10 tips for making a trip more affordable

by Jamie Rhein on

I read about a couple who bought a sailboat when common sense might have told them not to in this New York Times article awhile ago. Their kids were heading to college, and the economy had begun its rapid trip south. According to the couple, they have no regrets about the boat purchase.

The experiences they’ve had with their kids and friends on the boat have added to their good memories bank. Okay, sure they must have been rolling in dough to start off with, but they do have a point. As the author Rob Lieber pointed out, one doesn’t have to buy a boat to experience the benefits of a splurge.

I’m not advocating splurging at every turn in life, but sometimes acting solely on common sense can make life feel tight and without pleasure. In my mind, a splurge worth making involves travel because of the memories one gathers in the process.

One of the great things about travel is that there are so many aspects of the splurge where costs can be controlled. Making memories may not cost as much as you think if you plan right and alter your thinking about what a trip should look like.

Here are some ideas I’ve thought of to help balance out worthwhile travel with a budget in mind. I’ve used them on several occassions.

1. All meals don’t have to be worth writing home about. Head to a place that has good food, but nothing fancy–a place where locals on a budget might eat. Eateries like these tend to have the best stories anyway. Consider the places you’ve eaten a real find.

2. If you’re eating at a pricier place for the experience, browse the menu for the least expensive option and that’s what you will order. Or order the appetizer that sounds the most filling and buy the cheapest glass of wine to go with it. It will feel special and you can buy something cheaper later to fill you up.

3. Another way to afford more expensive food is to plan for the meal to be the main event for that day and pair it with a cheaper activity like a free walk in a park or an inexpensive museum. Many museums have free admission days. Find out when.

4.. On the day you spend more money at a museum, head to a cheaper restaurant, or buy fixings for a picnic lunch in a park. Mix it up. Have an expensive day followed by a cheaper one.

5. Sure it’s wonderful to sleep in luxury, but if you’re on vacation in an exciting place, think about how little time you’ll spend in the hotel. Two years ago when we went to Ft. Lauderdale, we stayed at a 1960s style bungalow two blocks from the beach at a substantial savings. We had access to the same beach as the people in the pricey rooms in beach front property. Also, we had a wonderful time talking with the proprietor who came to Ft. Lauderdale to open a motel to make his dreams come true. Much more interesting than a corporate style place with fluffy pillows and an overly priced mini bar that we wouldn’t use anyway.

6. Stay in a place that has free breakfast. Don’t eat that hardboiled egg or fruit for breakfast, but take it along with you for lunch.

7. Think about adjusting the time you spend in an expensive location. Instead of a five-day vacation, pair it down a day. One night less cuts down on the cost. Plus, if you plan out your trip according to the things you most want to see, you’ll leave feeling full and not like you didn’t have enough of a travel meal. Isn’t it better to eat something than nothing at all?

8. Also, think about the places where you have family and friends and combine a vacation with a visit. We’re fortunate to have friends in several places so we pair visits with them with exploring those sites we haven’t seen before. The extra time with our friends is always time worth spent and makes our destinations all that more sweet and memorable. Plus, the people who live in a place know its heartbeat much more than a guidebook does.

9. Decide how much money you’ll spend on souvenirs before you go. An item you buy on the road is part of memory making but you don’t have to go nuts about it. In this case, you’ll be doing as I say and not as I do. Our house looks like a store run by Unicef. You could buy stuff out of our house and I wouldn’t notice.

10. If you have children, make their souvenirs part of this budget. On a trip to Disney World, each of my kids could only spend $15 tops. That cut out a lot of options and arguments. My daughter didn’t buy anything, and my son bought a small stuffed animal which cost $12. The limit helped us corral him through the gift shops at the end of each ride.

No matter what the economy is up to, with planning and adjustments in expectations, travel still remains one of the best deals around. I’ve never regretted it–there are some souvenirs I’ve regretted, but never the trip. The memories I’ve collected are priceless.

Cruise deal for US military folks: It’s free

by Jamie Rhein on

To thank the US military personnel who are currently serving in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan–or have served in these two countries this past year, Discovery Cruise lines is offering a free one-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Bahama. This is a repeat offer from last year.

Recognizing that people who are currently serving can’t very well leave their posts at this moment–or even next month–or however long from now, the cruise line’s offer is good through December 2010.

There isn’t a hitch at all, and the cruise, although just for a day, is one sweet deal.

It departs at 7:45 AM and returns back to the dock at 10 PM. While on board, passengers get treated to a gourmet 7-course meal and all-you-can-eat buffets. Passengers also are treated to all the activities of a longer cruise whether they want to head to a casino, hang out by the pool, play organized games or attend a show.

