Frugal Friday: Summer Day Trips

We’ve never been huge pack-the-bags-and-head-off-for-a-week kind of people. The only time we’ve vacationed for a week was our honeymoon. But we do like to head out for day trips, especially in the summer. Now that we’re focused on frugality, these trips allow us mini-vacations without the expense of overnight stays.

We just did a day trip to the Columbus Zoo last weekend. (You can read about it HERE.) I purposely decided to not worry about packing snacks and meals for us. This was a frugal-free trip. I just added up the receipts tonight, and we only spent $150 for the whole thing, including gas and a sit-down dinner at TGI Fridays afterwards. That $150 even included drinks and snacks bought on the road and a stuffed sea turtle from the gift shop. That’s not bad!

We will probably be planning more day trips this summer. I’m thinking about heading off to hike somewhere and maybe heading to Kennywood (a local, smaller amusement park). Emma is at the perfect age to gracefully endure a couple of hours in the car, especially if it means loads of fun at the end of the trip. She’s always up for adventure and loves surprises. We should be able to offer all of those things to her with our trips, and we’ll be able to scatter them throughout the summer. It’s like a whole summer of vacations without the hefty price tag!

For more great frugal ideas, head over to Frugal Friday sponsored by Life as Mom.