We go to the beach almost every year, and each year we discover a new trick or tip to make getting our gear and ourselves down to the sand and back with ease. Having a few of these tricks up your sleeve will make heading to the beach and back a breeze. Make sure to read our article on How to Budget for Vacation.
My Top 10 Beach Hacks
Baby powder sand hack. Did you know that baby powder is a MUST HAVE for your beach bag?! It completely removes sand from your body without using water. Just apply baby powder to your skin and gently massage the sand off of your body. You can also use a soft-bristled brush to remove excess sand, but you really only need the baby powder! You can also put a small amount in your hand and apply it to your scalp, then brush the sand out of your hair!!
Beach cart. I will never… I repeat…. never go to the beach without one of these again, especially with two kids. This Wonder Wheeler beach cart is amazing, and we were able to borrow one from friends for our most recent trip to try it out. While these are a little pricey, I recommend going together with family members and share it. We were able to pack our chairs, towels, cooler, and many other items in this cart and move it easily through the sand.
Pringles can safe. During a trip to the beach once we lost our keys in the sand, and decided this was the best way to keep track of my husband’s wallet, keys, and other small valuables. You can also use a large empty sunblock bottle as well as long as the openings are wide enough.
Diaper safe. We also recently used this trick at the beach to hide our keys and valuables. No one is going to want to open a dirty diaper. However, it’s actually a clean diaper with our valuables hidden inside. While not everyone has a baby in diapers, this was a great way for us to hide items since we did have a little one with us at the beach.
Freeze your water bottles. Putting frozen water bottles in your cooler saves space and allows for more drinks to have while you are at the beach. Just drink them as they thaw throughout the day.
Fitted sheet. Take a fitted sheet, turn it so that the fitted part faces up and secure all four corners with a different object (cooler, shoes, chairs, etc.). It creates a semi-sand-free zone. We have tried this one, and it was difficult at times with a toddler because he kept wanting to step in and out. However, if you can train the kiddos to use this area properly, you can eliminate a ton of sand from getting all over your belongings.
Electronics in a plastic bag. While I’m sure many of you already know of this trick, have you actually taken the time to put a few extra plastic bags in your beach bag? Go do it now! That’s the difference between knowing a beach hack and actually using one! How many times have you been there saying, I should have packed that ________ (you fill in the blank).
Bring your own chairs and umbrella. If you have the Beach cart we mentioned above, you can save money by eliminating last minute rentals at the beach. During our last trip we were able to save enough to pay for the cart itself because we didn’t have to pay for rentals throughout the week.
Use a sun shade. Have you ever sat on leather seats in a car that has been sitting all day in the sun at the beach? You can bet on losing the top layer of skin on your legs. The other option is to bring along an extra dry towel to lay on the seats before you sit down.
Scope out parking the night before. If you aren’t staying oceanfront with guaranteed parking, scope out the areas the night before you go, or check online if you’re getting to the beach during the day. Have a game plan for parking and public restrooms!
Take cheap sunglasses. Don’t bring your expensive sunglasses to the beach. This way if you lose them in the surf, you won’t lose any money. We even buy ours at our local Dollar Tree (Read our article about 15 Things You Should Be Buying at the Dollar Store).
The next time you go to the beach try at least one of these hacks and let us know by commenting below! What are some of your beach hacks? Put them in the comments below and we will add it to the post!
p.s. Do you have trouble sleeping? Check out our DIY recipe for our own Bedtime Rub!
when my children were little I would fill empty milk jugs with water and leave them in the car while at the beach. When we were ready to leave the water would be warm and I’d use the warm water to wash the sand off their legs and feet etc. I’d have extra towels and a change of clothes. They’d would have a snack and fall asleep on the way home. Fond memories.
Good tips!
I have to say the tip of using a diaper to hide your things is a pretty scary one. It would take 2 seconds for someone to toss it in the garbage while cleaning up. I would much rather try the Pringles one or the sunscreen bottle.
Beach time with kids. Many things become very unpredictable. Had better be prepared. Great tips. Thank you for sharing.