overpack. If we are gone for more than a week, I'll still only pack a week's worth of clothing (or less). It is easy to find a laundromat (if your lodging doesn't have one) and it only takes an hour to do laundry. I send the kids off with hubby, get a coffee and read a book while the clothes are being washed. It's relaxing and so much easier to have less stuff to lug around.
8. Take pictures. These are the best souvenirs. We will usually buy each child one item on the trip - we encourage them to look at everything and think about what they want - it's often a $5 stuffed animal versus the $50 lego set - lol!!! Then we take lots of pictures. When we get home I'll scrapbook some and sometimes make a photo book at CVS or Meijer with the rest.
9. Speaking of souvenirs, buy ahead. On our last few trips to Disney, I've shopped the Disney store for clearance items in the months before the trip. I'll also pick up a few new DVD's or CD's on clearance here or there. Then, I wrap them up and pack them in my bag. The kids get a nice little surprise and I'm not paying an outrageous price for it.
10. Check out the outlet mall. When we go to Orlando, we always visit the outlet mall - there is a Disney outlet located there and we often find great gifts for the kids, Christmas presents, etc.
11. Do the unexpected. Have ice cream for breakfast, pack a picnic lunch, let the kids stay up late for fireworks, say yes when they ask for that $1 treat at the gas station, go to McDonald's if that's where the kids really want to eat. Vacation is a great time to break the routine and do things you would never consider at home - it's fun, the kids love it and it creates great memories.
12. Just go! Even if you can't afford a long trip, try to create something close to home. There are deals out there - camp at a nearby State Park, stay overnight at a local budget motel with a pool, whatever you can do, just do it - the memories will be priceless.
1. Read guide books - this is a great way to get ideas of things to do, places to go, etc. Don't buy them however, get them from the library. They are typically updated annually, so why spend money on something that will be out of date in less than a year.
2. Keep a file for future trips. Whenever I find an article about a place I'd like to go, I rip it out and put it in my vacation file. Then, when it's time to plan a trip I pull out the file and see if there is anything useful. I do clean this file out annually to keep it from getting too big!
3. Involve the whole family. If the kids (and spouse) are involved in the planning, they will be more excited about the trip. This also takes the burden off of you as sole entertainment provider!
4. Go with the flow. It's good to have some things scheduled, but it's also fun to just go with the flow sometimes. Often the best memories are unplanned - and a little flexibility can make for less stress and sometimes more fun!
5. Ask the locals. I know I've mentioned this in past weeks, but I can't emphasize it enough - you can get such great tips on everything from where to eat to what to do - information you could never find on your own. Plus, you will meet some interesting people along the way.
6. Try something new. Just because you haven't done it, eaten it, etc. doesn't mean it's not fun. Vacations are a great time to step outside your comfort zone - your kids will love it!
7. Don't overpack. If we are gone for more than a week, I'll still only pack a week's worth of clothing (or less). It is easy to find a laundromat (if your lodging doesn't have one) and it only takes an hour to do laundry. I send the kids off with hubby, get a coffee and read a book while the clothes are being washed. It's relaxing and so much easier to have less stuff to lug around.
8. Take pictures. These are the best souvenirs. We will usually buy each child one item on the trip - we encourage them to look at everything and think about what they want - it's often a $5 stuffed animal versus the $50 lego set - lol!!! Then we take lots of pictures. When we get home I'll scrapbook some and sometimes make a photo book at CVS or Meijer with the rest.
9. Speaking of souvenirs, buy ahead. On our last few trips to Disney, I've shopped the Disney store for clearance items in the months before the trip. I'll also pick up a few new DVD's or CD's on clearance here or there. Then, I wrap them up and pack them in my bag. The kids get a nice little surprise and I'm not paying an outrageous price for it.
10. Check out the outlet mall. When we go to Orlando, we always visit the outlet mall - there is a Disney outlet located there and we often find great gifts for the kids, Christmas presents, etc.
