March break getaway on a budget
This was our first winter not going to the sunny south since Kyle and I have been together. Instead, we opted for a mini getaway only 6 hours from home, for a fraction of the cost. We really wanted to make it budget friendly and an inexpensive vacation. We planned the trip a few months earlier and did research on hotels, attractions and the best time to go.
Our total trip including 4 nights in a hotel, suppers, lunches, snacks, entertainment and gas was under $800.
Here's what we did to save money and make the most of our holiday
Cash in rewards and loyalty points
We started by pooling together all our rewards and loyalty memberships to see what we could exchange our points to that would benefit this trip.
We cashed 20,000 Aeroplan points for a $100 gas card and a $100 ultimate dining card (which could be used at multiple restaurants). We cashed in 1000 RBC rewards points for a $25 hotels.com gift card. Finally, we had 40,000 ($40) in PC Optimum points, which we put towards buying all snacks, breakfast options, wine and beer before we left.
Totals spent: 4 nights in hotels $424.63 Best Western Plus and Ramada Plaza
Eating out for lunches (4) $88.08
Dining out for Supper (4) $101.37
Entertainment including snacks and adult beverages - $117.70
Stay in hotels with a free breakfast or make your own in the room
This saved us lots of money during our trip. 2 nights we had a free breakfast, which even had gluten free bread and cereal for me. The other 2 nights we ate breakfast in our room. We had fresh fruit, cereal bars, protein bars, applesauce and yogurt. (These was all snacks we had brought from home and purchased with our PC Optimum points)
Use coupons and vouchers
Our hotel gave us a coupon for the restaurant in the hotel as well as a tourism book with coupons in it. We went through and chose the activities we wanted to do and used the coupons.
Take public transit
Niagara falls has a WEGO bus service that runs pretty frequent. We bought a 24 hour pass for $15 and used it to get to the falls and around Clifton hill. This saved us the hassle of finding parking, multiple times and taking Cam in and out of his carseat and back in the stroller. Parking in Niagara Falls can range from $10-$20, so we definitely saved money.
Not buying your toddler his own plate at restaurants
The kids meal at most restaurants is around $8.99. He’s only a year and a half so there’s no way he would eat all of it. Instead, we give him a portion of both of ours, and it’s plenty. Plus, he just wants to eat what we're having anyways!
Taking leftovers home
I was surprised we were able to do this one night. Our portion was huge, and neither one of us finished it. We brought it back to our hotel room, put it in the fridge and warmed it up in the microwave the next night. A little later that evening, we went back to the restaurant and shared an app and each had a drink. The app was only $9 and we both chose one of the drink specials.
Look for specials of the week and drink specials
It was Restaurant Week on Lundy’s lane in Niagara Falls, which means there were a few meals, which were heavily discounted. As long as there are gluten free options, I have no problem choosing form the special menus. We also had a 10% discount from the hotel, so our bill (with a few drinks) was only $50.
While it was not the sunny south and I did not return home with a sun kissed tan, it was a great trip and just what our little family needed. Now, I'll begin my research on 'how to do Disney on a budget' for next year :)
