7 Ways to Save Money on Your Family Trip

As parents, we all know there is a huge difference between a vacation and a family trip. A vacation is an adults-only getaway that is full of relaxation, lingering meals and experiences, and refueling for the return to real life. A trip is when well-meaning parents travel with their offspring in order to parent them in a different location for a few days. Very little about a trip with kids is relaxing, lingering, or refueling. But somehow, family trips still hold some of my favorite memories that I will cherish forever. But as parents of two young kids, our vacations have turned into trips, and we strive to make the best of it.

As a family that chooses to live frugally, out of both necessity and as a lifestyle, we always try to keep costs down on family trips without cutting any important corners or missing out on experiences. While we weren’t able to schedule a family trip this summer, but we have a fall trip in the books. Here are the ways we’re preparing and planning our trip with frugality and fun in mind.

Use Google Flights Tracker
This is my husband’s world, but he explained the process to me. When we’re thinking about planning a trip that involves flights for our family of 4, he begins tracking the possible flights using Google Flights. Through this free Google service, he is able to set search parameters to our specific destination and dates to search for the cheapest flights across all airlines (excluding Southwest Airlines- Google doesn’t track SW for some reason). Once he sets the parameters, he’ll usually track those flights for a week or two to determine trends in pricing, then purchase the tickets on whichever day they’re at their lowest price. (Side note: While Spirit Airlines often comes in at the lowest price, we do not fly Spirit because of their exorbitant add-on fees and lack of a family-friendly flight experience.)

Go Off-Season
Know what’s beautiful in April? Paris. Know what’s beautiful in September? Paris. But going in September, as we did, will cost you a lot less than going in April. As a general rule for most destinations, airline tickets, hotel rooms, and even some experiences and attractions tend to cost less during off-season months. I actually prefer traveling during non-peak, off-season times because I feel like we get a more authentic, less tourist-ey experience. And as an introvert, I’m easily overwhelmed by big crowds of tourists, especially if my kids are in the mix, so traveling off-season ticks many of my boxes- it’s the frugal option that keeps me sane and anxiety-free while we’re away.

Go Somewhere You Have Friends or Family
My husband’s family has a house on Lake Michigan, so guess where we’re going this fall… Lake Michigan! We get to stay at the lake house there and earn our keep by leaving the place cleaner than when we arrived, chipping in for groceries, and paying a small portion of what we would pay for a hotel or condo. Of course, we don’t always travel to places we have friends or family who are willing to put us up, but having that option for about every other trip keeps costs down on the whole.

Stay Somewhere with a Kitchen
If possible, stay in a place that has a kitchen, or at least a refrigerator and microwave. We are a family that values good food and dining experiences. However, dragging my kids into restaurants three times a day for a week or more is not high on the list of things I like to do. Plus it gets super expensive! So when we’re on a family trip, we make it a point to stay somewhere that has a kitchen. Then we stock up on a few grocery items at a local grocery store when we get there. We try to eat one meal per day at “home,” which usually ends up being breakfast or dinner as we’re out doing fun stuff during the day.

Have a Staycation or Go Somewhere Close to Home
This is a well-worn piece of advice, but it’s a good one! On Mother’s Day weekend this year, we packed up and drove about two hours to a nephew’s high school graduation party. Instead of turning around and driving back home the same day, we decided to make a weekend of it and stayed in a local hotel that had a pool. My kids still talk about what a great weekend we had. Their favorite part (apart from the pool)? “Talking” on the landline phone in the room! Who’d have thought? So we’ve decided that we’ll make it a tradition and go someplace close to home each Mother’s Day weekend. Nothing fancy or expensive, just some time together in a new environment, provided that environment has a pool and a landline. And maybe a spa for momma.

