Plan Ahead To Save On Your Family Summer Vacation
Are you ready for summer vacation? Then again, there are plenty of vacation opportunities any time of the year, on weekends and holidays especially, for a quick getaway as well. But how can you make such getaways affordable as well as memorable? Julie Garden Robinson of North Dakota State University Extension says one way is look at your food and drink travel budget.
Plan Ahead
“You can certainly do some pre-planning and actually pre-buying before you go on your vacation. And that's one sure way to squeeze more food and fun out of your vacation dollars. So, for example, if you pick up your snacks ahead of time or even some of your beverages ahead of time, you can save a lot compared with stopping along the way at a convenience store, for example. So, check out the buys at your local grocery store and pack it up in some ice if needed or just in a bag or another case.”
Garden Robinson said shopping for beverages in bulk to take on your trip is one way to save money versus purchasing individual containers.
“For example, I had my student intern check out some costs of some different popular items that you might take along on vacation.”
Finding out, for instance, that purchasing, say, one energy drink and one soda in instances could cost more than buying a six-pack of bottled waters. And she also reminds listeners that tap water is free as well.
Saving On Food
“Finding a hotel with a refrigerator in the room or a microwave oven in the room or a free complimentary breakfast are sure ways to extend your budget as well. You can bring along some of your own food in an ice chest so that it stays safe and cold. You can even pick up free ice most of the time in the hotel. So that can really help you extend your budget.”
It doesn't hurt, she noted, to bring along pre-purchase food items that are shelf stable.
“Granola bars and whole grain crackers and some of the fruit cups that you can purchase that are in pre-portioned containers. And dried fruit and nuts are also nutritious snacks.”
Which Meals Do You Want To Make Special?
When eating out at a restaurant or diner, consider having ice water as the drink, as it is free and healthy. Garden Robinson points out that beverages usually add anywhere from $10-$15 to the final bill for the meal. And speaking of eating out, instead of doing that for every meal while on a vacation getaway, “Choose a local specialty restaurant and kind of splurge on one of the meals for the day so that dining becomes an experience because that's part of the fun of going on vacation. Even better, maybe choose your lunch meal instead of the evening meal as your splurge. Most lunch menus are lower in cost than the evening meal options.”
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