Homeschooling, Traveling, Organizing, Gluten-free and Frugal living. And surviving to share it all. Most days.

One of the biggest expenses of traveling can be meals. But we all have to eat, right?

4 tips to save money on meals when traveling:

::  Travel with your crock-pot.  And a griddle for that matter. For years, we have traveled with a crockpot. If you are staying in the same place for a couple or more days, it comes in very handy. Have dinner cooking while you are out playing and sight-seeing all day. A griddle is sure to come in handy, especially for breakfasts. Eggs, pancakes, bacon – all of these can easily be whipped up. It’s sure to beat a cold bowl of cereal any day.

:: Pack snacks. Prior to traveling, boil eggs, grab a box of bars (these pumpkin spice bars from GoodGreens are some of our faves), bags of granola, fruit, cheese sticks, yogurts, and box of crackers or pretzels. Add to your cooler fixings for quick sandwiches – lunchmeat or chicken salad. These can easily be grabbed and enjoyed.

:: Shop as you go.  If you are headed out on a long road trip, chances are you don’t have the space to pack food for the entire trip. Plan your meals (snacks included) and shopping lists in advance. Seek out grocery stores on your route and plan accordingly. Does this take a little extra planning? Absolutely. But remember that a vacation full of fast food will not be your friend. Health wise or financially.

:: Stock a cooler with drinks. In addition to your cheese sticks and staples for quick sandwiches, keep a slew of drinks on hand. Making a quick run into the gas station to grab drinks for your car load can will add up quickly. (ask me how I know)

What other tips would you have to save money on meals when traveling?

for a travel tip for you coffee lovers, check this out.

We are big fans of Starbucks coffee.

Breakfast blend to be exact.

While it tends to be more expensive than other well-known brands, we are known to stock up on it when it goes on sale at Publix. Or we score a deal on Amazon.

How to store coffee

To keep our bulk purchases fresh, we store all of our coffee in the freezer.

We write the purchase date on the bags, so we are sure to use the oldest first.

According to Starbucks, you can redeem one bag for one tall cup of Joe.
This comes in handy especially when traveling.

We have found that some Starbucks will allow you to redeem a bag for a tall iced-coffee, in lieu of regular.
(note: this is not guaranteed at all locations)

4 tips for saving money on meals when on the road