Now I know hockey is an expensive sport. And most parents are like “NO WAY, I’m not letting my child play hockey, it costs too much!” But the love of the game can’t keep everyone away. I love watching you son’s play the sport they love, no matter how much time, money and energy we put into it as a family. And while most youth hockey teams have scholarships and such to help keep the cost of the actual season down, I have some hacks and money saving tricks/tips to save while going away for tournament weekends!
Everyone loves to save money, you have to admit that! And why not save money while still enjoying your hockey family and making it a “mini vacation” while your at it!
Tip 1- HOTELS
Always try and get your team manager to agree that having a hotel with a free breakfast is key!! Not having to worry about breakfast in the morning is a great start. Sometimes your games are too early for the actual hotel breakfast but sometimes you can manage to still come back AFTER your game and get in a good breakfast back at the hotel, depending on the timings of the games. Bring some granola bars and chocolate milk for those EARLY AM games in case you can’t make it to breakfast. Also, maybe your manager can try and always use the game hotel chain, so you can build rewards and points and earn free nights while still hanging with your hockey family. And coffee- almost every single hotel has free coffee, so this is a great perk for mom & dad! Also, if you don’t have to use a team booking link- using different travel websites will help you save a ton on hotel rooms. My favorite is Booking.com! You can save so much money this way!
Tip 2- SNACKS/DRINKS
Always fill your car with snacks/drinks and everything else you can think your little hockey player and his friend would want. Running to the gas station along the way can add up and having something for your hungry kids is always key. Happy kids mean happy parents, right? You don’t want to be running for fast food all the time because 1- it’s not healthy and 2- it adds up quickly! I always try and keep a case of water, propel or Gatorade and then some granola bars, crackers, fruit or other snacks in my car during those long weekend trips. It also means your pit stops for potty breaks are faster because you don’t need to run in and get a quick snack, you already have them!
Tip 3- TEAM DINNERS
Most teams try and eat together at least 1 time during the weekend. While eating out as a team can be expensive and take up a LOT of time, the kids always love doing it and remember the fun they had during it with their teammates. Maybe eating a light snack that you had already brought with you before you go to the restaurant can keep your costs down so your not starving when you get to the restaurant and then when your food takes forever to come because your such a big group, your not turning into grumpy gremlins! Also- maybe order a large appetizer to split if it’s just you and 1 other family member. That also helps keep the cost at bay. You always say your going to eat the leftovers but usually those leftovers end up being left in the hotel’s mini fridge in your room and then when your half way home from the weekend of fun you remember. So just try and save yourself the hassle and skip having leftovers. Also another great tip is to try and reserve the hotel’s banquet room or a large meeting room and order in a big pasta team dinner. This can save everyone money, they can still hang out together and maybe the kids can get some swimming time in that they always want! This can be less stressful for everyone too, especially if the weather is bad.
Tip 4- TEAM PICTURES
Remember that you don’t need to get the expensive professional pictures from EVERY tournament. Just pick maybe 1 tournament a season and order those and then cherish those with your little hockey player. That is unless you find a really good picture of your kid, but really, what are you going to do with ALL those pictures you took? You won’t print them all out and hang them all up. Believe me, I’m the one that LOVES pictures but I’ve come to the realization after 2 playing all these sports and tournaments, we can’t get everything! We do usually get a t-shirt or hoodie from the tournament though but I am a big believer in saving those and making a memory quilt when they are older. (might be the crafty nature in me)
Tip 5- HOTEL DINNERS
If you really want to save money- bring your Instant Pot or Crockpot! You could make dinners for your family in your room and save a ton of money that way. You don’t have to be fancy, but something that’s easy to make and clean up after. A 1 pot meal is a great idea! Steamer bags are great too because most hotel rooms have microwaves. Bring bags of popcorn as a snack for later in the night also. So many great things can be made with those 3 items! And if your like most traveling mom’s, you bring everything but the kitchen sink anyways so what’s something else to save you some money!
These are my top 5 things on saving money while staying at hotels for a weekend. Comment below and let me know what other strategies you use to save money on hockey tournament weekends!
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