Travel & Staycations

Free Family Fun Events in Mid-Michigan January 2019

January 6, 2019 by moneysavingduo Leave a Comment

Looking for ways to have fun together as a family in Mid-Michigan without spending any money? We found multiple events in our area just for you!

Calling all families with kids 5 and under! Register at the Chippewa River District Library for a free and fun event designed to introduce your littles to solution-based learning. The Squishy Circuits Preschool STEAM event is scheduled for January 9th, 4:30-5:30pm. Get more information on the CRDL Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/events/2098083403591046/

Explore Snow Snake’s tubing hill up in Clare on January 12th where kids can go tubing for free. Hot chocolate and snacks also provided 10 am – 12 noon.

Snow Snake is also offering free introductory skiing lessons every Sunday this month beginning January 6th.

If indoor activities are more your thing during the colder months of the year, then your family may be particularly excited for the Live Birds of Prey exhibition at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, MI January 13th. Kids can see a variety of birds up close at 1 and 3pm.

Another indoor opportunity to check out is the 2019 Kids Day at the Midland Mall taking place January 26th. Get out of the cold and enjoy a variety of kid-friendly activities hosted at the mall in Midland. A mom-2-mom sale will also be taking place during the event.

And while you’re in town, stop by the Midland City Forest where Midland is hosting it’s first MidWinter Chill event also on January 26th. Race a cardboard sled or enjoy watching all the participants compete. Stick around to watch a professional ice carver and eat s’mores by the campfire. A full itinerary can be found here.

January is also a great month to take in some art with your littles. The Art Reach gallery will be featuring student art work from Bay, Midland, Isabella, Roscommon, Clare, Gladwin, Arenac and Ogemaw County schools. The traveling Michigan Art Education Association exhibit will be on display January 7th-January 31st.

This January is sure to fly by with all these great opportunities to have a little family fun available throughout the month. Which activity are you most excited about?

Chicago for the Weekend? Save Money with Our Top City Travel Tips

January 4, 2019 by Kati Mora 4 Comments

The city can be expensive. Before you plan your next adventure, consider implementing some of our money saving tips that helped us save over $800 on our latest weekend trip to Chicago.

Our family loves to visit Chicago. It takes us about four hours to drive there, but it is always worth the trip. From deep dish pizza to some of the best museums and attractions in the country, its one of our favorite cities.

But when we travel, we always look for ways to save as much money as we can. This trip alone would have easily cost over $800, but we were able to save that and catch many of the best attractions for free on our weekend trip.

We thought these tips may come in handy for others looking to visit Chicago for the weekend.

Three money saving travel tips from the Money Saving Duo!

Utilize credit card reward points to score free hotel stays. Aaron and I are IHG reward members and we use our IGH Chase credit card on everyday purchases like groceries and gas to redeem points. These points can, in turn, be used to redeem free hotel stays. Members also receive a free hotel stay each year they are members.

We advise that you consider a rewards credit card only if your everyday expenses are consistent and you can pay the card off each month to avoid fees. There have been times in our past when we wouldn’t have trusted ourselves with a credit card for points. It can be tempting to carry a balance forward at the end of the month. But we’ve been diligent to pay the card down to zero at every paycheck and treat every charge as if it were coming from our checking account.

Pack snacks and breakfast items in case your hotel doesn’t have free breakfast. Ideally, we try to choose hotels that offer a free breakfast to maximize our savings; however, that isn’t always an option. For example, the Intercontinental Hotel we stayed at on the Magnificent Mile did not offer a complimentary breakfast, so we packed our own and combined it with some of our leftovers from dinner the night before.

Pro tip: If you have an IHG membership like us, the Holiday Inn Express always offers a complimentary breakfast, while a traditional Holiday Inn often does not.

Take advantage of reciprocal memberships. If you’ve ever wanted to explore the museums or zoos in a city you visit, consider purchasing a membership at your local museum or zoo first. We purchased a family membership to the Aldon B. Dow Museum of Science & Art in Midland, MI, which not only gets us into this museum, but into many museums across the country at no additional cost or at a reduced rate.

In Chicago, our reciprocal membership got us into the Field Museum and the Museum of Science & Industry for free! Check with the membership desk at your local zoo or museum for details.

Be willing to walk. Parking can be expensive in the city, so if you are able to walk you can save quite a bit of money. We often find that if we’re willing to travel a few extra blocks from wherever we are trying to go, the price of parking is often lower.

Use a Parking App to find cheaper rates. Another great way to save money in the city? Use a parking app that pinpoints parking fees so you can choose the lowest rate as close to your destination as you can. The app we use is called BestParking, but depending on where you are traveling, some apps may work better than others. Garages use the app to attract drivers for remaining spots. You can often pay a fraction of the rate listed on the building.

Do you love to travel? What are some of your favorite ways to save money while visiting destinations across the globe?

Create Your Own Family Adventure Map

December 19, 2018 by moneysavingduo Leave a Comment

Whether you travel a lot or a little, near or far, creating a travel memory map can be a great way to celebrate your experiences together as a family. Make your own with just a few simple and inexpensive items.

Aaron and I created our own travel memory map years ago when the boys were a bit younger and we both traveled a bit more for work. We thought it would be a fun way to show the boys where we were when we called to check in on those trips.

