by
Shani, Dena, and Daniella
Winter break is coming.
And now that the price of a dozen eggs is almost as much as the cost of the
chicken itself, how do we plan a family winter vacation that won’t break the
bank? We enlisted the help of three experts to help us all plan a winter
getaway that is more budget conscious.
* * *
When it comes to travel, Naomi Nachman,
food and travel blogger, cookbook author, and “Chopped Competition” host extraordinaire,
is the go-to. Here are her greatest travel memories and tips:
Vacationing
with kids: Come prepared, really prepared!
Activities and snacks make for the winning combination, whether traveling by
car or plane. Sticker books, play dough, and coloring books are Naomi’s top
activity suggestions. And when it comes to food, bring tons! Anything that can
be sealed is best for travel, which is why Naomi always brings extra Ziploc®
bags.
In our experience, yogurt and applesauce
pouches are great options to keep handy. Noodle soup and instant mashed potato
cups are perfect on the go. Snacks like hummus and avocado cups can be paired
with bread sticks, pretzel thins, and the like.
Naomi says she always packs elbow noodles
in zip-sealed bags for travel. She was once on a flight from New York to
Australia with her family that was delayed four hours due to rain. Naomi fed
her then-four-year-old daughter the elbow noodles she had made sure to pack. Full
from the pasta and other food she prepared for the flight, her daughter went to
sleep and stayed asleep through the flight, shuttle, and bus.
When
to save and when to splurge: Naomi says
expensive hotels are never worth it; stay somewhere that has a pool, if you
like, or has a small refrigerator in the room, but there is no need to blow the
budget on sleeping accommodations when traveling with a family. Instead, focus
your funds on something meaningful for the place you are visiting. If you are
vacationing in St Louis, for example, go see the St. Louis Arch rather than
spending on snowmobiling. Likewise, if you are in Chicago, make sure to stop at
the Chicago Bean, and maybe save that steak dinner for another time. Make a day
out of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia by visiting the museums, too.
When traveling a few hours for one
activity, it’s always a good idea to plan to do things in the surrounding area.
This also ensures each member of the family enjoys at least one activity
planned for the day. To find activities that are unique to your vacation spot, visit
websites like Yelp, Expedia, and Kayak for lots of helpful information. To
discover food resources, yeahthatskosher.com and the Kosher GPS app are always
useful.
Naomi’s
souvenirs: Naomi keeps all the souvenirs she
collects from her vast travels on her “souvenir table.” Wherever she goes, she
brings something meaningful back home to remember the trip by. Her Scotland
souvenir is a Loch Ness monster bottle. Her Thailand memento is a photo of her
at the floating market there. Her favorite keepsake is a photograph she took of
an elephant painting an elephant (see the photo!). She printed the photos she
took of the process and put it together with the image that the elephant
created since most people wouldn’t believe that an elephant actually painted
that!
Making
dollars into sense: There are two types of vacations: One has
alarms off, slow mornings, and long days at the beach. The other features an
early wake time, lunches packed the night before, and a full itinerary. If your
vacation looks like the latter, it is important to stick to your schedule and
be mindful of the time. If you are spending money and taking the time to plan
activities, don’t be late. Set realistic itineraries so you can get the most
out of each activity without being overwhelmed. If you plan to go skiing, where
the ticket price is the same whether you are there for two hours or the whole
day, be sure to leave early or stay nearby the night before so you maximize
daylight. When visiting American Dream Mall in New Jersey, choose one theme
park or steer clear of them altogether and just enjoy the atmosphere and the
kosher food options.
* * *
Rachel Lisbon, of Tampa Kosher Foodies,
has lived in Brooklyn, Silver Spring, Beit Shemesh, and Miami. While some
places have had more kosher options than others, she never thought she would
live in a place without even a kosher takeout. In fact, she visited Tampa when
her husband took the Florida bar exam there and laughed to herself, saying, “I
never want to come back.” Well, as life would have it, she and her family moved
to Tampa almost 10 years ago, and she has learned to manage without the kosher
options she had grown accustomed to. She is now sharing her secrets of how to
eat well out of town on social media. We asked her to share her tips on
vacationing in a place without kosher options and how to be thrifty while doing
it.
According to Rachel, you have to plan
ahead and pack smart. Don’t worry about dry goods and readily available items,
she says; only pack food that you won’t have access to while on vacation. An Instant
Pot and air fryer are great cooking items to bring as they are versatile and
multifunctional.
Once you arrive, it’s time to get
creative. Rachel says, “Think outside the kosher aisle.” In her experience, the
majority of workers at the grocery store don’t even know where the kosher aisle
is! Instead, she says, look through the products and see what’s kosher. A great
condiment can really elevate your meal. A good barbecue sauce on your frozen
burger or sweet chili sauce on the prepared schnitzel you brought from home amp
up your meal, along with hamburger buns and frozen fries from the local grocery
store. Rachel says that, in a pinch, cream cheese can be turned into a faux
cream sauce for a pasta dinner.
Between us and you, pasta with butter and
cucumbers is a fine meal to serve your kids when you’re not cooking out of your
own kitchen. Add ketchup for a “well-rounded meal” (at least according to the
three-year-olds in the room!).
Rachel shares that Whole Foods
(amazon.com/wholefoods) is an amazing resource; similarly, Instacart is an
excellent way to search many stores effectively. Delivery services make it that
much easier to buy groceries when on vacation. She also says that Trader Joe
has a wide variety of kosher food available. Our favorites are the dips,
snacks, and bakery items.
Rachel has had to adjust to life in Tampa
without takeout at the ready. If her family is craving Chinese food, she makes
egg drop soup and sweet-and-sour chicken, both family favorites. Pizza night
always starts with homemade dough. When on vacation and most of your budget is
allocated towards activities, you can save on takeout by bringing an electric
stove and a Betty Crocker pizza maker to make at-home takeout like Rachel. Even
though a couple of kosher restaurants recently opened in Tampa, she says, “If I
can make it, I don’t buy it.” With that said, her rule is if someone is coming
to visit her, they’re bringing takeout!
Rachel recommends that even if you are
traveling to a place with kosher options, take advantage of the hotel’s kosher
breakfast items, and pack sandwiches for lunch so you can spend a little more
on dinner.
* * *
Zachary Greenberg of funzacktivities.com
offers three money-saving thoughts:
·
Take
advantage of Groupon. Search categories such as “fun activities” in the area
code where you will be. Groupon often offers great discounts on many exciting
outings.
·
Come
up with a rough plan on how you want your week to look. You and your family
only have a few days off, so there’s no reason to waste a hours of your morning
going, “So what do you want to do today?” Affordable fun activities that can be
found practically everywhere include mini-golf, axe throwing, sightseeing, and
hikes.
·
If
you know anyone who lives near where you will be visiting, ask them for
suggestions! And if they are willing to host you, even better! You’ll make sure
to return the favor. Don’t know anyone? Join a Facebook group of that community
and ask the locals for recommendations.
* * *
Another important thing is that attitude
really matters here, especially that of the parents. A seemingly simple
staycation can be transformed into a magical memory. For example, go to the
supermarket and have a rock/paper/scissor competition of who gets to pick the
appetizer, entrée, dessert, and drinks. Or go to the dollar store and let the
kids buy each other a prize.
When working
within a budget, it’s all about balance, a matter of give-and-take. If you save
here, you can spend there. So, decide what’s most important to you and build
the getaway that works best for your family. Also, be prepared to go with the
flow. If you are not able to make it to that outdoor activity due to the
weather, be sure to have a backup that everyone will enjoy just as much when
presented with a smile.