Make Your Itinerary Before You Go
My husband is the Itinerary King. He’s armed with a detailed schedule weeks before we embark on a trip. He creates room for flexibility, though, so it’s not set in stone. But planning at least a loose itinerary in advance is a great way to save money when you’re away from home. Before we leave, we research our destination location for attractions that are free or have reduced price days. You’d be surprised how many museums, aquariums, zoos, and other attractions have either free or reduced admission days. It’s such a huge letdown when you show up at the museum only to realize the day before or after would have been free. So we plan ahead to go to those places on free or reduced days. Easy peasy!

Don’t Underestimate (Free) Local Spots
It was hard for me to accept when we first started traveling with our kids, but not every second needs to be big, shiny, and expensive. One of my kids’ absolute favorite things to do when we’re on trips is to check out the local parks and playgrounds. We’ve even learned that one parent can take the kids to a local park while the other parent gets a nap! And then we switch the next day. A local playground will easily knock out an afternoon, and I know we all enjoy the downtime. So just do a little Google research to find the local playground talent in your desired destination.

There ya have it! While we try to live and travel frugally, we also don’t cut too many corners, cheap out, or even jump through any complicated hoops to save money (you will NEVER catch me on Groupon, for example, but that’s a post for another time…). We just use a little common sense and strategic planning to make our time and our money work for us the way we want it to.

What about you? What are your frugal travel tips?

Top 6 Costco Purchases

I love me some Costco! That’s why this list is a Top 6 instead of a traditional Top 5. The top reason Costco has my heart is that it allows me to purchase certain items in larger quantities, therefore keeping them off my shopping list for long periods of time. Other reasons are that Costco allows me to make reasonably healthy choices for my family, and the shopping experience is not terribly unpleasant as the store is well laid-out and easy to navigate with wide aisles, even when crowded (the only exception to this is the eternal traffic jam in front of the milk and eggs cooler- if you know, you know).

Like other big box warehouse stores, Costco comes with an annual membership fee. We do the basic “gold star” membership, which is $60 per year. In the name of complete transparency, since I call myself the FRUGAL Frisco Momma, I personally don’t think a Costco membership saves us money. In fact, once the annual membership fee is factored in, it’s more likely that we end up spending a little more than we would if we stuck only to traditional grocery stores. But I think the benefits and convenience of a Costco membership outweigh the slight increase in the grocery budget. So by maintaining a membership, I am being frugal with my time and mental capacity expenditures. (How’s that for a justification!?)

I typically go to Costco once a month. I feel like that’s about the right amount of time for us to work through most of what I bought there the previous month. On my shopping trips, there are 6 main things I almost always buy. They are:

1. Paper Products - These products typically consist of paper towels, toilet paper, and paper plates (I love the environment, but not enough to wash dishes after every meal). We are picky about our paper products, and I feel like Costco does a good job on keeping the quality high and prices reasonable with its Kikrland’s line. However, if there is an in-store rebate being offered on the name brand (Bounty, Charmin, etc.), and there often is, I’ll get that instead. The biggest advantage to getting paper products at Costco is that I don’t have to inventory and purchase these things at any other grocery shopping trips during the month. In fact, these items will often last us up to two months. And no one ever gets stranded without toilet paper!

2. Chicken and Salmon - We’ve tried a lot of Costco meats, but the true winners in our book are their chicken and salmon. I LOVE Costco chicken because of the way it’s packaged- individually vacuum-sealed bags, making for easy freezing, thawing, and meal prepping. The vacuum-sealed chicken comes in boneless, skinless breasts and boneless, skinless thighs, both of which we purchase regularly. You also have the option of organic and non-organic for all raw chicken varieties.
   For the salmon, I typically only purchase the fresh salmon that is ready to pop right in the oven, located in the pre-packaged meals section. The salmon comes pre-cut into three large planks and is pre-seasoned with butter and herbs. But be warned, it’s A LOT of butter, so you may choose to remove some before popping it in the oven. One of these salmon filets (3 large planks) is enough to feed our family of four, so at about $22, it’s a good deal for a healthy(ish) meal.

