Man, our vacation is going super-duper swimmingly, and I have to wonder how it is that humble, literative folks like us can afford it. But as quickly as the question always arises to me, the answer comes quickly on its heels. If you’re going to travel with a gaggle of kids in tow, you simply have to take a box of basic foods in you trunk.
We did it, so why can’t you? We packed water, pop, chips, crackers, ravioli, chili, an assortment of soups in canned and boxed varieties, spritzy cheese, bowls, flatware, juice and granola bars. These are never any sort of the most exciting foods in transit, but as it turns out, these have salvaged our fledgling budget in ways we could have barely conceived prior to our departure.
If you’re taking a road trip with kids and you suspect your food budget may be strained, don’t take it to heart and don’t take it in the kiester, take it in the trunk instead. It may sound silly, but it can bolster your budget in ways almost unimaginable.
Think about it logically real quick. You know you’re not made out of money (if you’re anything like my parents, who say they aren’t, though I still doubt it highly) and you still want to take a vacation (with your precious, angel children) and you don’t want to wait twenty-years until they’re out of the house and you’re retired.
It’s natural enough, for sure. You deserve a vacation, and not just because you’re a human being (with children, but) because you work hard day in, day out to provide the best for those dastardly expensive parasites to whom you’ve given so much birth and birthy entitlement. That doesn’t mean you’re tethered to your home, it means you have to reinvent an ounce and get a smidge smarter.
And I’m here to help you do it.
If you’re going to take a road trip, throw a food kit in the trunk of your car, SUV, mini-van, maxi-can or limousine. It’s easy, really, just include the following:
- Canned, boxed, bagged and cupped soups
- Chili, ravioli, and other miscellaneous canned goods
- Chips, crackers, cookies and snacks
- Juice bottles, juice cans, juice boxes and water soluble juice mixes
- Granola bars, dry cereal, Snickers bars and Instant Breakfast packets
- Soda pop, water and cocoa packets
- And use this as your dinner. If you have a hotel, your breakfast is covered. If you have this survival kit, your lunch is covered too. With all this in mind, you’ll only have to pay for your dinners. You can heat stuff up at gas stations or the hotel and get scalding hot water for your foods almost anywhere across the town, so shop smart, pack wisely and cut your travel budget by two-thirds.
Above – Even the baby knows the value of a well-stocked box of food. It’s great because you can plan your time and money better, and also because it’s like totally full of food and stuff.