Affordable vacation strategy
What are your tricks? I just looked at the internet for any new ideas I haven't yet considered and it didn't yield much new useful info. I'm just looking for any new ideas I haven't yet conside...
Forum Discussion
For souvenirs, my Mom taught me not to get caught up in the "it has the location's name on it" purchases and instead bought something I would love forever.
For girls, it's easy - a pretty piece of jewelry will be able to provide memories forever, and once they are grown up, they can pass them down to their girls and share the memory. For boys, I'd go with something they love. If they're into baseball, find a local shop and buy a new baseball card. A nice photo frame is great also as they could insert their own favorite photo of the trip. The idea is that whatever you get them, they will forever connect to that trip - it doesn't have to say "Yellowstone" for them to look at it and relive the memories of their trip to Yellowstone.
Get them something that can last through adulthood. Plastic trinkets, children's clothing, etc. will be gone in a year and will mean nothing. One nice item per trip or major stop will be far more treasured.
If the kids can handle it, rather than doing a full lunch each day, do snack items on the go. My niece loved spray cheese - so when we went out doing wildlife photography for a full day, I'd bring crackers and a can of spray cheese. She was able to set up in her camera bag and eat on the go (she was quite ingenious with her "table on the go" setup). A good breakfast in the morning and a good dinner afterwards and she was no worse for wear. She saw the spray cheese and crackers as a special treat, and I didn't have to deal with a starving kid and trying to find her food. And it was all easy to carry around all day.
Other than that, I agree with others who say don't worry too much about saving money. Spend the money on those far away trips (the ones you aren't likely to get back to very often), and save the money on trips close to home and at home.
For girls, it's easy - a pretty piece of jewelry will be able to provide memories forever, and once they are grown up, they can pass them down to their girls and share the memory. For boys, I'd go with something they love. If they're into baseball, find a local shop and buy a new baseball card. A nice photo frame is great also as they could insert their own favorite photo of the trip. The idea is that whatever you get them, they will forever connect to that trip - it doesn't have to say "Yellowstone" for them to look at it and relive the memories of their trip to Yellowstone.
Get them something that can last through adulthood. Plastic trinkets, children's clothing, etc. will be gone in a year and will mean nothing. One nice item per trip or major stop will be far more treasured.
If the kids can handle it, rather than doing a full lunch each day, do snack items on the go. My niece loved spray cheese - so when we went out doing wildlife photography for a full day, I'd bring crackers and a can of spray cheese. She was able to set up in her camera bag and eat on the go (she was quite ingenious with her "table on the go" setup). A good breakfast in the morning and a good dinner afterwards and she was no worse for wear. She saw the spray cheese and crackers as a special treat, and I didn't have to deal with a starving kid and trying to find her food. And it was all easy to carry around all day.
Other than that, I agree with others who say don't worry too much about saving money. Spend the money on those far away trips (the ones you aren't likely to get back to very often), and save the money on trips close to home and at home.