3. Butter and Cheese - We’re a cheesy, dairy family and I’m not sorry about it! But if dairy isn’t your thing, you can skip this one. I typically buy all our butter, cheese, and sometimes even yogurt from Costco since we go through a lot of it. Again, the Kirkland’s brand usually does the trick for us on these items, such as the Kirkland’s organic butter sticks and all the Kirkland’s block cheeses. And there’s almost always an in-store rebate on some kind of yogurt product, from Chobani and Stonyfield to Activia and Dannon.

4. Produce - I have a love/hate relationship with Costco produce. I LOVE it because it’s always fresh and delicious, and there are plenty of organic options. I HATE it because we usually end up throwing some away because we don’t eat it all before it goes bad. But I continue to buy certain produce items from Costco, including strawberries, grapes, bananas, romaine hearts and butter leaf lettuce, green beans when available, and sometimes asparagus or Brussels sprouts. I feel like the prices on the organic produce items are especially good considering the quality and quantity you get.

5. Drinks - I’m ashamed to admit that in the recent past, I was a Coke junkie. The soda kind. And not diet soda, either. But in the last few months, I’ve kicked that dirty habit and have gone over to the light side. I have a hard time drinking only water, and I feel like I’ve given La Croix enough chances to grow on me, but it hasn’t. So when I’m tired of regular water, I reach for a Vitamin Water Zero. I’ve found it hard to find the Zeros (no sugar or calories) in regular stores, but Costco always has a 24-pack waiting for me. Costco has lots of other non-typical beverage options as well, including beer and wine. It’s always fun to explore their drink aisles!

6. Lunch! - Most of the time, I usually have at least one kid with me on a Costco run, so I try to time our trip around lunch time. Have you had the pizza from the Costco cafe? It is DELICIOUS. Like everything else in Costco, the portions in the cafe are oversized, so we split a slice of cheese pizza and a berry smoothie, sometimes a churro if we’re feeling wild, and still spend less than $5. That quick Costco meal gives us the carbs and energy we need to do our shopping, and helps me avoid putting unnecessary items in my cart because I’m not shopping on an empty stomach.

And I have one Honorable Mention- MUFFINS. (Which I guess makes this a Top 7 list…) I added this as an Honorable Mention because we don’t buy these each time; they’re more like a treat we pick up about once a quarter or when I have to provide a breakfast item for a school event. The fresh blueberry and almond poppyseed muffins are to die for. They’re huge, of course, and you get a dozen for about $9, so I freeze half of them as soon as we get home. They freeze and thaw beautifully so we have muffin treats whenever we want! For teacher or corporate breakfast potlucks, I quarter each muffin and arrange the pieces on a platter. It’s always a hit!

I buy other random items at Costco as well, but these 6 are the ones that I buy consistently. What about you? How do you feel about a Costco membership- yay or nay? If yay, what are your go-to Costco items?

Action shot- currently thawing Kirkland’s chicken for dinner

Pogo Pass Dallas - Deal or No Deal?

I recently heard about the Dallas Pogo Pass, a sort of city pass for kid-friendly activities all over the Metroplex. Knowing me, you can probably guess that I dove straight into research mode and put pen to paper. Is it a good deal? When will it pay for itself? Will we actually use it? Here’s what I learned and what you need to know.

Without any kind of promo code, a 12-month Pogo Pass membership costs $49.98 per person. But if you use my Frugal Frisco Momma promo code (FFM20), you’ll save 20%, bringing the total cost of one Pogo Pass to $39.98. So with the promo code, that brings the total cost for a family of 4 to $159.92. With that, you get access to 24 DFW-area attractions. I won’t list them all here, but some of the highlights include:

Fort Worth Zoo Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park
Hawaiian Falls Waterpark Sci-Tech Discovery Center
Texas Discovery Gardens Strikz

And many more! These are just the ones that immediately jumped out at me. And some of the attractions include more than one free visit with the Pogo Pass. For example, the pass includes four free games of bowling at Strikz, two free visits to Sci-Tech Discovery Center, etc.