11. Do the unexpected. Have ice cream for breakfast, pack a picnic lunch, let the kids stay up late for fireworks, say yes when they ask for that $1 treat at the gas station, go to McDonald's if that's where the kids really want to eat. Vacation is a great time to break the routine and do things you would never consider at home - it's fun, the kids love it and it creates great memories.
12. Just go! Even if you can't afford a long trip, try to create something close to home. There are deals out there - camp at a nearby State Park, stay overnight at a local budget motel with a pool, whatever you can do, just do it - the memories will be priceless.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Travel Thursday - What to do?
Almost at the home stretch of this series! So, now that you know where you are going, how you are getting there, where you are staying and how you will eat, what else will you do?
This is a fun and pretty easy topic. There are definitely ways to save money on almost anything you want to do. Since you looked at the area when you decided where to go, you probably have a good idea of at least some of the activities.
1. Sit down with your family and brainstorm what you would like to do - get everyone involved. If your kids are too little, think about their favorite things to do - for many little ones a pool or a playground is as much fun as an amusement park.
2. Make a list of 5 or 6 "must do" activities - include something for everyone.
3. Do a search on the web for the location you are visiting. Look for the tourism office, check citysearch and check a few travel forums like frommers or fodors. Check for activities as well as discounts.
4. Go to the library and check out a tour guide on the area.
5. Combine your ideas from #2 -#4 and pick out your top ones. If your kids are older, consider letting them each take a day and "plan it out" - that can be a lot of fun for them and if they are more involved in the trip, they will enjoy it much more.
6. Now, get back on the internet and look for deals - type in the name of the attraction and then the word "coupon" or "deal" - this will often pull up a few sites where you can get discounts. If that doesn't work, call the location and ask about deals. For example, last time we went to Sea World I called and asked them if there were any deals on ticket prices. They told me that if I brought in a Pepsi can or bottle we would save $10 off admission - quick and easy. Another place to look for deals is if you are a member of AAA. There are often discounts associated with that membership. Of course check the Entertainment book also.
7. Don't forget while you are on vacation to ask the locals (at restaurants is a good place) if there is anything special you should do while you are there. Last time we were in Florida near the ocean the waitress at breakfast (a nice local joint) told us where to go to see Manatees. It was free and fun! This is a good way to find State or County parks which can be a lot of fun - especially if you pack a picnic lunch.
8. Finally, don't pack your days too full - especially if you have little ones. Sometimes the most fun can be had playing in the pool at the hotel, stopping at a school playground to play or just relaxing on the patio with a good book and a coffee while the kids nap or play in the room.
If we are visiting a place like Disneyworld, we usually only go to the parks 2 days out of 7. Then 2 or 3 days are spent at the pool and the other days just exploring Orlando - the outlet mall, parks, other attractions, etc.
This is a fun and pretty easy topic. There are definitely ways to save money on almost anything you want to do. Since you looked at the area when you decided where to go, you probably have a good idea of at least some of the activities.
1. Sit down with your family and brainstorm what you would like to do - get everyone involved. If your kids are too little, think about their favorite things to do - for many little ones a pool or a playground is as much fun as an amusement park.
2. Make a list of 5 or 6 "must do" activities - include something for everyone.
3. Do a search on the web for the location you are visiting. Look for the tourism office, check citysearch and check a few travel forums like frommers or fodors. Check for activities as well as discounts.
4. Go to the library and check out a tour guide on the area.
5. Combine your ideas from #2 -#4 and pick out your top ones. If your kids are older, consider letting them each take a day and "plan it out" - that can be a lot of fun for them and if they are more involved in the trip, they will enjoy it much more.
6. Now, get back on the internet and look for deals - type in the name of the attraction and then the word "coupon" or "deal" - this will often pull up a few sites where you can get discounts. If that doesn't work, call the location and ask about deals. For example, last time we went to Sea World I called and asked them if there were any deals on ticket prices. They told me that if I brought in a Pepsi can or bottle we would save $10 off admission - quick and easy. Another place to look for deals is if you are a member of AAA. There are often discounts associated with that membership. Of course check the Entertainment book also.
