May 05, 2009 2 Comments

Since we began a discussion of vacation plans yesterday I thought I would continue with a few money saving tips for those who are traveling. Some will travel to family reunions or to grandma’s house and some will travel for adventure and stay in hotels, others will have a specific destination with brief stops along the way. Whichever vacation applies to you there are ways to save money. Today lets talk travel by car.

Take your food and drinks with you. Pack a lunch or just the fixins and stop at a park or nice rest area to eat. If your children complain because they wanted fast food tell them you have a special treat for later.When our grandchildren visit I send them home with their own kid’s meal. I make a sandwich or a meal of sliced cheese and meats and crackers, add a boxed drink, chips, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, fruit, whatever I have on hand, and a small dessert. This is enough to satisfy them for not only lunch but also a snack which they can eat any time they want. They love being in control! Then I give mom some really fun sweet treats which she can hand out after the healthy stuff is gone. It works great and gets them all the way home, seven hours, with few complaints. For chips, crackers or other snacks always purchase the large bags and divide the into smaller baggies.

When you have finished eating lunch and it is time to fill the gas tank find a fast food restaurant close by the let the kids choose anything they want from the dollar menu. This can still get expensive if you have more than two children. In that case purchase a favorite treat, or make one that you never, or rarely, have at home. Our family loves my brownies with peanut butter cups in the center.

When our children were small and we needed to spend the night at a motel, I would purchase sugary cereals, which we never had at home, and that would be breakfast. They loved that! You can easily travel with a quart of milk or a box of milk or soy milk which needs no refrigeration until it is opened. Any leftovers can be divided into small baggies and used for snacks during the day. Oh course, a great way to save on breakfast is to get a motel room which offers a free breakfast as part of the price. Still compare prices for rooms but often you can get a room at the same price which offers breakfast.

If you will be traveling for a full day and need to eat both lunch and dinner on the road, stop for lunch if you want one meal at a real restaurant and not fast food. Lunch menus at a restaurant are always less expensive than the dinner menu.

Never purchase drinks on the road. The largest markup in the food industry is on drinks. Drink water and have sodas or juices in the car for the next snack. You can purchase a six pack of soda for the same price, on sale,  as one large soda at fast food or a restaurant.

If you are spending the night ask before you make reservations if there is a microwave in the room. Take a bag or two of popcorn for a night time snack. In fact, popcorn is a great snack for in the car if you have an extra bag at the end of the night. Sure, it makes a mess but what doesn’t?

To deal with crumbs in the car cover the seat with a sheet, remove it and give it a good shake when you stop.

Money Savers, vacation

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