Roadtrippin' on the Cheap

Last week, I needed to get away. I mean, I REAAAAAAAALLY needed to take a break from my everyday life. Long story short - this unemployment thing was really getting to me. Solution? Hit the road.

Now, an unplanned roadtrip can be crazy expensive because there are so many unexpected, unpredictable, well, "un"s that pop up. Endless roadside diner visits, middle-of-nowhere-so-they-got-you-by-the-wallet hotels, and "I can't live without this!" souvenirs all equal big bucks. I was able to keep this trip manageable, however!

First things first: I was unexpectedly invited to join in on a family weekend in Las Vegas. My dad had paid for a hotel room for 2 nights, so already, I was sittin' pretty. (Thanks, Dad!) I filled up my gas tank and hit the road. I stopped along the way for breakfast - I happened to have won a free breakfast at Burger King from their Twilightpromotion earlier in the week. So far, so good!

Las Vegaswas, as expected, REALLY HOT! My sister had arrived earlier than me, so she had already checked us in at the hotel. We put on our swimsuits and made a beeline for the pool. Aaaaaaah, refreshing! The pool is about the best free thing you can do in Vegas. Just make sure you use lots of sunscreen! (If you're a planner-aheader, go herefor sunscreen [and grocery] coupons so you don't have to pay gift shop prices.)

I'm not a big gambler, but I do like the super cheapie penny poker. I put a couple of bucks in the machine and played to my heart's content. The cocktail waitress kept me hydrated, and I tipped her a buck per drink. I gambled away about $3, HOWEVER, I recieved about 4 beers for a grand total of $7 ($3 lost and $4 in tips). Not bad for Vegas, when you consider that clubs charge $6 and up per drink!

After a couple of days in Vegas, I decided to hit the road alone. (I know, so brave!) I headed north on the I-15 toward Zion National Park. I paid $12 to get in (a bargain when you compare that to Disneyland's $72 admission) and $16 to camp overnight. I settled in and immediately went to explore the park. During the summer months, you have to take their free shuttle bus to get to most points in the park. I realize that hiking alone is a bad idea, so I chose trails that were easy, short, & heavily travelled. One exception: I really wanted to go to hike the Narrows. You hike a paved trail past hanging gardens, up to a point where you literally have to walk in the river a ways to see where the canyon narrows. I tagged along with a couple of families, who were kind enough to take a picture for me. :)

As for food, I bought peanut butter, jelly, and bread at Target along the way (again, using coupons!) plus a few other things like granola bars and Wheat Thins. Oh, and for down-time entertainment, I bought Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesiato read, and let me tell you what, this book is EVERY bit as good as you've heard it is! Food & entertainment = CHEAP!

I got a phone call from my daughter who was in Albuquerque, visiting her dad's family. "Mommy, pleeease come get me?" was a request that I couldn't deny. I hit the road, yet again.

Gas prices: Gas costs far cheaper, of course, in the bigger towns, where there's more competition. Well duh, right? However, this isn't ALWAYS true. The first station in town is usually a rip off, sometimes more expensive than boondock stations. Also, the last station before you get to the next state is usually a bit elevated in pricing, so the town BEFORE you hit the border tends to have better-priced gas. Finally, big truck stops actually have the best prices a lot of the time, even out in the middle of nowhere. One good place in particular is Pilot Travel Centers. I assume they can stay reasonable due to volume.

As an example of all of the above: I pulled into Winslow, AZ, as in "I was standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona..." from the Eagles' song Take It Easy.The first gas station was charging over $3 a gallon. Yeah, NO. I went to the very next exit and it was around $2.75/gal. I filled up there and got back on the I-40. About 2 or 3 miles out of town, I passed a Pilot where the gas was about $2.73/gal!

