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Travel & Staycations

Visiting Orlando, FL? Creative Ways to Save $$ On Travel

September 19, 2021 by Kati Mora

Our Family at Disney World in Orlando, FL

Our family just recently traveled to Orlando, FL and if you are looking to plan your next visit to the family-friendly Florida city, we have a few tips to help you do so more affordably.

Our family at Disney World during our trip to Orlando

Visit Universal Studios City Walk at night or Disney Springs for FREE!

Did you know that you can visit the Universal Studios City Walk for free in the evenings? Or Disney Springs at no cost? Even parking is free! This is a fun way to get a taste of either park. We enjoyed taking in all the sites and window shopping while there.

Use your reciprocal membership at the Sea Life Aquarium and get 50% off

If you’ve been reading our blog for awhile, you are probably already aware that we are big fans of reciprocal memberships. These truly are the best way to get the biggest bang for your buck no matter where you go. If you have a zoo membership, check to see if it gives you access to the Sea Life aquarium through a reciprocal membership. If so, you’ll get 50% off the admission price.

PLUS, we were even able to apply it to the already discounted two-attraction deal that was being offered. We got into both the Sea Life Aquarium and Madam Tussaud’s wax museum for under $25 a person.

Stay at a hotel or an Air BNB location with a kitchen and save on meals

Orlando has a wide variety of accommodations to choose from, but we highly recommend selecting a location that includes a kitchen or kitchenette. We chose to stay at a Air BNB rental that was big enough for our family and Aaron’s parents who traveled with us. We were so grateful that it included a full kitchen so that we could pick up groceries for breakfasts and lunches. This saved us a ton of money and our guts (at least for those of us 30 and up!) thanked us for it too.

Download restaurant apps to get exclusive app savings and coupons

When you do go out to eat, be sure to look for restaurant apps you can download to your phone. We saved half off at Uno’s Pizzeria and got exclusive savings at Popeye’s too. Mind you, we ate at plenty of local restaurants too, but mixed it up a little bit with a few most cost-effective options as well.

Use the Checkout 51 cash back app to save on gas

Although we flew to Orlando, we had to drive to the airport and utilized a rental car to get around to all our excursions. To save on gas, we used one of our favorite apps – Checkout 51. Its pretty common for us to get anywhere from $0.05 to $0.15 off per gallon through this app.

Pack reusable $1 water bottles to fill up at the parks

We traveled to Florida in June, so it was pretty hot when we visited the Magic Kingdom. Instead of relying on in-park purchases to stay hydrated, we packed reusable water bottles we picked up for a dollar at a nearby store. Yes, you CAN take water bottles into Disney World parks but they have to be empty at time of entry. Fill them up at water fountains throughout the park (usually located near the restrooms) to stay hydrated all day long.

Shop for souvenirs off-site

Another great tip – shop for souvenirs off-site. Our kids had fun identifying items they liked at the in-park stores; however, we found the prices to be quiet high. So instead, we took the kids to a few souvenir shops off-site and saved a ton! For example, we found autograph books for only $1.97 and Minnie purses for only $8.97. Way cheaper than what we saw in the parks!

Look for more affordable tourist stops – like Old Town Orlando

One of our favorite stops was at Old Town Orlando. Our kids were able to ride a few rides and we enjoyed walking through the old town shops. Parking was free and you only have to pay for the attractions you want. Our kids rode go-karts, a roller coaster and some smaller carnival rides. Compared to some of the amusement parks, this might be a fun, more cost-friendly alternative if you’re looking for something the family will enjoy.

Visit the Orlando Science Museum for FREE with, you guessed it, a reciprocal museum membership!

Although it may seem like EVERYTHING in Orlando costs money, we are happy to report that with another type of reciprocal membership, you can get into the Science Museum at no cost if you have a museum membership.

If you are traveling to Orlando, we hope you have a fantastic time no matter your budget! Hopefully, these tips will help you keep things a little more affordable as you travel.

Filed Under: Duo Update, Family on Mission, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: Florida, Orlando, travel, vacation

Enter to Win $1000 for your Staycation!

April 12, 2020 by Kati Mora

Staycation Sweepstakes

Please note: This post contains a referral link and we may receive an extra entry into the giveaway if you click through the links and enter yourself. We just thought you should know!

Want a little extra spending cash to make the most of your staycation? Enter to win $1000 from Vrbo to spend on family activities during these uncertain times.

Enter to Win a $1000 Staycation
credit: Vrbo.com

Five lucky winners will receive a $1000 prepaid VISA reward card to spend on family activities during these uncertain times.

Use yours to stock up on board games, a backyard tent, or maybe even a trampoline… that’s what we decided to spend our spring break money on this year since we had to cancel our original plans.

April 12th, 2020 is the last day to enter so act fast!

Filed Under: Duo Update, Family on Mission, Freebies & Giveaways, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: family activities, staycation

Enter to Win a $7500 Dream Vacation Courtesy of Home Run Inn Pizza

February 24, 2020 by moneysavingduo

Chicago Home Run Pizza Logo

Where would you go if you had $7500 to spend on a dream vacation?

Chicago's Home Run Inn Logo
credit: homerunpizza.com

Home Run Inn Pizza is giving one lucky person $7500 to spend on a dream vacation. You can enter to win online using our referral link (we’ll get 5 entries for every person who enters via this link).

Enter to win before April 30, 2020 and who knows – maybe that summer vacay will become a reality this year!

No purchase necessary.

Filed Under: Freebies & Giveaways, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: enter to win, giveaway

Museums On Us – Bank of America Customers Get FREE Admission to Museums Nationwide

February 23, 2020 by Kati Mora

Colorful Museum Building

Bank of America offers free access to museums across the US every month for cardholders through their Museums on Us program. Check out the eligible dates for 2020!

