They're Going Back

We will be spending some time this summer in the USA. A bit of a road trip - courtesy of some special friends who offered us their mini-van and blessed the socks of us.

We had intended to spend the summer here, but with so many friends in the USA happy to have us camp out with them for a couple of days, and the transport issue sorted, out we decided to go.

Summer here is long, hot (try 48c+ or 118f+), humid and difficult. Most people leave out over the summer, and hubby needed a break, after us spending the last two summers here. So you can appreciate our decision.

It has been a long, hard mulled over, difficult decision though. Especially just having gotten out of debt. It has not sat well with me for a long time, however I am feeling more positive about is now as our departure date fast approaches next week.

These kind of trips can tend to blow things out of whack in any budget. I did the numbers, and did them again, and did them again. It is tight for sure...and our plan is to only use what we have set aside for the trip. We do have a budget though - and hopefully this will be a good test to see if we can handle life out in the bigger wider world.

Which brings me to these.

Pretty funky hey?  Let me explain. :)

I needed to find creative ways for this trip to travel on a budget and not blow it out. This is one of them.

Traveling with kids like we are, on that tight budget, and in the car a lot - someone else's car at that, it pays to think about what you will eat and drink.

And how!

We also try to eat healthy....and will be making a lot of our own meals. As I travel I may even share some of those meals with you. But for now lets get back to the cups.

And the budget!

In the past when we have traveled if we wanted or needed something we just bought it as we went. Some of which is why we had the debt we did - along with using cash you can't see (credit cards). This year that has all changed.

These dome lid, practical, double walled drinking cups are fabulous for the car and we got them on our last trip to the USA in 2008. They have lasted well, are still in great condition and we have been very pleased with them.

On planning for this trip we were just going to buy some new ones over there - as had been our old habit. We always bought home way more than we went with. :(

Let us say at $5 a piece (which is pretty low - I think they were more than that) that adds up to $30. That's a lot of fuel for the car, or entry to a museum - or many other things that make the trip more fun

But why do that when we already have some right here. It makes more sense on so many levels to take the ones we have with us....

• Using what we have.
• Spend less - or in this case nothing.
• Less time shopping for things when we arrive.
• Better for the environment with less consumption.
• Better for my kitchen cupboards which are already too full. :)

You can probably come up with more reasons too. Which is why they are going back to the USA - for another road trip.