Summer Fun – Tips from Readers

Here is something I remember from my childhood (We usually couldn’t afford to go on vacations and the like). My father would line the bed of his truck with a large piece of heavy duty plastic or a large waterproof tarp and fill it with water. Some of my fondest memories growing up were of “swimming” in the back of Dad’s truck with my little brother!

-Jacqui

Note from Tawra: My ever so frugal self loved this one! This is the kind of thing my dad would do for us. LOL We always did wierd stuff like this. Some of my fondest memories are going dumpster diving each Saturday morning! hehehe

In packing for car trips, my grandma always made sure to bring a wet washcloth. She would stuff it in a sandwich bag and use it whenever I would get sticky. I still do this today– 30 years later.

Powdered donuts and chocolate milk were always a special treat for me. My mom still buys them for me whenever I go home and it makes me think of the days trekking across the desert to New Mexico and Arizona from the Midwest.

 

When I moved to DC from Chicago, my friend and I packed our food. It was fun to have road meals together and not have to spend all the money on junky restaurant food. We had yummy fruits, sandwiches that were made with love, and even a whole thermos of special coffee we had brewed at home. I think we saved about $100 just by packing our own meals. Although, when going through West Virginia, I had to make a special stop at a Biscuit World (I love those places). -Cortni

Note from Jill: I must be an official grandmother now. I always take a wet washcloth in a baggie when I go with the grandkids, even now when store bought wipes are available. Something about the rough texture of the washrag does a faster and better job cleaning off sticky hands and faces and I save a ton of money by not ever buying wipes.

Not only does packing your own food save money, it also saves time, especially during the summer. We often have to wait a long time to get our food when we stop at a fast food place. Then to try to find a table is often hard. This is more difficult and time consuming than packing our lunch and letting the kids run around and eat in the shade at a rest area.

 

photo by: stuartwebster