Also, because a sweet deal isn’t really a sweet deal if there are hidden costs like: taxes, service charges and departure fees, those costs don’t exist either. That means this cruise is totally, totally free. (Okay, if you gamble, you’re on your own I would imagine.)

The service member does not have to register him or herself either. A friend or family member can register that person. This means, if you have a military guy or gal in your life who fits the profile, you’ll be able to give a gift that makes a person say, “Wow!”

Once a person is registered for the cruise, on the day of departure, he or she needs to show up at the dock with the receipt, military ID and an official letter from his or her unit confirming dates of service. Reserved reservations are required.

Personally, I think a one-day cruise is a perfect off because it ups the chance that someone can actually take the deal. For military families who want to head to Florida, there’s plenty to do around Ft. Lauderdale while your loved one is having the chance to unwind and connect with people who have had similar experiences.

To find out more info or make reservations, call 1-800-93-SHIPS or visit Discovery’s web site at
http://www.discoverycruiseline.com

Have fun, and thanks.

Travel deals abound for the holidays: Go for that dream vacation

by Jamie Rhein on

The downward slide of the economy is creating an upswing of excellent opportunities for less expensive travel. Because people are holding off on making their holiday plans, the travel industry is cutting prices to attract customers. That’s true whether you are into luxury travel or the budget version.

That’s the buzz as reported in this article from The New York Times. Reading the article is like a trip to the travel candy story.

Want a ski vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming? Other places in the Colorado Rockies? There’s a deal. How about a luxury beach vacation in Bermuda? To St. Lucia? Perhaps Las Vegas entices you. Or Miami. What about Aruba, Mexico or the Cayman Islands? The article outlines details about each.

Sure, you have to have some money in order to plop down dough for a plane ticket and a hotel room in the first place, but bargains range from free nights, and are along the spectrum of several dollars to 30% off. One popular reduced rate offer is that if you stay in a hotel on the actual holiday, the holiday is free. That means if you’re in the hotel for Christmas Day, Ho! Ho! Ho!, Santa has brought you a present.

The hitch is you have to bookend your free night with nights you are paying. Still, bring out the spiked eggnog and give yourself a toast to your good fortune on at least one day of the year. Many deals also apply for Thanksgiving.

The article points out one adage that I’ve also found to be true. Don’t assume a trip is beyond your means unless you check first and check often. If you can wiggle around dates and desires, a vacation could happen.

A couple years ago, we flew to Ft Lauderdale, Florida for much less than it would have cost to drive there, about $160 per person RT from Columbus. I just happened to check airfares on a whim about this time of year and was pleasantly surprised. Our hotel room, complete with an efficiency kitchen, was $75 per night. That flight costs about $100 more today, but I bet the room rate still holds. Ft. Lauderdale does not hit tourist season until after the holidays. If a bargain could happen for us, it could happen for you.

Noisiest places in the world

by Jamie Rhein on

The noisiest city I have been to is Athens–at least what I remember. I’m basing this on a fuzzy memory of an experience crammed onto a bus thinking that the people around me were angry, bit finally decided that they were having a chat and had to raise their voices to be heard above the din of the traffic. That was one bustling place, and I’ve lived in New Delhi.

There’s an article in the New York Times about how noisy Cairo is these days. It’s so noisy with horn honking and teaming people, as a matter of fact, that it’s like living in a factory. If you know anyone who has worked around machinery for a lifetime, think about how often the word “WHAT?!” comes up. Just a tad.

Where else has noise? I found a Web site, “hear-it ” that cites Spain as the country with the most noise and the second loudest country is Japan.

According to The Hearing Journal, San Francisco is the loudest city in the United States beating out New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The quietest city is Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

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The 10 World’s Dirtiest Cities!

The U.S. economy is affecting Florida tourism

by Jamie Rhein on

Miami is number one on the list of falling home prices. That’s not all that has fallen in Florida. Tourists didn’t head to Florida in 2007 as much as they did in 2006. There were 1.5 million less. As a person who went to Florida for Christmas in 2006, left before New Years and did not return in 2007 we account for five of the folks. It was the four of us and my dad.

The 1.5 million drop is enough to make a negative dent in the tourism market. The Canadians are doing their part, though, to boost Florida’s economy. Ten percent more of them headed here in 2007. Floridians also stayed in their state to travel more closer to home. I do have a friend who goes to Key West every year. That’s one person who is a guarantee.

One of my friends didn’t go to Florida over winter break this year because she wanted to make sure if she spent the money the place would be really, really warm. Florida can’t promise that time of year will be sunny and bright. It poured the day we went to Disneyland. [see article]

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