Anyhoo, I couldn't resist stopping at Petrified Forest National Park. It's a total bargain at only $10 per car (it's a it more for RVs). Now is the time when I will admit the reason I had to stop here: Beavis and Butt-head Do America.I loved Beavis & Butthead back when I was in the Army, and I loved this movie, as awful and silly as it is. I had been all of the stops in this movie, except the Petrified Forest. So, I handed over my $10 and completed my B&B world tour! ;)

Lodging in Albuquerque was free (with my former in laws, who are awesome!). My daughter caught wind of my Vegas visit so she wanted to stop there on the way home. I got online and searched for hotels using TripAdvisor,one of my favorite travel sites since forever! (I've even posted reviews and photos of hotels I've stayed at around the world, so others can see what they're getting into before they book.) I found GREAT hotel deals, such as the Luxor for only $40/night! Also, I bought a certificate for House of Blues at Mandalay Bay from Restaurant.com.($10 for a $25 gift certificate!)

The kiddo & I hit the road together. Several hours and one Hoover Dampass-by later (also in the B&B movie!), we were in Vegas. We hit the Luxor pool and later had our HOB dinner. My 12 year old was ESPECIALLY thrilled about the House of Blues because they have live entertainment, and that was totally new to her. (Don't worry, we went around 8, before it got night-clubby!)

We kept things inexpensive for the next 2 days by refilling our water bottles, eating pb&j sandwiches instead of eating at restaurants all the time, and looking for deals when we did go out to eat. (There's a $6.99 All-You-Can-Eat spaghetti dinner at Sherwood Cafe at the Excalibur, although I could only eat one serving.) She had never been in the Paris, Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, so we walked over there one night. I had found a 'buy one admission, get one free' in one of thouse tourist coupon books, so for the both of us I paid about $15. Bonus: The Bellagio fountains did their dance TWICE while we were up there, including Elvis' Viva Las Vegasand then their last-of-the-evening midnight show featuring The Star Spangled Banner. Had I planned ahead, I would have bought the Las Vegas Entertainment Bookfor more discounted dining and half-priced entertainment!

In any case, between the hotel discounts, cheap National Park visits, pb&j sandwiches, and restaurant certificate, the biggest expense on this roadtrip was easily the cost of gas. So, for maximum savings, think about hitting the road in something a little more economic than a Nissan Xterra (which I love dearly but I'm not sure the MPG could be any worse!).

After an adventurous, unplanned week on the road, it was time to go home. Home sweet home. :)

Today's Destination: La Brea Tar Pits. FREE!

Last month I did some research and discovered that the Page Museum, better known as the La Brea Tar Pits, have a free admission day on the first Tuesday of every month. So, you know me by now, right? To greatly alter the words of Gordon Gekko: "FREE... is good!" Several friends and I agreed to have a lil' meetup there.

We arrived right around lunchtime. We immediately stumbled upon our first almost freebie: A metered parking space on the street with almost 4 hours already on the meter! (There is a parking lot attached to the museum, but it was full already. It costs $7 with validation.) We dumped about 50 cents in and moseyed into the park.

To be honest, we were in fear that the museum would packed, a la Vatican. Luckily, the museum isn't just a walk through, look-at-the-stuff-on-our-shelves kind of place. The outdoor area includes a massive, bubbling tar pit, which the kids (and parents, to be honest) could watch all day. A mammoth tragically struggles to escape the pit as two others, including a lil' one, look on in despair. As a little girl, I recall being distressed about this set-up. I felt terrible for that poor mammoth - and the kidling! The kids I went with today seemed to have full grasp that these were nothing more than dramatic depictions of what happened here, thousands of years ago. (Side note - kids today are a lot more savvy than the children of the Brady Bunch era!)

