What items to bring to a rental condo?

[fabfive]

We are renting a condo for a week in Florida. We do not have a ton of money to eat out. What items should I bring from home? We are driving so packing is not a problem. There are five of us. DS 20, DD 16 and 15, DH and myself. The part of FL we are going is expensive at the grocery store.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

We use a cooler to take meat camping. I freeze it and pack it separately in its own cooler so that we are not opening the lid as often. If you have most of your ingredients already you can just shop for milk and maybe fruit at the more expensive store. Your drive won't be more than 2 days and it should easily stay good for that amount of time.

For camping I even cook the meat and then freeze it to make it quick and easy to have dinner done. For example cook your hamburger for tacos or sloppy joes. Package it in freezer bags in the amount you want for that meal and all you have to do is thaw and reheat.

I think you can plan your meals and it would be pretty easy to take it all with you.

 

[HayGan]

We always bring lots of dry goods (pasta, cereal, pancak/waffle mix, etc.) and things like aluminum foil, ziploc bags, paper towels from our stockpile. Things like condiments (salt/pepper, ketchup, salad dressing, mustard, seasonings, etc.) can all be bought ahead of time on sale to keep you OOP costs down when you go to the grocery store in FL. We get the little round containers at the dollar store and put seasonings that we use regularly (basil, etc.) in those and bring those from home. I would waste space on cases of water, soda, etc. They take up lots of room and aren't priced that much differently at stores.

One of our other bigs tips is to plan meals based on what is on sale at the grocery store you plan on going to the week you will be there. I always look at the food circular for Publix and then plan around that. We even take coupons that match items that we plan on buying.

If you think your option of a store near your condo is expensive, have you thought of stopping along your route at a less expensive store before you get there? There are plenty of Walmarts, Targets and some Aldis throughout Florida that may be a cheaper option. Condsider getting snacks and beverages at places like Walgreens which tend to run sales on those items.

 

[shortbun]

Join the customer loyalty program at the grocery so you can get local sales.
We vacation on an island and groceries are the same price as the mainland; why are groceries more expensive where you're going? Is there not a regular market? If not, shop before you enter that area.

 

[Kay1]

As you can see from my sig, we're going to Sanibel next week, then are spending time on another island next month. Yes, the very local groceries charge more so we only buy certain things from them - ice cream, for example.

If people live in the area you're visiting there should be affordable stores nearby. Google Publix, for one, and find the location nearest your vacation spot and check out the flyer. I think you'll find pretty reasonable prices.

Just the same, I am bringing things I already bought on sale. I make a list way in advance of things we'll need that are shelf-stable or I can fit into my cooler. I use the Dollar Tree for little salt and pepper shakers, foil, plastic wrap, paper towels, bar soap, shampoo, storage bags, and toothpastes for all the bathrooms.

 

[Zhoen]

Hi There,

We were just in a Kissimmee Condo last week. I brought:

- stuff for breakfast (dry cereal; homemade pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, and scrapple that I had cooked ahead at home and frozen; organic eggs because I'm picky about that and wasn't sure I'd be able to find them

-bread from home (because we had a loaf open, so why let it go stale?)

-condiments (butter, jam, miracle whip, mustard-- could add ketchup if you think you'll use it)

-lunch meat and sliced cheese(it's cheaper where I live)

-fresh fruit

- dry bisquick in a resealable container with instructions for waffles

- a waffle maker (mickey shaped, of course)

- a small bottle of oil

- salt and pepper shakers

- peanut butter

-fruit snacks

-cheesy crackers

-raisins and craisins

- ziplocks in snack, sandwich, and gallon sizes, as well as plastic wrap

-My electric griddle (big black flat rectangle with a grease trap... best thing EVER!)

Once we were there, we bought fresh milk, OJ, and booze.

If you use the search function, I've seen one or more threads on things people cook on vacation using their crock pots. One great idea someone had was using a bead/embroidery organizer or even a pill organizer to bring a smidgeon of many different spices, instead of a giant bag.

Even if you buy your groceries there, it will still be cheaper than eating out. If you have things like ketchup at home and you'll want it there, bring it along. Otherwise, only bring along the things you suspect will be more expensive or difficult to find at your destination. Enjoy your trip!

 

[HM]

We usually bring one/two large box(es) of dry goods and one cooler filled with cold goods and then our electric griddle.

In the dry goods box, include plastic wrap, baggies, and foil wrap; spices and oil; bisquick, rice and pasta; pasta sauce, canned soups, cereal, sugar, salad dressing, syrup, onion, juice, loaf of bread, peanut butter, etc.

Sometimes we bring tp and paper towels depending on if they are supplied or not. Hopefully the place supplies adequate dinnerware and silverware and cooking utensils/pots/pans. We've sometimes brought a larger skillet or pot because often those are missing and if you have a large group, you might need them.

In the cooler we usually put in some frozen foods like shrimp so we can prepare a meal the first night without going to the store right away; butter, milk, eggs, vegetables for salad, jelly, cheese, sandwich meats, etc.

