Ways to Save Money on Vacation This Summer

It can be tempting to ignore the cost of food while you're on vacation. After all, you would spend money on food at home anyway. However, if you don't plan ahead, you can end up spending a lot more on vacation meals than you would at home. Here are some different ways to save money on food while you're on vacation:

• Weigh the Value of a "Free Breakfast"
  You may find that paying more to stay at a hotel that offers a "free breakfast" isn't worth the extra money, compared to a less expensive hotel that offers no breakfast. This is especially true when the complimentary breakfast is basically just pastries, because your kids are likely to be hungry again by 10:00 AM.


• Bring Your Own Breakfast Foods
  This is the easiest meal to eat in your hotel room. Stock up on cereals, bring your own bowls, spoons, and dish soap, and all you'd need to do is buy orange juice and milk.


• Eat Where "Kids Eat Free"
  Be careful to read the fine print, though, because a lot of restaurants only allow one child to eat "for free" for each paying adult.


• Go Light on Lunch
  If you stock up on a hearty breakfast, you can probably get by eating fruit and yogurt for lunch. In addition, it's easy to store the supplies for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in your car or hotel room, which is a great way to save on vacation meals.


• Pack Your Own Snacks
  Before you leave, come up with some basic guidelines for when you'll be eating snacks, and what types of snacks you'll offer. For example, you might decide that morning snacks will include items you can bring from home, such as granola bars, pretzels, and nuts. Then, in the afternoon, you can splurge on ice cream and novelties.


• Bring Your Own Water Bottles
  This is a simple way to save money on the total cost of vacation meals. Just remember to bring dish soap and wash your reusable water bottles at the end of each day.