Vacation on a Budget

Checking out our running total of $435 at the end of last week, we are just within budget on the Eat at Home Project. Our allotted amount as of June 11 was $440, which means our budget for the end of this week is up to $460 total, but it's not going to happen. We are planning to spend a few days at the beach, so we know our $20 per week limit will slip away fast.

Vacationing on a budget is not new to us, though this year's money is tighter than we've seen in nearly a decade. Our salaries are being frozen for the second year in a row and Jeff and I both will be taking two unpaid furlough days as a pay reduction measure. On top of the decreasing pay, we've had increasing bills in the form of replacing pool pumps, air conditioning motors, new tires, and some hefty car repairs. In light of all these events we considered not taking any vacation at all, but when we received word that our contracts were actually being issued (It was touch and go for awhile!) we decided we could afford a little relaxation. So, we booked a budget hotel, squelched any idea of a major (read high ticket) attraction, and decided to stick to the basics of fun in the sun (i.e. flying kites, picking up shells, and reading a good book).

Clearly, we will be watching the food budget carefully. We deliberately chose a hotel that offers a full breakfast bar each day so we could start the morning well without shelling out extra dough. In addition, we are taking plenty of lunch and snack items like fruit (including some lovely cherries that were on sale), granola bars, crackers, bread, cheese, lunch meat, baked chips, peanut butter, and trail mix to keep everyone satisfied throughout the day. In addition to standard drinks like water, sodas, and juice, we decided we could take a bottle of wine and a couple kinds of pre-made cocktails to sip after an evening walk on the beach, thus foregoing the expense of ordering drinks at a restaurant or lounge. We're even planning to cook out at the beach for dinner one night. (In preparation for this I doused some chicken in a marinade, put it in a large zipper bag, and stuck it in the freezer. This will ensure it remains cold on the drive.) Of course, we'll have s'mores over a campfire for dessert! All this planning should allow us to eat out only a couple of meals if we're hungry at the end of the day. (And you can bet the teenage bottomless pit will be hungry!)

Luckily, one expense we don't have to worry about is boarding our pets. Our nearby relatives are always gracious enough to "vacation" at our house when we're away, providing security for the home and company for our menagerie. This arrangement allows us to relax and enjoy ourselves knowing everything is being well tended. So, tonight I'm checking items off my packing list and looking forward to sticking my feet in the sand tomorrow!