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The beach is free. Everything they try to sell you once you’re there is not. A single mom learns this fast, usually while staring at a $14 basket of fries and doing the math.
So here’s how I do a beach day on a budget with a toddler. What I pack, the three things actually worth buying, and what I refuse to pay for at the boardwalk.
Pack from home:
– Sandwiches, plus the snacks Alayna refuses at home but will devour on a towel.
– Water bottles frozen overnight. They keep everything cold on the way out and turn into cold drinks by lunch, which replaces a whole cooler of ice.
What to skip:
– Rented chairs and umbrellas. The markup is wild. Bring an old blanket and one cheap shade.
– Boardwalk food. That basket of fries is the whole budget.
The three buys worth it:
A mesh beach tote (~$22). The sand falls straight through it instead of riding home in your back seat for the rest of summer. I resisted this for a year. Don’t be me.
A pop-up sun shade (~$30). Opens in about ten seconds, gives a toddler somewhere shaded to nap or eat sand in peace. Worth every dollar on a hot day.
Spray sunscreen you can apply to a moving target (~$16). A wiggly toddler will not sit still for the lotion kind. This is the difference between sunscreen on her skin and sunscreen on the towel.
So what does a beach day actually cost? If you pack from home and skip the rentals, about a tank of gas plus whatever you spent on the bag. The rest is free, which is good, because I already spent it all on the mesh bag I should have bought last year.
If you want the rest of the cheap things that get us through summer, I send a short list most weeks, usually under $30 a find. No spam, just what I actually use.