The Great State Fair of Texas on the Cheap!: Deals & Discounts

I fell in love with the Great State Fair of Texas years ago when I first worked a promotion for PartyPoker.net there. Five or six days a week, I would drive to Fair Park, pay at least $10 to park (I would be reimbursed) and hand out freebies from PartyPoker.net at the State Fair. It was hot and the days were long (I would typically work 10-7 or 8 on my feet, on the blacktop, in the Texas heat) but I loved it! The State Fair was unlike anything I'd experienced before.

Now it's an annual event I love taking my family to. We pick a weekday (usually whatever half day the girls have at school during the State Fair's three-week run) and head out to Dallas to check out the food, admire the cars, go on a few rides and generally enjoy the noise and fun that is the Great State Fair of Texas!

Luckily each of my girls receive a ticket from school granting them weekday admission to the fair for free. From there, I check out all the available discounts to get the best rate for my husband and me. The State Fair can be hard on the wallet, so I'm all about finding the deals wherever I can!

Here are a few of my tips for maximizing your budget at the Great State Fair of Texas:

1. Check Facebook Marketplace and groups for free student and adult tickets. Please, please don't sell your student's free ticket. However, if you aren't going to use it, please post it for a others who may be in need! Last year, when my youngest was too old to get in for free but too young to be in kinder and receive a free ticket, I found a free ticket for her on Marketplace that saved us the $14 kids ticket price. Teachers and educators usually receive complimentary tickets, as well, and may pass these on if they are unable to go.

2. Grab an empty Dr. Pepper can and reap the rewards! Use your empty can to get half price admission any day of the week after 5 pm (that's $9 off the entry price of $18 at the gate). Or go all day on Tuesday for half price with an empty Dr. Pepper can!

3. Stock up on canned goods to donate to the North Texas Food Bank and get in for $4 on Wednesdays during the Fair. Must bring 4 cans per person to receive $4 admission.

4. Thursday is Senior Citizen Day- any guest over 60 gets in free on Thursdays! For those of you who don't qualify for this discount, no worries! Grab an empty 20-ounce Coca Cola product and get in for $9! That's right- half price on Thursdays thanks to Coca Cola.

5. Military? Your get-in-free day is Friday, September 27. Your spouse and kids get in free, too! Just bring valid ID. First Responder? Your free day is Friday, October 11. You can bring up to three guests with you for free. Don't forget your ID.

6. Stop by Kroger or McDonald's and snag discount vouchers at these locations. McDonald's trays have liners that will save you $5 per ticket. Kroger has discounted tickets available at customer service.

7. Save your unused ride and food tickets! Did you know that those don't expire? Each year we have two or three that we don't spend. I keep them all in an envelope in my office to bring the next year. It's not much but it does give us something to start with each year- and we never feel badly if we don't use all of our tickets each year! Be sure to check FB for ride and food tickets, as well. Sometimes people way over-buy and then try to unload tickets (at a small discount) to recoup some of their expense.

8. Buy online at www.bigtex.com and save $1.50 per ticket. If none of the above discounts and tricks have been able to save you any money, consider buying online ahead of time to save. Gate prices are $18 for adults, and you can save $1.50 buying online.

What are your tips for saving money at the State Fair?

Amusement Park Must-Haves (brought to you by Hurricane Harbor)

We are lucky to live in an area with so many fun activities for kids. My girls absolutely love that both Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor are right here in Arlington! No matter how many times we visit each, we always have fun. We hit as many roller coasters and water slides as we can handle and enjoy the time we spend making memories.

A friend back home was recently talking about packing for an amusement park, and she had no idea what she was going to need. I rattled off a few things for her absentmindedly, and she was impressed. "How do you know to pack some of these things?" she inquired. "There have been a few summers that we've been at Six Flags more than we've been home," I said.