7. Don't forget while you are on vacation to ask the locals (at restaurants is a good place) if there is anything special you should do while you are there. Last time we were in Florida near the ocean the waitress at breakfast (a nice local joint) told us where to go to see Manatees. It was free and fun! This is a good way to find State or County parks which can be a lot of fun - especially if you pack a picnic lunch.
8. Finally, don't pack your days too full - especially if you have little ones. Sometimes the most fun can be had playing in the pool at the hotel, stopping at a school playground to play or just relaxing on the patio with a good book and a coffee while the kids nap or play in the room.
If we are visiting a place like Disneyworld, we usually only go to the parks 2 days out of 7. Then 2 or 3 days are spent at the pool and the other days just exploring Orlando - the outlet mall, parks, other attractions, etc.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Travel Thursdays
How to get there?
Okay, so you know where you are going and probably have a rough idea of what you will do, so how will you get there?
There are several options: car, plane, train, bus are the obvious ones, although I suppose you might also be able to share a ride with someone or bike (depending upon the distance). For the average person though it will probably be one of the first four.
Before you decide think about where you are going - how far away it is, and what type of transportation you will need when you are there.
There are advantages (cost and otherwise) to all forms of transportation. You should know based upon your needs and location which is the best form for you, but I'll outline them all:
- Flying: Advantages: quick, great for long distances. Disadvantages: expensive, you are limited on what you can bring along, you'll need transportation when you arrive
- Driving: Advantages: more room, easy (no security lines, parking or ride to the airport, etc.), less expensive than flying. Disadvantages: Will take away from actual vacation time, can be boring for long distances, higher gas prices can hurt, if you visit a city or location where you don't need a car you still may have to pay for parking.
- Train/ Bus: Advantages: less expensive than driving (typically). Disadvantages: at mercy of train/bus schedule, will take more time then flying, you'll still need transportation when you arrive. I rarely take a train or bus, so I don't have a lot of experience for this category.
How I decide whether we drive or fly:
- If we are gone a long time (ex: 24 days in June) and will need transportation we would probably drive - adding the cost of a rental car to plane tickets would be prohibitive. Plus with that long of a vacation a few days of driving are acceptable.
- If it's a quick weekend trip that is more than seven hours away we would probably fly.
- If we are going to a location where we don't need transportation (i.e. large city) we would consider flying (depends upon cost).
- If it's just my husband and myself and it's a quick trip, we might fly - two tickets are a lot less expensive than four and we don't need to take as much stuff.
Some resources to find the best deal:
Flying: I always check at least two websites such as http://www.travelocity.com/<> or http://www.orbitz.com/ Once I get the lowest rate there, I'll go directly to the suggested airline website. Usually you can book the same fare on their website minus the $5 - $10 fee the travel website charges. I also keep a matrix of my airline miles and whenever I have enough for a free ticket I'll look into that option. In week 7 of this series I'll share some ways to get miles without actually ever flying.
Driving: I actually prefer to drive, and I'll usually drive if I can. There are ways to make the trip more fun and we'll talk about that in week 8. If you decide to rent a car (and this will also be useful if you need to rent one after flying somewhere), here is how I get the best rate: First I do a search on one of the travel websites (like Travelocity). I'll check the best rate. Next I go to Priceline and try to name my own price for a MUCH lower price than Travelocity suggested. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. If it doesn't work then I'll look for coupons - an Entertainment book has typically been my best source. http://www.entertainment.com/ I'll check on rates using the coupons and book the best deal. When renting a car make sure and consider taxes - they can add up quickly.
Here's an example:
Next week we are going to California and need a car. Rates were running about $525 on Travelocity for a full size which is what I like to have to hold the two car seats. I tried Priceline at $20/ day - which would make the price around $200. No luck. So I used my Entertainment coupons and did a bunch of searches on the different companies. At the third company I searched I found the car I wanted for $240. I knew this was a good price based upon my searches on Travelocity/ Expedia/ etc. I went ahead and booked it. Total savings for an hour of my time: $285!!!
Some more great resources for checking rates:
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