This is How We do It

Upon beginning our journey to become consumer-debt free back in 2006, Ross and I started by talking about the things that we valued.  Yes, we wanted to be out of debt, but as individuals and as a couple, there were some non-negotiables that we chose not to do without.  For example, we were going to continue to get our hair professionally done.  No bowl haircuts or boxed hair relaxers.  Hair would stay in the budget. 

Another non-negotiable that we decided upon was a quarterly getaway for the two of us.  This is a must.  Yes, we have date night and that is great.  But there is something so freeing about being away from home (not just around the corner) for days (rather than hours) alone together that caused us both to recognize that regular getaways are not just a want but a need for our marriage.  I thought I would share with you how we make that happen by writing about our weekend away.  This is how we do it...

One of our regular getaways this time of year is to State College, PA to take in a Penn State football game.  On the way up we traditionally eat dinner at a BBQ restaurant with a breathtaking view called "Skeeters".  The food is fabulous and best of all reasonably priced.  This BBQ is worth the drive. 

Because of it being a game weekend, the hotels surrounding the college are either typically full or insanely priced.  So we stay about an hour or so away from the campus.  We use a site called Roomsaver.com  You type in where you are looking to stay, and it provides a list of hotels in that area with special discounted rates.  We always try to stay somewhere with a breakfast buffet to save on food.  There were about four places to choose from, and we chose the Holiday Inn Express.  Although it was the priciest of the four, hotels are a commodity that I DO NOT like to compromise on.  I want a hotel to look and feel as comfortable, accommodating, and clean as if I were staying at a friend's home. 

At the football game, we did splurge and purchase a mug with hot chocolate, some bottled water, nachos, and a soft pretzel.  The prices make me cringe.  But I feel free to spend because we were using money from our vacation savings for its very purpose--vacation!

Before we left home, Ross looked up some restaurant deals at restaurant.com in the State College area.    We printed out the one that showed promise--Pita Cabana Cafe, a Lebanese restaurant.  Delicious does not even begin to describe what we experienced.  The style of food is like Chipoltle where you get a rice bowl, salad, or pita then pick your proteins and toppings.  Well, here the toppings were tabouli, hummus, tahini, tzatziki sauce, and all kinds of other wonderful, exotic, flavor-filled delights.  Every bite of my rice bowl was a taste of heaven, and everyday eating will pale in comparison from here on out.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad, but suffice it to say I LOVED the food!

After eating, we made a stop to pick up a few things at the new Trader Joe's and afterwards decided to drive back home for our final night.  Although we could've done another hotel, we took a couple of things into consideration.  First, our son had been away camping for the weekend and was coming back on Sunday at noon.  Therefore, we would need to come home much more quickly than we normally would from one of our trips.  Second, we will be going away to see Ross's parents in December and the money that we saved on a hotel would be able to go towards this trip for gas and miscellaneous expenses. 

We got home late, slept, leisurely woke up (such a treat), Ross cooked breakfast (another treat) and washed the dishes (what did I do to deserve such royal treatment?), and then we fell asleep on the couch until it was time to pick up our son.  Oh, and did I mention that I got two pairs of shoes for under $9 at the Shoe Department while we were away?