I am very much looking forward to June since we have a few beach and mountain trips planned. This also means we will be eating lots of meals away from home, which can become expensive quickly. Before I had children, I didn’t think much about meal planning or prepping when going away for short trips. It was easy enough to get a breakfast sandwich and coffee at the corner store, buy a hoagie at Wawa, and grill for dinner after buying food at the expensive local supermarket.
I learned that there are very simple ways to not only save money but also stick to a somewhat healthy meal schedule once I started traveling with my children. Keep reading for my 5 easy tips on how to save money while on vacation with your family. These tips mostly apply if you are driving to your location but some can also apply even if flying to your destination.
1. Breakfast food – whether renting a beach house or going to a hotel, most places will have a fridge. Cereal, milk, mini-pancakes or waffles, and yogurt are my family’s go to. If you are driving to a rental, you can bring eggs as well.
2. Coffee – I like to bring a jar of instant coffee to all my beach trips. Hotel rooms have coffee makers most of the time. If you know the place you are going to has a coffee maker, you should bring your preferred coffee type. A typical coffee drink at Starbucks will run you around $4, so you can save a lot of money by making your own! Don’t forget sugar/sweetener and milk if you like to put that in your coffee.
3. Sandwiches – these are the perfect lunch, whether you are going to the beach or hiking. You can vary what you are making by bringing different types of sliced cheese and deli meats. My kids love hummus on whole grain bread sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly is always a good choice.
4. Drinks – always travel with your own water bottle! Bottled water can add up if you are traveling in hot weather or doing a lot of physical activity. If you are flying, bring an empty container and fill it after you go through security. I like to bring wine and beer when driving to our destination and always travel with a bottle opener!
5. Snacks – you probably don’t need to be reminded of this if you are traveling with toddlers but otherwise, always bring snacks! These can include fruits, snacks, cheese sticks, chips, pretzels, protein bars, apple sauce or fruit pouches, and cookies. If you are feeling fancy, you can even bring stuff to make a meat and cheese plate for a home made happy hour. This will pair well with wine if you bring it!
There you have it! 5 ways to save money on your next vacation. By meal planning, you will also save time since you won’t have to figure things out while on the go.
Pro tip: use what is in your refrigerator and pantry to save even more money and not let any food go bad! It is also a good idea to invest in a good cooler and ice packs to keep your food cold while traveling.