Today I have a few travel related money saving tips to share.
1. Check out the
great e-fare deals on United Airlines. They post last minute weekend trip seats (for this weekend and next) from YOUR airport. They post every Tuesday and are only available for a limited time (maybe Tues-Thurs) - as in, the link isn't always active. If you're in the position to be a little spontaneous for a great weekend getaway, then this might just be for you! Just type in your home city, and it will let you know what is available. I've seen some come through from $38 (one way) even from our (relatively) small airport. -
2. Another great travel deal for East Coasters is:
The Chinatown Bus. If you're planning a trip between major cities, this is a very economical option. A friend of mine has used these services numerous times and loves it! I hear they're catching on out west too. Check out the link above to see how close they come to your neck of the woods. A sample fare for a ticket from DC to New York is around $30.
3. I also love using sites like
Hotwire and
Priceline to find great deals on vacation travel and accommodations. If you've never tried them before...you should! If you have questions about these type of services, feel free to ask. Our vacations are almost always Priceline vacations!
4. See if your bank offers a check card that allows you to earn to airline rewards. Ours (for a small once a year fee) earns us one mile for every dollar we spend on our frequent flier program. That, coupled with our air travel this year, has already earned us one free ticket in less than 12 months!
5. Lastly, always look for a place to stay with a fridge and microwave if possible, and invest in a hot pot if you don't already have one. Ours goes everywhere with us! You'd be amazed at what you can make in your hotel - even without a kitchen. Some of our favorite bring-along meals are: dried soup mixes, already made pouches of Indian food, just-add-water Thai and Indian boxes (usually noodles of some kind), boil-in-bag brown rice, pouched and canned tuna w/ crackers or - the already seasoned kind over pasta, canned chicken, add-water oatmeal, and yogurt and muffins for breakfast, etc.- All of the "prepared" food I mentioned can be found in the natural food section of your grocery store. Those versions don't have tons of preservatives, sugar, or ridiculous amounts of sodium in them! I should do a post completely on travel food one day...
