My Vacation on a Budget

The Sternwheelers

I'm going to San Diego on vacation this year! And of course I need to stay on a budget. I've started following the deals for San Diego on Groupon and Living Social and I now have a few awesome gift certificates for places to eat, and even a boat ride!!

I've really been loving this! Not only is it saving us money, but it's helping to plan what we do. :) Mapquest really makes this easy, since you just plug in your information and you can see exactly how far away the deal is from your hotel.
BRILLIANT!! Not to mention the reviews you can find online. Normally we just find something random that is close to where we are when we are hungry. That way isn't as nice to the wallet. :):)

Now I just need to find a deal for the zoo! :)
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Comments

Baby Mama said…

I'm going to San Diego too! If you find any awesome deals you should post them!

March 28, 2011 at 4:36 PM

lewalk said…

Oh wow. Can I ride with you? Lol. My mom wants us to go to San Diego this summer as well. My little sister is in the Navy and is stationed there. She will be deploying on her ship for a while after the summer so we want to visit one last time before she goes. I'll be sure to follow and see if you share some of your awesome finds so I can grab them too.

lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

March 29, 2011 at 9:47 AM

Noelle said…

I've been thinking about San Diego too this year! What a great idea to look at Groupon and other daily deal sites!

March 29, 2011 at 11:15 AM

Audrey @ Tight Wad in Utah said…

I know, eating out is one of the biggest expenses on vacation...one that I won't give up :):) So helps so much!!

If I see more deals I'll let you know!

March 29, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Freezer Homemade Fries & Sauce

I LOVE fries! I would make them more but it seems like a hassle when I'm trying to get dinner ready, kids are screaming, and I'm trying to dodge cheerios on the floor.

Then along came freezer fries and my life is far richer (lol)....not the ones you buy at the store that kinda look potato-like, but the real things. They are also MUCH cheaper. So instead of letting your potatoes sit around, and hoping that you remember to use them, you can make fries....yum....

To see my post on what to do with a 10lb. bag of potatoes go to The Coupon Project.

First wash and scrub potatoes ( I don't peel because I think it's miserable work)
Cut into 1/2 inch fries
Toss with oil (I usually use Canola)
Add salt and a little sugar (makes them crispy)

Place them on a baking sheets and bake at 475 for 20 minutes (they will only be half cooked)
After baking, let them cool on paper or dish towels Put in freezer on sheet (I have a small freezer so I used pie tins) Let them freeze solid (ab…

Gardner Village Series: Country Furniture & Gifts

Gardner Village is a local treasure. If you've never found your way down there, October is the month to do it! The shop owners love Halloween! The village becomes a witch village and many times, shop owners will even dress up. On my most recent trip to Gardner Village, I stopped in at Country Furniture & Gifts which is a store very ready for Halloween.

The store is located in part of the old restored flour mill built in 1877 by Archibald Gardner in West Jordan, Utah. The store is very family oriented and houses many built-to-last items such as dining room tables, sofas, beds and chairs. They are also famous for their rug room where many of their rugs are still USA made. As they say, "A rug makes a huge impact for a minimum investment to any room."

The home accessories and giftware are amazing! They have all sorts of decor for all sorts of personalities. Please be sure to pay them a visit. It's worth it!
If you're an interior designer, you might quali…

What to do with Apricots: Homemade Fruit Leather

If you have access to an apricot tree I highly suggest making fruit leather. This was my first time attempting any kind of dried fruit and it turned out heavenly!
Plus my house smelled great all day!! And if you read a recent post you can see why that would be needed...lol

Apricot Fruit Leather

4 cups chopped apricots
sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
lemon juice
1/2 c water

Add apricots and a 1/2 c of water to a saucepan on low heat.
Cover, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Add sugar 1 T at a time till it tastes good
Add lemon juice 1 tsp at a time to taste
Add cinnamon to taste
Add nutmeg to taste - I did a lot of tastin'!! :)
Simmer for 5 minutes on low heat until thickened a bit

In batches add mixture to a blender
Blend until smooooooooth
Prepare baking sheet: line with microwaveable safe plastic wrap
Add mixture to sheet about 1/4 inch thick

MAKE SURE the plastic wrap doesn't fold over mixture and that it doesn't touch your oven
Bake at 140 degrees for 8 to 12 hours - fruit leathe…

Tight Wad in Utah

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