Kyle’s Coupons: On the Road Again…
Posted by Lynnae on April 30, 2008
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If you don’t have a plan to entertain your kids, you could be in for a loooooong drive.
The following is a regular feature by Kyle of Rather-Be-Shopping. If you like this post, consider subscribing to his blog’s RSS feed.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Like me, Dickens obviously did a lot of traveling with young children. The best of times because you get to travel to new places and discover new things with your kids and watch through their eyes the amazement surrounding new experiences. The worst of times due to the whining and the fighting and the insidious questions and comments that slowly grind on all parents. “When are we going to be there?” and my personal favorite, “I need to go potty again.” I have actually debated putting all the kids in a pull-up diaper for long car rides and just getting ‘er done that way. Kind of like that crazy astronaut lady in Florida. Unfortunately, my wife has vetoed me every time.
On the heels of my post last week about the benefits of camping as a family, I thought it would be appropriate if I gave some tips on how to get to your destination without the kids killing each other! So I have put together a few frugal ways to keep the kids entertained and civil to one another. Disclaimer: These have all worked for us to varying degrees.
~ Songs and Word Games. An old favorite from generations gone-by. The ‘ABC Game’ is a huge hit with us on long car rides. If you are not familiar, believe it or not, it is played by starting with the letter A. The kids have to find something, either on another car, a street sign, a billboard, etc, that starts with the letter A. Then you move on to B and so forth. A great way to kill some time. Although a word of warning, be prepared to improvise something when you get down to q, x, and z. Otherwise the game will come to a quick halt and you will be fielding potty questions and estimated time of arrival inquiries again. For really young kids, the ‘I Spy’ game is always a hit!
~ Utilize Dollar Stores. On several occasions my wife has made some purchases for the kids at the dollar store for really long car rides and airplane rides. For just a couple dollars for each kid, you can pick up some cheap toys and games that will keep them entertained for long stretches. You can bring stuff from home as well, but it has been our experience that the “new-ness factor” helps quite a bit with the dollar store purchases. Dole out one at a time to each child. We have also used the old bribery tactic of telling them that they will get a new goodie only when they show they can use good behavior and manners.
~ Keep ‘Em Fed. Plan ahead and put together some snacks for the long journey. This will not only save money but it is also hard to fight and whine when you have a mouth full of goldfish or grapes!
~ Plan Your Escape. Start your journey before nap time, not right afterwards. This will buy you a couple quiet hours. Also, leave at bedtime and you may actually be able to enjoy some adult conversation with your spouse!
Other than large doses of Dramamine, what things do you do to make long trips more enjoyable that don’t cost a lot of money? As always, I am looking forward to your comments!
Now for the coupons. If you are looking to plan a summer vacation or in need of some travel gear or luggage these coupons may help you save some money. Another tip, most new suitcases are not big enough to pack the kids in. Just take my word for it. 
Orbitz.com
Save $50 OFF your 3+ Night Vacation booked through Orbitz.com
Coupon Code: 50LVORBITZ
Expiration: 5/18/08
See All: Orbitz Coupons
Luggage Online.com
Save 10% Off Your Entire Online Order
Coupon Code: LSGEN3
Expiration: 6/30/08
See All: Luggage Online Coupons
eBags.com
Save $20 Off your $100+ Online Order through this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 5/15/08
See All: eBags Coupons
Travelocity.com
Save $50 Off your Vacation Packages to NYC through this Link
Coupon Code: NYC50TVLY
Expiration: 5/31/08
See All: Travelocity Coupons
Expedia.com
Las Vegas Sale: Expedia has Las Vegas hotels from $50 and airfare + 2 nights from $223 thru this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 5/09/08
See All: Expedia Coupons
Maps.com (In case you get lost a lot!)
Save 5% Off your Entire Online Order
Coupon Code: TRAVEL5
Expiration: 5/10/08
See All: Maps.com Coupons
Cheap Tickets.com
Current Travel Deals Section, I have had good luck finding airfare bargains here
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: None
See All: Cheap Tickets Coupons
Irv’s Luggage Warehouse.com
Save 10% Off your Entire Order + get FREE Shipping
Coupon Code: EVER10
Expiration: 5/31/08
See All: Irv’s Luggage Coupons
Photo by rbphalen.
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I am not a financial expert. I'm just a wife and mom doing the best I can to live a frugal life and get out of debt. Like any human, I make mistakes. I write this blog out of my own experiences, and nothing I write should be taken as expert advice. If you need financial advice, please consult a professional.
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Some great tips there. Another thing I do for the older kids, is print off a map of our trip and highlight the route we’ll be taking. Our son (6) loves to follow along and see where we’ll be next. The younger kids also like to pretend they know what’s going on, so everyone gets a map in their clipboard along with an exercise book or paper.
I also make sure we have some kids’ music and the odd story mixed in on the iPod (using an FM transmitter so we can all listen).
Any ideas for smaller kids? We are moving 1300 miles across the country this summer with our then 18 month old and full of wonders about how to make it work. Generally now thinking on three days of travel, but how to get through them or perhaps enjoy them remains a wonder? Thanks.
Journeyer, good tips! I love the map idea for older kids. I can remember doing that with my Dad and being his “navigator”.
Abbey, 18 months is a tough age. What worked best for us is to pack a BUNCH of toys, when he or she gets tired of one, move on to the next. Also, accept the fact that you will have to make quite a few stops to let the little one stretch legs and get a little exercise and fresh air. We found that by doing that, it makes sitting in the car seat a little more bearable. Good luck!