We try to bring a bunch of non-perishable snacks - nuts, trail mix, cheese crackers, oatmeal, granola bars, etc. I bring fruit and veggies on the plane as well, to last us the first day.

Either pack peanut butter in your checked luggage or just buy some there. We get pretty far with cold cut sandwiches, or pb/nutella. Add chips, yogurt, cookies, etc. depending on what you usually eat.

I try to stay in places with a kitchenette. We can afford eating out, but the kids are usually so tired and wild at those times that it's easier to stay in and eat something simple like pasta. We've gotten frozen cooked chicken at trader joe's or the grocery store to add a protein - not great, but works in a pinch. Frozen meatballs are easy too.

Download GasBuddy or a similar app so you can find the cheapest gas while you are on the road.

The biggest cost savings, now that your flights are already bought, is food.

Definitely try to stop at a store and buy some basics. Cereal, bread, pb & J, nuts, chips. If you have access to a fridge, then add some milk, yogurt and juice. Your goal should be to have one meal per day with these provisions.

If you time it well, you should be able to get away with one big meal out, and then a snack/ice cream/fro yo treat as the other "meal."

(And I am someone who does stop and get food to stay at Atlantis. And brings soda on cruises, when allowed. When I am traveling with kids, those extra mouths to feed get so expensive, esp. when the meals are half eaten and wasted.)

Where are you going? It might help to know if this is a camping road trip or a hotel trip to visit family. How many people and what ages?

Anonymous wrote:
I don't understand why anyone would take a trip that they are so stretched to take that they are literally looking to skip meals on the trip! Dang.

I guess you could sleep in your car or pitch a tent rather than staying in a hotel room. Are you staying with friends overnight? The only thing left to reduce is the cost of food.... so I guess you will be eating granola bars and brown bag lunches a lot -- which is fine -- but really, what is left to cut?

I don't understand why anyone would do this.... do you think it's really a vacation when your whole family is pinching pennies and eating PBJ everyday? (FWIW, I actually like PBJ and eat it for lunch regularly... but my family wouldn't want to be stuck eating PBJ for a whole vacation!)

But if the alternative is not going anywhere, why not? If you have an adventurous spirit, traveling to new places can be worth it, even if you have to do everything on the cheap.
Don't know if it's already been suggested, but airbnb can be a great inexpensive lodging option and depending on the housing you find, might make it easier to prep your own meals (the places I've stayed often had at least a small fridge).

1. Don't eat out. Either bring a cooler with you or pick up a styrofoam one at a grocery store (in that case, I'd recommend bringing some kind of strap so you can secure the top). Stock it with sandwich fixings, fruit, beer/wine, etc. You'll save a ton by not getting meals at restaurants, even if you are eating at cheap places. Think ahead to pack a basic mess kit: a few spoons, forks, knives, plastic plates for preparing or serving food. Find rest stops or state parks for fun picnic meals. I did this on several cross-country road trips and it was totally fine. You might even find some places to grill.

2. Look into campgrounds that have basic cabins you can stay in. You'd probably still need to figure out bedding, but they can be cheaper than a hotel and don't require you to have a full complement of camping supplies.

3. Plan your indulgences ahead of time. If you have kids, let them pick one of two things they really want to do, and then be strong about saying no to all the other crap vacation expenses and trinkets. We often travel with friends, and somehow by the end of the week they have spent hundreds on activities and treats for their kids, while we've spent very little - and at weeks end, both families are equally happy with their vacation. If you're not eating out every meal, that one trip to a restaurant or ice cream store feels much more fun and indulgent. Less is more!

4. Plan activities around the outdoors (often free!) and other things that don't cost money.

I am also in the camp of not going on the trip until you have the money to do it decently comfortably - to me, it would be 100x more luxurious to stay at my house! That being said, food costs add up quick so we do buy a lot of stuff at local grocery stores/takeout places instead of dining in a restaurant 3x/day.

Camp or stay in cabins. Cook at the campsite. (BBQ? smores?)

