- We brought the Britta Pitcher (and filter), plus a refillable water bottle for each family member. Throughout the week we had fresh, filtered water and never had to lug cases or jugs from the store. We drink 1.5 - 2 gallons of water a day, so this trick saved us at least $14.
- Soda is limited in our house. As a treat, we might have a small cup with lunch. Having checked out the Food Lion ad prior to leaving home, I noted 2L bottles were on sale for $1 each, so I purchased these on our first shopping trip. (Had we bought sodas each day at a fast food restaurant or convenience store, this would have cost us $63, based on a price of $1.50 per drink.)
- No one in our family drinks alcohol. Although our conviction has nothing to do with saving money, it serves this purpose as well. Based on the contents of some folks in front of me, vacation must equal one continuous party. Isn't the ocean dangerous enough without downing a case prior to jumping in?
- Our food supply included a few tea bags and a canister of Country Time, just in case we needed a more sugary drinks. Although I did make tea once, the lemonade remained untouched throughout the week.
- We packed our cooler with a couple of big bottles of ice, a few reusable ice packs and a couple of Ziploc Bags full of ice cube. We transferred these to the freezer when we got to the beach house. Throughout the week we used the ice cubes in drinks, the used what was in the ice maker to keep food cold on the way home. (See tips for having extra ice HERE.) Our cost for ice was ZERO!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Beach Beverages Without Breaking the Bank!
Recently we headed to North Carolina for a week at the beach. Although we took a ton of food with us, we still needed to head to the grocery store a couple of times for perishables, frozen foods and bread. As we waited in line, I couldn't help but notice carts full of drinks everyone else seemed to have. How did I get away with only spending $4 to quench our entire family's thirst (six people) for seven days?
