Preparing meals rather than dining out is a great way to save money while vacationing on the Outer Banks, and one of the major benefits of vacation rental homes is the fully equipped kitchens that make home cooking easy. 

You might think that slaving over a hot stove while on vacation is the last thing that you would want to do, but the savings is significant and since your friends and family are around, it can be a fun activity.  Planning to cook is the key to great savings on your Outer Banks vacation. 

It’s a good idea to first determine which nights you will be dining in or out.  Then, determine the types of meals you would like to prepare, and try to get all of the groceries for the week in one trip; this may be a lofty goal, but saving trips to the grocery store allows for more time at the beach.  Having plenty of milk, cereal, and deli meats are great ways to let your party fend for themselves during breakfast and lunch.  One great time saver for grocery shopping is to bring as many non-perishables as you can allow space for in your car.