If your kids are like mine, as soon as you get in the car ready to travel they start asking for snacks and drinks. How To Keep Cost Low While Traveling With Kids is important to us. Not only does it mean we have more money to spend on big things like theme parks, but it means we can teach them about the value of a dollar. My sons already know that everything they ask for costs money, so they are learning to appreciate their gifts, allowance, and yes – even the treats on a road trip more as they learn to value money.
How To Keep Cost Low While Traveling With Kids
Limit snacks. Riding in a car often brings about boredom that leads to snacking. First off you need to work with your kids to understand when they are truly hungry, and when it is a snack out of boredom. Portion control snacks to reasonable amounts and don’t offer snacks unless the kids are truly hungry. Remember growing kids will need a bit more food than you would think they would at times.
Pack your own snacks. Avoid the gas station or convenience store splurges by packing your own snacks for the kids. You can coupon and grab great deals on juice, snack packs, treats, granola bars and more for a fraction of the price you would pay in the gas station along the way. {From Tat: On road-trips and even on some trips where we fly, I pack from our stockpile. I always try to find deals on snacks and stockup on them. Then when it’s time to travel, that’s one less thing I’m spending!}
Be selective with souvenirs. To save money on toys and souvenirs, be selective. Choose a family souvenir like magnets or shot glasses instead of getting everyone something different. Alternately, you can limit to a certain dollar amount per city or destination. Going to Disney? See how you can get Disney Souvenirs for cheap!
Plan for free entertainment. Instead of going to just highly popular attractions, do your research and plan to utilize free entertainment like local parks, library events, or museums. If you already have it on your list, your kids will expect it and won’t fuss about not going to other pricier attractions. If you have a Bank of America Debit or Credit card, they are linked with several attractions which allows you to get in for free or at a discount. Also check places like AAA for discounts on attractions. Select Credit Cards also give you rewards when you stay or visit select places. Read: Ways to save on entertainment
Plan, plan, plan. When you plan ahead of time you will save time and money. When you’re traveling with kids, you should definitely plan for downtime. Also, look for coupons ahead of time. Find sites/blogs in the area that you’re traveling to see what’s free/frugal to do.
Split adult entrees between kids. We have discovered that it can often be much cheaper for our family to split adult entrees between our kids than to buy multiple kids’ meals. If we drink water instead of other costly beverages, at an average casual dining restaurant we can split a $7.99-$8.99 adult entree between 2-3 kids (depending on what entree), instead of spending $5.99 per child on an individual meal.
Take advantage of kids eat free. On a similar note, look for the kids eat free nights at chain and local restaurants at your destination to extend savings on your vacation. There is also a Kids Eat FREE app {Free app} that you can download to make sure you find free/cheap deals for kids in the area that you’re traveling. Another place to check is the kidseatfree.com website.
Look for Hotel deals that offer Kids Stay Free/Eat Free. This is another great way to save money. Staying at hotels like the Holiday Inn, where they offer kids eat free is a great way to save money. Also look for hotel deals that offer free breakfast. This is another way you can cut costs. Because we know how expensive food can be for a family to eat out three times per day. On average, our family of 5 can easily spend $150 per day just on food! {From Tat}
Save on Food by making your own food. If you’re staying at a Resort or a Vacation Home, this an EASY way to save money. You can buy groceries and eat in. If you’re staying in a regular hotel, many of them include a small refrigerator. You can bring a small crockpot and prepare meals that way. {From Tat}
Look for Airfare/Cruise Deals that offer Kids Fly/Cruise/ride for FREE. It’s rare these days to find Kids fly free, but they happen once every blue moon. I remember when I was younger, these deals used to happen ALL The time! My Mom was awesome at finding the best airfare deals. I think that’s where I got that knack from. I’ve also seen Amtrak offer Buy 1, Get 1 kid ticket for free deals. Again these deals are rare now, but they do happen. So always do a google search or head directly to the airline’s, Amtrak, or another mode of transportation website. {From Tat}
As you plan your next vacation, take advantage of these tips for keeping costs low traveling with kids. This can save a few dollars every day o your trip which can eventually give you enough to add another special event to your next trip. Get more traveling savings tips by reading practical ways to save on travel expenses!
Fantastic tips! I hadn’t even thought about looking into kids eat for free places. My daughter is only 19 months but has a hearty appetite, so I’m always sure to pack snacks for her (and me and my husband) as that can end up costing you a ton of money. Stopping by from the Pinworthy Projects Party.
Oh, just wait until she can no longer eat off the kids’ menu! lol That’s where we are now with the three boys and it’s getting $$$. But yes, there are tons of places that do Kid discounts, so definitely feel free to download that app and thanks for stopping by!