Want to save money on vacation? I do! But one of the hardest parts of vacation is sticking to a budget. I mean, who wants to think about the reality of income when you’re trying to escape your everyday life by going on vacation? I know I don’t! But I also don’t want to come home to a mountain of debt. What’s the happy medium? Watching the food budget! For our family, one of the best ways to save money on vacation is an unconventional (and maybe old fashioned) one: grocery shop!
Save Money on Vacation through Food…
Food on vacation is pricey! If your hotel doesn’t have a free continental breakfast, you are looking at spending upwards of $100/day on food for a family of four. For me, this is money I could be spending on other activities or souvenirs. Over the past couple of vacations, we’ve instituted a policy of “shopping” for our lunch (or supper) instead of simply sitting in a restaurant. It’s worked pretty well!
I admit I don’t always love to grocery shop. Since I teach foods classes, it seems like I’m always grocery shopping during the school year. For some reason, getting to go to new grocery stores on vacation, though, is different. It’s an adventure. Plus, it gets us out of the car! We are forced to walk around, move, and stretch out. And we save money on vacation!!!
Tips:
- Print out the free grocery list for ideas. Fold this in half and then in thirds for a nice, small, list. 🙂 Just like at home, it’s important to only buy what you’ll use.
- Have a large enough cooler. You will probably have a few leftovers. Use large gallon bags filled with ice and double-bag these to minimize the chances your food will be floating in water later. (We refill these every day at our hotel before leaving or purchase ice when we stop at grocery stores.)
- Consider purchasing two days’ worth of lunches. This could save time if your group is tired and just wants to eat one day without shopping.
- Plan ahead! We carry reusable water bottles in the car and refill these along the way while traveling. It forces us to drink more water and we don’t have excess garbage from packaging around our seats. Gallons of water work great and are much cheaper than individual bottles!
- Pack paper products in an easy-to-use container. I place our napkins, plates, silverware, cups, and non-refrigerated foods in a tub to help keep everything together. Our tub of choice is a Tubtrug. It has nice handles, is flexible, and I use it for many tasks around the house at home.
- Take your time. Find a nice park or national forest to spread out your meal. Remember, vacation is about enjoying time with family. Eating in a quiet park is much more relaxing than a loud fast food location.
- Enjoy local specialties. Maybe the bakery at the grocery store has an item you haven’t tried, or there is a snack item or fruit/veggie you don’t have at home. Vacation is the perfect time to experience something new! 🙂
- Be sure to wash produce before you eat it! I use a zip-top baggie and some of the water we carry to rinse prior to eating.
- Use baggies to package any leftovers and stash in the cooler.
The Biggest Benefit?
The best part about eating lunch from grocery stores is the time spent together! Yes, you are saving money on vacation, but the memories of being together are so much more important! Vacation is the one time of year (outside of holidays) that we can eat every single meal together as a family. We can enjoy the free breakfast at the hotel, lunch as a picnic, and then dinner together at a nice restaurant. The conversations we share around the table help make us more connected and closer as a family. I can’t think of anything more important than that!
So, I encourage you to try my #1 tip to save money on vacation: try local grocery stores. Print off my free grocery list and have fun exploring new stores, stretching your legs, and making memories with your family! (And, it’s a lot healthier than fast food!)
Enjoy your vacations this year! If you’d like a few other ideas on how to stay healthy while on vacation, please check out my post Five Ways to Take a Vacation and Still Eat Healthy. If you have ideas on how to save money on vacation, I’d love to hear them! Please leave a comment below.
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Here’s another link to the grocery list. Just fold the paper long-ways (like a hot dog) and then into thirds.
Shopping List to Save Money on Vacation