Over the years, we also started tracking our family adventures on the map as well. From trips to San Antonio, Texas to Grand Rapids, MI, we often reference the map to see not only where we’ve gone, but where we plan to go too.

For example, Elijah really wants to add a star to one of the other countries on our map. We’re thinking Canada since its not that far away from where we live. Perhaps next year?

To make your own travel memory map, you really only need two things:

A map. Find a country or world map online or in the office supply section of a nearby store. Or, if you’re looking to keep your adventures more local, you can get free state maps the next time you pass a visitor’s center on the highway.

Stickers. We found small dot stickers at Walmart and used those for awhile, but then eventually switched over to shiny star stickers we found at the dollar store.

Of course, you could probably get a lot more creative with your family map if you are so inclined. Possibly adding photos, coloring in travel routes or states you’ve crossed off your list, or even decoupaging colorful paper onto the places you’ve visited are all ways to add a little personal flair to your map.

Free Family Fun Events in Mid-Michigan this December

November 30, 2018 by moneysavingduo 1 Comment

Looking for some free family fun in the Mid-Michigan area this holiday season? Here are just a few opportunities for you and your family to enjoy no matter your budget.

This December is full of holiday fun. Whether you’re looking for something to do outdoors or inside, we’ve got you covered.

Enjoy live holiday music at ArtReach in downtown Mt. Pleasant every Thursday evening from 5-8pm December 1st-December 20th.

Downtown Mt. Pleasant is also kicking off the holiday season with its annual Christmas Weekend November 30th-December 1st. Join in on the fun and visit the participating shops and restaurants, visit a hot cocoa warming station, go for a hay ride and visit Santa. Visitors can also attend the lighted Christmas parade at 6pm December 1st. And be sure to stick around for the fireworks display directly after.

Visit the orchard and enjoy the evening with Santa on December 1st at the Leaman’s Greenapple Barn in Freeland. Can’t make it on the first? Additional dates include December 7th and 8th.

While you’re in Freeland, don’t forget to pull your car up for the annual light show at the park. Bring some snacks and tune your radio to 93.9 FM to see the lights in tune with the music. Shows kick off at 5:30pm and last about 12 minutes each. The last show is at 10pm. Pull your car up any night of the month.

Get into the Christmas spirit at the Veterans Memorial Library where they will be showing the Polar Express December 1st at 11am. This interactive opportunity features a model version of the train and a conductor ready to stamp tickets for those in attendance. Hot chocolate and bells to be provided.

December 4th you can visit the movie theater for FREE! Wear you pajamas and bring a non-perishable food item for your chance to win a door prize. Popcorn and hot cocoa will be served. The North Pole Pajama Party at Celebration Cinema in mt. Pleasant kicks off at 5:30pm. Registration is required in advance.

Looking for an opportunity to get your craft on? Then stop by the Veterans Memorial Library in downtown Mt. Pleasant on December 4th at either 5:15 pm or 6:30 pm for your chance to make holiday ornaments.

Dow Gardens is beautiful any time of year, but the Christmas season is particularly magical. Visit Dow Gardens in Midland for their annual Christmas Walk on December 6th, 7th, 8th, 14th, or 15th between 5 and 7:30 pm. Enjoy candelight, reindeer, music, and poinsettia displays. Want to take in some fireworks too? A firework show is scheduled for December 8th at 7 pm.

Christmas Cart Tours are also available on December 5th at Dow Gardens. This opportunity is exclusively available to guests with mobility issues and their families.

Love Mary Poppins? The Veterans Memorial Library in Mt. Pleasant has another opportunity for an interactive movie experience taking place on December 7th. Watch the movie on the library’s big screen and receive items to use throughout the movie to make it come to life. Pizza to be provided by Dominos. Showtime scheduled for 5:30 pm.

December 8th you can stop by and visit one of Kati’s dietetic student volunteers at the Health and Safety Fair taking place at the Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant from 9am – 12 noon. She’ll be at the Around the Plate booth to share some positive holiday food vibes alongside other health professionals offering a variety of screening services at no cost to families.

A free breakfast and snack items will be provided and prizes given every 15 minutes. An inexpensive Christmas store for those 6 years and under will also be available with free gift wrapping too.

Another option on December 8th is the Midland TubaChristmas taking place downtown at the H hotel at 2 pm. It’s the third annual showing and destined to be a good time. Play the tuba, euphonium or baritone? You can join in on the performance. More information about this event can be found here.

Or stop by the Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm in Clare, Michigan December 8th to join children’s book writer Sue Thoms, author of the 12 Days of Christmas in Michigan, who will be visiting the farm from 11am-3pm.

Later in the evening on December 8th, take the family to Central Michigan University for the Dance Minor Showcase at Plachta Auditorium. The show starts at 7 pm.

Looking to connect with other parents and have some kid-free time? The Veterans Memorial Library in Mt. Pleasant is hosting a Caregivers Dinner Night on December 20th at 6pm. Childcare and dinner is provided.

We hope you and your family have fun all month long!

Know of other free events taking place this month for families to enjoy? We’d love to know all about it. Share your events in the comments below.

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