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You are here: Home / Naturally Frugal Living / Vacationing Compact Style

Vacationing Compact Style

March 11, 2010 by Alea Milham 7 Comments

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Overheard at my house:

DH: Are we breaking our resolution by taking this vacation?
Me: No, because we aren’t buying stuff.
DH: So, we’re okay as long as we have nothing to show for the trip?
Me: Exactly!

We might not come home with souvenirs, but we will come home with wonderful memories, shared experiences, and hundreds of pictures. However, I realize that my two year old, is not quite so philosophical. He will see toys at strategically placed shops around the parks and museums we visit, and he will want one or two. So, I have rummaged through the boxes of old toys in the garage and come up with some treats to give him throughout our stay:

February 2010 409Some of these items were purchased 15 years ago when we took our older kids to San Diego for the first time. They are not in perfect condition, but they still have many years of play left in them, and more importantly, Rew will love them.

For more frugal ideas visit, Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Porch Days says

    March 20, 2010 at 3:56 am

    I hope you have a great vacation!

    Reply
  2. halfdozendaily says

    March 13, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    You are such a smart cookie! 😉 I never would have thought of this, sadly. *blush*

    Reply
  3. Your Frugal Friend, Niki says

    March 12, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    Good thinking! I only have one kiddo and he is young so we haven't been many places with him yet. But as we are planning a Disney trip I am starting to stock up on Disney items I am finding cheaply here. The prices of souvenirs are insane once you get to the location!

    Reply
  4. Alea says

    March 12, 2010 at 4:02 am

    Rebecca- That is a brilliant idea!

    If I did not have so many leftovers from the first batch (as my dh calls our older kids), I would have visited the local thrift shop or ebay to try and find compacty items. However, after watching some of the ridiculous bidding wars on ebay, your idea is probably more frugal!

    Reply
  5. Struggler says

    March 11, 2010 at 11:51 pm

    Great idea to foresee the request for "new" toys and prepare accordingly! Have a lovely trip.

    Reply
  6. Melissa says

    March 11, 2010 at 11:43 am

    What a great idea!

    Have a wonderful vacation. 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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