Unexpected Costs of Summer - Budget Killers - Summer Savings
You budgeted for plane tickets and beach balls, but there are a few sneaky expenses you may have forgotten. Here's how to keep them from turning into major ones.
By Nathalie Gorman
Original Content | July 12, 2012 
Photo: Thinkstock
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What you thought of: Buying tickets for a day at the amusement park. What you forgot to save for: Food and the inevitable trip to the souvenir shop. How to get a good deal: Tickets to an amusement park typically cover the entrance fee and all the rides in the park. Funnel cake, Skee-Ball, clown toss, live musical shows, stuffed animals and logo caps all cost an additional fee. You can purchase coupons for the extras when you arrive at the park, but for deeper discounts, purchase them in advance on the park's website. "We offer coupon books that are 20 percent off on games if you buy them in advance," says Greg Morrow, chair of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Games Committee and games and merchandise manager at Lake Winnepesaukah. To save on food, Ken Whiting, an amusement parks consultant, who is chair of IAAPA's Food and Beverage Committee and president of Whiting's Foods, which handles food for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, suggests purchasing presold meal tickets, which give a discount of "up to 10 to 20 percent." For additional savings on games, food and shows, Whiting suggests friending the park on Facebook. "With some regularity, there will be an offer put out on the park's Facebook page. Save 10 percent on a particular item on a particular day," he says. Next: 12 incredible summer fashion bargains |
