Three days in the Smokies the week before Thanksgiving
Bare trees, quiet trails and a $15 parking tag. Wes's 45th birthday trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and every dollar it cost.…
The Outer Banks storm claim: how we got $780 back
A tropical storm cancelled our cottage trip. The $57 policy we nearly skipped, the paperwork and five weeks of waiting for the che…
Cooking at home all week to pay for the weekend
Our weeknight supper rotation: pintos, cornbread, chicken bog and leftovers. How eating in keeps the trip account from running dry…
Packing the car so nothing rattles for six hours
Bins, a cargo net and a rule about the back seat. How we load the CR-V for a long weekend and keep the emergency kit within reach.…
Camping at Carolina Beach State Park in October
Cool nights, hardly any bugs and a $28 site near the marina. Why fall has become our favorite season to camp close to the coast.…
Eating on the road for $25 a day for two
Gas station biscuits, grocery deli lunches and one sit-down supper. How we keep road food cheap without living on chips and soda.…
Four new tires at 118,000 miles
The tread gauge said we were close. How we priced four tires, why we didn't buy the cheapest set and what the $684 included.…
A long weekend in Savannah that cost $340
Free squares, the free downtown shuttle, one splurge dinner and a hotel out by the airport. Our three days in Savannah, line by li…
Six months of trip spending, sorted by category
Gas, beds, food and admission for seven trips since March. Where the $1,488 went and which line keeps creeping up every month.…