Saving Money on Holiday Travel

Travel can be expensive!  We all want to see extended family for the holidays. Let's talk about seeing Grandpa and Grandma and not breaking the bank! 

Food

Keep those kiddos occupied and happy with some travel-easy snacks!  Here are some portable, cheap, ideas and tips.  No one wants to arrive at their relative's home with the kids zoned out on sugar, carbs, and caffeine.

Tip #1: Prepackage snacks in Ziploc bags.  

This seriously cuts down on Mom trying to divvy up snacks into other containers and then leaning backwards trying to hand them out.  The other, even worse alternative, is to hand full bags of snacks to the kids in the backseat.  This seriously spells impending disaster.  Either they will spill some of it or eat all of it.  Both options are not very happy ones.  It is so much easier to prepackage the goodies at home and just grab one package per person and hand them to the back.  

Tip #2: Bring cups with lids

 

Yes!  Lids - even for the bigger kids!  They have really cool cups with lids now for bigger kids so that they don't think of them as sippy cups.  My 22 and 19 year olds use trendy coffee or beverage cups.  But, every single person in the car has a cup with a lid! 

Tip #3: Bring a washrag and towels

 

I have given birth to four children and learned the ways of wisdom from the "matron of all things good" (my mother-in-law).  The first time we took a trip with them my one year old did something which resulted in a mess.  She calmly reached into the bag at her feet and hauled out a damp washrag and a  small towel and wiped the kid off. I thought she was brilliant.  She just smiled.  

These days it's generally a package of wetwipes instead of a damp washrag.  But, the towel (or two) is an excellent item to always have on hand.  

Tip #4: Healthy Snack Ideas:

 

You can find a ton of road trip snack ideas just by Googling.  Here are some my kids have liked:

• popcorn
• granola bars
• grapes (cut in half if the children are under 2) 
• baby carrots
• crackers
• apple slices with peanut butter dip in small Tupperware cups *Peanut butter dip is peanut butter mixed with honey until it is dipping consistency.  My boys loved it! 
• peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (cut them in fourths so they are "special") 
• green or red pepper slices
• celery (make it special by adding peanut butter and raisins for Ants on a Log)  

Lunch and Dinner

 

Sooner or later you have to stop for lunch or dinner.  My husband is always saying, "We will stop for gas, dinner, and you boys will go to the bathroom while we are there!"  As if that will keep them from announcing that they really, really must stop just 20 minutes further down the road.  LOL!  

Option #1: Dollar Menus 

 

Dollar menus are gold for travelling families.  Don't even get kids those pre-packaged kid meals.  They are still expensive in my opinion.  Instead, get them the cheapest burger on the menu and then cut it in half if they are too young and won't eat the whole thing.  We had our boys split burgers for years.  If you have brought along enough snacks, just a sandwich and a chance to stretch their legs for 30 minutes will do the trick to keep them sitting quietly for another couple of hours.  It probably goes without saying that my boys knew ordering water was their only liquid option. 

Option #2: A Grocery Store

We have done this repeatedly in our travels with children.  We drive through a town until we spy a grocery store.  Then, we pile out and look for deals.  Even if you shop in the deli and buy a couple of pre-packaged items, you can feed a crew for far less than you would pay at a restaurant.  We generally spend between $15 and $20 on a loaf of bread, some sandwich makings, fruit, a pound of baby carrots, a jug of juice, and maybe something sweet.  If we have neglected to throw in knives at home, we ask at the store deli.  We have never had them refuse to just offer to give us a couple of free plastic knives.

We eat in the car if the weather is uncooperative or we find a local park.  If have eaten lunch in the car and the kids need to stretch their legs, we take them to any local business or Walmart and walk the aisles for a few minutes.  We don't really buy them anything.  We just let them walk and look.  Sometimes we are able to find a second-hand store like Goodwill for our after lunch walk.  Oh, then it's so much more fun!  The we really do buy them each something - like a book to read in the car!  

Option #3: Bring it from home

If we are super organized, and we try to be, we have brought everything necessary for lunch from home and packed it all in the picnic basket.  If the weather is nice, we drive through a town (asking locals if necessary) to find a local park for a picnic lunch.  The kids run off energy on the play equipment and we are back on the road in about 30 minutes.  

