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Frugal Things We’ve done in Jamaica this Week

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 This is a special edition of frugal things I have done this week because……Hip hip Hooray! We are having a sunny holiday.

I know that a sunny holiday might not seem much to some of you, especially since many parts of the world are now having a heat wave, but to us, it is a Godsend! Man, I thought that Winter would never end! I was so cold for so long! I don’t know about you but I really do much prefer the sunshine to the colder weather. So now we are super excited to be in sunny Jamaica!

Three whole weeks of bliss. I might be a tiny bit partial but I think this is the best place in the world to be! Some of the most beautiful sceneries I have seen so far have come from Jamaica. Just take a look at some of these and I am sure you will agree.

We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read. We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read. We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read.

https://joleisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/VID-20180725-WA0009.mp4

I think you will be pleased to know that we still carry on with our frugal agenda. Yup! Being on holiday does not stop this agenda. Don’t get us wrong, being frugal does not mean you can’t go on holiday. What it does mean is that you save up and pay towards it rather than borrowing money to pay. You also try whatever else will work (legally) to make the stay not too expensive.

Whenever we go on holiday outside of Europe we tend to stay for at least 3 weeks, so it has to be during the Summer holidays. It’s not cheap, in fact, it can be quite expensive but if you continue reading you will see how we manage to make it cheaper than it would normally be.

Go self-catering for part of the holiday.

Like I have said, for holidays outside of Europe, we make it an extended stay so that we can soak up as much as possible of what is on offer. We don’t want to head out those many miles away and by the time we land, it is almost time to return. On this trip, we are spending a little over three weeks. It is quite expensive to spend 3 weeks in all-inclusive accommodation, so we have reduced the cost by having part of the stay self-catered.

That has reduced the cost significantly. Towards the end of the stay, we book into an all-inclusive and make use of all the amenities available. Self-catering gives us a chance to cook what we want when we want it and it also gives us a chance to go out into the community and meet and mingle with the locals.

Carry Own food

There are many advantages to taking your own foods on holidays. For one, it is cheaper. If you have children who are really picky eaters, then it helps to have what they will eat normally. That way you know they won’t starve whilst on holiday. We have brought a lot of our own food from home that we know everyone will love. This includes staples like rice, pasta and flour, savory snacks, chocolate and drink mixes. Take a look.

We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read.

We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read.

 

Don’t Use Air Condition all the time

Frugal means frugal wherever you go, and although we are not at home, we carry out the frugal agenda. It might not save us any money to use the air condition as little as possible but it does save someone and in the end, it saves our environment. We are lucky (blessed really) to be living in the penthouse suite for a part of our stay.

It is really hot in Jamaica and so the tendency would be to lock indoors and turn on the air condition, but we don’t. We open the windows and glass door and make use of the refreshing breeze that comes wafting across daily. At night time (only when we are ready to retire to bed) we put the air condition on and sleep in air-conditioned comfort.

Walk instead of paying for public transport

When planning your trip, it helps to figure out what local spots you would like to visit. Find out the cost of transport and weigh up the possibility of walking to some of the destinations rather than paying the cost of public transport. It has worked out for us. You get to have a jolly good time meeting the locals, learning the lingua and saving your money. Another advantage lies in the fact that many of us overeat and get little or no exercise. Walking to some destinations instead of paying for transport, which can sometimes increase when the locals figure you are not one of them, is more beneficial in terms of the cost and is also more beneficial healthwise.

Hang out with the locals

You must be mega careful with this one. Note well. Up to a few years ago, we were locals ourselves and we are also good judges of character. There are those who would take advantage of others (moneywise) and so you need to be with a local who speaks the language, knows the prices of items and who is willing to barter for you. For some traders, once they hear a foreign accent, everything has gone sky high in price. 

Needless to say, we have made a few new local friends and get useful tips for where to shop, places to eat out, or places to visit.

