This summer I’m headed to Nova Scotia with my three girls, age 6, 3 and 21 months. A seven hour plane ride, two hour car rides, and five weeks mostly with the three kids. Yikes!
I’ve read all the articles about how to keep them entertained, but what I’m more worried about is keeping our unnecessary spending to a minimum. Eating on the road, buying toys to keep them entertained, overpaying for activities – I don’t want any sticker shock when we return to reality and the credit card bill comes.
Here are the tips I’ll be keeping top of mind when we’re on the road this summer:
Thinking ahead is key! I’ll bring small containers so that when I shop at grocery stores, I can portion out bigger packages of teddy grahams and raisins instead of buying the more costly individually packaged servings.
Be resourceful for entertainment. My kids are crafty, and a little ingenuity goes a long way in crafting. I’ll bring inexpensive supplies with us, like glue and paper, and we’ll source out items in nature and at garage sales to incorporate into rainy day crafting.
Shop ahead. Before I leave, I’ll be checking out the deal a day websites in the cities we’ll be visiting. I should be able to score some half price or better deals for activities we’d like to try.
Do some couch surfing. It’s definitely not as convenient to stay with friends as it is to have our own private hotel or motel room, but the savings are significant. We’ll be putting out the word that we’d like to visit, and stay, with family and friends while travelling.
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