A&E

Travelers are stretching their vacation dollars by:

Visiting a supermarket: The Chadwicks of North Palm Beach, Fla., bought a rotisserie chicken and sides at a market during their Labor Day trip to Treasure Island. Bruce Chadwick says some friends call him cheap, but he doesn't mind: "We basically had a home-cooked meal for a fraction of the price."

Booking a kitchen: To save money on dining out in Hawaii during their vacation this month, the Ivaniszyn family of Minneapolis skipped the deluxe resorts and instead have rented a nearby condo. When they land, they'll stop at Costco to stock the kitchen, Steve Ivaniszyn says. The family still plans to splurge on sunset drinks.

Eating a big lunch: During their July visit to Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, Va., the Bilkeys of Imperial, Mo., ate big lunches and snacked at dinnertime. Donna Bilkey says the family saved money on pricy dinners, and their girls, ages 11 and 12, enjoyed it: "It's a treat for us, because we really don't go out for nice lunches very often."