Washington D.C. on the cheap

If I had the extra vacation days to burn, I think I’d always build in a buffer between the day I got back from vacation and when I returned to work…being stuck at my desk after three glorious days of freedom is nothing short of torture!

So in case you couldn’t tell, here I am back in Texas after a fun weekend trip to Washington D.C. – tired, five pounds heavier and $325 lighter! I’m actually pretty proud of my expense total since I’d allotted myself $380 for the weekend.

Below is a breakdown of all my expenses, with some notes on why I was able to cut certain expenses:

Travel Expenses
Airfare – $35 (used frequent flyer miles; this total includes the annoying $15/each way bag fees)
Hotel – $0 (free, thanks to my job in the hotel industry!)
Parking – $0 (free, thanks to points I’d accrued in a frequent parker program)
Food – $131.55
Transportation – $52
Tips – $12
Sightseeing – $25
Shopping – $60.60
Entertainment – $10.75
TOTAL: $326.90

Now, in case you’re planning a trip to DC in the near future and you’re interested in road-tested tips, here are some of my frugal finds:

Where to eat

Much to my dismay, we left the day Restaurant Week started in Washington D.C., but we were still able to experience some incredible food without spending a ton of money. My faves:

2 Amy’s – this popular restaurant specializes in Neopolitan-style pizzas and offers a chic winebar setting without the chic prices to match. 

Matchbox – shaped long and narrow like its namesake, Matchbox is an upscale pub with some great food. We tried the sliders (3 for $8) with fried onion rings on top and a chicken sandwich with gorgonzola cheese and red peppers ($11). Too bad I was full otherwise I would have definitely ordered the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Mmmm… 

Filomena – this Italian restaurant is a little on the expensive side, but compared to most of the big-name popular restaurants, it’s actually reasonable for a nice dinner. Featuring traditional pasta dishes, handmade by the so-called “pasta mammas,” the menu is stuffed with cheesy (and marinara) goodness. By splitting the gigantic Manicotti (more than enough!) and a hefty slice of Tiramisu, we got out of there for less than $70 total. Tip: be sure to make a reservation because the wait was 1 ½ hours on a Sunday night! 

What to see and do

DC by Foot - one of the best tips I received was to check out a free walking tour of the Monuments put on by “DC by Foot.” Led by a former teacher and guidance counselor, the 2 ½ hour tour was incredibly informative and fun…and did I mention it’s free? We tipped the guide $15 because we were so impressed, but we would have spent that amount per person on some of the other tours offered. 

Newseum – although it’s a little pricey at $20 per person, I would say the cost was more than worth it at this museum devoted to everything newsworthy. Six floors hold interesting exhibits such as an entire wall filled with newspaper front pages from 9/12/2001, interactive broadcasting booths and a gallery of Pultizer Prize winning photos. We spent three hours there before having to leave for another appointment, but we felt like we could have stayed for at least another two hours! 

National Museum of American History - just remodeled and reopened in November 2008, the Museum of American History is a Smithsonian museum meaning it’s wonderfully free. Exhibits include the ever-popular First Ladies Gallery, a section devoted to Abraham Lincoln (in celebration of the 200^th anniversary of his birth), and The American Presidency: a Glorious Burden. 

Free Museums - although we didn’t get to them, other free Smithsonian museums include the Natural History Museum, Museum of Air & Space, the National Portrait Gallery, American Indian Museum and the National Zoo. 

How to get around

Taxi – if you fly into Dulles airport and you have a lot of luggage, a taxi is probably the easiest – albeit most expensive – option. We ended up opting for this but with a little more hassle we could have used a Supershuttle or taken the Metro into town (although our hotel was in Georgetown which has very few Metro stops).

Walking – in terms of getting around in the city, hoofing it is the best way to get some exercise while experiencing the flavor of D.C. in my opinion. We walked everywhere – I’d literally say 20 miles over the course of the 2 ½ days – but along the way we enjoyed quaint streets with grand and historic homes and up-close views of such renowned buildings as the Capitol, White House, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Metro – an alternative to walking for more far-flung adventures is the Metro, which is easy to figure out and conveniently connects travelers to most parts of the city.

Where to shop

For those of you with eagle eyes, you probably noticed the $60 expense attributed to shopping. I was delighted to find some inexpensive but fun shops in Washington D.C. where I picked up some real finds (in fact, I’m wearing one of the dresses I bought right now!), including:

H&M – This low-price retailer specializes in modern fashion and accessories, with some celebrity collections thrown in for fun. 

Zara – A European discounter, the styles tend to be a little more fashion forward although the prices seem stuck in the past.

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