How to Save Money on Vacation

I'm still in sunny (extremely hot) Florida but I thought I'd post some tips on how I saved this vacation. It's hard to save at DisneyWorld and we tend to like to splurge on vacations, not save. But with a recent lay-off in the family and all of us in school, we did need to cut back this time around. I love to play travel agent for my family and I'll surf the Internest for hours and days to get the best deals on plane tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Here's what we did and some extra tips to help you on your next trip!



1. Plane Tickets: My favorite site is Travelocity. I book 75% of our plane tickets on it. The customer service is great and they have quickly resolved most of my concerns in the past. It allows you to surf a range of dates to get the best deals and this is my tip #1. Say, you're looking for plane tickets for June 28th. If you look for a plane ticket for the entire month of June, I can usually find cheaper plane tickets for the 28th than if I only looked for that specific date. Strange, huh. Also, always compare Travelocity's price (or Orbitz or Expedia) to the actually Airline's price. Sometimes you'll find it a bit cheaper.

2. BeCentsable.com: I researched grocery prices and coupons before I left just like I would at home. So for a week of food for the 4 of us, it cost us only $42. This is not including the times we ate out. BeCentsable.com is a national network for grocery blogs. I brought the coupons I needed and it saved us about $55. I've done better but we're on vacation! You have to splurge on certain things!

3. Join Restaurant e-clubs: We had gift cards to Red Lobster and ended up using that and a dinner coupon to feed our family for free! If you think you'll be eating at a certain restaurant, see if you can join their e-club or if you've got coupons to use there. I brought Steak and Shake, Mcdonald's, Macaroni Grill, and Tony Romo coupons but didn't end up using them this trip. But hey, they were available if we wanted to go!

So, there's a few ideas to get you started. I'll add to these as soon as we get back next week. Until then, start planning your next trip and see how you can save!

How to stay fit away from home?

My family is headed to sunny Florida this next week and I was looking for ways to stay fit and still exercising away from my gym (goodbye 24 Fitness! I'll miss you!). Here's some ideas for you as we approach summer vacation and those trips away from home lead you astray.

1. Make a schedule
I love lists and schedules! I find great satisfaction from crossing over a "to-do" item. A vacation schedule keeps me motivated and on track with my fitness goals. It doesn't need to be detailed. Just a little reminder that you need to give yourself an hour or so to work off those cheeseburgers you've eaten (or in my case, those sandwiches from my favorite Disney restaurant, Earl of Sandwich).

2. Find a gym in your network
I'm a member of 24 Fitness and fortunately (or unfortunately, maybe) there are gyms all around the country. Find out if the gym you belong to has a branch in the area you are traveling to. I know 24 Fitness, Gold's Gym, and the YMCA are everywhere!

3. Stick to your calorie counting!
This is one area I tend to let go while vacationing. I can easily to led astray with all the restaurant eating that happens when away from home. But I've made a commitment to myself that I will not gain weight this next week. It's okay with me not to lose anything but gaining is NOT an option. Not this trip :)

4. Pack easy to do exercise equipment
Bring an exercise DVD (already on iTunes for me!). Or pack those resistance bands. I've got tons of them from physical therapy as I'm a clutz and spend a lot of time in rehabilation with my ankles :)

Hopefully this has helped you a little for the start of summer vacation. I'll be back in a couple days to give you tips on saving money during vacation. Have fun and remember to relax and have a good time! Bon Voyage!