Thrifty Tip: 5 Ways to Save Money with your Kids at the Beach

I have been thinking of taking the happy kids on a drive to the beach soon, so I wanted to share my top 5 ways to save money with your kids at the beach.

Ah the beach. I love sitting there, the sand between my toes, hearing the sound of the waves, and taking in that much needed vitamin D.  Although it’s not always super relaxing taking your kids to the beach, it can still be a lot of fun. Whenever my children see the vast ocean they are full of wonder and amazement. They get creative and can play all day long and I love watching them. It just makes me happy. P.S. This is a picture of my little niece whom I just adore.

You would think taking a quick trip to the beach with your kids would be a very thrifty activity, but costs can add up quickly if you are not careful.

Here are my top 5 ways to save money with your kids at the beach.

1.)  Save on toys. Get all your toys, buckets, squirt guns, kites , digging trucks and other fun gadgets ahead of time. My first stop is always the dollar store. They often have the buckets, pails and shovels. I have also seen kites there, and squirt guns and tons of toys and balls.  If you don’t find the items you want at the dollar store, check in the inexpensive summer seasonal isles at Walmart and drugstores. Also consider stocking up on a few of these items at the end of the season for the following year when they go on clearance.  Just don’t wait until you get to the beach to get some of these items where all the tourist shops charge a LOT more money.

2.) Save on Lodging.  If you are going to the beach for longer than a day (say a few days or a week) consider camping on the beach to save money. Just make sure the campground has showers. You get a LOT of sand on you at the beach and you must be able to get it all off.  Yes, I am telling you this from experience. Let’s just say, sand gets EVERYWHERE. Ahem. If camping is not your thing, look on craigslist and ask friends/family advice on where they have stayed inexpensively.

3.) Save on Food.  Pack in your on food to save money at the beach. Kids often play hard at the beach, running, jumping in the waves, and digging.  While the majority of kids would rather be playing than eating, they do eventually get a little hungry. I find that they don’t necessarily want a huge meal, just a snack. So I make up little snack sized baggies of little treats and snacks. Bring in a cooler and fill it with all your snacks like bagged fruit, bagged crackers, cheese sticks or mozzarella cubes, pretzels, granola bars or other quick foods. Also add in some bottled water or baby wipes for cleaning off the sand from their fingers before eating as well.

4.) Save on Drinks.   If you have ever paid $4 for a bottle of water at the beach concessions…you will know it’s best to pack your own drinks to save money. I love to add to our cooler lots of water bottles and favorite drinks. You can fill up an old jug with kool-aid or homemade lemonade to bring too. Come prepared with your cooler and it will save you money.

5.) Stick to a budget, learn to say no.  If you are on a strict budget, then decide in advance to not bring any cash with you. That way when the horseback riding or other vendors come by it will be easier to say no. If you do want to buy items at the tourist shops, make sure and have a budget for you or your kids to follow and stick to it. You will feel much better at the end of the day knowing you didn’t spend more than you wanted to.

Those are my 5 tips for saving money with your children  at the beach. Don’t forget to bring beach towels, sunscreen, something to sit on. And lastly – enjoy yourself! Enjoy those fun memories you will be making with your children – they grow up too fast. 

Do you have any cool tips or thrifty things you do to save money at the beach?  

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About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...