Category: Travel

Save money when traveling for business or pleasure

Family & Relationships, Food, Shopping, Travel

18 Money Saving Ideas for St. Frugaltine’s Day

I definitely love being in love! I am so fortunate that I have found true love on my second time around when I met and fell for Suzanne, my beautiful wife, back in 2005! Not only is she all that and a bag of chips (am I dating myself with that phrase?), but we share a mindset about personal finances and that crosses off the list any arguments we might have about money. That is a problem that many couples endure and it can really damage a relationship.

You know it's coming on February 14th, and now you need some Valentine's Day ideas that won't break the bank. We've got you covered with some money saving ways to show your love.

Having said that, we both enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day each year but we do it on our own terms. So it’s kind of a challenge to come up with some new ways to have fun, share our love, and still remain fiscally solvent. Here’s a not so short list of money saving ideas that can make your Valentine’s a “St. Frugaltine’s Day” of fun and frolic!Continue reading“18 Money Saving Ideas for St. Frugaltine’s Day”

Travel

8 Summer Travel Tips I Know Will Save You Money

Summer vacation is on my mind and I’ll bet it’s on yours, too. I actually have been thinking about it a lot for months now, since it’s been awhile since my wife and I have traveled on a “real” vacation.  I have always touted myself as a pretty good travel planner, a skill that I have mastered from personal travel planning experience. So I have put together a short list of 8 travel tips I know for a fact will definitely save you money if you are up for a vacation this year. These tips are not only good for the summer travel period, but are year-round bonafide winners that really only require a bit of awareness and a little planning effort. I think that’s worth saving some big bucks and I think you will as well!

Summer tends to be travel season, so it's the perfect time for travel tips that will save you money. A little extra planning upfront can save your budget.

While there’s staycations and weekend getaways and road trips, today I’m focusing on your typical week-long family vacation. Trips like these often involve airfare, hotel, car rental, and food plus entertainment costs as well.Continue reading“8 Summer Travel Tips I Know Will Save You Money”

Shopping, Travel

Summer Sales are Here: Best Shopping Deals for July

Every year I get calls, e-mails, and texts asking me, “Hey Gary, when is the best time to get deals on stuff this summer?” Well the answer to that question is starting right now! Summer sales season has already begun, believe it or not, despite the fact that summer only officially began just a week ago.

Summer Sales are Here: Best Shopping Deals for July

You see, if you don’t already know, retailers are way ahead of you in terms of seasonality and by this time of the year they are already thinking of “Back to School” and the “Fall” merchandise mix that’s on order. It may even be on the way to the stores as we speak. Even with the rise of online browsing and the world of computer shopping sites, retail floor space is still the most valuable square footage around. Because it is, it must turn over faster and faster to keep up with the big retail stores agenda to bring you the newest, latest and hottest merchandise as early as possible. That means early selling and bigger profits margins, otherwise it means bigger clearance sales for you!Continue reading“Summer Sales are Here: Best Shopping Deals for July”

Travel

6 Ultimate Travel Hacks to “Game” the Airlines

What I am going to tell you about today is real. It will open your eyes and while some of it reveals reasonable travel hacks, some of it boldly borders on the illegal. That is something you will have to decide for yourself when you’ve finished reading.

6 Ultimate Travel Hacks to "Game" the Airlines

Gaming the airlines has become a lifestyle for many who need and want to travel and they do so at the highest levels. The players involved are people just like you and I, with one major difference. They’ve taken the art of saving money and upgrading their travel experiences to an entirely new level. You may love them or hate them, but they are real and may be costing you money because they’re so good at it.Continue reading“6 Ultimate Travel Hacks to “Game” the Airlines”

Credit, Entertainment, Travel

How to Avoid Those Annoying Fees

There’s a subject that annoys me to the core, and I’m 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 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.

How to Avoid Those Annoying Fees

Ordinarily, I don’t condemn anyone or any business from making money when they are providing a valuable product or service. But when it’s a blatant predatory move and often obscure charge or fee, I do draw the line. And so should you. By becoming aware of these annoying charges before they’re part of you bill, you’re taking the first step in defending your money.Continue reading“How to Avoid Those Annoying Fees”

Cars, Entertainment, Food, Home, Personal Finance, Shopping, Travel

8 Bold Ways to Save Big Money

Writing about saving money is a feel-good way for me to share my knowledge with all of you. Since I’ve started, I’ve covered a number of ways that you can cut your grocery bill, home energy costs, shopping expenses and many more areas where we regularly spend our money. Some are smaller ways, and others help you to save big money, like shopping around for car insurance.  But I wanted to share some other ideas with you. Each of them is different and if you make them into regular habits, you can save a substantial amount.

8 Bold Ways to Save Big Money

Bold Ways to Save Big Money

1. Give Up Your Car

The cost of a car is way expensive. You may have monthly payments in the hundreds, car insurance costs through the roof (here in NJ, it’s the highest in the country), maintenance and gasoline, plus license and registration fees. Continue reading“8 Bold Ways to Save Big Money”

Food, Shopping, Travel

Can You Really Trust Online User Reviews?

As a savvy consumer, you probably do some research before you spend your hard-earned money, whether it’s for a night out at a fine restaurant, a hotel stay as part of a leisurely vacation, or purchasing goods such as electronics or clothing. How often have you spent those dollars only to find out that the restaurant or hotel wasn’t quite what you were expecting? How much time have you spent exploring your plans and checking out online user reviews? Did you trust what you read? That’s the question I’m asking today and what I have learned about online user reviews can help you wade through some of the clutter and get to the real story.

Can You Really Trust Online User Reviews?

There have been many articles written and surveys taken about the reliability of the reviews we see online for various services like hotels, restaurants, contractors, and of course, products. Some are positive and others are negative. According to a survey done by BrightLocal, the results for 2015 show that 80% of consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, but 72% will do so only if certain criteria are met, with 31% needing to believe the review is authentic.Continue reading“Can You Really Trust Online User Reviews?”

Cars, Shopping, Travel

Fall Into Super Savings Right Now!

It’s officially Fall 2015 and we can already tell just by the temperature (49 degrees here this morning!). When the temperature falls, that means savings are in the air as well. So here’s an opportunity to hunt for real bargains that may be on your shopping list. There’s actually double opportunities in October to get great prices…last of the summer merchandise sales as well as the start of fall and winter goods.

Fall Into Super Savings Right Now!

Let’s begin with the big deals for fall savings:Continue reading“Fall Into Super Savings Right Now!”