When you have a young family, you want them to get out and about and have new experiences. In fact, some of the best memories are made on family day trips. But the problem is that they can be so expensive. You have to pay for the travel, food, and snacks, entry to the activity that you are doing, and all those other little costs all add up. But it is possible to have a fun and cheap family day out. Read on for my suggestions.
Bottled Water and Snacks
The first thing you need to do, even if you plan on eating out while you are on your day trip is to pack a bag with bottle water and snacks. Snacky kids are grumpy kids, so it’s important to make sure that they don’t get cross because they are hungry. This will make sure that you have the best day out.
Of course, there will be loads of place you can buy snacks like ice creams and chips. But one these will cost you much more than if you have brought your own snacks with you. They are also likely to be pretty unhealthy. So if you are trying to get the kids to eat better taking, your own snacks mean you know they will have a treat that is good for them.
Free activities
You can save by choosing activities that are either free or cheap. You can plan your own low-cost days out. Take the kids to the beach for the day. They will be happening playing in the sand and paddling in the water. The best part is that it costs you nothing.
Or, what about organizing a picnic for them and their friends. You can have competitive games afterward and award small prizes to the winners. This won’t cost too much as someone will have a baseball bat that you can borrow, and you can always use sweaters for bases.
Car Pool
Something else that can be a large concern when organizing a family trip out is the cost of travel. If you have a car, why not carpool with friends or family so you only need to pay for one tank of gas? Then you can split it.
If you don’t drive, pick somewhere that’s accessible via public transport. Or, see if you can get a coupon for a taxi form like this new user promo code for Lyft.
Packed Lunch
If you are on a seriously tight budget, then you may want to take a packed lunch as well as taking snacks and water. It is surprising how much money a packed lunch can save you. It doesn’t have to be boring either. You don’t just have to go for simple sandwiches, although they are easy to make and store. You can make salsa and guacamole and put in plastic pots and take chips. Or how about wraps or even a salad?
Loyalty Schemes
Another clever way of reducing the overall cost f a family day out is to sign up to loyalty scheme or season tickets for your favorite attractions.
Loyalty schemes often offer you free items or entry after you have so many points or stamps. This can mean you can save up your freebies for a time when thing are tight like the summer holidays, where they never seem to be enough money to go around!
Season tickets are a great idea too. Especially if you go somewhere a lot. You pay one fee, and then receive unlimited access to that location. So you can go as many times you want. If you live near a Disney or other theme park, this is a great option. As there is always something new to do and see, and it will already be paid for.
Coupons
It is also worthwhile to keep your eyes peeled for coupons that will help you reduce the cost of your family day out. These could be two for one entry, pay for a child, and an adult goes free, or even kids eat free at the venues restaurant.
Souvenirs
One of the biggest costs that can often catch parents unawares is souvenirs. These tend to be vastly overpriced item designed so kids will love them. Then they end up asking for them over and over again. It can really spoil the mood of the whole trip.
The best way to deal with this is to give your kids an allowance. Tell them that that is their money for the day, and they can spend it on whatever they like, but once it is gone, it’s gone.
Then they will get to have something small to remember their trip by and it will help them to understand the value of money.