When planning a vacation, one of the biggest concerns is your budget. While you may be inclined to splurge while vacationing, you may be strapped for cash and at a loss for how to fit a fun family trip into a tight budget. The good news is you can still have an exciting vacation without breaking the bank. The trick is to find ways to cut the cost of travel without interfering with any of the fun. While the best vacations may be at four star resorts dining on gourmet meals and throwing money out the window, you can build great memories for less money if you plan ahead. Instead of flying to your destination, consider traveling in a recreational vehicle. With a reliable vehicle, RV insurance and a pioneer spirit, you can enjoy the journey as much as the destination. RV insurance quotes vary, so before you begin planning your trip, be sure you are saving as much as possible and getting the best deal.
Often, the most expensive part of vacationing is to dine out. On your next vacation, instead of relying on restaurants to provide your meals, cook your own meals. This will save you the cost of service, tips and higher food prices. You can choose to stay in an efficiency property that provides you with a kitchen. This way you can shop for groceries at the beginning of your vacation and save by preparing at least some of your meals on your own. If you are concerned about missing out on local fare while traveling, purchase local ingredients and learn to prepare some of the local favorite meals. You can research recipes online and bring them with you for cooking when you arrive at your vacation destination.
Another way research can help you is to find coupons and local deals before you arrive. There are often deals that offer more than 50% savings on tourist attractions, meals and other vacation-related activities. If you will be staying in an area for a week or more, consider purchasing a book of coupons that focus on the specific area. Coupons may even provide you with an affordable way to enjoy activities you otherwise would have avoided.
If you are looking for a way to enjoy your vacation in an affordable manner, sharing your travel expenses with someone else may be a solution. Solo travelers are still responsible for paying a full hotel bill. If you find a traveler with which to share the bill, it cuts the cost in half. Some travel destinations offer lower rates for independent property rentals, so vacationing with another family may enable you to rent a chalet or cabin instead of staying in a single room. This not only saves money, it makes the trip more comfortable for everyone traveling.
Finally, a great way to save on vacation is to choose an out-of-the-way destination. Popular tourist attractions know people come prepared to spend money and they know travelers will visit their locations no matter the cost. Traveling to smaller towns with less of a travel industry can save you a bundle.
It can be tempting to spend $100 or more while making a trip to the local store. Here are some ideas to help you keep control of your shopping:
1. Make a meal plan
By planning your meals ahead of time, you’ll know exactly what you need from the store before you go. There will be no guessing and no wasted food.
2. Watch for specials
Many local stores put out newsletters and coupons. Watch for local specials and plan your meals around them.
3. Make a list
Very simple and often forgotten, making a list can be one of your best money saving tips as long as you stick to it! Don’t buy anything not on your list or you could be in trouble.
4. Walmart isn’t always cheap
While it may seem Walmart has the lowest prices, this is not always true. Check your local grocery stores and compair prices. You may be surprised to find some of the same items lower cost. Don’t forget about the new chain of Super Target!
These are just some simple ideas which I hope will help in your next trip to the store. Following a budget and a plan can help cut your costs, but make sure you stick to it!
Some of these tips apply to every destination but since Las Vegas is such a unique and highly popular destination, a primer on what to expect there makes for a great article. These are steps you can take to streamline your visit which should make it all the more enjoyable.
Getting a good air fare is primary. Because Las Vegas is so popular, usually booking at the last minute will cost you much more than booking in advance. However, booking TOO far in advance might cause you to get trapped by the airlines desire to get higher rates until they find they need to lower fares. Traveling on a Saturday is usually less congested in Las Vegas and most fares are lower on weekends or when they require a Saturday stayover, but the offset is that hotels in Las Vegas are usually priced MUCH higher on weekends and particularly Saturday nights than on any other nights. One way around this is to just stay at a motel far off the Strip for Saturday night and avoid the Strip crowds completely that night. Rates for the luxury properties in Las Vegas are presently offered at a huge discount and hotels normally charging $200-$400 per night might be as low as $79-$129.00. Many offer a 3rd or 4th night free on regular rates and if regular rate is $150, this is akin to getting it for $100 per night.
Be careful of Third Party ‘package’ deals. They can save you some money sometimes but generally they offer lower rated, less popular properties and flight times that would alarm a night owl. Like 6:00 am or 11:30 pm. If you are a frequent visitor to Las Vegas, you should be a member of hotels reward programs or at the least, sign up for Players Club type programs at casinos. Their promotions can often save you money for these as well.
Lastly, look into online discount coupons and promotions and show tickets reserved in advance. This may be your only way to score a hot ticket other than dealing with scalpers and you should be aware that the fraud rate for tickets is fairly high in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. So you definitely do not want to buy tickets from a guy “at the fountain” who is giving you 30% off.
If you are generally not a big gambler and have all day to explore the town, you might consider a day tour. In summer, you can only spend so much time at the pool in the hot sun and walking the Strip is usually going to have you back in your room exhausted within a couple of hours. Look for Strip shuttles to downtown if you like more pedestrian gambling. For dining, even if alcohol is free at casinos, restaurants are usually expensive so what you save on one hand comes out of your other pocket eventually. Buffets are usually recommended for budget travelers but many of the better buffets are as costly as restaurants. You should check out delis in hotels for hot dogs and pizza (for the kids of course) and for less expensive but filling pastas and sandwiches.
These travel tips should save you money and stretch your vacation dollar just a little bit further.
I love going to the grocery store and looking at my receipt to see how much I saved. The best I’ve personally done is 70% and I’ve only been able to do that once. I really try to save between 30% and 40% when I visit the grocery store, if possible.
In addition to the tips below I also shop at a grocery store that gives me gasoline discounts. Each time I spend $50 in groceries, the store gives me 3 cents per gallon off on my gasoline. My car usually will take 13 gallons. At 3 cents per gallon off, it’s another 39 cents I’m saving when I shop. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but if I fill my car 26 times per year (every other week), in a year I’ve saved $10.14. That ten dollars comes to me just for shopping at a store that has great prices to begin with.
Here are several of my tips for saving money at the grocery store:
1. Buy day old meat. If you freeze the meat it will hold for several months. Sometimes I can save 50% on the cost of the meat by buying day old meat. This applies to poultry also.
2. Buy bread at outlet stores if available. Again, I save 50% by buying the day old bread. I keep bread in my refrigerator, so it will last many days. If you don’t have an outlet store, compare the price of store bought bread with the price of day old bakery bread.
3. Watch the store sales. I try very hard to not run out of items so that I only buy items when on sale. For example, we make spaghetti at least once a month. I use Prego sauce as a base. I buy it when it’s on sale, knowing I’ll use it in the next month.
4. Use coupons. If I see a coupon for a product I use, I cut the coupon. If your store offers double coupons, shop on the days your coupons will be doubled. If you can buy an item on sale and use a coupon, you’ll save even more. Consider trying a different brand, if there is a coupon and it will cut your overall grocery bill.
5. Grocery stores tend to put the higher priced items at eye level. Check the top and bottom shelves to see if a different brand or different size might be a better price.
6. Compare brands. Don’t be afraid to try store brand products. One of the major manufacturers is making the store brand product. I actually save quite a bit of money on mayonnaise by buying the store brand. We bought a small jar of the store brand and liked it. Now it’s all we use.
7. Shop with a list. Try not to impulse buy. Stick to your list. I try to only impulse buy if I find something on sale that was not in the circular and it’s an item we use.
8. Plan your shopping. We have one store in town that always sells eggs for a dollar a dozen. I seldom find them at the grocery store for that price. I make a plan to buy eggs while in the part of town where this store is. I plan ahead so I don’t run out of eggs prior to going to this one store.
9. Buy in bulk if the price is right. We use real butter in my home. I buy 6 pounds at a time. I put it in the freezer and it keeps for months. I get the best price buying butter in bulk this way.
10. Always check price per unit, or price per ounce. Larger does not always mean a better price. Laundry detergent is a great example. I’ve been able to buy 3 smaller containers for less than the cost of one larger container.
Once you begin seeing the savings, you’ll begin to look forward to shopping just to see how much you can save!
Rental cars are leased to users who don’t have access to their own automobiles, such as when travelling. They can be hired from rental car centres. Car hire in Britain & USA has become a highly competitive market with the arrival of online booking and bargain air tickets offering a car hire package deal. As a result prices are very keen. The big rental companies are having to look at their online strategies as a result. Another growth area is the decision many people have made to give up their private car and opt for renting when they need one. This has given rise to home deliveries and one way car hire in Britain, proving to be a very popular sector.
Top Tips For Saving Money On Car Rental Rates