One of the ways I like to save money while staying at a hotel is to turn our hotel sink into a makeshift cooler.
We live in the northwest corner of the United States, so most of our vacations involve hoping on a plane. And since the HH isn’t really keen on hauling a cooler on an airplane, then on to a subway and then into a hotel room, {really? C’mon, it would be fun!} I make do with the resources I have.
Mainly, the bathroom sink.
How how do I convert the hotel sink into a makeshift cooler?
Easy. Once everyone is done brushing their teeth, I wipe down the sink and then head on over to the hotels ice machine. Having ice cold milk for cereal, TEA 😉 and coffee the next morning is not only a money saver, but it saves time as well.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather enjoy a quick breakfast in my hotel room before heading out to see the sights, than spend my time listening to “I’m hungry. What are we going to eat? When are we going to eat?”
I simply grab some easy food supplies the night before on the way back to our hotel room at a local market.
Do you do this too… or am I just weird?
~Mavis
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Judy says
Mavis I think it’s already the census that you’re weird.. just ask your kid…lol.. but this and many of your ideas are fab!! problem is I can’t remember them all when I need one.. ever thought of asking a book on them.. could be called “Marvelous ideas from Mavis”..I want a copy.. just thought I’d pre order. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha Ha Ha!
Judy says
sorry auto correct is doing my thinking for me.. should be write not ask..lol
kim says
Always, and cook hotdogs in the coffee pot.
Maryellen says
I don’t know about hot dogs, but we often use the coffee pot to make instant noodles (in cups).
Heather says
Yes, we do this if we don’t have a baby fridge in the room. One extra tip though is to use the plastic bag that they give you for laundry to “line” the sink (or an extra clean trashcan with a liner already in it…just double line it with the laundry bag) in the room prior to adding the produce, milk, ice, etc. This way, if you need to use the sink in the middle of night, all you do is tie it off, lift it and then replace after use. Otherwise you can just use the clean trash can to stash it in there without having to mess with the sink bag.
Lisa says
What a great idea! Many hotel and motel rooms have double sinks, so one could be left for tooth-brushing. I try to get ones with mini-fridges and microwaves. With the competition for tourist dollars, many of them offer that now. Also, free breakfasts are becoming pretty much the norm. In fact, if they don’t offer a free breakfast, I look for one that does! Last time we stayed in a motel my son ate 12 sausages with breakfast! Yes, 12! He’s a teenager!
I saved a bundle on vacation by renting an apartment rather than a hotel for a week in Puerto Rico. The area we wanted to go had no hotels, but did have apartments that rented by the day. We ate breakfast in every day before heading out. We also had a bbq grill on the patio we used. It was also nice to have a washer and dryer, since we didn’t have to pack so many clothes!
Maid service in motels/hotels is nice for those fresh sheets and towels every day, but I like the privacy and capabilities of an apartment.
I am not so sure about hot dogs in the coffee pot! Are you joking? I’m not so sure how well those get cleaned. I’d hesitate to use them now that I know hot dogs get cooked in them!
Michele says
I pack a dry stuff sack in my luggage. The top zips closed, I just add my groceries ice and zip it closed. No need to fill the sink or tub and the cleaning crew doesn’t think I’m psycho when they come clean my room.
celia says
I was a hotel maid in college and I feel extremely comfortable saying that we have seem much, much weirder. That is a pretty good idea though I personally would bring a disposable lysol wipe to wipe the sink out and the faucet myself, if I was going to be using it for food storage.
Shell says
We usually carry a cooler unless we are flying. We pack a couple of extra (the large ones) trash bags. One for dirty clothes and one for ice and food. No sink necessary. Just tie the bag after you remove items. If it is positioned upright, it is not likely to leak. No, it isn’t weird. Since when is saving money weird.?
Marcia says
We try to stay at a hotel with a mini-fridge and microwave. Or a condo.
If we are driving and don’t have that option, we will take a cooler.
Janet says
I now have cooler bags…one is really fab, red with cherry blossoms printed on it that doesn’t look like a cooler…they fold flat in a suitcase or a use as a carryon.
Meg says
I have a super thin soft sided cooler I can stash in my carry on. Between the airport & the hotel we can stop for milk/soda/beer etc and load it in the cooler then pile the ice on top. I can sit it in the sink or tub so I don’t have to deal with a puddle of condensation but this way, we can move it around and still ave the sink!