Budgeting for summer getaways etc.

[creativemom]

How do you all plan and budget for the getaways we take during the summer?

I start putting away treats for the summer. When things like licorice, snack mixes, drink mixes etc. go on sale: I pick them up and put them away. Then when dear hubby says "I said we would go boating" or "visit friends" let's just go! This way I can grab some snacks and we are off! (If I didn't plan ahead we would be paying $3-$5 for these treats!)

I put gift cards for gas and fast food in a bin for our longer planned summer vacations as well as little toys and travel supplies.

We have a binder where I put maps and printoffs of places we can visit in the bin as well! That way everything is put together so I never "forget" those things.

 

[girlsinmo]

This sounds ik a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

 

[teachermomof2]

We typically get away every weekend to our camp at the lake. I really make an effort to get things together there before the "season" begins. I stock up on entertainment for the kids (bubbles, crayons, chalk, water toys, etc.) early and put them in a bin. I also keep our swim gear together in a bag so we can go whenever someone calls on a weekday or just throw it in the car for the weekend. I also plan my menus and prep for the weekend...all 3 meals, so I don't have to spend a lot of time prepping at the camp. I marinate meats, cut veggies and put in baggies, gather spices, pack like items together and have it ready to roll on Friday afternoon.

Lisa

 

[Terrylee5151]

Lisa...you are really organized. I am impressed

 

[Lana]

You are very organized Lisa. But I guess, if you teach you have to be prepared for a sub. And then you have a family so........ That would be GREAT to have a place at the lake to go to often.

 

[teachermomof2]

Thanks ladies! I try to be organized so I can have a good time without a lot of fuss. It is really great to get to the lake often. It's really our only vacation. We just bought a new camper, so I'm looking forward to this summer in a big way! Our old one was 30 yo and it was a mess! We just went out and organized the new one on Saturday and it was so exciting! :-D

I forgot to mention that I do as much shopping as I can for the kids' entertainment at the dollar store.

Lisa

 

[chilli]

You are very well organized!

And to take own snacks and/or beverages for a trip saves a lot of money.
These things are one of the most expensive things when doing a trip, especially
when you go to favourite places.

We always take some snacks with us when going on a trip - even it is only a
small one day (or half a day trip)

Chilli
("who really have to start with her daily work in the office now instead of writing posts....")

 

[Rackandrollgal]

To be honest, with a large family, most of my "getaways" are planned for me. Something comes up and I have to go in a hurry. I keep a bag packed for short trips and I have a place I stash cash that accumulates from savings for gifts on special, coupon clipping, extra change, etc.

I plan my week at my condo on the beach annually, but all we have to take is food and clothing. I accumulate throughout the months preceding.

I take unexpected trips all year long - for sanity. After over 20 years in the Navy...I'm accustomed to hitting the road frequently. I enjoy it. I use the same methods as the first paragraph...and I budget for a seperate savings account for these little jaunts. These include out of state visits to family and friends, craft shows, etc.

I also have a travel trailer that I bought and remodled. I keep clothes in there for every season. I stock it when I start planning, keeping meals very simple. There's a book that lists free campsites for full-time RV'ers (That I used to be) and I sometimes just head for one of those to check out the area. Many rest areas allow overnight rv's and truck stops allow overnight stays too. Walmart encourages overnighters for the security it provides for their stores and customers.

I've learned to work with what we have....and I continue to research good ways to vacation without spending a fortune. I enjoy the challenge!!!

 

[jingle-jo]

This is a fantastic thread! My ambition is to see as much of the world as I can before I die, but I also want to see as much of the country I live in aswell. I realised this when my kids complained that they had never been on holiday in England! So last year, a good friend donated us a tent and off we went for a week al fresco! It was like carry-on-camping! With my friend and I cooking on a camp stove for the first time in 20 years!! But, it was also so empowering, knowing that we did it all on our own without any contribution from our husbands. However, as we'd not done this since we were teenagers, we also forgot lots of things. This year we are planning to get away for weekend breaks as often as possible. Your ideas are great and very thought provoking, as it never occured to me to start buying items for short breaks in advance. I will definitely start doing this!

 

[Eaglesax]

Some great tips! Being "almost" empty nesters we have started taking more long weekend trips. We always go off season which helps the cost. I use my "cash back" credit card as a debit card (paying off each month), and also put the money I saved in coupons in a "vacation jar". DH & I also save all of our change, when we think we have enough saved we research somewhere to go. It's almost like a game watching the "kitty" build. Besides gas being so high, we discovered that there are so many places in our state we haven't seen, so we usually stay within 100-200 miles of home. I do a lot of research on the area we plan to visit, usually finding coupons or discounts for tourist attractions, as well as tips from others for free or near free stuff to do. State parks are a great value, here just $3 parking fee.

I have a "picnic kit" I keep in a plastic storage container because we found ourselves spending money on paper goods etc. for a picnic or sandwiches in the motel. All of that stuff adds up quick so I keep it stocked ahead with sale prices and coupons. And of course we take our electric cooler stocked with bottled water, drinks, sandwich fixins, etc. as well as snacks. Since they don't know what to get us :slap: , several of our family & friends give us gift cards for eateries or Wal-Mart so we save these for our get aways also.

For family vacations, I have budgeted it into our annual budget, but use many of the same money saving tips.