I added it all up and the value of the Pogo Pass, if one were to visit every attraction the maximum number of allowable times within the calendar year, is about $370 for a single adult and $285 for a single child- a total of $1,310 for a family of 4! But since that’s not very realistic- for example, I’m not going to drive to all the way to Rockwall to claim a free jump session at Urban Air- I estimate that the totals for attractions we would actually go to is about $150 per adult and $125 per child. For a family of 4, that’s a total cost of $550. Considering four Pogo Passes cost about $160, I’d say that’s a deal!

I love that there is a mix of indoor and outdoor attractions included on the pass. With our crazy Texas weather, it’s good to have multiple options available on a whim. I also love that this pass would force my family to get out of our routine and try new things we’ve always wanted to do but just haven’t gotten around to because of the cost. However, there is some fine print for each of the different attractions, like certain blackout days, etc., so be sure to read through the Pogo Pass website thoroughly for a fully-informed purchase. And if you do purchase, remember to save 20% with the FFM20 promo code!

Any existing Pogo Pass holders out there? What’s your opinion? Tell us in the comments!

Dallas Zoo Membership - Worth It?

We LOVE going to the Dallas Zoo! My kids have a blast, I do too, the animals are so fun to watch, and we feel comfortable there. The new hippo exhibit and brand-new baby hippo, Adanna, is our current favorite, closely followed by feeding the giraffes in the Giants of the Savannah exhibit, and of course the animatronic dinosaurs at the temporary Dinos exhibit. We always end our visit with time in the Children’s Zoo, brushing the goats, feeding the birds in the aviary (say hi to Khaki for us!), and splashing in the water. A trip to the Dallas Zoo is one of our favorite ways to spend an entire day.

But as my readers know, we’re a frugal family, both out of necessity (single-income home) and by choice as we strive to live a minimalist(ish) lifestyle. Depending on your definition of frugality, the zoo isn’t exactly a “frugal” outing. One visit for a family can run upwards of $100. But one thing I insist on investing in, frugality be darned (to an extent), are experiences, rather than toys, gadgets, and junk that will ultimately be easily forgotten or broken. One of the experiences we choose to invest in is the Dallas Zoo, but we do it the most frugal way possible.

That means we purchase a Family Membership. The total cost of an annual family membership is $116 (normally $129, but 10% off with this promo). With a membership, you get free parking and free entry for two named adults and up to four kids. Also included in a membership are six tickets for the monorail or carousel and discounts at the zoo restaurants and gift shop. You’ll probably still face some extra expenses (feeding giraffes and birds, snow cones, gift shop, etc.), but a membership will offset those costs significantly.

On the other hand, you could choose to pay per visit. I’ve done the math and a single visit to the Dallas Zoo for a family of 4 is $72 minimum- that’s just for parking and entry.

Parking- $10
2 adult (ages 12+) entry- $34 ($17 each)
2 child (ages 3-11) entry- $28 ($14 each)
TOTAL: $72

As I mentioned, that total doesn’t include any extras such as feeding the giraffes and birds, riding the monorail or carousel, your kids cornering you in the gift shop, and snow cones. (You may be wondering, “What’s her deal with snow cones? Are they required for zoo admission or something?” No. My kids just love snow cones and will loudly ask for them two thousand times in the course of five minutes. I’m not proud of it, but on a fun zoo day, I tend to give in to these requests.) So it’s not hard to imagine that a family day at the zoo can easily add up to $100 or more. Youch! Given that info and the properties of basic mathematics, a Dallas Zoo family membership more than pays for itself after only two visits.

And there are several other membership perks as well. You get reciprocal membership (discounted admission) to over 150 other zoos and aquariums nationwide, so when you go on that Spring Break family vacation, you can check out the local zoo or aquarium at a discounted rate. But be warned, the Dallas World Aquarium and Fort Worth Zoo are not included in the reciprocation, unfortunately.

