This post was written by Kerri, our Rite Aid, TOP Foods and QFC expert here at Queen Bee Coupons. She lives on Camano Island (Washington) with her husband and their five beautiful children! She is not only awesome at saving with coupons, but she does cool things like U-Pick apples to save creatively – while having fun with the family!
Nothing beats a road trip in my book for spending time together as a family. I love getting away, seeing new things and leaving daily chores (like cleaning toilets!) behind. However… the expense of road trips (or even just getting away for a weekend) can really add up fast and can quickly blow a budget. Determined to travel with our kids, here are some ways our family has found to save whether we’re driving across country or getting away for the weekend:
Be willing to stay a little out of the way. On a recent trip to Portland we were hoping to stay downtown. After checking around online, though, I found we could save $80 a night at the same hotel chain by staying in a suburb just 10 minutes away. It wasn’t quite as convenient to the sites we were there to see, but at a savings of $80 per night we were fine being a little inconvenienced. There have been times when convenience has won out, like when we wanted to be able to walk to Disneyland from our hotel, but usually we will opt to save the money and stay a little out of the way. The more money we save, the more traveling we can do.
Stay at a hotel that offers breakfast. This one is a must for us. Not only do we save money on going out to eat breakfast at a restaurant, I save my sanity not having to schlep hungry children around first thing in the morning trying to find a decent meal. Many hotels have really nice breakfasts – much nicer than the toast and cereal we normally have at home – so this has the added benefit of filling everyone up so that we don’t need to eat as much the rest of the day.
Pack a cooler. Packing a cooler is a huge money saver for us. We pack enough fruits, yogurt and cheese that we don’t have to go out for lunch. After eating a large breakfast we are able to get by with eating out of our cooler and a dry foods box we also pack. We pack granola bars, fruit leather, crackers and other items for a quick lunch. I also bring along plenty of cold water bottles and juice boxes to resist the urge to stop for overpriced drinks.
Bring special food treats. Part of the fun of getting away is special treats for the kids like ice cream. This adds up quickly, though, especially if you have a large family. My kids have a whole list of packaged foods they love but I usually don’t buy. On road trips I make an exception, though, and buy some of their favorites. When it’s midafternoon and everyone needs a pick-me-up I break out these and the kids are just as happy as if we’d stopped for ice cream but at a fraction of the cost. This might not work for all kids, but if it would work for yours you can save a lot of money by planning ahead and avoiding costly snacks.
Find free or frugal activities. Traveling often means expensive activities. Whether it’s a zoo or a museum, admission prices really add up. I like to find activities that are fun but also cheap or, even better, free. When we went to Portland, we skipped the zoo and instead headed for Powell Books where my kids were enthralled with the fantastic children’s section. (My six year old actually cried when we had to leave.) We walked through a fantastic farmer’s market and along the river for free as well. Our biggest expenditures were a box of Voodoo Doughnuts and a ride on the Sky Tram which were under $30 combined. Alternate activities save us money and they also allow us to experience the place we’re visiting beyond the traditional sites.
Use rewards, discounts and freebies. Every month we pay off our reward credit card which earns us free hotel nights. Free hotel nights save us a big chunk on our traveling expenses. And because we have all older vehicles, we have a AAA membership which then gets us many discounts when we travel. Being on the lookout for free kids’ meals, local coupons and free admission days also saves. When we went to Portland we were lucky enough to be visiting when the Children’s Museum had their Free Friday. Doing a little research on available discounts or freebies before you head out can make for some substantial savings.
Watch discount websites for hotel deals. There are quite a few reputable sites that offer daily discounts on hotels and vacation packages. Check out Groupon Getaways, SniqueAway (Travelocity Daily Deal site), Jetsetter, Living Social and AmazonLocal.
These ideas are just a start, but by using them we’ve been able to take frugal road trips all around the country and make some fabulous family memories together. What about you? We’d love to hear your tips for saving while traveling!
I have used Priceline over and over and over with great results for hotels. To get the best deal, I “name your own price”; but sometimes I even do their “Express Deals” which also get a great discount. I’ve been doing this for business trips (which I take weekly) for 18 months. Last week I stayed in the Bellevue Embassy Suites for $61 – compared to the published $149 price! What’s nice is that Priceline lets you pick your “star level” of hotels. I always choose 3 star and have never been disappointed! I even have the Priceline app on my phone, and when we are traveling, I can make a bid on a hotel in a city/area where we want to stop for the night. Once we were traveling between WA and Calif and we stopped in Yreka. I’d gotten a great room in a new Holiday Inn Express for $59. In the lobby, we heard people just walk in, ask for a room, and get charged $129! And they paid it! Honestly, Priceline is awesome (for us at least)!
I use retail me not for hotel codes as well. However, sometimes they can do better when I call. My husband works for the state govt and when we go on vacation some hotel chains will offer a govt rate even if we are on vacation (military can often get discounts as well).
I just booked a DC hotel today so this was timely. The location, free breakfast and free wi-fi at one hotel won out. It’s not ‘special’ but it is good, what we need and since it is not a splurge I won’t be disappointed.
We’re also taking our ‘lap infant’ on the flight. Hey, she’s not quite two yet so a few weeks in either direction of her birthday really made a difference in the plane fare.
I laughed when I read the part about your 6 year old crying while leaving Powell books. My parents like to remind me about my 2 year old melt down when I couldn’t take the chairs home from Powells.
I used Jetsetter to get a great deal on a hotel in NYC next month, although I never would have thought that I would consider $200/night a “good deal”. At least it is a couple blocks from Grand Central Terminal so I can avoid paying for Taxis.