The rain stopped so I grabbed a towel from the trunk to wipe down the rest stop picnic table bench. My oldest son carried the cooler from the car while his younger brother grabbed our bag of paper products. Once everyone was situated, we enjoyed a delicious spread of sandwiches, chips, baked goodies, fruit and bottled water. While rushing back to his car, a stranger stopped mid-stride, smiled at our family and said, “now, that’s something you don’t see everyday! I remember when we would eat our meals at rest stops.”
It’s true, with so many fast food options, packing lunches while on the road just is not the norm. Not that I don’t enjoy a tasty juicy burger from time to time but when you have seven bellies to fill, (most of them boys!) then the money budgeted for traveling begins to dwindle down quite fast when eating out all the time while on the road. If you dread the thought of traveling, (even just an hour away because that usually means you will be gone for a meal!), consider rethinking how you approach traveling as a family in a more budget-friendly manner.
Pack Water, and Lots of It
First and foremost I am suggesting water. Water instead of juice boxes, sodas or energy drinks. Why? Water hydrates whereas the rest, well, it simply makes you have to stop at every single rest area you see. I even suggest avoiding the coffee since that too can make you have to stop a billion times, (I might have just lost some friends over that suggestion but it can be done, I am living proof!) I know that since we have gone to water-only, we have had significantly less breaks which means less temptation to spend more at rest stops and less crashing of energy levels causing me to remain alert throughout the whole trip.
Also note, I try to make sure I ALWAYS have water in the car. Whether it be a gallon jug or water bottles. Even if it is just an hour long trip- there are times when thirst gets the best of my kids and if I do not have something on hand then we end up having to BUY water which I hate to do.
Stock Up On Snacks
When planning a trip, I usually throw in a few extra snacks into the grocery cart every time I go shopping a few weeks before we leave. That way, I don’t ever end up spending a pile of money at once on snacks and I tend to get them for a good deal since I try to find the ones on sale or I get them at a discount store rather than a highway gas station. I also enjoy letting the kids pick out some of the snacks so they have something to look forward to instead of a long and daunting car ride.
Use Your Rewards Cards For Hotel Stays
If you are planning on staying at a hotel anyways, put it on a credit card that gives you points towards a free hotel stay. I use Wyndham Rewards and have stayed at some pretty nice places with my free stays. If you don’t want to wait for enough points for a free stay at a fancy resort-type hotel you can rack up just a small amount of points for a discounted stay at a cheaper hotel. The best part about using the card at your stays that are not free or discounted is you get triple of the amount of points on your card, so again, if you are staying at a hotel anyway, it is a win-win situation!
