My family and I recently returned from an awesome week at the beach. The weather was great – not too hot, but warm enough for swimming and hanging out at the beach. We had a blast.
Each year, we visit that same area – but shop around for the best deal on a local condo. This year, we found an amazing, three-bedroom, three-bathroom condominium, just across the road from the beach.
We saved money by picking a non-beachfront unit. By walking about 100 extra feet, we saved several hundred dollars.
Our kids are now old enough to move about the condo complex on their own – so we also saved a little money by being on the fourth floor, rather than ground-level.
We waited until we made it to the condo before buying beach toys or boogie boards. Guess what? The owners of the condo had all of that stuff – with a note telling us that that we were free to use what we wanted
We also waited until after checking in to buy groceries. This reduced the amount of packing that we had to do – plus it gave us a chance to see how well the condo was stocked – with paper goods, etc.
Quick tip: When packing, take along an extra bag or laundry basket. Inevitably, you’ll have grocery items that you’ll want to bring home, and you’ll want something in which to pack them. You might also pick up souvenirs or keepsakes, and you’ll need some way to store them for the ride home.
My kids love these insulated travel mugs. We each brought one, and would fill them up before heading to the pool or the beach. This saved us from buying bottled waters or soda, which can be expensive when purchased pool-side.
We checked gas prices before leaving home – and fueled up before we crossed state lines. We managed to do all of our driving on that tank of gas and didn’t have to refuel until we crossed back over. We calculated that we saved 25 cents per gallon.
We kept our eating plan rather simple. We had breakfast and lunch at the condo and we went out to supper each night. I used various websites to purchase gift cards for our favorite restaurants – and managed to save between 10 and 20 percent at each one.
Our youngest kids like to play mini-golf: We played four times during the week! It was a fun family-competition – and quick web search yielded coupons for each of the courses. If you go, hang onto your scorecard or receipt, as some courses give a discount for a return visit.
This year, we skipped the big water park, and instead focused on more time at the beach and the pool. We timed it out, so that we could enjoy the ocean at both high and low tides – but we also gave ourselves plenty of chill-time back at the condo.
We really had a great time during this year’s vacation. We managed to save money, here and there, but we also relaxed and just enjoyed our time together.
There’s always room to improve. Next year, we’ll buy sunscreen locally, as prices nearer the beach were pretty high, compared to back home. We also need to book our condo earlier, as I noticed the company we use offers a discount for early booking.
Side note: I’m not a fan of flip flops – but I like to have something to wear when going to the pool. Alas, I’m no fan of those black swim shoes. No thank you. This year, I found these water shoes – and I straight up love them. They are perfect for trips from the condo to the pool. They keep your feet from blistering on the hot pavement – and they dry quickly after getting wet. Money, well spent.
Thanks for stopping by No Credit Needed. I hope you have a blessed day!