Whether your next family trip is on the road or on a flight, costs may start to mount. To make your vacation more budget-friendly, follow these tips and cut costs with a quick trip to the dollar store.
For starters, the dollar store is a great place to grab last-minute essentials. For anything you may be missing the day before you depart, there is a good chance you can find it here.
Some Supplies
If you are prepping for a road trip, packing food can help bring down the cost of eating several meals on the road. Make sure to grab paper plates, utensils, napkins and paper towels when at the dollar store.
Some Snacks
This is also the time to stock up on whatever you need for food, including condiments and sides.
Dollar stores are also great spots to load up on snacks. A few boxes of candy to spread throughout the entire trip will make kids happy. Anyone with a last request for cheese puffs or barbecue chips will have an easy time satiating their appetite.
Some Peace of Mind
Dollar stores also have items you might not think necessary, until in a situation when you really need them: Cheap sunglasses, activity books and decorations are all great last-minute grabs.
Many dollar stores also stock disposable cameras, even in 2019. Grab one and have fun taking pictures like it is the early 1990s.
Anyone traveling with a child on a road trip or airplane knows dollar stores come in clutch again, as most have an entire aisle of throwaway toys. Getting the kids some new toys before a lengthy trip has a number of benefits. First, kids are likely to lose their belongings. Whether they leave them in the hotel, on the plane or at a rest stop, it may be a good idea to not pack anything they are too attached to. Letting the kids choose a throwaway toy before leaving can really take away the stress of the trip.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedEurope
Oct 5, 2026Celebrate the Holidays on Italy’s Lake Garda
Typically thought of as a summer escape, Lake Garda offers holiday festivities for all ages, making a trip well worth it during the off-season. Grand Hotel Fasano, a historical lakeside retreat, remains open beyond its traditional early-November closure this year to welcome guests for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. The hotel will remain open through Jan. 6, 2027.
Sponsored Content
Celebrating 25 Years of The Peninsula Chicago
June marked The Peninsula Chicago’s 25th anniversary, commemorating a quarter century for the hotel as a pillar of luxury on North Michigan Avenue.
Destinations
Oct 5, 2026Halloween Around the World
Americans often celebrate Halloween by dressing in costume, throwing parties, and eating lots and lots of candy. Going from house to house (or store to store, trunk to trunk, whatever is safest in your neighborhood) is practically a rite of passage for kids. But have you ever wondered how the holiday is celebrated in other countries? If so, read on to learn about Halloween traditions in other countries.
Destinations / North America
Oct 5, 2026Take on the West Virginia Paranormal Trail This Season
Returning this autumn, the West Virginia Paranormal Trail challenges travelers (and more daring family travelers) to explore the state’s legendary haunts, from historic asylums to hotels, battlefields to abandoned amusement parks.
Sponsored Content
Best of Both Worlds
Enjoy the best of both worlds when you fly with TAP Air Portugal thanks to the Portugal Stopover program. With the program, TAP passengers, whether traveling for business, leisure or both, can stop in Portugal for up to 10 days at no additional airfare on the way to their final destination. What does this mean for travelers wishing to explore by both land and sea? It means after flying to Portugal with TAP and experiencing the country in an entirely new way, travelers can then embark on scenic river and ocean cruises from Portugal’s port cities, or fly with TAP to another European destination.
Destinations
Oct 2, 2026How to Travel Without the iPad
This summer’s Toy Story 5’s central theme showcased kids swapping real-life experiences for the screen. The travel industry responded with hotels, tour operators and safari camps encouraging kids to put down the tablets and immerse themselves in activities that inspire everyone to hang up and hang out.
ShareThis