Where will you be spending the Labor Day holiday weekend? The American Automobile Association estimates more than 20 million travelers will hit our nation’s highways and drive more than 50 miles sometime in the next four days.
If you are planning to take to the roads this holiday you’ll find gas prices nationwide currently averaging $2.75 for a gallon of self-serve regular. That is down fifteen cents from a month ago and ten cents lower than last year. In my neck of the woods we are shelling out about $2.93 for a gallon of regular unleaded, which I still find to be ridiculous. If the gas prices aren’t keeping you home, perhaps the fact that hotel rates have increased an average of three percent over last year has served as incentive to vacation in your own backyard.
Bottom line: family vacations don’t come cheap. In my previous blog I provided some money saving tips that have served my family well over the years. Here now are a couple of other ways to pad the hit a family trip takes to your wallet.
Association of Children’s Museums Membership. Regular readers of this blog know that our family has a tradition of visiting children’s museums in each city we visit. If you have a children’s museum in your hometown, you may have already invested in an annual membership. But did you know that you can save a huge chunk of change by upgrading to a family membership with Association of Children’s Museums status? By doing so you can utilize your benefits while on vacation and gain free admission to over 150 children’s museums around the U.S. and Canada. The price of this membership will run you about $40 more than a standard family membership—but it covers up to six people, so if you have a large family you more than break even after visiting three or four museums.
More blogs on some of the best children’s museums in the nation:
Visiting the Madison Children’s Museum
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Comes To The Big Easy
Family Friendly Attractions In Miami
Entertainment Book. When I was single I got one from a relative as a gift. (Yes, the same one who got me a triple-A membership when I graduated from college.) Some refer to the Entertainment Book as the mother of all coupon books because it more than pays for itself. Since there are more than 150 editions you can easily find one to use in a city you are planning to visit. The most popular Entertainment Books cover Orlando, Las Vegas, Hawaii, San Diego, Atlanta, and New York City. Most titles cost between $25 and $45. For that price you get dozens of discounts to fast-food outlets, fine dining restaurants, amusement parks, golf courses, movie theaters, kids’ attractions, museums, drug stores, and more.
Related Articles:
Holiday Travel: Saving Money On The Way To Grandma’s House-Part 3
Holiday Travel: How To Save Money On The Way To Grandma’s House–Part 2
Holiday Travel: How To Save Money On The Way To Grandma’s House