After a good 20+ minutes of watching the tar bubblebubblebubble, we met up with the rest of our group and headed indoors. Since it was FREE day (!) we wandered right on in and hit the exhibits immediately. Truth be told, it was a bit crowded. However, we soon discovered that it's really not all that big, so only minimal time is needed to explore. There was a lot of stuff on shelves to look at, mostly bones of animals that met their maker via the tar pit. The array of animals represented is fascinating! There are entire mammoth and mastodon skeletons prominently on display. I was a little surprised to discover that here in SoCal, there used to be camels and HUGE ground sloths! The boys were more interested in the drawings of the natives. (Click through, you'll see why!) This provided my laugh of the day. :)

The least crowded place in the museum was the atrium. It's a little piece of serenity, complete with nesting birds, colorful koi, and tiny turtles. The most crowded place in the museum: the gift shop. You couldn't get me out of there fast enough! I won't lie, I did spy something similar to this awesome, reusable cup,and it did take some restraint to keep from buying the darn thing!

We headed outside to one of the many picnic tables available directly in front of the museum. Most of us had packed mostly-healthy lunches of fruit and sandwiches. Translation: FREE! We all chowed down, and soon the kids were off playing on the hill (rolling down over and over), climbing the trees, taking pictures of the tar pits, and just having a wonderful time.

The unexpected thrill of the day was when the kids all lined up in front of a gentleman playing his banjo. In no time, he had them lined up, and was teaching them how to square dance!



This guy works for tips, so the parents tossed in some cashola, and sweetly, one of the boys proudly tossed his allowance into the musician's collection box.

We made our way over to Pit 91, where visitors can see an active tar pit excavation. This is also where I discovered that even some grown-ups can't keep their fingers out of the plentiful tar! It oozes from everywhere, sometimes where you least expect it. I understand the need to check it out, I really do, but for the sake of "lead by example", I kept my paws out of it. So, word to the wise, keep an eye on your kiddos or you might end up with some lovely new tar-smeared clothing. (Disclaimer for my friend pictured: She wasn't with lil' kiddos when she was overwhelmed by the desire to test out the tar, so no "Do as I say, not as I do" issues. She was with her 18 year old son, who also couldn't resist!) :)

We were ready to hit the road, partly because that magical "free" meter was about to expire. We capped this awesome free excursion off by taking Pacific Coast Highway, past the Santa Monica Pier, to Malibu. We watched the sunset as we drove. (Well, at least I did... The kids were engrossed in SpongeBob SquarePants - Pest of the Weston the DVD player!)

Sum total of the day - random donations to the museum and tips to the banjo guy. Spending the day learning about prehistoric Los Angeles and watching the kids play... PRICELESS!

Nearly Free SoCal Fun: California Science Center!

I had heard from several people that the California Science Center was just about the best thing for kids to do in L.A, free or not! The free part is what pushed me from "Yeah, maybe" to "Let's go!"

A couple of friends and I hit the road midmorning. Immediately upon arrival, we hit our greatest expenditure of the day - the $8 parking fee. I won't complain though, as parking in the local neighborhoods seems like a far less intellegent choice. (Well, if you want to have a car when you're done at the museum, anyway...)

As the kids piled out of the car, they found something scientific to mess with right away, although something tells me all they saw was a tug-o-war with a Toyota. They took turns pulling the ropes and raising the truck off the ground, which reminded me an awful lot of the A*Team van at Universal Studios from when I was a kid, which made me feel like I could conquer the world! At that point, I think the kids felt the same way, or they felt like Mr. T, but I doubt they know who he is.

Inside, the kids made a verical zigzag beeline to the highwire bicycle. For a mere $2, you and/or your brave children can ride a bicycle dozens of feet above the ground on an inchwide cable. My son jumped on the opportunity immediately - my daughter, not so much. After much trepidation, she strapped herself in and bravely creeped out over the empty space... Well, the safety net, anyway. Several museum-goers gathered around to watch them, and for a minute or so, they felt like circus performers.

We made our way through a transportation exhibit and then an area called Lost Egypt. My kids were pretty impressed with this area - there were real mummies in there - a teenaged girl, a cat, and an ibis! (There is a larger mummy exhibit at the center now, however, it wasn't open yet when we visited.) We learned about mummification of humans and animals, heiroglyphics, the search for pottery shards, and pyramid construction. Finally, we watched an show about the human body, complete with a giant, well, giant that showed us the different parts of the body and how they worked.

