Affordable vacation strategy

[michigansandzil]

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 considered.

Obviously, with the TT, there's no airfare, and we can eat as close to normal as possible, avoiding an increase in food costs.
There's gas buddy apps and state park as opposed to FHU sites to consider too.

I got the kids Passport books for the national parks so they can have their stamps as souvenirs. And I told them to start saving money. If they want a stuffed animal from everywhere we go this summer (6 states), they're footing the bill. Those types of things can get out of control fast. I told them they can keep ticket stubs, fliers, and the like to remember the vacation.

I think this summer will be more difficult to keep food costs down due to the fact that we will be in large cities most days and won't be returning to the camper for lunch.

So, what do you guys do?

[welove2drive]

This would be a good idea for kids or adults for an inexpensive memorable souvenir. Have you seen the picture words? Each photo is a picture of an object that resembles a letter. You line up the photos to spell your name or a special word. They seem to use black and white photos for this project. The photos are inexpensive. The the time and place of each object photographed will be remembered forever. I think the cost would be in the frame.

[Dog_Trainer]

As we are older we do not need the big meals as in the past ( come to think of it we did not need the big meals back then). Many times when eating out we will share a meal so many meals are huge and we take 1/2 of it home anyhow. For us it is about the sights and adventure not the doo dads. As far as budgeting we have a separate bank account where we deposit monies that are dedicated to our camping trips. WWe always seem to squeeze a little extra into the account when getting near to a trip.

[colliehauler]

wintersun wrote:
We usually pack a lunch or snack and a stainless steel water bottle as the fast food stuff is garbage and not healthy and it takes a lot longer to get in and out and eat. We use the camper to be able to eat better tasting and healthier meals than we can get in restaurants and expect to break even when traveling with the RV and staying at campgrounds versus driving our Prius and staying at motels.

When I was young we did our camping with tents and Coleman cook stoves and this was definitely both less expensive and more fun. It gets kids outdoors and away from computers and text messaging which is good for their mental and spiritual health. There was a great word I heard last week "technoference" referring to how technology can get in the way of healthy human interaction and relationships and I see this problem with people of all ages.

I agree with you.

[colliehauler]

When I was a child traveling with Mom and Dad we took a metal Coleman Cooler. Mom would make sandwiches and take fresh fruit, Cookies, chips and pop. They did not have extra for restaurants. I never went hungry and never felt the trip was less memorable because of it, heck I was seeing new things.

Fast Forward 50 years and one thing I love about my RV is the ability to cook a nice meal and not depend on restaurants. I still go out to eat, just not everyday.

[minnow]

If I were a kid again, don't know how memorable (in a positive way) knowing that for the next 10 days while on vacation, every meal at dinner time was coming out of a crock pot.

[Glenalt]

Bamaman1 wrote:
We're very fortunate to have 4 state parks within one hour. We also have a bunch of government owned campgrounds on the Tennessee River. Not having to go very far is a very big money saver in every way.

Our fifth wheel trailer spends its time in a large membership owned campground in NE Georgia. Yearly dues are $400 per year, and we can stay 14 nights monthly March-December for free. A number of retirees have 2 memberships, and their total housing expenses 10 months out of the year are $800. That's hard to beat. Memberships are $3500, including one years' dues, but can be sometimes picked up directly from members unable to use them any longer.

What membership is this? Sounds interesting for those full timing.

[toedtoes]

I agree with the above.

I worked out a budget for my travels as follows:

Food - I base it on my work's reimbursements ($6 breakfast, $12 lunch, $26 dinner, and $6 incidental) and multiply it by the number of days;

Mileage - with a rental car, I always rounded the expected miles driven up to the next 100th mile (so, if 359 miles, I round up to 400 miles) and calculate at 10mph and $5 per gallon) - RV will be calculated at 5mph and $7 per gallon;

Activities - I add up the known costs for the expenses I know I want to do and then round up to the nearest 100th and add another $100;

Shopping/Other - I budget $10 per day for souvenirs, etc.

Lodging, etc. are budgeted at the actual costs.

My trick is that because I budgeted for more than my actual costs will likely be, I will always have enough money available (without pulling out the credit cards) for the trip. If my actual expenses are less than I budgeted by the 2nd to last day in a location, I can scoot back to that store or other activity and splurge without cutting short the rest of the trip.

