So Far, So Good

Vacation day one and the budget is still intact. Today we drove to the Pacific Coast which meant we had to eat on the road. Of course no road trip can get off to a proper start without a tall cup of coffee from Quik Trip. Yes, I could have taken some from home, but prolonged driving requires a much larger quantity of coffee than my usual work-day travel cup accommodates. Thus, Quik Trip is mandatory and since three of us need caffeine we spent $4.13 before leaving town.

Once on the road, however, we were better about snacks and drinks. When we made a pit stop to top off the gas tank, we took the opportunity to rummage through the snacks and cooler in the trunk, emerging with cookies for the boy, while Jeff and I enjoyed cheese sticks, wheat crackers, and fresh cherries. (Of course, taking turns spitting the pits into an empty zipper bag was pretty amusing since we had a nice little rhythm going between us.)

Around 12:30 we stopped for a hot lunch at Jack in the Box. This set us back $13 and change, but satisfied everyone. I had a grilled chicken pita that was tender, spunky, and yummy, but skipped the fries and onion rings the guys had since I’m trying to make some better choices about food.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we were delighted to find a decent sized refrigerator that easily held all our goodies, plus a very clean, full-size microwave. In addition, our room has a balcony on which we can use our mini grill. So, to avoid eating dinner out, we made a run to the local grocery and picked up flat iron steaks and frozen vegetables in cheese sauce for dinner. This wonderful meal cost us only $10.50 and provided an opportunity for the three of us to eat dinner with plenty of time left to stroll the beach at sunset. We were exceptionally happy when we returned from the beach for a chilled cocktail and family game, easily bypassing the noisy (and expensive) bar down the street. The only real downside to eating in the room is that even on vacation Jeff ends up doing dishes!

Ultimately, we spent about $27 today. Tomorrow, we will begin the day with the hotel’s breakfast bar, take a cooler full of snacks to the beach, and eat sandwiches for lunch. We still have chicken (that I marinated and brought with us) for one dinner, so we’ll have to decide if we’re up to eating out or if we just want to kick back in the room after a day in the sun. Either way, I’m already feeling happy and relaxed despite the budget constraints.