How to Save Money taking Day Trips–20 Tips

January 14, 2017

Recently my husband and I went on a money date to review our year financially. Being the accountant that he is, he inputs all our expenses into Quickbooks by categories so we are able to run a chart showing our yearly entertainment expenses. Last year we made a decision to cancel cable and use an antenna, so that category was now $0. I did a little research to discover how much the average American spends on cable TV and for “basic expanded”, it came to $768 a year. Our day tripping and entertainment (not including vacation) expenses totaled $776 a year! So if you wondered how to find the money to go on day trips…just cancel your cable! Your family will be much better off for it too, in my opinion. After you do that, there are many other ways to save money when you travel. Many articles and posts on the web give you tips to save money while traveling with kids but most have to do with air travel and longer vacations. Since that is outside the scope of my blog, I compiled a list of tips related to taking day trips.

Let your tickets do double-duty! Sometimes the tickets you purchased for one destination can be used at another for either free admission or at least a discount. Many museums and gardens work this way. For example, the tickets we got from the Pennsbury Manor were good for admission into the Daniel Boone Homestead.
Some destinations work together and will give you reduced admission if you buy a package, great if you intended to visit the all the sites eventually anyway. Doing a little research ahead of time will be helpful here. When we visited Historic Germantown, we bought a package that gave us admission to all 16 sites that collaborated together. Purchasing individual admission passes would have been tremendously more expensive.
Plan ahead and purchase tickets online. Many sites offer a discount if you simply buy online before you come.
Check out the site’s website to see if there are any reduced rates for coming at a certain time of day or weekday versus weekend, for example. It may pay to come in the evening or early in the day, if admission is less expensive.
If you are visiting Philadelphia, check out CityPASS (available in major cities in the United States). Multiple destinations are bundled together into one low admission price. Good for a year from the date of purchase, with 9 days to use it once it has been activated. They advertise a 46% savings in regular admission prices. Of course the maximum benefit is obtained if you visit all the places on the pass. Similar passes are available through other lesser known companies that bundle different combinations of destinations, such as the Philadelphia Pass.
Websites such as Groupon and Living Social may have a coupon you could use.
Pick up a brochure for the destination you have in mind, sometimes they contain a coupon off the admission price.
Some destinations may be appealing enough to go more than once in a year. See if they offer a membership you can purchase for the family. Often it pays for itself after two visits. Additionally, many memberships give you access to other similar destinations in other locations. For instance, a membership to Hershey Gardens will also give you access to other gardens and arboretums around the country.
If you enjoy historical sites, check out the PA Trails of History membership available through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Membership runs about $100 for a family and gives you unlimited access to many historic homes and museums throughout Pennsylvania.
Once a year in the spring, Charter Day rolls around which commemorates William Penn receiving the charter to start Pennsylvania in March 1681. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission offers free admission to all state museums to celebrate on Charter Day. Stay tuned for a heads up when that rolls around.
Scale back the experience to save. Many destinations have add-ons, expanded admission passes that allow you to explore additional aspects of the site. For example the Turkey Hill Experience has a Taste Lab in addition to the basic admission. While cool for sure, the basic admission still gives a comprehensive tour and unlimited ice cream samples, do you really need to spend an extra $5 per ticket just to make your own ice cream?
I posted this before but it is worth repeating, the Lancaster Public Library system offers passes to ten local museums that admit a family of four for free. You check the passes out like a library book. If they are unavailable, you can join a waiting list and will be notified when one becomes available. Of course this requires forethought and flexibility but is a good option for families on a budget. Participating in your local library’s summer reading program is another great way to score free passes to kid attractions, plus you want your kids to read anyway in the summer.
Saving money on admission is not the only way to keep costs down. Food, parking, and souvenirs add up too! One tactic I regularly take advantage of is packing our lunch. Many sites have picnic areas which make it convenient to keep it affordable. It doesn’t take long to pack the family a meal and you will easily save $25 or more. Don’t forget snacks too!
If you really want to eat out, use Apps and Maps to locate restaurants in the area you will be ahead of time. At least you can try to plan ahead of time to get the kind of food you really want in the price range you are interested in.
Parking can be an issue especially in the cities. If you dig around, you may be able to find places you can park for free. One site we visited even gave you a discount if you walked or biked in. Google your parking questions, that is how we found a spot to park for free in Old City, Philadelphia that is our go-to spot on weekends.
Beware of gift shop prices! Most destinations have some sort of gift shop and they usually require you to go through it either to buy tickets or to exit the tour. If you have kids with you, then you know how tempting it is to give in and buy that wooden whistle they are whining for. Sometimes there are some really special and unique items that are worth purchasing, but honestly most of the stuff is, well…stuff you don’t need. Make your expectations clear to your children before you go, and don’t linger too long.
That leads me to my other money-saving tip related to gift shops. Encourage your children to bring their own money along on trips. So when they just have to have something, remind them they can buy it themselves. It is amazing how frugal they will suddenly become. This always works well for the add-ons and snacks and drinks.
Don’t overlook the car ride there and back as another money pit. Plan ahead to minimize your stops. Pack filling snacks and bottles of water (but don’t let them drink too much!), have everyone go to the bathroom before you leave, and make sure you are gassed up before heading out. Stopping at convenience stores definitely opens up Pandora’s box in terms of spending. Stop for a little gas and suddenly everyone is hungry and needs a drink, and before you know it, you spent almost as much as you would for a fast food meal! Considering the fact you are going on a day trip, you should be able to drive without any stops.
Take advantage of Christmas and birthdays to shore up your travel budget. Instead of getting another toy the kids play with a of couple days and then becomes a dust collector, ask friends and relatives to consider purchasing admission passes or gift cards for that day trip you have in mind. This works especially well for overly generous grandparents. Cut down on the clutter, and then you are committed to getting around to going on that trip you know your family would enjoy.
Use the power of social media! Put a shout out on Facebook to see if anyone has unwanted coupons you could have. Many people purchase entertainment/coupon books for fundraisers such as Kidstuff, but don’t need or want many of the coupons.

I came a little late in the game for utilizing many of these suggestions, such as family memberships and using my tickets twice. Had I started off with all this information, I could have saved even more this past year. With a little planning and strategy, you can make lasting family memories and bolster your child’s education for less than you spend on television viewing. Now that’s a good deal!