Vacation Savings: Reviewing and Evaluating Annual Memberships

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Can you believe summer is nearly half over? As our annual membership with our recreational district expired recently, we are ready to use our other memberships on our vacation.

With our time away quickly approaching, I am collecting research and making vacation savings plans. My plans are many, and include reviewing and evaluating annual memberships.

Reviewing Annual Memberships

The big thrill of going on vacation in our house is “what are we going to do.” Realizing that most activities cost a pretty penny, my children have begun asking if we can watch for a deal or coupon for whatever they would like to do.

As they are more money-conscience, we share more information with them about how we decide what activities to do. The fun comes when the activities are free due to our annual memberships.

By staggering our vacations late in the summer of 2012 and earlier in 2013, we get two vacations for the price of one with our annual memberships. With this strategy, we can save any extra from this year to put toward annual memberships for next year.

Keeping a watch on daily deal sites, I am able to purchase some annual memberships at 50% off. The following are our current memberships we plan to use on this trip:

As our memberships expire, we can watch for new deals and wait to activate our memberships next summer to get another 2 years of vacation memories on one membership. By working on a two-year plan, we review our annual memberships to stretch our dollars as far as they can go.

Evaluating Annual Memberships

Before purchasing any membership, I check the reciprocal list to evaluate if the pass is a good fit for our family. For example, purchasing a zoo membership down in Florida was a better deal for our family than purchasing through our local zoo in South Carolina.

We visit the Florida zoo 4-5 times a week when we visit whereas we might visit our local zoo 1-2 times a year. We still save 50% off our local zoo with our membership, but admittance into the Florida zoo with unlimited rides is FREE. Therefore, we purchase our membership for the Florida zoo.

We are thankful for the annual memberships and the benefits given to pass holders, as investing once a year reaps hours of fun all year long. In reviewing and evaluating annual memberships, all is good to go. We are ready to head down to Florida for some fun in the sun, or rain, as it has been this summer.

If you are planning a July or August vacation, consider annual memberships. Our costs ranged from $25 to over $200 for these annual memberships. Evaluate your budget and your needs, and then do a little research.

In using time wisely, our research has saved us hundreds of dollars and allowed us hours of fun. But if you don’t have the money to spend, then no matter the savings, an annual membership is not a good fit for your family. Happy savings!

My Favorite History and Science Museum Membership

Photograph Credit: Hopewell Museum

Since I have written about our science museum membership from our vacations and monthly visits, I wanted a share my secret with you.

You see, I used to purchase a membership at our local science center which was part of ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated).

As part of the ASTC, members of museums that participate get FREE admission into other ASTC museums.

So, as a member in South Carolina, our family could visit the reciprocal museums on the ASTC list in Florida when we visit my family.

This membership served us well until my son’s class took a field trip to North Carolina to visit a science museum on the reciprocal list. In preparing for that visit, I made a call to that museum to make sure our membership would gain our family FREE admission.

During that call, I was informed that because the museums were within 90 miles as the crow flies, then the North Carolina museum did not honor the South Carolina museum’s membership. Totally confused with the comment about how the crow flies, I asked for clarification because the driving distance is more than 90 miles.

I was told that it was measured directly, and the two museums were 86.7 miles apart. Since they were close, the NC museum was not required to accept the reciprocal membership.

After receiving that information, I called our museum to see if they were reciprocal with the North Carolina museum and was given a similar story. Just to make sure all my bases were covered, I also called the ASTC and was again informed that museums within 90 linear miles of each other were exempt from taking reciprocal memberships.

Finding our History and Science Museum Membership

Realizing that our local science membership was no longer meeting our needs, I began a search for another museum with a less than $50 annual family membership.

After going through the reciprocal list one museum after another, I finally found my favorite history and science museum membership.

You want to know where it is? . . . in Paris, Kentucky. Yes, the Historic Paris-Bourbon County/Hopewell Museum met and exceeded our family’s parameters.

The annual individual or family membership is $45. You can become a member by either filling out the form and mailing it to the museum or by calling (859.987.7274) and making a payment over the phone.

Since paying full price for one visit for our family to the North Carolina museum was more than the $45 annual membership at HPBC/Hopewell Museum, I called the museum, made a payment, and our membership cards arrived in time for my son’s field trip.

On the day of the field trip, the North Carolina museum gave us FREE admission since our Kentucky membership was outside the 90-mile radius.

Benefits of our History and Science Museum Membership

In addition to access to the science museums in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, the HPBC/Hopewell Museum is also an historical museum.

At the time of our renewal, our membership cards also included the NARM (North American Reciprocal Museums) seal. This allows our family into over 600 historical and/or art museums in North Carolina.

Since our last renewal, this benefit has been removed from the $45 level membership but is included in the $100 level membership.

From the little bit of research I have done in sampling the reciprocal museums on the NARM list, the museum memberships from $100 and up include the NARM seal. I could not find a museum membership under $100 that included the history museums.

When we renew our membership later this year, we will upgrade to the annual $100 Supporters membership as we have a number of history museums in our area that we enjoy visiting.

Since each visit would cost around $25 and we usually visit 4 or more times a year, the annual membership is worth the investment with unlimited visits for one year.

Though our family has never visited the HPBC/Hopewell Museum, we actively enjoy our $45 family membership with the benefits of last year’s NARM inclusion. If you do not plan to use the NARM reciprocal museums, the $45 science museum membership is worth the investment and has a long list of ASTC reciprocal options.

As you plan your next getaway, you might find a science or history museum on your way. If you have a membership, you could receive FREE admission. My recommendation is to call ahead to verify that the museum still reciprocates, as policies change frequently.

Tracy’s Tip: If you live in the Kentucky vicinity, then you will want to find another science museum outside of the 90-mile radius to prevent any conflicts.

One option is the Great Valley Nature Museum in Pennsylvania where an annual family membership is $50 which includes the reciprocal science museums (ASTC) and reciprocal botanical gardens, arboretums, and conservatories through the AHS (American Horticultural Society).

Now that my secret is out, I hope you can enjoy the benefits of a science membership. Keep using time wisely with your family and friends while stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Comment: If you know of another annual family science membership under $50 that includes the NARM benefits or the AHS benefits, then please post a comment with the details. Thank you!