October 2016

It’s my firm belief that you can find a pretty cheap place to rent at the beach, but saving money on food is still hard to do, especially if you go out to eat on vacation. Locals know where to go that won’t charge you “tourist prices,” but food is still pretty expensive anywhere. Our family has found that when you travel 40 minutes down the road for a beach stay, you can save money by cooking some of your own meals.

Read: Need to Entertain Teens at the Beach? Take ’em Fishing!

You will need to do some prep work. Cooking for yourself is never as easy as pulling up to a restaurant and placing your order.

Caribe the Resort in particular, located in Orange Beach, Alabama, has some nice grills with a fantastic view. Cooking burgers in your backyard isn’t all that exciting, but check out this scenery…

Caribe has a nice gazebo where you can sit if you are not the one doing the grilling. I dot some work done while I waited for my dinner.

I also took some walks while the grilling took place. This sure doesn’t look like walking around my neighborhood.

Read: 2016 Beach Princess: Condo Rental at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama

The results of cooking your own meals can be both yummy and less expensive than dining out.

Now some of the food you purchase at the grocery store can be expensive, like a $10 steak, but that steak will cost you $30 in local restaurants, so it’s still a savings.

While I think it’s nice to go out to eat on vacation, you just can’t get a view like this in most restaurants, so who leave the condo?

There are so many places to stay in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Alabama. Getting quotes from multiple rental sources can help you find a lower price, and cooking your own food can save your group some money. You’ll come home rested and relaxed, and that’s usually when I start thinking about heading to Orlando, where I come home sore from walking and ready for a trip to the beach again…

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Disney’s Cheapskate Princess

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Amanda Major is the creator of cheapskateprincess.com. She remembers her first visit to Magic Kingdom like it was yesterday, because she had a ham sandwich tucked in her shorts pocket. The whole family snuck in their lunch; you can’t make that kinda stuff up. 40 years worth of trips to Orlando later, she is still trying to save money on vacations.

Amanda is a Disney Vacation Club Member and Annual Pass holder. Her amazing husband, band director Carl Major, plus three teen children and two dogs keep her busy. Amanda teaches Leadership to high school seniors in the almost-coastal town of Foley, Alabama. Read about her cheapskating local vacations with this link. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, walking somewhere, or paddling a kayak. Life is indeed a blast. 

We hope we can help save you some money too. Use this link for a free no obligation vacation quote from our Travel Consultant with Pixie Vacations, Mike Ellis. You can also e-mail him at mike@pixievacations.com.