Summer is here and you’re ready to hit the road! Unfortunately, your bank account isn’t. With kiddos in tow, it may seem overwhelming to consider the costs of a vacation, but with a little bit of smart planning and preparation, an epic summer exploring and adventuring is within you grasps!
Summer can be both the best, and occasionally worst (yes I said it!), time spent with kiddos. Some days you never want the time together to end, and others you’re frantically searching summer camps in your area for a break from 24/7 entertaining duty (anyone else or is this just me?!). One of my favorite things to do with the kids when this breaking point inevitably hits is to pack up and go on an adventure. Sometimes these impromptu road trips don’t work with the budget, though, so here are a a few practical ways I save money while exploring the country:
Pick a Hotel Chain and Sign Up for Rewards
Whether you stay at one hotel chain your entire trip, or just for a few nights, it’s worth it to sign up for their rewards. Don’t only do you usually accumulate points towards free stays in the future, you often get a loyalty reward perk at check-in, such as a room upgrade, extra points, or free food!
Pre-pack Snacks and Bring Reusable containers
When we are traveling in the car, it feels like my kids want to eat NON STOP. Every time we stop to use the bathroom or get gas, they’re asking for something. To curb the expenses of buying snack foods, I stock up on non-perishable snack items in the weeks (and sometimes months) ahead of our trip. If something’s on sale at Costco, I’ll grab it and just tuck it away until we leave. I also buy large Costco bags of things like Pirates Booty and pack reusable containers (we love these for the kids) so we can fill them up and rinse them out. Better for the environment and way more affordable!
Stop and Enjoy the View (and free parks!)
This may be the most important tip on affordability I have, and it works out for the kiddos and for our bank account. Whenever we travel, we try to bring along easy lunch items like fruit, bread, and PB&J so that we can find somewhere to eat along our route and just pull over. So how does this save us money? By packing our own food, we avoid expensive lunch stops and the kids are able to get out and stretch their legs while they eat. Bonus points if you plan ahead and stop at a playground or national park where you can all get some fresh air and exercise before hitting the road again, too!
Stay at Hotels That Have Breakfast Included
If we have a choice between a hotel that includes breakfast and one that doesn’t, we always opt for the one that does! This saves us money on food and usually also saves us some travel time. Plus, we often eat healthier when we aren’t ordering from a fast-food menu, and our kids eat more because they have a variety of foods to choose from!
