Keeping Our Costs Down Driving the U.S

When I was a kid -- a few years back, admittedly -- I was lucky enough to have parents who wanted my brothers and I to see the U.S.A. in our family sedan. They saved all year for these trips and, since we weren't wealthiest family on the block, they also set aside a certain amount for the food we'd have to buy every day to eat.

That's right, eat!

You see one of the problems with not having big stashes of money to fund our trips was that we had to eat in our hotel or motel rooms without the management finding out about it. That meant that our Dad usually had to head out to a local food store as soon as it opened to get a variety of food that Mom could cook on things like coals stoves, heaters (really), and, of course, the ever-present hot plate that Mom usually stashed in our luggage.

Well, we were fortunate in seeing much of the United States, even though my brothers and I had to share a bed at times and, if our Uncle came along, it meant that there were six of us in a room meant for two (talk about tight crunches) and, thankfully, at the time, we all go along. We were also thankful, too, that at least Mom knew how to make eggs and bacon and toast (other than that watch out!!).

Many mornings, we were awakened to the opening of windows and the smell of breakfast being cooked on the heater before we left the motel for the day (we usually never stayed in the same place twice because people could smell the food cooking) and we cleaned up and went on our way to see the country.

Now, I wouldn't trade any of this experience for anything in the world. And, it's all true. We were able to keep our food expenses down to pennies -- in the 1950s a dime was worth something -- thanks to Mom's basic cooking skills. If we wanted something more -- well we had to wait until we either got to our final destination that was usually a relative's house or we got back home. Then we could eat again.

Until then, we scrimped and saved and cooked in the room, had a ball, and saw a great country.