Category: Travel

There’s a subject that annoys me to the core more than almost any other, especially when it’s wrapped around planning a fun, long-awaited event like a summer vacation! I’m also willing to bet it’s a major source of frustration for you as well. I’m talking about those annoying fees you find these days everywhere, now even more than ever before. Hotel fees, airline fees, and more! They’re so crazy, fees on just about everything. Businesses are busy thinking up new and even more annoying ways to grab our money even now as I write this post.

You are hearing all about inflation and the rising costs of everything. But you would think that when it comes to the travel industry, these vendors would be so happy to see a traveler planning a real vacation that they would at the very least try to exercise some control over the prices. I know that would attract me, how about you? So it’s up to us to try to figure out the best ways to save, because you won’t get much help from “Mr. Businessman” in the summer of ’22!

Continue reading“Travel Season Approaches and Here’s How to Avoid Airline and Hotel Fees”

It’s starting to look like we can make some kind of real plans again to get away from home and enjoy traveling as we always did before COVID-19. But when you do go back to life as you knew it, how are you going to feel? If you haven’t yet ventured out of your home, or even more daringly gone away on a vacation yet, you are not alone. For most of us, just getting back to work or any kind of “normal” routine is still the adventure we are experiencing. There are lots of questions about what we should know and do when it comes to “post-pandemic” life and vacation travel. But as you do it, beware.

The number of people getting out and traveling is on the rise and so are all of the prices!

Caution Has Been My Middle Name

Just yesterday, I went shopping in an actual store for the first time since March of 2020 (yes, I am a highly at-risk person for COVID-19) and I still found myself being very wary despite now being fully vaccinated.

Continue reading“The Soaring Cost of Post-Pandemic Life and Vacation Travel”

Does booking a vacation and planning travel for 2021 seem like a gamble to you? If you are like most people, you can’t not think about a vacation for you and/or your family after what we all have been going through now for the past year plus. Like most sensible people have been doing, being locked down and staying put, winter, summer, fall, and spring has been really difficult. Just how many movies and videos can you watch each week before your head explodes?

So now, the weather is starting to warm up and you are venturing a little bit more outside. That is especially true since the pandemic is at least starting to feel like we’ve made a bit of a dent in it—there’s a vaccine being administered, workplaces are gearing back up, and even such things as sports and entertainment seem to be moving forward, albeit just a bit too fast for some and definitely for me.

So here’s the really big question for 2021: “Can you plan a vacation this year?”

Continue reading“Planning Travel for 2021 the Smart Way”

If you are anything like me, you are sitting and staring out your window at a very gray and cold afternoon, daydreaming about relaxing at the pool or beach soon, and the sooner the better! Assuming you don’t already live near a beach or the pool, I think we all can easily relate to taking a nice summer vacation to relax or to see the sights of some far-off exotic or romantic place. Heck, even a family vacation sounds pretty good when the snowflakes are piling up, doesn’t it? So, why not plan for that getaway right now. It makes perfect sense and you can save an awful lot if you do right now!

Why Now?

Let’s get the boring part out of the way: The best way to save for a fabulous summer trip is to start early—like six months early (so…like right now). Starting now lets you grow your vacation fund in small ways over a period of time.

Continue reading“Planning a Summer Vacation in the Dead of Winter”

As summer hits its middle, it’s not too early to think about next year’s vacation and how to save on travel. This year we may just be lounging around the community swimming pool and having a few BBQ nights on the grill, but not next year.

My wife and I are in the process of planning a big vacation for 2020 right now and we’re getting pretty excited. Excited, but also a bit worried, too. After all, vacations these days have become a pretty hefty expense and because of that we have to use our “super saving” skills to limit the cost and to maximize the fun.

Continue reading“14 Tips That Help You Save on Travel”