Taking a Trip on a Budget (Part 2)
Once we reached our destination our goal for a budget friendly vacation became more difficult. We were completely out of our element but with careful planning and some help we were able to have and inexpensive vacation.
We pick our destination based on several factors. The cold weather and brutal winter has us all craving a tropical vacation. A quick look at air fare for a family of 4 left us feeling grounded, it is way too money much to fly. So we thought of places that we could drive to and people we knew that we would like to visit. My husband has a friend who lives in Florida that we only see for short periods here and there so we gave him a call to see if he would mind us coming for a visit. He was kind enough to offer up his spare bedroom to us and thus we found a tropical destination that was accessible by car close to someone we wanted to visit.
Once we finished our l-o-n-g drive we unpacked our belongings, enjoyed checking out the area and went to bed. In the morning the first order of business was grocery shopping. To show our appreciation for our room and board we decided that we would cook a meal for us to share with the homeowner every evening. We spent a little over $160.00 for 4 dinners for all 5 of us as well as some snacks and cereals to restock for our ride home.
The big, expense of our trip was the one day that we headed to Key West to do all of the touristy things we could fit into one day. We took a train tour of the city, visited two museums, and lastly visited the buoy at the southern most point of Florida.
We also spent one day with our friend catching fish off of his boat. It was great to see the different species of fish and I also saw a manatee for the first time in my life (which was absolutely incredible). After our fish were cleaned we took them down the road to a local restaurant where they cooked the for us while we sat on a deck over looking the ocean.
So what was the grand total of our vacation? Well here is a breakdown:
Gas to get to, from, and around paradise-$415. 19
Groceries- $165.07
Restaurants (3 meals for 4-5people)-$205.00
Key West attractions-$144.86
Misc cash spent (ice cream out, snacks, fixings for drinks, and souvenirs)-$260.00
Grand Total for one week in paradise....$1,190.12
If you should be in need of a vacation but feeling tight on money look around and see who you could visit and stay with. Pack up your own food and if you should be so crazy load the kids into the car and head on an adventure.
Here is part one just in case you missed it.
The big, expense of our trip was the one day that we headed to Key West to do all of the touristy things we could fit into one day. We took a train tour of the city, visited two museums, and lastly visited the buoy at the southern most point of Florida.
We also spent one day with our friend catching fish off of his boat. It was great to see the different species of fish and I also saw a manatee for the first time in my life (which was absolutely incredible). After our fish were cleaned we took them down the road to a local restaurant where they cooked the for us while we sat on a deck over looking the ocean.
So what was the grand total of our vacation? Well here is a breakdown:
Gas to get to, from, and around paradise-$415. 19
Groceries- $165.07
Restaurants (3 meals for 4-5people)-$205.00
Key West attractions-$144.86
Misc cash spent (ice cream out, snacks, fixings for drinks, and souvenirs)-$260.00
Grand Total for one week in paradise....$1,190.12
If you should be in need of a vacation but feeling tight on money look around and see who you could visit and stay with. Pack up your own food and if you should be so crazy load the kids into the car and head on an adventure.
Here is part one just in case you missed it.
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