Adult Hack: DIY All-Inclusive

It’s no secret I live for a discount code and buying things on sale. But I also cannot turn down an opportunity to save money, especially on vacation. 

Insert the food & beverage bag. 

I stayed at my first all-inclusive on our honeymoon after going to Sandals in St. Lucia. I was a little skeptical about Sandals after seeing Michael Scott’s slide show from Jamaica, but after 2 weeks of checking TripAdvisor reviews and searching YouTube for room tours, we booked the most amazing trip. And I fell in love with all-inclusive resorts. 

I love that I didn’t have to worry about bringing a wallet or have my passport with me at all times. There was no stressing about making reservations or finding a place to eat. There were days when we would randomly come in from the beach and find the most incredible snacks and drinks waiting for us in our room. And we felt no regret when grabbing a new drink after our $12 drink became too watered down to drink. (I know that’s wasteful and I’m not encouraging it. But for those of us who aren’t professional drinkers, it’s hard to consume a beverage, with ice, quick enough before it melts in the hot sun. Don’t at me.) 

For our second anniversary, we tried a different all-inclusive brand in Puerto Vallarta and had another great experience. It wasn’t until our third anniversary trip to a different Sandals in Nassau that I realized not all-inclusive are created equal. While we enjoyed our stay, the majority of food and beverages available all contained some type of corn—which is a bit of a problem for someone like me who is allergic to corn. 

So, after a week of looking like Gene Belcher when he discovered he was allergic to lobster, my husband and I came up with a plan. We were going to create our own all-inclusive resort, in a bag. 

I spent the next week researching what we were allowed to pack in a checked bag and learned that while there are some restrictions, there was no law permitting you from bringing your own alcohol. 

“Per the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), travelers are allowed to bring alcohol — liquor or otherwise — as long as the bottles are unopened and placed in a sealed bag. Alcohol can't exceed 70 percent (140 proof) in checked luggage, and is limited to five liters per passenger.” 

With an upcoming trip to Vegas, we were excited to test our new concept to see if it worked. After going to the store, we grabbed a couple of bottles of our favorite booze, mixers, waters, and snacks and began to pack everything like a game of tetras. 

I wish I would have known about liquor luggage, like the VinniBag or the Wine Diaper, because we ended wrapping each bottle in my husband's socks and situating them in such a way that they did not rub against each other when it’s being loaded or unloaded from the plane. Once we had those situated, we used our snacks as “packing material” to keep everything secure.

I won’t lie, I was terrified about what we were doing. As a huge rule follower, I felt like we were somehow cheating the system, even though I knew this was completely legal. But still, the second we left our house I began to sweat. I worried that our bag might get intercepted by TSA and we would be taken to airport jail.

I stressed that our luggage would get lost and all that work would mean nothing. I freaked out that the bottles would burst and destroy everything in our bag, as well as the others around us. Basically, I was being a negative Nancy. But, the second we landed and made our way down to the baggage claim, all my worries disappeared as I saw everything intact. It worked. And it worked well.

To help you better understand the pros of creating your own All-Inclusive, I’ve put together a little list:

DRINKS:

• You get top-shelf booze for a fraction of the cost.

• You are guaranteed to like your drink. And won’t be forced to put on a pretty face as you force it down because your husband won’t let you send it back.

• You won’t be forced to drink the happy hour specials or well drinks because you are cheap and like a good deal. (*cough cough* Pinnacle)

• Chances are you (most likely) won’t end up with a super skunky bottle of Champagne or Stella that has been sitting in the sun for months.

• You are able to gauge how much you have consumed (both a blessing and a curse).

• By packing your own booze, you may not feel the need to party like you were in college and wake up regretting all of your life decisions.

• You will not find yourself searching the hallways for a vending machine to grab 4 bottles of $5 water after desperately needing to hydrate after waking up.

SNACKS:

• If you have a ridiculous food allergy like myself, you have snacks readily available that won’t make your face blow up like a balloon.

• For the budget-savvy, you are not forced to pay $18 for a bag of beef jerky or trail mix at the airport.

• For the health-conscious, you can justify ordering fries at every meal by enjoying the healthy snacks you brought during the day.

• You have a full pantry at your disposal when the midnight munchies hit and you are unable to get room service.

• If dinner wasn’t everything you thought it would be, and your fish was covered in olives, you have treats that you know you like waiting for you when you get back to your room.

All in all, if you are thrifty or have an allergy that is literally an ingredient in most foods, I highly suggest creating your own all-inclusive resort in a bag. We have and we will never look back.