Who is traveling for Christmas?

**Jenibelle** · 12-07-2009, 11:21 AM

And how are you trying to keep it frugal?

DBF & I will be leaving on the 18th to travel from North Carolina to Nebraska. I booked my hotel in advance & get a membership discount for an association I am in. We got one night for $29. We drive the first 15 hours to St. Louis then the next day drive the last 6 to our parents homes. We always make sure to pack a good cooler full of meals and snacks so we don't have to make fast food stops.

**larabelle** · 12-07-2009, 11:31 AM

Well, I am not the person to ask as we are only going short distances but making three stops. We have planned out our route very carefully and we do not think we will need any snacks etc....
Here is our route:
First stop...the couch

Second stop....the love seat

Third stop....the easy chair

then we will repeat .......

**Neeley** · 12-07-2009, 11:34 AM

We are!!! We like to take our vacation during Christmas and most years we do Disney World. We are leaving on the 18th (checking in early in the morning of the 19th) and returning home on the 26th or 27th. We've got lots of dining reservations made in the parks, character meals, a Fantasmic dinner package, and much, much more. We will call our family on Christmas morning, wish them a "Merry Christmas" and spend the rest of the day hanging out with Mickey, Minnie and Donald. Can you tell I am excited??? I am SOOOO ready to be back in Disney World. It's my favorite place in the world.

We will check out of the resort on the 26th and spend that day and night in the Disney parks. Once we decide we are ready, we'll begin to drive home. It's 476 miles (about 7 hours). We'll drive as far as we feel like driving, get a room and do the rest the next morning. We just have to be back in town at 4:00 on the 27th to pick our dogs and cat up from the boarding facility.

Since it's our vacation, we really don't do much to keep it frugal. Yes, we got a discount on our room and ticket package and we purchased the dining package but we are still spending around $4k.

BTW...I noticed your status update about Diet Sierra Mist. We love it, too. If you get a craving for it after they stop selling it for the season, just take regular Diet Sierra Mist and add a bit of cranberry juice to it. It tastes just as good.

**HisDaisy** · 12-07-2009, 11:37 AM

My Dh and I will be traveling to see my folks this Christmas. The most frugal way to do would be for us both to go together and drive up in one day without stopping for lunch.
But that is not now we are doing it this time.
I am heading up a few days early. I am taking the train to Seattle, where my folks are picking me up and then heading over the mountains with them. My DH will come few days later and will probably drive up in one day. He may divided the trip up and visit his day, but that will had about 2 hours to the trip. We will both head home together after Christmas.

**jas** · 12-07-2009, 03:01 PM

MY dd and I want to go to Wisconsin this year. We are willing to fly on the 25th since we would be flying standby. My brother can get us standly tickets. With fees it is not free, but way cheaper. Only thing is we won't know if we get to go until we are on the plane. There are several flights out that day from Orlando to Chigcago so we will see. He can check the flights to see what are chances are. If they are too full we will just wait. Right now there are approx 30 seats still available.

We will stay at his house. So with those two things taken care of it will be way more frugal for us. Otherwise we will wait till summer to go. We want to head to the cold while Neeley is heading south!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-13-2009, 07:05 PM

We travel every year for Christmas. This year, we're heading out on Saturday the 19th and coming back on either Friday or Saturday of the next week.

Travel this year might be a little tricky, depending on when the snow comes in again. We didn't want to travel when it was bitter cold, and we also don't want to travel through a blizzard to get there.

I'll be preparing most of the dinners this time at my inlaws house, given that we're gluten free from now on. I found some recipes for gluten free favorites that I want to share with everyone else. Things like green bean casserole with homemade french fried onions and made-from-scratch cream soup, baked chicken with celery in the cavity and some rice, etc are on the menu for this Christmas week. I just need to come up with a shopping list and bring the bin of flours with us.

We eat before we leave. That way, we don't have to stop for food on the way there. I'll be picking up gluten free snacks for the kids, which include corn chips and slices of cheese with rice crackers plus juice. This helps keep our costs down quite a bit.

**AnW819** · 12-13-2009, 08:34 PM

We travel every year for xmas to either PA or WV, and thankfully we are not going anywhere this year!!! Everyone is coming here

**mauimagic** · 12-13-2009, 08:44 PM

The only one travelling this year is our DD. Her travel from St. Louis to Maui is only 500 after using a standby status coupon - or it would have been at least twice that. She will be doing the Kauai and Honolulu trips too that the SIL is taking care of!! So happy with that.

DH and I are finally staying home after 30 years of doing the Kauai Honolulu trips - gives me a much better chance of recupperating from the surgery!!

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-13-2009, 09:20 PM

None of my relative are considerate enough to live out of state. I am available for travel though. I do do windows and don't eat much. The only condition is no one must tell my family where I am. SHHHHH!!

**wanderinggrandma** · 12-14-2009, 12:20 AM

FW2--It would be wonderful if ONE of my DD's lived in Oregon--or even on the West Coast. This is my 8th trip of a week or longer this year. I'm travel weary, but missing the grandkids.

I'm heading to South Florida to visit with oldest DD, twin GD's and S-I-L for 3 weeks. I leave the 15th. DH meets us in Orlando on the 20th, then we head down south for Christmas. There is not one thing frugal about these trips, oh wait, we don't go out to eat much, I do all the cooking. Twin's birthday is the 29th, so I guess just staying saves me airfare. (really digging to find something frugal here

)

After being iced in for a couple of days, I'm packing the sunscreen and going to enjoy being warm and toasty while I read a couple books on a lawn chair. (that is also frugal-LOL)

I've been home a week and 1/2 from visiting middle DD & SIL in Texas for Thanksgiving. I didn't even unpack the suitcase, just did laundry and repacked it. Youngest DD & oldest GD live in PA. I like to visit in the fall. It is a beautiful state, and so far Valley Forge is my favorite place. We also flew youngest DD & GD to Texas for Thanksgiving.

And now you know why I work--so I can travel and see the grands oh and my kids. lol (don't let you kids go to college out of state, they don't come home!!)

**Libby** · 12-14-2009, 01:20 AM

BF bought me a plane ticket to fly up to his city to spend time with him. I leave tomorrow afternoon which is why I'm still up now. I have laundry going, trying to pack everything and wrap his gift b/c we're driving back here to my house for Christmas Eve and to take my dad to the casino for Christmas day buffet luncheon, our tradition.

PS: I'll be still looking for work from up there lol, with cell phones and internet, you're always connected!

**NikoSan999** · 12-14-2009, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by larabelle

Well, I am not the person to ask as we are only going short distances but making three stops. We have planned out our route very carefully and we do not think we will need any snacks etc....
Here is our route:
First stop...the couch

Second stop....the love seat

Third stop....the easy chair

then we will repeat .......

Hey, we're all going to the same place!!! Maybe we will see you there but we will probably stop for snacks along the way!!!