Just push that to the side, kids!

A couple of weeks ago (yeah, yeah, I started this entry that long ago, but never got around to finishing it), on one of the hottest days on record, we did something completely insane. We spent the day at Fiesta Texas.

And by the end of the day, we were limp dishrags. First off, the temperature was well over 100 degrees, and we powered through about 7 hours of rollercoasters, spinnakers, and loop-de-whirls. We were exhausted, overheated and completely BROKE. Been to Six Flags lately? If you haven’t, prepare to empty your wallet because a day at the park is no longer a ‘day at the park’.

Tickets? About $50 apiece, which for a family of 5… well, you do the math. Don’t forget about the $15 parking fee. Add to that snacks (frozen lemonade: $4 per person), any games, and lunch or dinner in the park (a ‘meal deal’ for 4 burgers, fries and drinks… $49.99)… YIKES!

There are definitely ways to cut some costs, which the thrifty (cheap!) Linsons have discovered. First off, we love season passes. Well worth the money spent! We opted to not get them this year, though, as our spring started off a little rocky (I’ve practically blocked it out, but we went through a whole JOB TRANSITION early in the year?? So Six Flags season passes went pretty low on the priority list ;) The kids got free tickets for doing the ‘Read to Succeed’ program at school, so we used those, and had a coupon for ½ price for the other two tickets.

And as for snacks and lunch? Well, we’ve got that down to a science, too.

Don’t blow the whistle on us, but we... GASP!... take in our own food. In a backpack. Oh, yeah… we know it’s not ‘allowed’. Whatevs. I mean, they WILL check the backpack… it’s their job, and they’re usually pretty thorough. You just have to make sure that you choose the line that has the young teenage guy checking the bags. Well, he won’t throw out my Pringles potato crisps or my Nature Valley granola bars. No sirree.



That’s because he never gets past the economy size package of sanitary napkins I always put on top of the packed lunches.



Trust me, he’ll practically throw your bag back into your arms, mumbling, ‘um…have a Six Flags day, ma’am’.