Vacation "freebies"

Hi there! We are officially back from vacation & it reminded me that there are many ways to be happily cheap on vacation.

One of the less-tried and very effective ways is to rent a place with enough of a kitchen to avoid eating out all the time. The added benefit is that you'll be healthier overall. Now, don't fee stuck in the kitchen all the time - make it easy, and by all means eat out now and again or order pizza without feeling guilty!

Also, notice that lots of things come with that room that you rented. Yes, you paid for them, but waste not want not, right? My husband used to roll his eyes at me, but is a big believer now. My parents generously gift timeshare to us, so we stay in 2 bedroom suites fairly often. They come with laundry detergent & a washer/dryer, dishwasher, full kitchen, etc . . . When we get ready to leave, realize that those small package cannot be reused by the resort staff for cleanliness and safety reasons. I take the remaining dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc . . . you get the idea. We don't like all those little bottles, so if there are some unopened ones, give them away to someone who might think they're fun or donate them. Also, use whatever bottle of shampoo you have & add the rest of that little tube to it - really, it works!

Now, if you are like me, it's a little bit embarrassing at first. Dave's eye-rolling didn't help much, either. However, when he saw how much our bills went down and how quickly we saved up our emergency fund (6 months of expenses ready in case of emergency), he quit laughing - fast! He also thoroughly endorses it & has many of his office friends copied to this blog, in addition to talking with them about all the nerdy ways we've found to be cheap & happily so . . .

Hope you had or are about to have a fabulous & frugal Spring Break!!