How to Frugalize Your Vacation-Part 2

Here are some ways I had frugal fun on my Alaska vacation!

1. First, I  had a half day in Anchorage by myself. I went to a bakery/coffee shop that was recommended in my Alaska guide book (which I checked out from the library). I got a coffee and noticed they had a basket of day-old pastries for $1 each. I snagged a pecan cinnamon roll, which would have cost $5. Score! Then I headed over to Resolution Park to enjoy the view and a conversation with a fellow middle school teacher I met at the hostel. I didn't take a picture of my coffee and pastry because I didn't want my new friend to think I was a weirdo.

                       

           

2. Next, upon my sister's recommendation I headed to the visitor's center. I would highly recommend seeking out a visitor's center when you travel to a new place. This one was super impressive! It had a mini-museum, old school videos on TVs, 3D postcards, and a really nice theater with informational films about Alaska. I watched one on the 1964 earthquake, the railroad, and bears. It was a great place to learn and to spend a few free hours.

 


3. Food! First, I enjoyed a reindeer sausage for lunch. It was SO good! I have been craving one since I've been home. :) I spent $6 on the sausage, chips, and a bag of soda from a cart outside the visitor's center. I ate it in the sunshine and then went to meet my sister's bus. Another meal idea is to hit up a nice restaurant for lunch instead of dinner. Ray's was the highest recommended place in Seward, so Erin and I hit it up for lunch. We split two different entrees and spent $18 each including tip. We would have spent more than that on dinner and dealt with crowds. Last, we took the hotel shuttle to Safeway and got breakfast stuff (I spent $7, and it lasted me the whole trip). We also stopped and got salami, cheese, and bread (and two tall beers) for dinner one night. We hung out in our room and enjoyed the free cable.

This is my sister classing it up at Ray's for lunch.

5. Sights! Erin and I spent $19 each to rent bikes in Seward. (Side note: I LOVED the bike I rented. I really want to buy one, but it's a $500 bike. sigh.) Then we spent the whole day biking around Seward and taking in the beauty. That was the day we went to Ray's. We also checked out the Benny Benson Memorial (13 year old orphan who designed Alaska's flag), walked along the boat harbor, peeked in the Seward Museum (we skipped it though), stopped and got gelato, window shopped, and took tons of pictures and laughed all day long. Which brings me to my last free way to have fun on vacation: go with someone who you love to hang out with. My sister and I had so much fun laughing and talking. Seward was a lot of fun and it was memorable, but the time spent with my sister was just as great at the sights.

 

 

Stay tuned for part three: taking advantage of perks!

How To Frugalize Your Vacation-Part 1

I'm back from my vacation to Alaska, and it was lovely! I had a great time and I'll post some pictures soon. But, my trip has inspired me to write a series of posts on how to frugalize travel. So, without further ado, here is part 1: Getting there!

Here's how I saved money on my way to Alaska: 

1. I used a carry-on bag in order to avoid paying $20 each way to check a bag. I fit everything I need for my four day trip pretty easily. I didn't have to overstuff my bag, but I noticed that if people did, they checked your bag for free. I did spend $11 on travel sized items, but compared to the $40 I would have spent to check my bag it was well worth it. I also saved free samples of moisturizer, shampoo, and conditioner to take on my trip. Here's what I took:

Many people would have made their beds before taking this picture. Not me.

2. Bring an empty water bottle through security. After you get through you can fill it up in a water fountain. I also packed some snacks in my purse since the airlines no longer provide free meals. This saved me $3 on a bottle of water and $7 I would have spent to purchase a meal. Even though one of the meals was a cheese plate that looked delicious, I resisted.

3. Entertainment: I borrowed a book from my friend Juliet instead of buying one. I also downloaded some of my favorite free podcasts (This American Life, Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me), which helped pass the time in the airport and during the flight. I also downloaded some free games onto my iPod touch. Last, when I printed my boarding pass at home, it gave me the option to print free crosswords and word searches. I printed a few of them. 

4. I arrived in Alaska at 1:45am, and since it would have cost over $100 to stay at even the cheapest hotel in Anchorage, I chose to spend my first night in a hostel. I generally think I am too old for hostels, I found a clean, well-reviewed one for $25. Since I knew I'd only be there for about seven hours to sleep, I went for it, which saved me over $75. When I met up with my sister we stayed in a hotel in Seward.

Stay tuned for my next post on having frugal fun on vacation!