Members also get free access to special events throughout the year, such as the Safari Nights Concert Series, Member Mornings, and Member Happy Hours (21+). And there are even more perks and freebies if you choose a higher-level membership than just the basic family membership.

In a nutshell, if you think you’ll visit the zoo more than once in a calendar year (remember, it won’t always be boiling hot outside!), a membership is your most frugal option. It’s math, people.

Enjoy your Dallas Zoo days! I know we will too.

What's All the Fuss About ALDI?

So what’s the all the fuss about ALDI? That’s the thing… there is no fuss! It’s just an easy-to-navigate, no frills, no fuss grocery store. As promised, I’m following up on last week’s post in which I compared the cost of several items across five popular grocery stores, and am focusing on German-based discount grocery retailer ALDI. I must admit that even though I’m a Frugal Frisco Momma, I had never shopped at ALDI until this week, though I’d always been curious.

Let me tell you- ALDI is a GAME CHANGER if saving money while still purchasing high-quality products is your jam. But it’s going to look a little different than you’re used to- while there are a few name-brand products available, most items are either the ALDI store brand or other brands I wasn’t familiar with until this week. So if your family is picky about brands, ALDI won’t be your one-stop-shop. But if your household is a little more flexible, you can get all your shopping done at ALDI just like at a normal, big-box grocery store. You’ll just pay a lot less.

There are some great pros about ALDI, but a few cons as well. Here are the pros:

• Fewer options - This is a pro to me. I often get overwhelmed at the grocery store, especially if I’m shopping with my kids, so having two options instead of six to choose from would really help me save time and sanity.

• Fewer people - The two times I’ve been to ALDI, at two different locations, there have only been a handful of other shoppers in the store. If you’re like me and just want to get in and out without having to navigate the entire population of Frisco, this is a huge pro.

• Smaller concept - Did you forget to pick up yogurt and now you’re at the shampoo end of the store? Not a problem at ALDI! You won’t have to backtrack a quarter-mile to get those precious yogurt tubes. ALDI only has 4-5 wide aisles, so it’s super quick and easy to navigate.

• Fresh produce - I’m picky about produce. While I do most of my shopping at Walmart, I rarely buy fruits or veggies there. But after carefully inspecting the produce at ALDI, I can say without hesitation that I feel comfortable buying their produce. There are a surprising number of organic produce items as well!

• Charcuterie - Having girlfriends over for wine and nibbles? ALDI should be your first stop to fill up that charcuterie board! I was very impressed with their sliced meat, cheese, and cracker options. And we already covered the fresh produce like grapes and bell peppers. Pair with some Winking Owl ALDI-brand bottles of wine and your girls’ night in will be a complete success! (Disclaimer: I am in no way a wine snob. A $40 bottle tastes the same as the 2-Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s to me. So take the Winking Owl recommendation with a grain of salt if your taste buds are easily offended by cheap wine.)

I was consistently surprised by the options and prices on every aisle I wandered at ALDI. But it isn’t perfect… The cons I noticed are:

• Fewer name brands - As I mentioned earlier, if your family are sticklers for name-brand products, ALDI probably isn’t for you. I would say that my family is a little flexible on some items, but are definite brand loyalists on others. So if you’re like me, you probably won’t be able to get all of your shopping done at ALDI.

• Fewer organic options - While I was surprised that ALDI had any organic options at all, there aren’t going to be as many as at a larger, big-box grocery store. The good news is that most of the “dirty dozen” items had organic options at ALDI. But if you like to buy everything organic, then ALDI probably isn’t for you.

• No frills - Goodbye, impressively organized shelves, ambiance music, free bags (bring your own), free shopping carts (rent one for a quarter), and employees who sack your items for you (sack them yourself). ALDI has absolutely no frills. While this doesn’t bother me, I know that the shopping experience is important to some people, so the streamlined, Germanic efficiency of ALDI may be a turn off to you.