This sounds like a lot to do, but it really only takes a few minutes each evening before bed to reconcile. And it prevents my worst experience from ever happening again - running out of money halfway through the trip. Thank goodness my airfare and hotel were prepaid or I would have been on the street.

[Lantley]

winnietrey wrote:
"save and splurge at the same time" I like that. Pretty much what we try and do.

One question we do ask ourselves, is, when something looks fun to do, like a tour, or going in a cave or whatever. But it seems kind of pricey, we remind ourselves, we won't be back this way for a long time. And maybe we never will get back.

So 95% of the time we will go ahead and do it. Usually always glad we did

I agree with the above. We all have budgets, but a once in a life time trip will ultimately cost a bit extra. That doesn't mean "No holes barred spend every penny".
But is does mean you may participate in an unplanned, un-budgeted adventure if the opportunity presents itself.
I don't think you travel 100's of miles not to do an activity you would enjoy strictly due to cost.
Keep in mind splurging on one event may result in a budget cut back on another activity.
At some point you will earn more money, but the opportunity/moment will be gone forever.
A cross country trip often requires a different approach vs. a routine family vacation to the lake/beach.

[winnietrey]

"save and splurge at the same time" I like that. Pretty much what we try and do.

One question we do ask ourselves, is, when something looks fun to do, like a tour, or going in a cave or whatever. But it seems kind of pricey, we remind ourselves, we won't be back this way for a long time. And maybe we never will get back.

So 95% of the time we will go ahead and do it. Usually always glad we did

[wintersun]

We usually pack a lunch or snack and a stainless steel water bottle as the fast food stuff is garbage and not healthy and it takes a lot longer to get in and out and eat. We use the camper to be able to eat better tasting and healthier meals than we can get in restaurants and expect to break even when traveling with the RV and staying at campgrounds versus driving our Prius and staying at motels.

When I was young we did our camping with tents and Coleman cook stoves and this was definitely both less expensive and more fun. It gets kids outdoors and away from computers and text messaging which is good for their mental and spiritual health. There was a great word I heard last week "technoference" referring to how technology can get in the way of healthy human interaction and relationships and I see this problem with people of all ages.

[michigansandzil]

FULLTIMEWANABE wrote:
Good for you for sticking to a budget OP, it was refreshing to read your post today.

Have a fabulous vacation and fun planning it all.

Well thank you. Maybe this will be even more refreshing, we're not charging this vacation, hence why I need to figure how to save and splurge simultaneously.

Little cooler bags for each kid and a frozen bottle of water. Check. I've got two of those already and will pick up a few more. Good idea!

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Don't trip over the dollars trying to save the pennies I agree with but to risk totally blowing your budget, very little is worth that post holiday blues time. Our most precious memories are the things that made us laugh not the huge priced admissions/expensive foods as a family on a very tight budget years ago. I hear and see way too many people trying to pay off the previous credit card vacation or Christmas bills. To us it's not worth it, and for the parents puts a huge dampner on the whole trip after the fact trying to play catch up and high interest rates.. Yes we may have spent an extra 10% or 15% over our budget on occasion but certainly not doubled or tripled it, so I hear you watching your budget. Equally, if it's a one off unlikely ever to experience again thing you really want to do that the memories will stay with you and your children forever then an extra couple hundred bucks here or there once or twice on the trip I would likely concede with for our family in the past. Ironically though when we overspent in one area we scrimped a little more in another to balance out.

As for packed lunches and it being August = pick up those light insulated small bags in Walmart/dollar stores and freeze two water bottles per child to keep the insulation and cooling longer in them with a premade at home roll, fruit snack, bag of chips and have each child carry their own. We even use the plastic empty washed out deli meat containers to pack up each persons lunches. They will stay well cool till around midday to 1pm typically if not left open, and water bottles can be refilled at the fountains during the day.

If you can handle an early heavy breakfast even better and pack some trail mix, piece of fruit, and two frozen bottles of water each without the insulated collapsable bags (we prefer to always use insulated bags personally and they do work for us in the summer months).