At this point, we couldn't control the grumbling and rumbling from our tummies, so we headed outside to the Exposition Park rose garden. Although there are fast food paces to buy food inside the Center (McDonald's and Taco Bell), each family brought a picnic. The kids enjoyed having lunch with their siblings and amigos, and then had even more fun running around in the garden. There was an ice cream vendor walking through, and we couldn't resist. Someone must have given my friend Pedro their best puppydog, "Please, Daddy?" eyes, because he splurged for the the entire group. They sat by the fountain and chowed down on their frozen treats, then proceeded to run around the gardens even more.

We headed BACK into the Center, which frankly, I was pretty surprised about. How much more museum could there be?! Answer: A LOT! We went into an ecosystem area that had aquariums, touch tanks, a desert with tortoises, an Arctic area, wave machines... They wandered, explored, and maybe even... Gasp... learned something! They were most intrigued with all of the sea life. They could have stayed in that area the entire day, I think. The kids were searching for sharks in the big aquarium, catching flying ping pong balls to simulate how anenomes catch food, and simply having fun.

My feet were starting to hurt at this point. Luckily, the kids were full of energy. This Science Center would NOT defeat them! There was still an exhibit left, all about the Los Angeles ecosystem. The kids learned about energy-efficient lighting and reducing waste. They got to play "newscaster" too, and report on local environmental concerns. They were pretty darn thrilled about being on TV! Well, at least they could see themselves on TV, anyway.

We actually closed the place down! The kids might have stayed another two hours had a docent not come and encouraged us to skedaddle. (Thank you, oh glorious docent!) ;)

On the way home, we visited the L.A. must-try eatery, Tito's Tacos. We got 2 tacos, chips and salsa, and a soda for under $6. Usually there's a lengthy line around the block for this place, but we got lucky - merely a 5 minute wait!

So, for the day: Parking $8 + 2 bicycle rides $4 + picnic lunch $0 + Tito's Tacos $6 = $18! For a family of 3, that's an absolute BARGAIN! Bonus, all of the kids had a great time, even my 14 year old son. Verdict: The California Science Center is a MUST-DO in L.A.!

Summer of Cheap = MIA

You may have noticed, I've been MIA going on 2 weeks now. No search party was sent out, so I'll assume you knew I was (and continue to be) still among the living.

So, the past 2 weeks have consisted of running around with the kids. School let out for summer on June 11th and OHMYGOD I had forgotten how expensive summer can be! They want to go here, there, everywhere, all these places costing $20+. yeah. That's not gonna work for unemployed mommy.

As of tomorrow, both of my kids will be places other than home. One is currently with her Dad's family in New Mexico and the other will fly out to his Dad's place in Georgia. (I just re-read that, I feel need to clarify... They have the same Dad. Not that it matters, but...) I'll get back to my "Summer of Cheap"-ing on Friday.

Side note - I've been working on a website, please click through to check it out! http://www.socalonthecheap.com

The Lure of $1 Jamba Juice

I'm not a huge fan of Jamba Juice, but my daughter is. She thinks frozen, fruit-laden, sugar-enhanced beverages are a good thing to waste - I mean SPEND - her money on. I simply don't get it. (If it was served at a Mexican restaurant and a shot of tequila were tossed in, then I would get it. She's 9 years shy of enjoying adult beverages, however.)

Since it was $1 Jamba Juice day, she looked at me with her puppy dog eyes, batted her eyelashes, and in her sweetest voice she asked, "Mommmmmmmy? Can we go to Jamba Juice? Pleeease, Mommy?" OK, why not, it's just a buck. I dug into my change jar and scrounged up a few quarters.

