Welcome to Week 7 of our Project Summer Frugal Fun Challenge. Be sure to complete today’s easy task at the bottom to enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
***
I just checked my calendar.
July has suddenly vanished. How does this happen? Didn’t summer just begin 2 minutes ago?
Anyway. How’s it going? How was your week?
My husband just returned today from being gone all week on a youth missions trip in Washington, D.C.
As a means of survival, we kept ourselves quite busy this week.
We went to a free concert in the Park and barbecued with friends, we had playdates and picnics and enjoyed a spur-of-the-moment dinner out with family.
We also traveled up to NY for a couple of days to see family who is here from Austin (yay!). It was a great trip other than a screaming one year old all the way home. (Turns out he’s a fan of the song “Bye Bye Bye” and calmed down immediately when it came on. We listened to it on repeat the rest of the way home. Thanks, N Sync!)
Also – I had a sudden moment of inspiration before leaving. I’ve been saving up all of my free samples (for what – I wasn’t sure). Turns out they make great road trip snacks! Everything in that box was FREE. 🙂
We went with friends to an amazing local park on Thursday. Some day this one will be old enough to go on the big slides. I have a feeling he’ll love it.
$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway:
The Project Summer Frugal Fun Challenge:
I want YOU to get involved with our Frugal Fun Guide. I LOVE picturing you using my Summer Fun Planner as a resource. This is a tool that I hope will help you have a fun and rewarding summer if you have kids (or grandkids or neighbors or nieces and nephews). And even if you don’t have kids, there’s a little something for everyone!
So here’s what we’re going to do. During the month of June, July and August, I am going to give away a $25 Amazon gift card to someone who joins the Project Summer Frugal Fun Challenge.
Here’s how to enter:
Entering to win is easy. At the end of each Project Summer post this month (there will be many!), there will be one method of entry. If you choose to complete that task, you will be entered!
At the end of each month (June, July and August) I’ll randomly select one winner from the comments left on each of the posts to win a $25 Amazon gift card. So that means the more you get involved with the Project Summer Frugal Fun Challenge, the more chances you will have to win!
Here is today’s task:
- What’s your best road trip tip? Leave a comment on this post sharing what helps road trips go smoothly for you – ways to keep the kids occupied, how to save on gas, packing tips, etc. (Click here if you are reading this in an email.)
Click here to find even more ways to enter to win!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Amazon. The Amazon gift card is from me as a thank you to my readers!
my best road trip tip is to always pack a small container of wetnaps, even if no kids on the trip!
A couple of summers ago-we drove cross country from South Florida to San Fransico and back (in 2 weeks). It was the best family vacation ever!!! We knew with my oldest graduating college and entering the workforce -it would probably be our last.
Best tip for a long trip-use Google to find quirky places to stop we saw cadillac ranch, world’s tallest legs, 1/2 point on Route 66 among other oddities and landmarks- all free and they make for great pictures and memories.
To save on gas, shop at Publix when they have the gas card deal, or use your Winn Dixie fuel perks points. Also, take plenty of snacks and drinks with you.
Definitely the portable DVD player!
wow, topical – we leave tomorrow for a somewhat close to home road trip (1-1/2 hours). I have a few coupons printed for splurges, i try to plan a fun stop along the way – this time i have a barnes and noble b1g1 frappuccino coupon or possibly a chinese buffet on the way home. we pack a book, as well as a puzzle book and a magazine, so depending on the mood it’s good. there is a travel pillow too, so if a nap is in order (this is more true on the way home), it’s somewhat more comfortable. i usually pack fruit snacks and nuts for car rides, they are easy to eat and ok if they have to sit in the car uneaten. i also try to hit wawa when we need a bathroom as they are usually the cleanest!
We have nine children and have done a few different things that made life easier on the not-so-many road trips we have been on. We have had the children sleep the night before the trip in their trip clothes (GASP!), so that we can get up at any point to begin the driving. That way, all we have to do is a quick diaper change or trip to bathroom, perhaps a freshen up of the hair, and off we go! We have left at 4 am before, as the children for the most part go back to sleep for the first portion of the driving. I also shop Aldi for a few vacation food treats we would not normally buy, and pack them inside the vehicle with us. This last vacation a few weeks ago, I packed two cooler bags — one with bananas, and refrigerated items, the other with water jugs with spouts on them, along with ice bricks to keep them cold. I was very thankful for those, as our 15 passenger van had some issues, and a 4 hour trip home took 8 1/2 with some of our stops being alongside a hot highway for 10-15 min. at a time in 95 degree plus NY heat wave! Needless, to say, that water was a lifesaver! I knew the hotels we were going had refrigerators, so planned accordingly, and brought along some snacks in the cooler bag for the children for when we had extended hotel time… That saved money and kept 9 children’s snacking urges satisfied! I always pack an empty Walmart bag or two inside the vehicle for trash as we go…makes it convenient to dispose of when we get somewhere. I have taken along Your Story Hour, for some educational listening as we travel. Packing went well this time, as several of the older children took along their own small duffel bag or rolling backpack. This was nice, as 5 of the girls were packed in 3 bags…they were old enough to carry in and out of hotel themselves, and made it easier for some people to find and take care of their own clothes at the hotel. Other than that, 1 large and 1 carry on suitcase fit the other 6 people’s items, plus all toiletries, etc. (Swimming items for the hotel pool not included…I pack a plastic kitchen size bag or two for taking the wet swimsuits home to wash there.) I have occasionally taken a large mesh laundry bag from the dollar store along, to separate dirtied laundry into… Less sorting clean from dirty clothes when unpacking upon arrival home. All dirtied clothes are in one place ready to start the laundry! I also pack toiletries that could leak inside a couple plastic Walmart bags…thankful for that, since we did have a leaking incident, and it was contained in the bag instead of being all over the clothes in that section of the suitcase. Those are a few of the things that make my life easier when it comes to trip time!
Our faves have been trips to Palm Springs and Vegas. We read and play games such as I Spy and the alphabet game where we try to find letters on signs, license plates, etc.
Our favorite road trip was to Las Vegas. We clean and fuel the car before the trip. We leave early and take plenty of snacks and drinks.
We went to Ikea on Sunday, had lunch there and kids always don’t forget the frozen yogurt, it ‘s cheap and taste good :-). Then headed to Target, found some summer stuffs with the great prices. Love it.
For the grandkids, I always bring individual bags of food. Frozen grapes are good. Cheese that has been cut up into small pieces is a favorite. Water bottles that have been frozen keep the food cold and is good for an occasional drink.
Bonnye
I create a scavenger hunt for the kids. Things you’re sure to spot on the way. I.e. a car with bicycles strapped on it, a car with license plates from x,y,z, border signs, a person on a motorcycle, etc. whichever kid gets the most gets to pick the kids bedtime snack.
We reserve electronic use during car trips for only the long road trips. This makes the long drive exciting since they normally aren’t allowed to watch dvd’s or play video games in the car.
I also have each of the kids pack their own “toy bag”. They fill their back packs with all the fun stuff they can think of. They really like being responsible for their own back pack and when their electronics are off (yes, we still provide limits), then they look forward to having fun with their personalized stash.
Having a good arsenal of road games to play – like trying to spot each one of the 50 state license plates
Start so early that the little man goes back to sleep for a good part of the drive. That and plenty of fuel for driver and car (heavy on the caffeine), along with adequate rest stops (all the caffeine you know ;-)).