When our kids were younger and we did Disney/Universal and other major theme parks, we always brought a few snacks and frozen waters with us - our treat between 2 adults and 2 children were one of those dinosauric size turkey legs between the four of us and my favourite a funnel cake fully loaded with fruit and cream. One of each of those between us all we found ample and a great treat.

Sounds like you'll be having an absolute blast - don't forget to pack some outdoor games to do and some indoor card/board games just in case = keeps the cost down. We found $20 in the dollar store gets us a net of 10 outdoor games (bats, balls, plastic horse shoes, bean bag game etc), a couple blow up pool toys, beach ball, and couple dollar games/jigsaw in case it rained.

We just got in from a week's cruise yesterday,which whilst on many boasted about their free cruises, free drink tickets, onboard credits and we felt totally ripped off having paid close to $1400 for a teeny balcony statesroom you couldn't open the door onto as the chairs blocked it. As time went on it turned out that these various folks had lost $3,000 to $6,000 in the casino on previous trips. The cards monitored how much gambling and drinking and consuming they spent on the ship, hence why they were offered these so called freebies. Good for you for sticking to a budget OP, it was refreshing to read your post today.

Have a fabulous vacation and fun planning it all.

[michigansandzil]

Merrykalia wrote:

michigansandzilla wrote:


That is what worries me about our summer trip. We're going to DC, Philly, NYC. I don't want to eat out all the time but we can't carry lunch on us when it's august. Water and snacks will have to do as well as a big breakfast to fill us up.
Glad to hear you managed it, that's encouraging. I would imagine that by the time it's dinnertime well be hot and tired and ready to head back to the campground anyway.

That's when we DO bring our lunches with us! I put some fruit, a jar of PB, some Nutella, some nuts, a knife and some tortillas in my backpack. Each of us had a water bottle. We had lunch on the Mall in DC, sitting on a foldable quilt that DH had in his backpack. We ate sitting under a tree in front of Constitution Hall in Philly, sitting on a bench at the Statue of Liberty and in Central Park another day while in NYC.

The kids really enjoy the picnics because it allows us to sit as a family and we talk about what we saw during the morning and what we want to do in the afternoon. I let the kids suggest lunch items and they help pack them.

We have been known to do taco meat in a large mouth thermos, taking shells and cheese along in a backpack. We have eaten Manwiches and chips, spinach dip and chips, and other assorted items. It's not always basic sandwiches, but that is easy and the other requires a little bit of planning and prep work before leaving.

This makes sense. Typically, I pack a cooler for our day trips and we eat out of that. But with these big cities, we won't have our car, so therefore won't have a cooler.
Nuts are a really good suggestion. Everyone in my family likes nuts and they can tolerate heat well. I'm thinking it's going to be 100* and what are we going to be able to bring with us that can keep in a backpack for a few hours. Nuts, apples, and granola bars might be our lunch a few times.

I could do the thermos things as well. Tacos and chips are right up our alley. And it would actually be easier than bringing a cooler along.

Thanks for the ideas.

[michigansandzil]

wbwood wrote:
Another way of cutting costs (especially when in subrubia) is to chekc Groupon.

That was a good idea. I hadn't thought of that but I looked and found a Groupon for the on/off bus for NYC. It's too early to buy it now, but I can always check back again closer to our trip time and maybe get a deal.


On a side note, what I find interesting is so many people encouraging me to spend freely and not be limited by a budget. Trust me, I have no problem spending money on vacation. 😉

While the advice on budgeting is helpful anytime, I'm thinking about my coming 2015 summer trip. 5 people to Gettysburg, DC, Baltimore, Jamestown, Norfolk, Assateague, Philly and NYC. We'll be gone for 16 days.
My boys are 5'4" and 5'1" now, they don't eat off the kid's menu anymore. While the concept of enjoying myself without reservation is a fun one, it's not really feasible when I can easily spend $100/day just to eat out for a family of 5. With a weekend trip I wouldn't be so concerned, but we'll be gone for 16 days, that's $1600 for food. Not gonna happen.

We typically eat McDonald's for lunch while traveling, and my oldest son and I have high hopes for splurging and consuming large quantities of fresh sea food while in Maryland; I'll need to balance that out with picnic type foods and other cost effective ways to save. I think this approach is pretty typical for most people. I'm not willing to sacrifice any part of my trip, but I have to figure out where to flex to get in all the fun stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions.