We were just getting started on our new budget plan when I found out that we would be going out of town to visit family over a weekend. We have done this before, but we have never tried to be careful about spending in the past. I was determined for this one to be different. We WOULD stick to a budget!
I took some time to figure out exactly what we would need to spend money on. Three days and two nights in a neighboring state automatically equals:
- Two nights in a hotel
- Six meals, plus several snacks for five people
- 600+ miles total driving
HOTEL: Typically, we would try to spend some time actually staying with family, but since the house was full of people already, it wasn’t really an option. So I started looking for hotels immediately. In the past, I would have splurged for a larger suite so that our family of five would be comfortable and have plenty of room to stretch out. But this time, I refused. I knew we could make it work. Being a busy holiday weekend, our choices were limited anyway, so I found a mid range hotel with good reviews online and booked the only room they had left. It was a king, but I was hoping to switch to two queens at check in, assuming I would be able to get a roll-away and creating a sleeping space for everyone in my family.
Well, unfortunately, the only room available at check-in was a king. That would sleep three of us, with one person on the roll-away bed. At any other time in my life, I would have caved and purchased a second hotel room somewhere. But this time, I figured we could make it work for two night, even if it meant sleeping in the chair that came with the room. So that is what I did!
See that tiny chair in the photo above? That is what I spent my nights, with the ottoman, propped with pillows, and tried to sleep as much as I could. Was it the most comfortable option? No. But was I pleased with myself for saving at least $250? Absolutely! I hope that one day my kids appreciate me! (Sidenote: my husband tried very hard to switch places with me and let me share the bed with two of the kids. But he is 6’3″ and would not have been comfortable at all. And because we were visiting his family, I needed him to be rested and not grumpy during our trip!)
MEALS: I usually try to pack a cooler full of snacks (applesauce pouches, fruit snacks, crackers, fruit, etc.) on road trips, so I did that again. I also tried to pack a few of our go-to foods that would fit in the mini-fridge at the hotel. That way, we had snacks, and possibly a meal covered without leaving the hotel or paying extra. I knew that 1-2 of the meals would be taken care of at the family gatherings, so that was helpful. But outside of that, we would probably be eating out. So ahead of time, I set a budget of $100 total for the weekend for feeding my family of five for three days. And I’m shocked to say that we were able to stick to it! We went to a grocery store and got a few more cheap items and then ate leftovers from our restaurant meals, so we were able to stretch everything and make it work!
GAS: Paying for gas is unavoidable on a road trip. But, we looked for the cheapest gas and limited driving around once we got to our destination, so we were able to stay under our $50 budget for gas.
This might seem like common sense to the average traveler. But being new to the frugal life, I felt like this weekend was a HUGE win! I still need a vacation to recover mentally from our vacation, but I feel proud and accomplished! One more step towards saving money to put towards debt! Yay us!
