Be Sure to Take Freezer Meals on the Road to Save Money this Year (2025)

Hitting the road? Plan on taking freezer meals on vacation with you to save money on food costs. You’ll eat well without breaking the bank.

Cheese Enchiladas

Summer time! Things are easy in the summer, right? Nope. Things are expensive.

Say what? How can summer fun affect your food costs, you say?

The activity, hot weather, and entertainment factor of summertime can wreak absolute havoc on your grocery budget.

In summertime you venture out and about more often; you have more random schedules than the rest of the year; you tend to avoid hot kitchens and want someone else– for the love of God! —to do the cooking.

And the justification factor of “it’s summertime,” can lead you to spend more than you might otherwise spend.

Whether it’s the temptation of the drive-thru after a long day at the zoo or the high price of food at the baseball field, you may find ourself spending more money on food than you do during the more hum-drum days of the year.

Furthermore, summer travel can take a big bite out of your funds. Between transportation and lodging costs, vacation spending can escalate before you know it. And eating out at restaurants and fast food joints? Those will jack that bill even higher.

But there is hope.

One way to offset these costs is to take freezer meals on vacationwith you.

Have Lasagna, Will Travel

Freezer meals can serve you not only at home, but also away. When you go to the grandparents’, you can pack several meals to share during your visit. Not only does it ensure food you know your kids will eat, but it also allows you to make the load a little lighter on Gramma, who may not be accustomed to feeding a bunch of kids, picky or otherwise.

It can be so fun to spend the afternoon with the grandparents, pop a lasagna and garlic bread in the oven, toss a salad, and set a nice table for you all to enjoy. Even though you’re a guest, you get to pamper your hostess at least once during your visit.

Fresh Basil and Garlic Chive Lasagne

You can even pack freezer meals on full vacation-vacations as well. A few months ago we took a trip to Mammoth. Since we had reserved a condo with a fully equipped kitchen, I grabbed an assortment of meals from my freezer and packed those in the cooler.

Not only did we avoid wasting money on restaurant food we might not have liked, but we also saved a bundle of money. For the two days that we were away, we would have eaten six meals at a restaurant. This could have cost our family anywhere from $120 to $300.

Even if I had bought groceries at the local market, I would have paid a lot more for food than I would have at home. Grocery stores in destination locations are notorious for jacking up the prices.

Packing food allows you to tailor your meals to your tastes as well as your budget.

And even your nutritional needs! Since my youngest has severe nut allergies, I could affordablymake sure that all her meals were safe.

We’ve had too many bad tourist attraction meals over the years. And unfortunately, you don’t always get what you pay for.

By packing our own freezer meals on vacation, we eatlike kings and didn’t feel guilty about it. Plus, the money we save on food justifies the little extra we might payfor more deluxe accommodations, a pleasure I would gladly pay for again and again.

Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Take Freezer Meals on Vacation

Wondering what you should pack on your next trip? Think about what’s quick, easy, and possibly a “one dish dinner.” You want to enjoy whatever it is you’re doing on vacation, so you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing meals — unless, of course, that is what you love to do.

You may be limited on kitchen resources, depending on your accommodations, so choosing easy meals is a good call. And an “all-in-one” dinner can cover all your bases without a lot of work. Serving bread, fruit, and a salad on the side is easy to pull off wherever you roam.

Here’s a list of make ahead and/or freezer friendly foods that have served us well over the years:

Breakfast

• Instant Oatmeal Packets
• Cranberry-Orange Granola
• Carrot Muffins with Honey Cream Cheese
• Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Lunch

• Frozen Burritos
• Chihuahua Chili
• Chicken-Bacon Sub
• Marinated Chicken (to throw on the grill if you have a bbq at your disposal)

Dinner

• Fresh Basil and Garlic Chive Lasagne
• Cheese Enchiladas, Beans, and Rice
• Lawnmower Taco
• Pasta with Homemade Red Sauce

Get the cooking plan to take freezer meals on vacation.

Looking for a little extra help? I’ve got just the thing! I’ve put together a cooking plan featuring easily portable freezer meals.

You’ll be covered for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. And best yet, it should only take a couple hours to prep these basic meal components that you can later serve, stress-free, on vacation.

Freezer Cooking Mini-Plan: Meals for a Great Vacation is available for instant download. Get cooking in minutes and prepare yourself for a relaxing, delicious vacation.

Head here to purchase your copy: https://fishmama.com/product/freezer-cooking-mini-plan-vacation/

How do YOU eat well and spend less on the road?