Drumroll please… Now for the price comparison. This one took a while, y’all, because once I learned that ALDI offered mostly non-name brand items, I realized that I needed to go back to Walmart to research prices on their non-name or store brand items, otherwise it wouldn’t be a fair comparison. So yeah, you could say I’m a little sick of grocery stores. Here’s the comparison:

As you can see, ALDI WINS, and by a fair bit considering the price differences between the other five big-box stores were only a few cents to a couple dollars. This exercise has made me an ALDI convert. Not only because of the potential savings, but because of the ALDI experience. If I’m going to spend my time in a grocery store, I want it to be fast, efficient, and without 1,000 people in my face. And I won’t complain about saving money either. I’ll probably still continue to go to a big-box store for the name-brand items my family is picky about and for paper products and meats, but otherwise, you can find me at ALDI!

Are You Paying Too Much for Groceries?

At the brilliant suggestion of my beautiful friend, Ashley M., Frisco Socialite, I went grocery shopping this week. Ashley asked if I could do a grocery store price comparison of several items across various grocery stores because she had a sneaking suspicion she was paying too much for common items (she was). Are you also paying too much for groceries? When every dollar counts, it’s prudent to be armed with information that will lead to wise and frugal choices. Thus began the research project.

Together with Ashley, we came up with a list of ten common “momma” grocery list items that would be consistent across all stores in quality, quantity, and brand. We stayed away from produce as the final price for those items depend on weight and season. The ten items that made the final list are:

• Milk

• Eggs

• Bread

• Yogurt

• Goldfish

• Cheerios

• CLIF Bars

• Coffee

• Wine (I see you, Momma!)

• Detergent

Next we chose the five most popular grocery stores in the Frisco area:

• Kroger

• Market Street

• Tom Thumb

• Target

• Walmart

So with my spiral notebook in hand and cookie-bribed sidekicks at my feet, I set out on my assignment to compare these items across the five stores. Many cookies later, we had our answer! But before the big reveal, it’s important to explain that it gets a little tricky because Kroger, Market Street, and Tom Thumb have rotating discounts, so you may pay one price this week and a slightly lower/higher price next week. However, Target’s and Walmart’s prices should remain fairly consistent- the Target RED card is always a 5% overall discount, while Walmart doesn’t offer a discount card. But then there’s the Target Circle app (formerly Cartwheel) that allows you to save further on selected items.

When did grocery shopping get so complicated?? For this experiment, I decided to keep things as simple and basic as possible by using only store discount card prices (where available) and leave out any coupon possibilities. I put the Target Circle app discounts into this coupon category, so I didn’t use Circle in the price comparison.

All other things being equal, the lowest-priced grocery store is… WALMART! Target comes in a close second, especially if you use the RED card and if Circle app coupons are available for any selected items.

But without any discount cards or coupons, Walmart looks to be the cheapest overall for our sample set of items. However, once discount cards are applied at the other stores, the totals come to within a few dollars of each other. This may not seem like much, but it can add up! From this sample set of ten items, it appears shopping at Walmart instead of one of the other stores would save about $4 for every $50 spent. Extrapolating that data, if you spend about $200 on groceries every week like I do, that’s a monthly savings of about $65. That’s worth it to me! Though I’m secretly glad that now I have hard evidence to show my husband that my Target trips are not “extravagant” and come within a couple dollars of the lowest-priced store. Starbucks drink and graphic tees not included…

What about you? Where do you prefer to shop, and is that preference based on price, store location and/or layout, or the variety of items offered? Do you have any grocery shopping questions you’d like to see some data on? Let me know and I’ll get my notebook back out and start investigating!

Researching this post and talking to momma friends actually opened up a lot more questions than I anticipated, so there will be a couple of follow-up posts to this initial one. Like, what about Costco? Aldi? Trader Joe’s? Sprouts? Stay tuned for more grocery shopping data coming in the next couple of weeks.

Bottom line: We are so fortunate to live in an area with easy and abundant access to high-quality, many organic food options. So no matter where we shop or what our average monthly grocery shopping budget is, we’ll always be able to feed our families well. And that certainty is such a blessing!