Fly Away Cafe » Money Saving Tips

Tampa Tops Cities with Hotel Bargains

Mary Jo Manzanares — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Everyone is trying to squeeze a little more value out of the vacation dollar, regardless of the budget that you’re working with. From trips closer to home, of shorter duration, more economy-minded lodging, and cutting back on meals out. A little bit here and and little bit there – it all adds up.

Hotwire.com just announced the top 10 cities with the largest reductions in hotel prices based on information for April 2009. Since lodging is a large part of a vacation budget, you may want to think about vacationing in these cities:

Tampa (down 31% from same time last year)
San Antonio (-30%)
Vancouver BC (-30%)
New York (-29%)
Portland, Oregon (-23%)
Orlando (-22%)
Chicago (-21%)
Toronto (-20%)
Miami/Fort Lauderdale (-20%)
Las Vegas (-19%)

This is a good variety of cities across the US and Canada that look like good bargains right now. Hmmmm, what’s in my plans????

Image credit: SXC

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October 7th Carnival of Travelers: The Money Saving Edition

Mary Jo Manzanares — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:36:00 +0000

Welcome to the October 7th, 2008 edition of the Carnival of Travelers.

This month’s theme is Money Saving Travel Tips, an especially timely theme, I thought, given the challenges we are facing with our economy. Most travel-lovers that I talk with are still traveling, but are just looking ways to trim the budget a little bit here and a little bit there.

I think you’ll find some great tips here that are sure to help you get a little more bang for your buck (or euro,yen, peso, etc.):

Sage presents Balboa Park: Free Admission on Tuesdays posted at RandomSanDiego.com, saying, "With dozens of museums, galleries and theatres to enjoy, it’s no wonder Balboa Park is considered San Diego’s cultural epicenter. Many of Balboa Park’s museums and galleries offer free admission on Tuesdays every month, on a rotating basis. Read on for an overview of Balboa Park’s Free Tuesday schedule."

One Family presents European Vacation – Gotchas to avoid and frugal options for cost conscious American Visitors posted at One Family’s Blog, saying, "The post explores money saving options while traveling in Europe."

Bas Grasmayer presents The Vegetarian Sandwich posted at BasBasBas.com, saying, "Here’s how to save money by being a returning customer in Istanbul "

Mr Credit Card presents Earning Starwood Points Toward Hotels Awards, A Good Value? posted at Ask Mr Credit Card.

Sheila Scarborough presents Am I asking too much of US budget lodging? posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying, "Do I simply have to put up with horrendous rooms in US budget chain motels? Is paying $50-60 a night only going to bring misery? I ask about US budget chain hotels and the quest to find a decent place to lay my head."

Jon Rochetti presents Top Ten Washington DC Tourist Scams posted at The DC Traveler – Washington DC travel & tourism information, saying, "Here’s a few things to watch out for in Washington, DC, that may part the tourist from their money."

travelcat4 presents When Not To Save Money On A Vacation….. posted at Ultimate Vacation Guide.

Matthew Paulson presents Purchasing Airline Tickets? It’s the a la carte line… posted at The Travel Advocate.
And my posts Back to Basics: Find a Cheap Meal on a College Campus posted at Flyaway Cafe, where you’ll learn about a great inexpensive way to get a hot meal,
and Bright Blooms at Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Tacoma’s Wright Park posted at The Seattle Traveler, where you’ll find a way to stretch your travel dollar with this free Tacoma attraction.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Travelers. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Next month’s carnival theme is Splurge! Destinations, places to visit, restaurants, attractions, anything that you think is splurge-worthy. Sure, it may cost a little more, but it’s worth it!

You can submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Travelers using our carnival submission form. All posts must related to the theme of Splurge, or they will not be included. Please check to make sure that your links work. Deadline for submissions is November 5th, and the Carnival will be posted November 7th.

A very big THANK YOU to all this month’s participants!

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

10 Tips for Saving on Your Vacation Food Budget

Mary Jo Manzanares — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:58:00 +0000

Meals are a big part of a vacation budget, but with a little planning and discipline, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker.

Here are a few suggestions to help you eat well without breaking the bank:

Avoid the mini-bar. No matter how hungry you are for a late night snack, there’s nothing worth the price in the mini-bar.
Many hotels have in-room coffee makers and complimentary coffee. Enjoy a cup while you’re getting ready in the morning, and eliminate the money spent at a coffee shop. If you have a coffee maker, but the coffee packet isn’t complimentary, pick up a bag of coffee and filters at a nearby supermarket. Scads cheaper!
Buy snacks at the supermarket and take them with you throughout the day. It’s much cheaper to pick up some fresh fruit, a bag of chips, or some cheese and crackers from a store, than to buy snacks at a nearby food stand.
Buying soft drinks during the day can be expensive. You’re going to need something to quench your thirst, so get everyone a bottle of water and keep refilling it during the trip. Write names on the top so everyone knows what belongs to whom.
If you’re traveling with a family, eating at family-friendly restaurants, keep a look out for specials and coupons. You may find them at the front desk of your hotel or in an in-room magazines. If you are a AAA member look for discounts that may be applicable to members.
Take advantage of the children’s menu for the kids, and don’t be embarrassed to acknowledge your age if there’s a senior menu with special pricing.
Cut back on alcohol in restaurants. It’s adds a lot to the bill. Ditto for soft drinks. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little wine, but consider picking up a bottle of wine (much cheaper than in a restaurant) and enjoying it on the balcony of your hotel room.
If you’re not terribly hungry, order an appetizer for your meal. It will be just the right amount of food, and will save some money.
Don’t order every course. You don’t need an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert for every meal. Look at the menu and decide what you really want, and make that the center point of your meal. If you are dying to try that fabulous dessert, try ordering just a salad for your meal.
If you’re dying to try some HOT restaurant, stop by for dessert and coffee. Sure, it will still be expensive, but if you consider it part of an evening’s entertainment, there will still be plenty of entertainment value.

Finally, don’t scrimp it’s a special occasion. Cut corners and dollars elsewhere, and remember that very special occasion as just that – very special!

What are your tips for shaving a few dollars off your food and beverage budget during vacation?

Photo credit: flickr

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Back to Basics: Fees, Taxes & the Bottom Line Cost of Travel

Mary Jo Manzanares — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:29:38 +0000

Whether you are buying airline tickets, booking a hotel room or rental car, or choosing the right tour, cost comes into play. As you are comparing features and prices, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples, and not apples to oranges.

It all starts with the base price. But, it very seldom ends there.

When you are quoted a price, you need to ask what is included. Some businesses quote an inclusive price, but not very many. So find out about the additional charges.

Here are a few charges that you may find:

State and local taxes
Electric surcharge
Security surcharge
Fuel surcharge
Booking fee
Resort fee
Safe fee
Airport fees
Generic service charges
Included gratuities

After you get a full list of all the charges you can stack the price up against what you are getting for the price. Only then can you pick the deal that gets you the most return on your purchase price.

Photo credit: flickr

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe