Steps for a Cheap & Fun Spring Break

It's no surprise that many families will not be going away this year for Spring Break. The increasing price of gas and groceries have left many unable to afford a vacation this year. We have not had a vacation for some time now and we are very familiar to the term Staycation.

Earlier this week we spent the day exploring the local attractions and only spent $3.11! What made ours cheap was sleeping in way later than normal and eating a late breakfast. We took some snacks and drinks and made it back in time for an early dinner, no lunch for us but we were all good. The $3.11 was spent on all 4 of us treating ourselves to Baskin Robbins ice cream. We had 2 get a scoop free coupons, yay!

I know staycation's have become popular for others as well since the economy plunged a few years ago but many still fall into the trap of spending way too much even for a staycation. I know this from firsthand experience and here are my tips on a successful and inexpensive Staycation during your Spring Break.

1. Lose the guilt!

Let me see if you all can relate. Here is my thought processes from Spring Break and Summer's past:

"I feel so bad that we can't take a REAL vacation. It's ok, it's ok I can still make this fun and memorable without spending as much as we would on a big vacation. Let's see, there's the indoor waterpark. He would looove that. It is $45 for all of us BUT it is cheaper than a regular vacation. Oh and Putt, Putt's open now so we should do that oh and we can go to Chuck E Cheese as long as we don't buy food and use coupons on the tokens. Well we do have to eat somewhere so Chili's has Kids eat Free, that sounds like a good idea and...."

Can you all see where this is going? This thought process ends with us taking the kids to do all these fun local things but come to discover we've spent over $300 for one day's worth of fun and we stayed in town, yikes!

I'm certainly not saying that any of these things are bad to do but for me our purchases and activities were motivated by guilt and that always just leads to more guilt when you add up the receipts.

2. Set Limits

Why are you having a staycation?

Is it because you're saving for something else? Is it because the money simply isn't there, at all? Or is it because, you're trying to whittle your way out of debt and that money has to come out of another area?

Well, whatever the reason, make sure you and your family discuss this before you even start the planning process. Including the kids when they're school age (some preschoolers may even be able to comprehend) is a great way to show financial responsibility. It's easier to stay on track when everyone is on the same page.

3. Plan & Prepare

Planning ahead before you head out the door is key to making your staycation fun, low stress, and affordable.

Activities:

-Check out your local visitor's center a week or so before. You can either visit their website or actually go there and grab all the brochures that look interesting (kids looove this part).

Ask to be put on their mailing list if they offer it. Sometimes you'll receive some great discounts on local dining and attractions.

-Take advantage of free admissions and kids activities. Many nature centers, musuems, etc have kids stuff going on during spring break that are free. Some musuems have Kids Get in Free days. Be sure to take advantage and plan accordingly.

- Be in the know. Check your local newspaper for local events, or become involved on local online Mom's forums, or simply ask around. Sometimes school office workers are more in the know than anyone.

-Make a list of all possible things and places to see and let your family pick. Depending on how many kids you have, and how long your staycation will be, letting each person pick one activity each is a great way to make everyone feel involved.

-Map your route. Making an organized list of where to go first, second, etc, based on their operation times and location is a crucial step if you want to save time and gas!

Food

Food can be the easiest way to blow your budget if you don't have a plan in place. When tummy's are hungry we act irrationally and don't think of the cost... until LATER!

- Plan your staycation between 8-5 so if you do eat out then your getting lunch prices instead of paying the higher dinner prices.

-Picnic and take a stocked cooler. Kids love to eat outside so if the weather's nice why not find a park along your route? It will save you a TON of money and will let the kiddos get out some energy.

-Pack drinks and snacks. Can't do the picnic thing because of bad weather? Then at least consider packing drinks for the car ride or to have drinks with your lunch from a fast food place. Drinks are the biggest rip off at restaurants in my opinion.

- Sign up for customer clubs, and email lists of restaurants along your route. Again, planning is needed and is best to do this a week or so ahead of time. Some restaurants don't send out coupons or specials for a few days after you sign up. I personally make a habit of signing up for anything I can at all the restaurants in our area. When we do want to splurge we rarely, if ever, pay full price.

4. Have Fun- Don't Be Too Rigid

It's easy for us money saving momma's to go overboard and be the checkbook drill sargeant. This makes you crabby and irritable and then no one has fun! This is where setting the limits in step 2 is important.

Anticipate the "Mommy, pleeeease can I have it" scenario. You know it's bound to happen even though you set limits you're kids will try it!

A way to avoid this may be giving the kids a small amount of spending money or letting them take their allowance. It doesn't have to be a lot, a buck or two with small kids seems to work. The bigger kids are a little harder to please but they usually are a little better at understanding the why behind your set limits. So the older ones don't feel left out, allowing them to do extra chores for spending money, in additon to the buck or two you give the little kids, is great way to let them feel in control.

5. Record your memories

Just because it's a staycation doesn't mean it can't be as treausred a memory as let's say Disney. Take lots of pictures and remind your kids to pick up momentos for the family scrapbook later. Making it feel special will help them to appreciate the family time even more.

HAPPY STAYCATIONING!

Spring Has Sprung

Like many parts of the country, temperatures here in Kansas have risen. I've been absent from blogging for a few days because of the 70 degree weather! We all forgot how accustomed we had become to that mild Florida weather until spring popped up, finally!

So we've doing a lot of playing outside, hitting the local parks, taking walks, etc. Who needs a formal excercise routine when you can just go outside and play with your kids? I know mine keep me on my toes and out of breath.

I have lots of good, thought provoking, and hopefully helpful, posts brewing but simply have not had the time to put my fingers to the keyboard. So until then, I wanted to share some pics of what we've been up to.

Doesn't he look like he's up to something? lol

Eian loved the new park we found.

So you can see we're enjoying the outdoors and don't have much time for blogging but I hope to get that post up on cheap spring break ideas soon! I have lots of people asking how we only spent $3.11!

Super Saving Saturday

Crystal over at MoneySavingMom hosts a Super Savings Saturday Link Up and thought I would participate. I've really been getting into the money saving groove and gotten some great deals this week. I let our cupboards and fridge get really low on just about everything so I was cringing making this week's list.

I really lucked out at Dillon's though with the awesome specials they had! Here's a pick of what I purchased. I realized though, AFTER I took this picture and uploaded it, that I had put away 3 bags of Birdseye Steamfresh veggies and 2 bags of Gorton's frozen fish. I had also forgotten about the 10 lb bag of potatoes.

The price I paid may still seem like a lot to those of you who rarely spend more than $40-$50 bucks a week. However, if you look close you'll see I got two 3lb rolls of ground chuck, 2 family size packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts (enough for 4 meals), a corned beef brisket, a 1lb bag of honey ham lunch meat (we use for brkfast sandwhiches as well as for lunches), and a value pack of chicken thighs!

I got all this for $86.36 and saved $84.32!

You may be wondering where some other essentials, like milk, are. Well I stocked up and purchased 4 gallons at $2.88 each on Tuesday before the sale switched. So that should last us a week! lol No, they might last a week and a half!

I was so excited when I left Dillon's and started breaking down all the meat into freezer bags. With all I purchased, and a few little things I still had in the freezer, we have enough meals for at least 20 days, and that's not including days we'll do leftovers!

I could list all my deals but instead here's the link I used to snag up most of these deals you see in the pic. Visit MotherhoodOnaDime for this weeks Dillon's specials with coupon match ups.

Happy Shopping!

My Bargain Buy- A 50 cent Purse!

I've shared in recent posts about my increasing furgality and that means I've also had to cut down on my impulse buys. Everyone has their own definition I think on what an impulse buy is. For me, an impulse buy is anything I don't HAVE to have and can live without.


Since David and I are determined to get out of debt and pay off all our credit cards,my must haves are essential items that we use everyday. It's amazing what you learn to do without when you have no other choice.

David and I did determine last week that if we want to be in this Get Out of Debt Plan for the long haul we must give ourselves some play money. My husband especially is one that it makes him feel good to have a few bucks in his pocket and to take that away is way too restrictive for him. So after 6 years of marriage and many arguments later I understand this about him and respect his need for a little wiggle room.


