Thrifty Mommy » traveling

So glad to be home

kellys — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:44:47 +0000

We finally got home on Christmas day around 9:30 at night. Frugal me and my sister developed a scheme to use only 3 of our allotted bags for my family of 4 for 11 days and the other 3 bags to bring home hand-me-downs from my nephew for Little Man. I thought it was a great idea! We saved around $60 in shipping if she had had to ship all those clothes. We now have a great start on Little Man’s wardrobe until 18 months. I’m so cheap! My husband, on the other hand, thought it was ridiculous to pack 6 suitcases right up to the 50 lb limit and try to travel with 2 kids in tow. I was just impressed that I got all of our stuff in 3 suitcases for 1.5 weeks.

Family was great! I love going home. It was wonderful to see everybody again and my Turkey Butt enjoyed her cousins. I love hearing her say that!

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What Are Your Plans?

Karen Weideman — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:01:31 +0000

I just completed an article 10 Ways to Entertain Kids While Traveling and thought this would be a good time to ask you what your plans are. Will you be traveling over the holidays? Will you stay home? Let us know in the poll and comments below. You’ll find the poll in the sidebar above the categories.

If you will be traveling, you might want to check out these tips for saving on gas.

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Frugal Friday #8: 10 Ways to Save Gas

Karen Weideman — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:21:14 +0000

Many of you will be traveling soon and with gas prices nearly $3 a gallon, we all could use some tips on ways to save.

1. Drive sensibly – Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration, braking) wastes gas. Driving sensibly can help increase your gas mileage by 5% for around town driving and 33% at highway speeds.

2. Observe the speed limit – Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

3. Remove excess weight – Avoid carrying unnecessary, heavy items in your car which will reduce your mpg.

4. Use cruise control – Using the cruise control will help you maintain a constant speed, which will in most cases save you money.

5. Keep your engine tuned – Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensory, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

6. Check and replace air filters regularly – It saves gas and improves mileage.

7. Keep proper tire pressure – Under inflated tires lower gas mileage. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

8. Avoid roof racks when traveling – Place items in the trunk if possible.

9. Avoid unnecessary idling – It wastes fuel and pollutes the air. If possible, schedule your commute from work during the least busy times. I remember when I worked in Blacksburg, I really had to watch the times that I left work. Waiting an additional 10 minutes could cost me an additional 30 minutes of commute time.

10. Practical tip – Schedule your errands more efficiently. I try to do all my errands on one side of town in one day, that way I’m not driving all over the place. This saves time and money.

Hope these tips help. Do you have any tips?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy