Vacation Items that Spare the C-Note

OK, so maybe you didn’t leap from your computer to grab that credit card and order the Juice Bag.

This time, we’ll highlight a few handy items for your Myrtle Beach summer vacation that don’t hit the triple-digit mark in price. In fact, the cost of these four neat gadgets combined is less than the battery-charging tote which – last we checked – still didn’t say “GUCCI” on the side.

One will make sure you get to the beach in the first place, and the other three will make life much more enjoyable for you once you’re there.

As you prepare to hit the road, you can use CarMD ($89.99) to check the operating health of your vehicle (1996 or newer). Simply hook it up to your car’s Data Link Connector (don’t worry, the Web site shows you where to find it, and how to do it), and you’ve got a full diagnostic work-up right at your fingertips. Won’t you be better off having this beauty tell you exactly what that “CHECK ENGINE” light means before it lets you know the hard way – say, as you’re stranded off the shoulder of I-95 in Virginia on your way here?

Now that you’ve arrived at the beach towing-fee-free, you’re ready to lug your stuff to the sand and enjoy it – a couple of beach chairs, four beach towels, two Jackie Collins novels, Frisbee, a bottle of SPF 50 and sandcastle toys for the kids, for starters. Don’t feel like making four trips? Don’t have to – not with the Deluxe Wonder Wheeler ($56).

Wait a minute. That bottle of SPF 50 is actually Coppertone 2, which will have your fair complexion looking like this in a nanosecond. And all the cabanas are taken. Actually, they’re not, because you managed to squeeze the carry bag for your Sam’s Club Beach Cabana ($24.81) into the Deluxe Wonder Wheeler.

So sit down, relax, and have a beverage; you’ve earned it. Thank goodness your significant other brought the rolling cooler. You had your choice of lots of these types, but this Collapsible Cooler with Detachable All Terrain Cart ($68.68) was the best option for navigating the sand.

What other items have made your beach vacation more enjoyable? Let us know!