Shelter

Sometimes it is a wonderful experience to stay at the home of relatives.  Other times, not so much.  If you are in the "not so much" category, then here are some ideas for saving money on shelter. 

Option #1: AIRBNB

 

This is a relatively new option for overnight accommodations.  With Airbnb you can find entire homes, apartments, or single rooms for rent.  Owners are sometimes present on the property. Other times they are not to be seen.

I've never used Airbnb.  I do have a friend who previously rented an in-law suite in her home through Airbnb and had a fantastic experience.  The prices are generally half of what you would pay for a hotel room.  There's no maid and no room service.  But, if you are travelling to visit family, this probably isn't a deal-breaker for you.

Here are some tips that I have gleaned:

• Do your research.  
• Know what you are renting:  one room, two rooms, an entire home? 
•  Correspond with the owner ahead of time.  
• Get to know the "vibe" of the property and manager or owner.  
• Ask to see lots of photos.  
• Check out their ratings on the website.  

Here's a link to the website for Airbnb.  If you have tried this option or know someone who has, I'd love to hear your experience in the comments section for this article. 

Option #2: FRIENDS

 

Oh the glories of having good friends!  If you have friends in the area, ask to crash on their couch.  If you haven't seen them in a while (and their family isn't already occupying their furniture) then this might the the perfect solution.  If you have kiddos running all over grandma's nerves and her perfectly appointed home all day long, then settling in with friends who have kiddos of their own will give both you and your folks a much-needed break from one another.  It also gives you a chance to let down your hair and relax.   

Option #3: HOTELS

 

This is probably your most expensive option.  I've done some research and there are ways to find savings even here!   Here are my best tips: 

• Travel before or after the holiday.  I know that this is maybe not the most popular or ideal solution.  But, if you book your stay for a mid-week rather than a weekend, you'll save money.  If you arrive and leave a couple of weeks or even a month before or after the holiday, you'll save money too. 

• Book over the phone.   Don't book on-line. Call and talk to a real person.  Ask about availability of discounts, any current on-line coupons, affiliation discounts.  Ask if they will take a lower amount. Ask if they will apply a great on-line coupon even though you are on the phone. It never hurts to ask.  They can always say "no", but they might surprise you and say, "Yes'.  

• Check for coupons.  Before you contact the hotel, scour the internet for discount coupons and offers.  There are nearly always some available, especially for large chains.  

• Check out the competition.  It's always good to know what the competitors in the same geographic area are offering.  Does their nearest competitor have a free continental breakfast?  Are the same type of rooms cheaper?  Do they have a free fridge in the room where you can store snacks and quick breakfast items, saving you even more money?   If you have a hotel in mind, but their competitor has some more perks, it's okay to mention this to them on the phone and see if they will cut a bit off of their bill to get you to stay with them. 

• Make them an offer. I know a family who never makes hotel reservations in advance.  They arrive at a hotel about 4pm, ask about vacant rooms, and then offer about half of the going rate.  The hotel loses money on vacant rooms.  She told me it works like a charm!  Her husband generally gets the room for what he is willing to pay.  You can't book in advance and you take a chance that all the rooms will be filled.  But, if you are wiling to take a chance, then you can get a steal of a deal this way.  Of course, if you are arriving near major holidays and they are booked near peak capacity, this is unlikely to work. 

• Use your affiliations.  Do you belong to any clubs, any fraternal organizations, have insurance with a major carrier, work for a large company, belong to AAA, or AARP?  Then you might be eligible for a discount.  Be sure to ask when you call. 

• Shorten your Stay.  Once again, although not necessarily a popular option, seeing relatives just overnight is better than not at all.  If you simply cannot afford to spring for a hotel for more than 24 hours, then make your stay brief, but meaningful.   

What Did I Miss?

I tried to cover a lot of ground in a brief post.  So, I'm sure I probably missed some great tips.  So, add to the conversation.  Leave your thoughts and tips in the comments section.  Thanks!

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope