A
Frugal Guide to Shore Attractions
Most vacations will have you or your
credit card screaming by the end. Fun and food usually
equal a fortune. However, a fun trip to the shore
won’t cost you boatload. Here are some tips
to enjoy your vacation while holding onto your wallet:
1. Food, Food, Food
The New Jersey shore is home to some of the best food
on the planet. From funnel cakes, to french fries,
to fish, no one has ever starved on their trip to
the shore. However, food is likely to be your biggest
expenditure at the shore. Merchants know that they
have a captive (and hungry) audience resulting in
an inflated food prices. Even grocery stores tend
to be higher than the average. To avoid going broke
bring as much food as you can on your vacation. Most
likely the food from home is cheaper and better for
you. If you are renting a property with a kitchen,
make use of it even if that means eating breakfast
and lunch in house and eating dinner out. If you are
going to eat out scope out a few restaurants and find
out which may “early-bird specials.” By
going to dinner a little earlier than usual you will
usually receive a discount as well as you won’t
have to wait to be seated.
2. Beaches, Amusements &
Water Parks
Five dollars for a beach tag, six dollars for miniature
golf, thirty dollars to go to the amusement park…
Does this sound familiar? In any given day you could
easily spend one hundred dollars or more doing all
of these seemingly “little” things. Though
there isn’t a way around a lot of these fees
there are ways to reduce them.
• Most beach tags are sold on a daily, weekly,
or seasonal basis. If you are going to be at the shore
for a week… stick with a weekly tag instead
of paying by day. Usually the weekly tags pay for
themselves after 2-3 uses.
• Ride the amusements in the morning or the
early afternoon… at this time most of the crowds
haven’t developed and almost all attractions
offer significant discounts at non-peak times.
• Space out your activities one each day. That
way you will not spend a fortune on everything in
one day, and your trip will be equally stimulating.
3. Parking
Simply put, walk. If you are going to rent a place
at the shore make sure it is close to the places that
you are likely to visit and has parking of its own.
If you are forced to drive everywhere you could be
forced to pay $20 (or more) per park. An added $20+/day
can really add up. You are better off spending the
extra $20 on a better rental or hotel.
4. Souvenirs
There is nothing better than coming home from your
shore vacation with a bronze tan, a mouthful of salt
water taffy, and other shore goodies. There is nothing
wrong with buying souvenirs, but it is always better
to buy them from stores that are off of the “main
drag” such as the boardwalks or main streets.
More often than not you can find the same things at
a much lesser cost at stores right around the corner.
