Ruby Loves Adventure

I am a weekend warrior. I love going out every single weekend and trying to make the most of it. This is something I was not able to do much when I was back home in Manila. This will be a monthly series wherein I will present how much I have spent and where I've been to. I will post it as soon as the first weekend is up, updating it every single week until the month is up. Good concept, eh?

This is to show everyone that travel can be cheap and your time can be spent wisely, even if you have a 9-5 job, like I do. You don't need to quit your job and travel the world. With a lot of balance, you can enjoy your life and stability of earning a fixed amount every single month.

AUGUST 2014 WEEKEND WARRIOR BREAKDOWN

August 2, Saturday
Skydive Palatka, Palatka, Florida - $125 Groupon for a tandem dive.
$85 - Photo & video Package.
One of the best things I've ever done is skydive. I would always, always recommend this to other people!
Those who are brave enough, that is.
Outlet Stores at St Augustine, Florida
Disney Store - $35 (2 plush toys, a shirt, and a mini figure) - what can I say, I love Disney?
VF Outlet - Also bought a hoodie and pajama set for $15
Bath & Body Works - Got my friend a gift (Can't disclose the amount here because he might see!)

August 3, Sunday
Stayed at the pool - did a few grocery shopping but that doesn't count as travel. Spent - travel-wise.

August 9, Saturday & August 10, Sunday
Did not spend much because I mostly stayed at home! Just read, hung out, etc. My boyfriend had to get his car fixed on August 9th so that was the reason why I was not able to go somewhere.

August 16, Saturday
South Florida Aquarium, Bradenton, Florida - $18 for 2 people Groupon deal.
This was sooo worth the money! I got to see Snooty and two of his manatee friends in action! That was really the highlight of my trip. The museum was quite informative too - and I loved the Spanish square.
Bought a souvenir shirt for $12 - not bad! Good thing I can fit in a kid's size shirt :)

August 17, Sunday 
Myakka State Park, Sarasota, Florida - $6 entrance for two people in a car.
$6 - a gift for my mum when I go back.

August 23, Saturday
Universal Studios, Florida - Own a year pass which cost us $170, bought in January 2014.
- Around $10 for 2 glasses of Butterbeer (mmm yummy)
- Lunch and dinner for $20 approx (per person) - ate at Moe's Grill and Panda Express
- $17 for Parking for the car
- $20 for an owl souvenir from Diagon Alley
- $38 gas
- $20 arcade games
A full day of fun in Universal Studios. Rode the Men in Black Ride, the Mummy (SO HOT), the Harry Potter train from Kings Cross Platform 9 3/4 to Hogsmeade, and Twister. Was in the queue at the Gringotts ride for an hour only to have the ride break down on us (NOT COOL!)
Nevertheless, i did enjoy the new Diagon Alley - if you're a big fan of the Potter series, this will eat up your hard earned cash. You can buy almost any souvenir that you can think of and spend lots of money on food and beverage within this part of the park. I did also like the Dragon that breathes out fire every 15 minutes though, and the attention to detail that the park did! Knockturn alley, and all the knick knacks at the shop. Production Design at it's finest! I'll definitely be back at least twice more to make the most of my year long pass. I haven't ridden in all the rides yet!
The boyfriend also got me a few Simpsons toys (Lisa) and he paid for the game I played (where I won Maggie and Santa's Little Helper). We make sure to visit the arcade every time to play. We both like the games and I like the toys - makes for a great souvenir.

August 24, Sunday
Paddleboarding - All Wet Sports
Down by the creek in Beach Boulevard, my boyfriend and I went stand up paddleboarding.
- $20 via Groupon
SUP is so much fun! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to try something new.
Best if you can find a groupon to offset your costs a bit. Sometimes groupon gives additional percentage discounts so try to time your booking for that!

That week too, a package arrived - It was a GoPro Hero 3 - an advanced birthday gift from my boyfriend!(my birthday is in a few weeks and he wanted to give me the camera before we went on our Puerto Rico trip) I spent $14 to buy a head mount for the camera so we can use it at the Bio Bay tour.
We tried it in the pool and it's working lovely so far!

August 30, Saturday 
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Lunch - Golden Corral $9 per person
Gas - $20 per person
Sea Pines Resort -$6 per car ($3 per person)
Souvenirs - $9 (tshirt from Camp Hilton Head)
Water - $1.50 (was sooo thirsty, it was such a bloody hot day)
Went shopping at the outlet stores in Hilton Head but I'm not gonna say how much we spent ;)
Dinner - Bluffton: Captain Woody's Bar & Grill - $10
Hotel - Country Inn & Suites, Beaufort, SC: Free using points

August 31, Sunday
Beaufort & Hunting Island , South Carolina
Entrance to Hunting Island - $5 (per person)
Water - $1.50
Hunting Island Lighthouse Entrance - $2
Lunch - Plums Restaurant - $15

I made a pretty little excel file for it - below are just travel expenses (no souvenirs or water) for your reference & exact location:

Amount	Activity (all for 1 person)	Location	Date
125	Groupon - Skydive Palatka	Palatka, FL	2-Aug
85	Photo & Video Package - Skydive	Palatka, FL	2-Aug
9	South Florida Aquarium	Bradenton, FL	16-Aug
3	Myakka State Park Entrance fee	Sarasota, FL	17-Aug
5	Butterbeer	Orlando, FL	23-Aug
20	Lunch & Dinner (Moe's & Panda Express)	Orlando, FL	23-Aug
8.5	Parking - Universal Studios	Orlando, FL	23-Aug
10	Universal Studio Games	Orlando, FL	23-Aug
20	Gas Share	Orlando, FL	23-Aug
20	Groupon - All Wet Sports Groupon	Jacksonville, FL	24-Aug
9	Lunch - Golden Corral	Hilton Head, SC	30-Aug
20	Gas Share	Hilton Head, SC	30-Aug
3	Sea Pines Resort Share	Hilton Head, SC	30-Aug
5	Hunting Island Entrance Fee	Hunting Island, SC	31-Aug
2	Entrance to Hunting Island Lighthouse	Hunting Island, SC	31-Aug
15	Lunch - Plums Restaurant	Beaufort, SC	31-Aug
359.5	Total for August