Thrifty Thursday: 10 Ways to Save on a Beach Vacation

We are heading to the beach and everyone is looking forward to it but vacations take a little more preparation then they used to enjoy the fun and sun.  I do a few things ahead of time to make sure that we enjoy a thrifty and fun vacation.

Here are some ideas of what you can do before you leave home:

1. Buy some special snacks- There might be some special snacks that you only buy around vacation time or things that your family doesn't eat all the time like chips and cookies.  We are packing some Bugles and small bags of chips to enjoy on the beach.  It makes it so my son (and husband) aren't asking for ice cream and soft pretzels every time we turn around and we can enjoy the special treats when we get them.  I grabbed some granola bars and other snacks to keep us full between meals.

2.  Pack a cooler with special drinks- We normally don't drink soda during the year unless someone else brings it to the house and my husband loves Coke.  I grabbed some six packs that were on sale for $0.97 so that I could bring then on vacation.  I also grabbed a few fun juice boxes for my son with deals and coupons so that we could enjoy them at the beach.  Drinks are something easy to pack that go a long way to stretch vacation dollars because they are very expensive if you stop to buy them in a store or restaurant but we will have spent $5 to have special treats for the whole vacation.

3. Pack cups, plates, utensils and napkins- There are so many reasons that you might need these between eating take out on the beach or eating in the room while the kids take a nap.  It is always good to bring these with you because they don't take up much room and they are very helpful to have reusable items that make you feel more at home to eat a meal or snack.  I carry them with me all summer so I know that it is even more important when away from home.

4. Book a hotel with breakfast included or a kitchen- We are only going for a few days so we picked a hotel with breakfast included.  My son will go down with my husband early when he wakes up and we can all enjoy it as we wake up and get ready...most likely my son will enjoy it twice.  We are also bring quick mix pancake mix that I got for free with coupons and a griddle so that we can make our own pancakes in the room if we want.  Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner for my family but we will most likely do it for breakfast.  I also packed my son and husband's oatmeal because they love to eat that and it will be good as a backup just in case breakfast is a bust.  If you book a place with a kitchen, then you can make meals at home and save lots of money by bringing food with you that you have saved and gotten on sale.

5. Pack Lots of Buckets, Shovels and Sand Toys- I have collected lots of sand and pool toys over the years and they are all going with us.  Make sure you write your last name on all of them and do a quick count before taking them out because they may walk away.  We have a big bag and will bring whatever toys will make for entertainment at the beach or the pool at the hotel.  If you don't have buckets and other sand toys, look around the house for plastic containers and big utensils.  The kids don't care what they have and if you have stuff they can use, it saves the request for items on the boardwalk which cost a fortune.

6.  Pack crayons, markers, and activity/coloring books- Make sure you have activities like small coloring books and crayons or markers to entertain the kids when you are waiting for restaurants and other lines that always come up for vacation.  We plan I Spy and other games but sometimes you need to have something you can pull out to have a little quiet time while waiting.  I got a sticker book too which I hope adds to the fun this year!!  Stickers are usually something fun to do that he will do on his own.

7.  Pack small special toys or games- Last time we had a small memory match game that we played over and over at restaurants while we were waiting so a quick trip through the closet to find things that you haven't played in a long time or a quick trip to the dollar store to grab something new is going to a lifesaver later.  I found a rhyming puzzle game at Target which I am going to bring.  I am hoping that it has as much entertainment as the memory match.  We also have travel Yahtzee which may bring entertainment and is small with no parts to loose.  I am going to pack a puzzle that we might do as a family in the room in case there is rain or we need something to drag my son back to the house.

8.  Pack Lots of Meds and other essentials- When I pack, I include a lot of things that we might not use because I know that they are a hassle to get and you pay way more on vacation for them like headache medicine, children's Advil, and medicines.  If you need them, you are more then willing to pay big bucks for them on vacation but if you bring them then you can skip that expense.  Make sure you pack sunscreen, shampoo, lotions and other things you are going to be using daily.

9.  Look online for deals and coupons- If there are certain places you are interested in going, make sure you look for deals that might help save a little money.  We looked at the place that has rides to see that there is a price break when you buy 100 so we are probably going to buy 100 to save the money per ticket and make the money go further.  There is one place that has a discount if you pay cash so we will make sure we bring enough to pay for it if we decide to do that.  There is information that the visitor center has coupons there so we will stop there on our first day into town.  There are plenty of ways to save and still have fun!!

10. Get Ready to Have Fun!!!   With all this preparation already done, get ready to have a great vacation.  Planning helps me to relax when the time comes because I know that I have every possibility covered.  We are ready for sun or rain.  We are ready for hungry or thirsty.  We are ready to have lots of fun and I hope that you are too!!!