Our family loves to visit museums. In fact, we have an annual memberships to our local ones and have enjoyed access to many museums across the US thanks to reciprocal benefits associated with our memberships.

We’ve also taken advantage of this great deal from Bank of America too and it can be a fun way to check out museums where you live or where you travel at a discount. Depending on which museum you visit, they can be rather pricey excursions. This will help with that; however, please note that the free admission is for the card holder only so it may not cover the entire price of your visit if you have other people in your party.

Here’s how it works: On the first weekend of every month, you can present your active Bank of America, Merrill or Bank of America Private Bank credit or debit card along with your photo ID for one free general admission to one of the more than 225 institutions participating in the program.

The next eligible Museums on Us weekend is March 7 & 8th, but you can get the full calendar of dates here. A list of participating institutions can also be found online.

Filed Under: Deals & Discounts, Duo Update, Family on Mission, Freebies & Giveaways, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: educational resources, free family events, museum discounts

Free and Fun Family-Friendly Events in Mid-Michigan August 2019

July 24, 2019 by moneysavingduo

Summer may be almost over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty left to do in the Mid-Michigan area! Check out this month’s family-friendly free and fun events we’ve discovered.

Fun and Free Family Friendly Events in Mid-Michigan August 2019

August 1-3rd – Midland’s RiverDays features music, food, hot air balloons and more all for free! Get the details and plan your family’s adventure.

August 3rd – Catch the first Movies by Moonlight in downtown Mt. Pleasant! The first show is A Dog’s Purpose, rated PG. Movies start at 8:30 pm.

August 3rd – Alma Church of the Nazarene is hosting a community picnic and everyone is invited! Stop by between 3-6 pm for food, fun and back to school giveaways.

August 5th – Celebrate the addition of an amphitheater at Island Park in Mt. Pleasant with a free concert and ribbon cutting! Concert to begin at 7pm.

August 8th – Stop by downtown Mt. Pleasant for another installment of Thrilling Thursdays and celebrate space! Build and launch your own water bottle rocket and enjoy Tang and moon pies. Event kicks off at 6pm at City Hall.

August 9th – Play it Safe at this free community event brought to you by ICCU. Stop by Island Park in Mt. Pleasant between 12noon and 4pm for games, prizes, crafts and more! Plus, the first 200 kids will receive a free bike helmet! Get more details here.

August 9th – NCG Cinemas kicks off their Free Family Film Festival. Free films include Hotel Transylvania 3, the Goonies, Wonder Park, and How to Train Your Dragon 3. The festival runs from August 9th – August 31st.

August 10th – Stop by the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum for another Kids & Culture event! This month kids will get to take a peak into Mexican culture and explore through crafts and games. The event is from 10am – 12noon.

August 11th – 17th – Visit the Midland County Fair this week for some animal fun!

August 24th – Victory church is hosting a free community carnival that will feature food, games and carnival rides. Stop by between 2-5pm.

August 28th – Have you ever wanted to read to an animal before? Your family can at Leaman’s Green Applebarn today at 10am.


Filed Under: Duo Update, Family on Mission, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: family friendly, free family events, mid-Michigan

Free Family Fun Activities in Mid-Michigan May 2019

May 1, 2019 by moneysavingduo

Free Family Events in Mid-Michigan

You may have noticed that we completely SKIPPED a month of free family fun activities this last April. We apologize for the inconvenience, but sometimes life just gets busy. And April was REALLY busy here at the MSD household.

We’ve finally adjusted to our new rhythm and we’re excited to share some fun and free activities just in time for May.

Free Family Fun Activities in Mid-Michigan May 2019

May 4th – FREE comic book day! Check out your local comic bookstore or see if your local library is participating. In downtown Mt. Pleasant, Hall of Heroes, LLC will have over 50 different FREE comic books to choose from! Plus, you’ll find some great deals throughout the store and can stick around to enjoy the 1966 Batman movie showing at the Broadway Theater across the street for only $2 a person.

The Chippewa River District River Library is also hosting a Mini-Con this year where you can pick up a FREE comic book (while supplies last) when you visit the library between 12 noon and 2 pm. Additionally, your family can participate in a variety of activities around the library and even meet LEGO Batman!

May 6th – FREE slice day at Bell’s Pizza! Stop by anytime during open hours and claim your free slice of pizza. Limit one slice per person.

May 11th – Enjoy a free movie at the Ideal Theater in Clare! Stop by the theater at 2 pm for a family-friendly show. Hosted by the Coleman Wesleyan Church Women’s Ministry.

May 11th – Its another Kids & Culture Saturday! This month, visit the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History from 10 am – 12 noon for an educational, fun and free event.

May 17th – Register for Family Trivia Night at the Chippewa River District Library. The game begins 6pm and pizza and refreshments are provided. Plus, there will be PRIZES! Trivia questions are for elementary aged through adult.

May 18th – Stop by the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Midland mall for free story time fun! Today at 11am, story time will feature the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”

May 19th – Stop by and celebrate Hope Well Ranch’s 15 year anniversary! Its free to attend, but after you learn more about this great organization, you may want to consider providing a donation to support their mission if you are able. The event will feature the Incredible Dr. Pol, the Palooka Brothers string band, food trucks, Maxon’s Blue Country Barbeque, Cruisin’ Chef, the Grub Hub, kids games, ranch tours and more!

May 25th – Join Living the Good Life Alpaca Acres for their free community event, the 3rd Annual Alpaca Palooza in Harrison, MI. There will be live music, unique vendors and all sorts of fun photo opportunities! Stop by anytime between 10 am – 4 pm.

Are there other opportunities happening in our community we should know about? Share in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Filed Under: Duo Update, Family on Mission, Travel & Staycations Tagged With: free family events, May 2019, mid-Michigan

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