Vacation Savings: Dining

Even if you pick a travel destination that fits nicely within the budget, you may find that you quickly spend more than your means in other areas during your vacation. Food and drink costs can quickly add up. Here are some ways that you can save and get those costs under control. Drink wisely Every member of your family should own a reusable water bottle. You can fill them up before you leave the house with water or your own homemade lemonade, ice tea, etc. This will at least eliminate a trip to the concession stand or fast food place … Continue reading →

Saving Money Assignments for Families

Saving money and living a frugal lifestyle should involve the whole family. When one person is in charge of reducing waste and finding new ways of stretching the budget, it can be overwhelming and frustrating. A family working together is more likely to accomplish their savings goals, I think. Everyone in the family should take on some responsibility for saving money. Even the youngest members should be able to help out (as long as they can walk and take direction). Here is a guide to some of the ways that you can create money saving assignments for the whole family. … Continue reading →

Feeding a Family of Four of Vacation

I have been living for several days now in a hotel room without a kitchen. We have managed to feed two teenagers and ourselves without blowing or budget or having rumbling tummies. Here is how we do it. 1. Book a hotel with a refrigerator. This is very important. Having a fridge in the room will allow you to keep cold drinks, milk, and even ice cream for late night snacks. 2. Go to the grocery store as soon as you get settled in. We have saved money by purchasing breakfast cereals, chips, bottled water, bread, and cold cuts. This … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Save Money at the Movies

One of the things that I associate with summer is going to the movies. And while the expense of it can add up when you have five people in your family, it is still nice to be able to go out to the movies once or twice. Because the cost of going to the movies could normally equal two or three new DVD movies (or eight or nine used DVD movies), I have learned how to save most of this cost in the following ways. Skip the snacks Do you really need to snack during the movie? Unless you are … Continue reading →

Frugal Vacation: Think Outside the Gift Shop

Sure you want to take a little piece of your summer vacation home with you. But will one more mug, keychain, pen or snow globe really preserve your memories? Here is how to bring home the souvenirs, but in a practical way. Gift shops are usually loaded with overpriced merchandise that you can often get elsewhere for less money. Often, the souvenirs don’t even have any connection to the vacation at all. One of the recent episodes of Jon & Kate Plus Eight showed Mama Gosselin on vacation, loading up on toys and play purses that could probably be purchased … Continue reading →

Frugal Picnic Night

One of the favorite activities that my kids like to do as a family is also economical. Recently, I’ve made it even more frugal. Here is what we did last night and how we had a fun time for pennies. When the weather warms up, my kids are always clamoring for the park. One fun way to enjoy the park and get out of a warm house is to visit the park around dinner time. We eat dinner on one of the picnic benches, and then after dinner is done, mom and dad pack up while the kids play on … Continue reading →

Ways to Save on Vacation Lodging

If you have had enough of the staycation and want to actually travel somewhere away from home, then lodging will be an expense that you will have to deal with one way or another. Fortunately, there are a lot of choices and opportunities, if you think a little bit out of the box. Here are some great frugal tips for saving money on your vacation stay. For the large family or group If you have more than four people traveling, then you are in for some issues. As part of a family of five, I know first hand. This is … Continue reading →

Free Vacations

Just because you don’t have the budget for it doesn’t mean that you can’t have one! Here are some ways to snag some great free vacations. Explore the city I just got a list of all of the fun and free things that we could do nearby in Philadelphia! There are historic sites, museums, music concerts, walking tours and more that are absolutely free. I also found out that one famous theater opens its doors free to the public for the final dress rehearsal before the show. The rehearsal is just like the normal show, complete with costumes, lights, props … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Save Money on Birthday Cake

This week we are in the middle of trying to finalize plans for an upcoming birthday party for our two sons. Two boys with birthdays only a month apart means one party to save the relatives from traveling, but two separate cakes with different themes. All of that cake can add up in expense. Here are four different ways to save money on birthday cake. With these various options, you should be able to find your own great way to shave off some of the cost of the birthday cake. Buy a regular birthday cake but skip the special decorating. … Continue reading →

How to Save on Summer Tickets

After I published my posts on How to Save Money at the Circus, a couple of people sent me messages asking if I had any tips for saving money on tickets at other summer attractions, such as amusement parks and summer concerts. Well, there is practically nothing that couldn’t benefit from a clever application of frugal strategies. When you are looking to purchase tickets for a big commercial event or location, such as an amusement park, renaissance faire, the zoo, summer music concert or even the movie theater, you’ll want to explore all sorts of ways to purchase tickets. Most … Continue reading →