I tried the Acai Superfruit drink, she tried Yumberry. Mine tasted a bit like plums or raisins... It was my first venture into the acai world, and quite possible my last. Autumn's drink was so much tastier! Think strawberries, peach, etc... YUMberry for sure! My total: $1.

The evening's event was my usual Wednesday nigth standby... Trivia night! Like last week, I had a gift certificate from winning previously. Translation: FREE food! Tri-tip nachos & chicken nachos. I (boringly) drank water, except for the one margarita that my trivia teammates insisted that I consume. They twisted my arm (literally), and hence, I gave in. Total: FREE!

Total: $0.16 - $1 = -$0.84.

COME ON, FRIDAY!

Los Angeles Cemetery Movie 101

A couple of years ago, some amigos of mine who live in Silverlake suggested that we all go to see a movie in a cemetery. Um, excuse me? Isn't that scary? Disrespectful? Blasphemous, even? Nope. It's incredible. It's worth every penny of the "suggested donation".


(Are you unsure of what I'm even talking about? See the movie Valentine's Day. There's a cemetery movie scene toward the end with Shirley MacLaine, Hector Elizondo, Topher Grace, and a boatload of extras. It's almost 100% accurate, except for at a real cemetery movie, you can't get advance tickets.)

Since I'm a "veteran", people ask me quite often if I'll show 'em the ropes. Understandable since it's an off-beat, kooky adventure. Had I not been invited by my party crew, I'm not sure if I would've ever braved the crowds to experience this "totally L.A." thing-to-do.

As much as I'd like to go every weekend, I simply can't. As you know, I'm on a budget! So, unless you want to cover me on the price of admission, then this will have to do.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cemetery Movie 101

Step 1: Check out http://www.cinespia.org/ to find out what movies are showing. See one that interests you? Then move on to Step 2. If you don't see a decent movie, then I suggest you wait for the following month's list to come out. It's no fun if you're stuck watching a bummer flick!

Step 2: Google map it.

Step 3: Make sure you have $10 cash for each person attending plus $5 per car. (You can park outside the cemetery for free but it's almost impossible to find a parking spot.)

Step 4: Gather pillows, blankets, and SHORT lawn chairs. See my pic on the right? The backs of those chairs are tall, but we lowered them during the movie. Remember, you'll be sitting on the ground, and so will the people behind you. Be cool and don't block their view.

Step 5: Dress comfortably. Some peeps look like they're going clubbing afterward. Some actually dress up movie-theme style (like the Beetlejuice viewers to the left). If that's your definition of comfort, then coolio. It can get a wee bit nippy there (since you'll be sitting on the lawn) so bring a hoodie. Heck, bring your Snuggie, if ya want! You'll be camped out for at least 3 hours, so really, leave the super skinny jeans for another day.

Step 6: Pack a picnic. The prevailing food of choice seems to be all things Trader Joes, toted in via super cool reusable shopping bags.I'm unemployed so I can't shop where the rich kids shop, so I bring plates full of leftovers, or I stop by Subway for a $5 footlong. Just bring whatever makes you happy. Sandwiches, burgers, tofu casserole, whatever. You can bring coolers but you can't bring barbecues, sorry! Alcohol is acceptable. Don't be a beligerant drunk though, that harshes everyone's mellow.

Step 7: Get there early. Gates open at 7:30 for walk-ins AND cars. Walk-ins can wait all afternoon, if desired. Cars, not so much. Cops/security WILL send you packing if you try and idle by the curb. I've been about a mile back in the line and still made it in, so don't freak out if you get in a line that seems totally endless. Sundays are a better choice if over-crowding/sell-outs are a concern.

Step 8: Set up on the lawn. Pretty much everyone wants to get front & center. That's not likely to happen. It's ok, there really are no BAD seats. I kind of like sitting to the side because there are no designated pathways to the restroom. You WILL be walking on other people's blankets and hopping to the teeny, tiny patches of grass between blankets. Easy to do when there's still sunlight, almost impossible during the movie. So... this is important... USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTS!

