Sawmill D&C LLC

This winter, our family took a four-day, three-night budget trip to Atlantic City, NJ for a soccer event. My goal was to keep costs as low as possible while still enjoying the boardwalk, the beach views, and some time together as a family. Below is a breakdown of what we spent, what worked well, and what I would do differently next time.

Trip Overview

I learned quite a bit on this trip and I am already looking for ways to cut costs even further on the next one—especially around transportation and food. Here is how this trip broke down and a few takeaways if you are planning something similar.

Expense Breakdown

Lodging

We spent $352 on lodging for four days and three nights. The room itself was clean, fairly basic, and looked recently remodeled. I would rate the overall hotel experience a 2.8 out of 5 stars. The inside felt comfortable enough, but the exterior looked worn down and the parking lot was not cleared very well after ice and snow, which made coming and going a bit stressful—especially with kids and soccer gear in tow.

Travel

Travel cost us $480 on this trip because my personal car was in the shop, so we had to rent a vehicle. If we had been able to use our own car, we could have cut about $430 from that total. The silver lining was that the rental car felt more spacious and comfortable for the long drive, and it made hauling soccer equipment and bags a little easier.

Meals and Snacks

We spent about $60 on meals during the trip and an additional $25 beforehand at ALDI for snacks and drinks. Packing food ahead of time was a big money-saver and kept us from relying on expensive stadium food or touristy boardwalk restaurants for every meal. I highly recommend doing a budget grocery run before you travel, especially if you have kids who always seem to be hungry between games.

Parking, Fees, and Soccer Costs

In addition to travel and lodging, we spent $35 on parking and trip-related fees. Soccer registration, shorts, and shoes came to about $145. All together, this put the trip total around $1,080. Without the car rental, we could have brought that total down to roughly half, which is impressive for a trip of this length.

Atlantic City Experiences

Even though this was a budget-focused trip, we still made time to enjoy Atlantic City itself. We walked along the boardwalk, took in the ocean views, and explored some of the shops and arcades between soccer games. One of my favorite moments was watching the sunset over the water after a long day at the fields—it was a simple, free activity that made the trip feel special without adding to the budget. We also kept the kids entertained with short visits to the casinos’ public areas and nearby attractions, while being careful to stay within kid-friendly spaces.

Key Takeaways for Budget Travelers

• Pack meals, snacks and beverages prior to the trip to reduce high cost meals in tourist areas.
• Look for free or reduced parking (may require some foot travel to destination)
• Search for free attractions, coupons and advertisements for deals