With most travel, the main expense is fuelling our van for the trip...I cashed in some Airmiles for Shell gas certificates $180 worth, let's see how we did.
Grand total from 100 Mile House, to Calgary and Waterton, back to Calgary and up to 100 Mile House
$232.09 with 3/4 of a tank. $232.09-$180 in certificates makes $52.09 out of pocket.
I had saved up $120 from homeschool funding for the activity parks, and another $80 from selling some baking and some Mary Kay.
Stopped in Kamloops to hit the Thrift Stores and have a little picnic. Went to a local Superstore/Extra Foods and picked up $44.19 of groceries and used $40 in points from our PC Mastercard program. Total was $4.19! Feeding the marmots some of our lettuce was free entertainment.
Bought some great camping dishes (though they charged us double, it was still cheap and went to the Salvation Army) Total $6.95 for a back scratcher for Ruth and these cute dishes!
Next expense would be lodging for one night at Crazy Creek (Noah's Ark was full and small and crowded) $22.40 for us to camp the night and get rained out.
Having cereal in the dark was great fun!
Being rained out lead to an unexpected expense of eating breakfast at a local truck stop ~
$54.19 later and full tummies.
Headed to the ENCHANTED FOREST and paid the $47 to get in. Worth it for the nostalgia and fun in the drizzling rain. Fed the ducks for another 50 cents, Mei's favourite part when they ate out of her hand.
Stopped at one of our favourite places on earth (that we have seen) called FIN CREEK and had a quick picnic, wrote our names in the clay and skipped rocks...
Gregg thought I wrote "thiessen YO"
Bought water for drinking $3.
Off to Waterton National Park (Peace Park with US/Canada) and paid the 4 day pass of $58.80 for entry. Went to the Ole' Lick 'n' Nibble Ice cream parlour for Foothills creamery ice cream $15.
Paid $84 for our family to camp and eat for the long weekend ~ costs were divided up and wow! We had purchased $100 of fruit on the way up for it and were reimbursed and had a great time. Came home somehow with the leftover Smore food ~ graham wafers, marshmallows and chocolate.
Back to Calgary to Gregg's parents place, free lodging in the basement. Spread the girls out on the floor and enjoy!
Heritage Village in Calgary was the next big stop ~ really wish we would've gone here more last year because a family year pass is almost the same as what we paid for one visit. We had 2- 50% off coupons and paid $98 for unlimited rides too.
Travelling home now, stopped in Salmon Arm to buy fruit at Pedro's Fruit Stand. Spent $125.41 for 2 boxes of peaches and 1 box of cherries plus some eating fruit like banana's, nectarines and plums.
Discovered they also had Foothills Creamery Ice Cream...oh my, the big debate!
History here: We found a winning lottery ticket worth $10 in a truck we bought and resold. I cashed it in Calgary and let the girls decide what they wanted to do with their $2 share. MAC DONALD's was calling by Salmon Arm. Ok, so we sped over to MacD's and 4 of us were having a cheap burger and Ruth was waiting for icecream. Spent $10.25 at MacD's and we all got a burger and 1 order of fries to share. STILL, Ice cream was calling. Searched the van for loose change...AH HA! Girls shared 2 ice cream cones, then Daddy tasted Kate's and so we shared a cone. The kiddy cone was a 2 scooper for $2! So $6 later, we were happy and on our way again!
Tradition is that you wave until you can no longer see those that are departing. L added his "BYE" to that as well, I think the whole neighbourhood knew we were leaving :)
SO, there you have it! Thiessen Travelling Times on a budget and lots of fun!
Total cost of trip $666.87. Minus fuel gift certificates, saved up money, lottery ticket $370
Total holiday cost out of pocket $296.87 ~ WOW.
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