Step 8: Enjoy the DJ while meeting your lawn neighbors and people watching. The movie starts at 9 so you have plenty of time.

Step 9: Watch the movie. Don't be a dick: Leave the cell phone conversations for later. In fact, save ALL conversations for later. This is also a bad time for greco-roman wrestling. This IS a good time for blanket snuggling. Don't get too hot and heavy, por favor, because 98% of the people around you don't want to see that. (The other 2%, well, those are the ones you need to worry about.)

Step 10: After the movie, clean up your mess. This is a cemetery, not the city dump. And you need the good karma. :) Whilst on your way out, visit Johnny Ramone's grave. You can't miss it. He'd appreciate it, I just know it. Don't go stepping all over other people's graves though (remember that karma thing!).

Please leave any other cemetery movie suggestions/ideas/feedback/notes of gratitude, etc. below. Except for complaints. Leave those in your head. ;)

(Some pics borrowed from www.facebook.com/cinespia.)

I think I blew it... Math time, coming up!

Yesterday included TWO visits to the - gasp! - mall. AKA Money dump central. I was lured there by the need to return some pants CJ never wore, the fact that I had a Macys $50.00 gift card & I needed dancing shoes, and of course, the lure of a FREE HOT DOG ON A STICK!

CJ's pantalones were paid for with a gift card and partly on my debit card. When they returned them, they didn't bother giving me another gift card, they credited put the entire credit back on my debit card! So, just by walking in the mall, I actually gained about $10. Woo hoo!

We headed over to Hot Dog on a Stick because June 15th was FREE corndog day! Silly me, I failed to read the extremely tiny, impossible to see, fine print (which was actually in bold blue writing) stating that the freebie hours were 5-8 pm. It was only 1 pm. What to do?! Turns out, Tuesdays are $1 Dog day! In addition. I had a "buy one menu item, get one free" coupon from my Entertainment book. They had no problem honoring it! 6 dogs + 1 large cherry lemonade + 1 order of french fries = $10.01! My cut = $3.34.

Shopping was a bust. Although my kids wanted to go, they also wanted to be anywhere except where I was. I gave up searching for a new outfit for the evening's swing dancing adventure (which was to be funded by Macy's giftcard) and headed home.

I discovered an outfit in my closet that I've worn once which seemed perfectly perfect for a night of dancing. How could I have forgotten about it?! Reeeeeecycle! Except now I had a new problem: No shoes. I abhor high heels but they were needed for the dress. I envisioned the perfect shoes... black, not too high, not too low, with a strap to keep the darn things on in case I decided to actually dance...

My daughter & I headed BACK to the mall, straight to Macy's. You'll never believe this: they had the EXACT shoes I envisioned, in my size, on the clearance rack! Autumn found a pair of Ed Hardy sneaks, also in her size, also on clearance. We got an extra 20% off (store promotion, and NO I didn't sign up for a Macy's charge card to get it!). Total: $58. I had a $50.00 gift card & Autumn had a $25 card... So, the shoes were FREE!

My nails looked terrible, and I had a coupon on me for a $20 mani/pedi. I had a $15 Mastercard gift card on me... I couldn't resist. I did it. Total: $5.

It was past 5:00 so, yup, we went and got our free hot dogs on a stick! PLUS, they gave both of us a coupon for a free lemonade when another menu item is purchased (we saved them for a future visit). FREE!

Later in the evening, I headed to mi amigo's birthday shin dig, a swing dancing extravaganza at Joe's American Bar and Grill. Admission: FREE! Beer: Not free... My bar tab was $19.50. Fun had: Priceless!

So, math time... $28 - $3.34 - $5 - $19.50 = 16 cents! I'm shocked! Two meals, new shoes, mani/pedi, and a night out, and I didn't exceed the limit! Woo hoo! (I didn't add in the $10 gained earlier at JCPenneys, either!)

Now, what to do with that $0.16? ;)