George/Pena Family Blog - Tips for travelling on a budget with kids
1. Plan, plan, plan
A trip with kids is only as good as the plans you make beforehand. While it might be fun the play it by ear, it doesn't work as well when you hve no place to stay the night and the kids are cranky. Or, you are 45 miles to the nearest McDonald's and the children are hungry NOW. Which brings me to my next point.
2. Pack the food and drinks.
To save money, a small cooler with drinks and snacks is a must. You may want to eat meals at quick-serve restaurants, but there may be a child or two who doesn't eat or feel hungry then. Kids are unpredictable, so you have to predict for them. Plus, a well-fed and well-hydrated child is just so much happier. Which brings me to yet another point.
3. Rest areas are your friend.
Unless you absolutely need gas, a stop at a rest area is a much better idea. They are usually cleaner, for one. Everyone can stretch their legs, without going into a convenience store to do so. Therefore no impulse buys or "gimme's" need arise. There are some very interesting rest areas around, but even the less-interesting offer what you need without spending money. The ones near the state lines are the most interesting, as a whole. Which, of course, lead to the fourth point.
4. Set a limit on souvenier spending.
You can either set a specific amount in each place you visit, or (my preferred way for older kids) give each child a specific amount at the beginning of the trip and let them decide when and how and WHETHER to spend that money on trinkets (teachable moments, people). I try to steer my youngest towards items that are either unique or that I know he will get a lot of use from. The older kids can get t-shirts because they have stopped growing, but the younger one will outgrow his quickly, so I try to help him find something else (a mug, a flag he can hang in his room, a hat). Which brings me to...
4a. This is really an addendum to point 4. Here it is: souvenirs are much cheaper off-site. We got University of Texas wear at the local discount shopping place for about half to a third of what we would have paid in the school gift shop.
5. Get the facts beforehand.
This is a little of point 1, but if you can, contact the tourism bureau in the place you are staying. There are probably LOTS of things to do in the area that you had no idea about. That way, even if you spent a gajillion dollars visiting the Mouse, there are still places to go that are free or low-cost. Our big splurge was a water park, but we also did about 8 other things that were very low cost or free. Much of that was natural sights or historic stuff that was interesting. Did you ever see the bats come out from the Congress Street bridge? If you know a local, they can usually give you some pointers, as well. Which brings me to my final point
6. Stay with relatives.
Whether you like them or not. We happen to love ours, so it works out. You will still have expenses. We are staying at Uncle Wally the Saint's house. The invasion of 6 people into his single man's abode meant that we had to stock up on toilet paper, milk, cereal, and the like. There were a few other thing to buy (cold medicine, powder for a rash) but it was still way cheaper than a hotel, especially since with 5 adults and a child we needed to get two rooms or a suite. But Wally is wonderful, allowing us to fill up his home for a week.
Comments
Log in or create a user account to comment.