If you are planning a trip to Disney or Universal for the upcoming holiday season, or just need a refresher on what you need to pack for your next trip to Hurricane Harbor (it's open for two more weekends!), check out the Everything Arlington list of must-haves, thanks to Hurricane Harbor!

1. Sunscreen. Seriously. This. Is. A. Must. Even in Fall or Winter. Especially in Florida and Texas. My girls are so fair, my youngest especially, that I always pack about three times what I think I will need. Nothing ruins a trip like a nasty sunburn.

2. A wristband with your name and cell phone number. Before we went to Disney a few years ago, I ordered paper wristbands from Amazon. The kind you get when you go to trampoline parks (or bars!) and wrote my name and cell phone number on them. If my girls didn't want to wear it on their wrist each day, I put it around their ankles. This way, if one of my girls got separated from me, she could find an adult and ask for help contacting me. At a water park such as Hurricane Harbor, try writing your cell and name in Sharpie your child's wrist if you are worried the paper wristband might not hold up.

3. A portable cell phone charger. This is one of those items I don't give much thought to. Disney World made me realize that a portable battery is an absolute must. If you snap photos and use apps the way I do, your cell phone battery probably wears down fairly quickly. Yes, cell phone charging stations are becoming more commonplace in popular spots such as Disney. But it takes a bite out of your day to have to locate the charging spot and stop what you are doing for 20-30 minutes to put some juice back into your phone. Charge up your portable battery and stick it in your purse or backpack. My portable battery holds 2.5 cell phones charges, guaranteeing both hubby and I could recharge dying cell phones without disrupting the day.

4. A portable lock box for water parks. I won a portable lock box a few summers back, and it has become a summertime staple for me. It's the product I didn't know I couldn't live without. I hate getting to a water park and locking up my items in a locker and then having to go back and forth to that spot each time I want to check the time or buy a snack. Plus, renting a locker isn't cheap! When we go to Hurricane Harbor, we use my portable lock box. It accommodates two cell phones, credit/debit cards, two FitBits and car keys. We usually tether it to the chair we have our stuff on, or, at very least, to my bag or backpack. It saves me so much money and then I always have all my stuff in one place!

5. Baby wipes/ Wet wipes. No, I don't have babies any more, and I haven't had a baby in years. But baby wipes are as much a staple in my life as they were when I was actually using them to wipe tiny tushies. I love having baby wipes on me because they make life easier! We can wipe down dirty tables quickly. We can clean off hands before chowing down on food without having to find the closest restroom first. We can easily wipe sticky fingers and dirty faces. On super hot and sweaty days, I use them to wipe sweat off my own face! If a bathroom is out of toilet paper, we are good to go. I always have a package on me, no matter where we are!

6. A running belt. Hear me out on this one! I own a bunch of running belts because, well, because I'm a runner. But my husband and I visited Universal two years ago without kids. We stayed on property and walked to and from the hotel room each day. Without kids, you don't need the stuff you might need when you are with them! I didn't want to carry a purse all day or wear a backpack, but my pockets weren't big enough to hold all the things I wanted to bring with me. Enter my running belt! It was big enough to hold my cell phone, lip gloss, debit card, cash and hotel key. It fit discreetly under my t-shirts and kept my items secure. I could easily access everything but wasn't killing my shoulders with a heavy bag. You can get them for less than $10 at TJ Maxx or Marshalls and stick them easily into your purse when you travel. They are brilliant!

7. An empty water bottle. Whether you bring a nice aluminum one or an inexpensive plastic one, bring an empty water bottle that can be refilled at a soda station or water fountain. Not only is it important to stay hydrated (especially when it's hot outside), but you will save money if you aren't constantly stopping to purchase overpriced bottled water.

Other things I always bring- light jackets for everyone, if we are going to be at a park once the sun sets. My girls don't like being cold! Snacks, if parks allow them in (but check the food policy first!). Hats or sunglasses if its a really sunny day.

What did I miss?

*I received free tickets to Hurricane Harbor in exchange for this article. All thoughts and comments are my own!*