 

[buzz2400]

we just did our first rental for a week this past January. We brought a few items from home (ie toilet paper, paper towels, dry food, laundry detergent) but did most of our shopping at walmart when we arrived. If you would prefer to do this instead of wasting space in the car (we also drove), I found that you could get most of your food items cheaper when you bought the store brand. We also bought a lot of frozen food items that we could just pop into the microwave. We also got cold cuts at walmart. We only spent an hour shopping when we arrived since we knew pretty much what we wanted beforehand. Just don't overbuy which we did and threw alot of food away.

 

[scrapquitler]

Plan your meals ahead of time and consider the little things that you will need for each and every meal: mayo, mustard, ketchup, syrup, parmesan cheese, SPICES, butter, etc. Those are the things that really add up quickly when you are trying to shop at the destination. Once you have planned the meals and made a list of all these types of things, consider packing spice in ziploc bags, premeasured for the meals that you plan to cook. Buy small sizes of the other condiments and bring those with you if possible. Also remember: Coffee, coffee filters, sugar, creamers, artificial sweetener.

The time we stayed in a rental cottage, I also had to purchase toilet paper, papertowels and napkins, dish detergent, dishwasher tablets, foil, saran wrap which I didn't realize until we got there, and those things also added up quickly so try to find out ahead of time if the kitchen will be stocked with those items.

I'd probably be inclined to grill as much as possible (if a grill is available) to keep meal prep simple. I'd also probably bring my crock pot and use that at least a couple of times during the trip to pop dinner in it before leaving for the day, then dinner will be totally or at least almost ready when you return home for the evening.

 

[a1970model]

- a waffle maker (mickey shaped, of course)

I carried our mickey-waffle-maker with us when we rented a house, too!

Lots of great suggestions food-wise. We did simple things, like the waffles, spaghetti, grilled, etc. We took some supplies, and bought other things at Target while there. We went over Christmas vacation, so I baked lots of cookies/snacks to have on hand. If your condo has a washer/dryer, also take your laundry detergents and fabric sheets. I loved doing laundry at the rental house, because it meant less clothes to pack. Also, my teens brought their xbox/games to have at the condo when we weren't at the parks.

Have a great trip!

 

[dizluvah]

the only thing i can add is a crockpot - so you can toss something in and enjoy your vacation time while dinner is cooking away all day....

 

[fabfive]

I never thought about bringing my crock pot on vacation but that is a great time saving idea. So far, I have on my list:
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
coffee with filters
tea bags
spaghetti
salad dressing
cookies
snacks
cereal
scampi sauce
steak sauce
laundry soap
dishwasher soap
dryer sheets
mayo
mustard
muffin mix
crystal light packets
sugar
foil
plastic wrap
ziploc baggies
cocktail sauce
pickles
paper towels
toilet paper

I think that is all I have down at this point.

 

[fabfive]

Question? How do you take lunch meat and cheese? We are driving 6 hours and stopping over night and driving another 4 hours the next day.

 

[Zhoen]

We took ours in a regular (hard sided) cooler. We layered the bottom with frozen bottled water, then layered our frozen foods, including the cheese and lunchmeat (both of which can be frozen), then another layer of frozen bottled water, then our "cold but not frozen" items, surrounded by the last of the bottled water. If you have "dead air" you can fill it with ziplock bags of ice (less messy than loose ice).

 

[fabfive]

We took ours in a regular (hard sided) cooler. We layered the bottom with frozen bottled water, then layered our frozen foods, including the cheese and lunchmeat (both of which can be frozen), then another layer of frozen bottled water, then our "cold but not frozen" items, surrounded by the last of the bottled water. If you have "dead air" you can fill it with ziplock bags of ice (less messy than loose ice).

I love the idea of freezing water bottles. I would have never thought of that. Thank you! Thank you! You all are give the best ideas. Have I missed anything on my list? The last time we were there, Coke was 5.99 a 12 pack. YIKES! That is more than double our sale prices at home.

 

[Zhoen]

It looks as if you're planning to buy milk, eggs, bread, salad, and meat once you get there, in which case, your list looks good.

We took 2-liter bottles of soda with us ($.99 on sale), even brought some into the parks with us (we had a stroller, so no carrying involved.) If you're having good sales at home, I'd say bring some along... but the internet is great, google the stores around your condo and see what's going to be on sale when you get there, then decide based on that.

I saw you had muffin mix on your list. Don't forget your little paper liner thingies, and consider bringing the metal pan with you-- that might be something the condos might not have. We went one further, made the muffins at home, froze them, and brought them in the cooler with us.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

We usually rent condos and they have been great with providing the essentials- Bed sheets, towels toilet paper etc.

We stayed at one last year and it was completly bare. We had to go out and buy towels, washcloths, toilet paper, tissues, soap and even lightbulbs! So be prepared!

 

[Kay1]

We usually rent condos and they have been great with providing the essentials- Bed sheets, towels toilet paper etc.

We stayed at one last year and it was completly bare. We had to go out and buy towels, washcloths, toilet paper, tissues, soap and even lightbulbs! So be prepared!

Holy cats, that's awful. I hope you didn't have to buy bedding, too.