We are still frugal even when on holiday. Here are some of the frugal things we are doing while on holiday thousands of miles away in Jamaica. Pin to read.

 

Hand wash smaller items so you use the washing machine less

In our self-catering facility, we are privileged to have facilities to wash and dry our clothes. It would take a number of loads to wash a week’s supply of dirty clothes for all of us. That would cost a lot in terms of electricity and water and so we do our own small items of laundry by hand and use the washing machine for larger items. I can hear some people snickering and thinking: ‘who washes their own clothes on holiday?’ Well, we do. And so we have. We have pledged to be eco-warriors and we are committed to doing our bit to save our world.

So yes we are having a great time on this vacation. We are almost at the end of the first week and it is going great! Be sure to check out what frugal things we get up to next time around.

I’m linking up with this Cass, Emma, and Becky in this week’s ‘Five Frugal things I’ve done this week’ linky.

Are you a frugal living warrior? Do share some of what you do when on holiday to save money. 

 

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Comments

  1. Tia Wray-Lawrence says

    July 30, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    It’s great to take some time off and have fun. Thanks for those tips especially the one with the hand washing of similar things. I still have a little problem with that, my girls don’t think they should was anything at all since they have the machine to do it. joleisa i love the things you do and how creative and simple the are. Keep up the wonderful work you are doing.

    Reply
  2. Tia Wray-Lawrence says

    July 30, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    Have fun and more fun joleisa…..

    Reply
  3. becky says

    August 2, 2018 at 8:18 am

    OOh happy holidays you lovely ladies I am super jealous! #5frugalthings

    Reply
  4. Fred says

    August 3, 2018 at 4:02 am

    Soooo jealous. I haven’t been back to Jaimaca I forever! Also, I’d love to join your Pinterest board if you’re still accepting new contributors

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      August 9, 2018 at 8:14 pm

      It’s ok to be jealous, lol. Let us know which board you want to be added to.

      Reply
  5. Jessica Moore says

    August 12, 2018 at 1:50 am

    Great frugal tips for visiting a beautiful country! I miss Jamaica so much!

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      August 14, 2018 at 11:26 pm

      We had the time of our lives! Just came back today and thinking about the next trip!

      Reply
  6. Louis says

    August 15, 2018 at 7:09 pm

    Looks like a fun time, always good to save money while on holiday as well!

    Reply
  7. Clare says

    August 16, 2018 at 10:26 am

    Wow what a beautiful part of the world. Can I hide in your suitcase next time you go???

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      August 17, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      You most certainly can!

      Reply
  8. Rebecca says

    August 23, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    Hi leisa well done stranger and jo but well done so much everyone is proud of you

    Reply
  9. Mike says

    March 5, 2020 at 12:08 am

    Great pics! A good friend of mine is from Jamaica and he’s always telling me we should bring the families down. I don’t think I can follow your tip to not use air conditioning. I’d be seriously cranky! haha
    Mike recently posted…Disposable Products Cost More In The EndMy Profile

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      March 5, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      Oh, I would love to hear what you think when you finally decide to go. I’m sure you will, one day. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  10. martinguptill says

    August 22, 2022 at 11:10 am

    I have been lucky to have had my parents grow up in Whitby, leading to fantastic family holidays and weekend breaks to the charming seaside town. Many of my childhood memories of Whitby consist of fishing, crabbing, and fossilizing. Whitby has recently become very well known due to national press exposure and has been rated the best UK day break in 2008.

    Reply

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Hey guys and gals!

Hi, we're Jo and Leisa, twin sisters and authors of Joleisa.com. Originally from the sandy beaches of Jamaica we now reside in England where we followed our calling to teach. But sometimes that call changes and our new passion is writing. We're here to give the ups and downs of it all with our lifestyle tips and tricks to help you avoid the sour lemons that can get in our way of frugal budgeting, intentional living and happiness. Join us and learn more about how we found the simplest ways to achieve easy living. Read More…

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