Bring your own snacks and drinks--most MLB stadiums will allow you to bring in food in soft-sided coolers, as well as sealed water bottles and gatorade bottles. Each website will give you their own rules. We were taking a tour of the stadium in Baltimore years ago and noticed a group of picnic tables. The tour guide told us they had an area for families to bring their own picnic before the game. We mostly saved money on bringing in our own drinks; it's important to stay hydrated and water bottles are usually at least $6.00 each at professional games. Most colleges will not allow food to be brought in, but some will allow sealed water bottles.
Condo Living
When traveling for snow skiing or summer vacations, look into renting a condo instead of hotel room(s). Great sites are vrbo.com, booking.com, and airbnb.com. Most of these condos will have a fully equipped kitchen including a refrigerator/freezer. The SPRUGAL concept here is that if you are preparing a couple of simple meals for your family each day rather than eating out every meal, you shouldn’t be spending a lot more money for meals than you spend on a daily basis at home. If you are going to a beach, you can easily pack your lunch and snacks for the day—many condos come stocked with an ice chest, or buy an inexpensive styrofoam chest at the grocery. This frugal spending makes the vacation much more economical so you can then splurge on taking more vacations! Plus, travel is usually a very positive family bonding experience.