Pack a cooler with snacks and food.

Anonymous wrote:We're flying to another state, then renting a car for a road trip.

I'm looking for some tips to save money. For instance, I heard that you can bring a packet of oatmeal on a flight and ask for hot water and a coffee cup to make it. You can go to grocery stores and make sandwiches for lunch instead of eating out.

So stuff like that - super cheap - anything to do with flights, being on the road, staying in cheap places, etc. We're already way over budget just on the flights

If you are going to eat out, eat out at lunch as lunch prices are usually cheaper than dinner prices. Eat breakfast in the motel room and make sandwiches for dinner. If you are really strapped, sleep in the car one or two nights. Stay in hostels (although if you are a family- a cheap motel will be cheaper). Motel 6, Super 8 - hotels like that. Super 8 has breakfast- make up a few few peanut butter sandwiches for snacks at the same time. Look for fund things to do that are free/inexpensive. Hiking, go to the public library to find out what is happening, church dinners and fish fry..........

Find friends who live where you are going and see if you can stay with them. We frequently host people from all over, so we have places we can stay all over too.

State in one place and find an apartment on Home Away. That is what we did in London and Paris and a week cost what two nights in a medium/cheap hotel would have cost. If you are going to a large city,investigate a week pass on their public transit- that can save you money- no rental car too.

Planning things out helps save money than trying to do it on the fly.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why anyone would take a trip that they are so stretched to take that they are literally looking to skip meals on the trip! Dang.

I guess you could sleep in your car or pitch a tent rather than staying in a hotel room. Are you staying with friends overnight? The only thing left to reduce is the cost of food.... so I guess you will be eating granola bars and brown bag lunches a lot -- which is fine -- but really, what is left to cut?

I don't understand why anyone would do this.... do you think it's really a vacation when your whole family is pinching pennies and eating PBJ everyday? (FWIW, I actually like PBJ and eat it for lunch regularly... but my family wouldn't want to be stuck eating PBJ for a whole vacation!)

+1
This reminds me of a thread about visiting Atlantis in the Bahamas and posters were saying they pack cans of tuna and granola bars to eat there. I'd rather not stay at a luxury resort if it meant we couldn't eat.

Anonymous wrote:Not just for saving money, but we pack lots of food for snacks and light breakfasts (if hotel doesn't have free breakfast). Yes, part of vacation is splurging on nice stuff like meals, but eating out gets tiresome and it's not good for you.

Another big savings, if you're flying domestically, is flying Southwest. Free checked bags are a pretty good deal these days. It took me a while to warm up to Southwest, but I'm a big fan of them now. I don't know if they've necessarily gotten better or if United's jut that bad?

We do the same. We even packed bottles of wine for a trip to Aruba since Southwest has free checked backs.

In general, I always bring my own snacks or a sandwich for the flight. Also pack protein bars and snacks, sandwich thins pack well and we always stop at a grocery store for bottled water, sandwich stuff depending on length of stay, yogurt, etc.

We have done this on luxury trips too - it adds up! In Bermuda we stopped at their equivalent of Balducci's and bought wine, gourmet cheeses/meats, yogurt, etc and not only saved a ton but also enjoyed seeing what other countries have in their grocery stores.

Why don't you go down to Colombia instead -- enjoy your trip instead of skrimping. Dollars go very very far.

Break at hotel if free or grocery store bought breakfast

Try a house rental (vbro or air BBY versus hotel)

Spend a night or 2 camping or in a cabin

Pack lunches / Only eat dinner out

Look for deals for attractions

Go to places that don't require tickets (or hiking oreiented trips or look up free days for museums etc)

Check if your local library is connected to a network near where you are visiting. If so you may be able to borrow passes for low or no entry cost for attractions.

My college roommates and I did slim fast for breakfast and lunch. Just stop at 711s or whatever and buy milk.
For the adults anyway....

Anonymous wrote:Stay home instead of doing this!!
It's pathetic. What kind of a trip is that?

Yeah, how dare people with limited funds take a vacation!

Jerk.