There's a funny thing my husband says about me, "If you had it your way, we'd live barefoot, in a hut, eating ramen noodles and canned beans by candlelight!" Oh I love my man for pegging me even if he did go to extremes! He's right in that I'm a minimalist. The name of my blog isn't just a name, it's me...simple, simple, simple! Less is more has always been my motto.


However, I have been wanting a purse for sometime now. All the ones I have either have holes in the lining or stains that will not come out. Still, for me this is a WANT not a must HAVE so I've refrained from getting a new one or even a used one. Since my husband, in all his brilliancy, suggested the weekly spending money for each us, I decided to to keep my eyes out for a new one. So here's my new splurge. It may not be your style but I think she's beautiful and for only FIFTY CENTS!! She's almost brand new and I'm not sure why I'm calling it a SHE! lol





There's a little shop in town called Care and Share. It's a thrift shop run by volunteers and all proceeds go to people in our little town of 8000 who are struggling to keep their utilities on and buy groceries. I love supporting a good cause and getting a few bargains doesn't hurt either.




I snagged up a few other goodies as well. Like new backpack for Eian for $1, a bath towel that matches our colors,and two pairs of pants for Elias. My total was $5.37!

Cut Laundry Cost: DIY Dryer Sheets

So anyone who knows me would probably call me frugal (but then you have not met my Mom)

but my recent SAHM status has opened my eyes to ways I'm NOT being frugal. I'm starting to see so many ways to cut costs not just on groceries but other items around the house.

I never realized how spoiled I was in the laundry department. I've almost always used BOTH fabric softener AND dryer sheets...EEEK! I don't know if any of you have seen the price of these items but even with coupons they are pricey. I know you can use vinegar in the rinse cycle for a super cheap alternative and the vinegar smell disappears. I'm still a girl who loves smelly good things though.

So I came up with a low cost way to still have my laundry smell good but be able to at least drop dryer sheets from my household supply list. Last week my husband's socks were getting stretched out and he was ready to pitch them. I decided to cut them up and use them for rags to clean the bathrooms and such. One night when I was doing laundry and we had long ran out of dryer sheets I decided to pour a small amount of liquid fabric softener to the sock and tossed it in the dryer. They work great AND you could usually use the same "sock" twice without adding more softener.

The other added bonus is you can toss the dried sock into your drawer of "delicates" when you're not doing laundry or place in your linen closet to keep the items smelling extra fresh!

New Favorite Cookie Recipe

I'm really enjoying getting back into the blogging groove. The problem? I have sooo many deep thought provoking, soul sharing, enlightening (or so I think) posts but they take time in putting my thoughts into some sort of organization. Time is tight around these parts as I still continue to unpack, move things around and then move around some more, and get organized with my daily routine.

But until then I have yet another recipe to share. I posted the other day about my new/old best friend. These double chocolate cookies are the first of many recipes I tried using my "new" mixer. Actually the story behind these is it's a recipe we found in a Family Circle magazine at the doctor's office last week. David was drooling so much he asked the nurse to copy the page for us!

It was a very user friendly recipe and they are great cookies for bake sales or for gifts. You can find the full recipe at the Family Circle site here. Enjoy!

My New/Old Best Friend

I think I could learn to love my mixer, FINALLY!

I'm ashamed to admit that I've had it since David and I married almost 6 years ago! We received it as a wedding gift and I was excited to get it. However, like many of my kitchen gadgets I tend to keep them boxed up or in the cabinets and end up doing things the old fashioned way.

David has actually used it a few times but I guess maybe I was intimidated by the big heavy mixer. I know it sounds silly doesn't it? But honestly I'm a simple gal and it seemed just as easy to mix things by hand. Well, that is until I decided to use it today. Oh my, I'm in love!

So now my mission is to find the user's manual that had some recipes in it! Hopefully I'll get time to experiment using it and can post some new recipes soon!

P.S. Thank you Uncle Ron and Aunt Debbie and sorry it took me so long to use it :)