A 5k Vacation
October 28, 2014One of my favorite commercials is from Mastercard with all the kids begging their parents to “take one more day” of their unused vacation and they present Mom and Dad some pretty compelling reasons why taking at least one more day is priceless. For those that do decide to take a family vacation, there IS a price, and it’s usually not cheap. In fact, a recent Forbes article puts the average cost for a family of four at almost $5k after tallying up the cost of airfare, hotel, food, and taxes.
But a family vacation doesn’t have to be expensive. I recently returned from a trip with my husband, stepson, and daughter-in-law. The guys bond over sports so what could be better than a day of NFL football? Normally, going to a football game can be very expensive. This year’s NFL Fan Cost Index, as calculated by TMR, is $479.11 – which is the cost to take a family of four to a sporting event and is comprised of four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two programs and two adult-size hats.
For almost half that cost, my family participated in the Buc’s Treasure Chest 5k pre-game run, which included tickets to the Ravens vs. Buccaneers game, a Bucs race t-shirt, bandanna, bead necklace, and a post-race tailgate party with free soda, Gatorade, water, bagels, bananas, muffins, and apples. It wasn’t quite as tasty as beer and hotdogs but much healthier for sure. Plus, the entire event was only $65 per person and my priceless moment was being invited out to the field during half-time and forming the breast cancer awareness symbol with all the 5k race participants wearing their pink t-shirts.
As you look at your unused vacation days, don’t let them go to waste. But you don’t have to spend a fortune when planning your getaway either. Hunt for fun, inexpensive activities that you can involve the whole family in and come back happy and healthier without breaking the bank.