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Tips for Budgeting a Vacation for the Entire Family

guider — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:38:57 +0000

Vacations can be expensive, and if you are on a limited budget, it may seem impossible to take your family on an enjoyable vacation. There are a number of ways that you can make a great family vacation affordable. These can allow you to treat your family to the vacation that they deserve without having to break the bank to do so. Here are a few ways that you can take a family vacation while staying within your family budget.

One of the most basic tips for planning a vacation is to introduce a vacation fund into your family budget. Even if you only give $10 per week to the fund, you still have $520 at the end of the year. This allows you to slowly accumulate money that would otherwise be unavailable for a vacation. You may choose to supplement the vacation fund with money from income tax returns or other money that would not normally be a part of your weekly income. This provides more opportunities for adding to your vacation fund.

Research your destination and discover the best time for traveling. There may be discounts available if you are flexible about when you would be leaving. This allows you to travel to your destination without paying full price. This can often save you quite a bit of money when you consider how much full admission prices can be for your entire family. Along the same lines, check to see if there are any airlines or hotels running specials that you can take advantage of to save money on your travel and lodging expenses as well.

Another option to help keep your family vacation within the confines of your budget is to choose a vacation destination that is not going to be exceedingly costly. Visiting state parks, beaches, and other public areas can allow you and the family to have fun and enjoy the time spent together without the added costs of amusement parks or other attractions. Be sure to consult both your spouse and your children when trying to come up with vacation ideas so that you know everyone can be excited about the trip.

While on vacation, consider packing sandwiches or supplies for making your own meals instead of stopping for every meal at a restaurant. Preparing your own meals can help you save a lot of money because restaurants become expensive after a while. This also provides your family with extra money for other amusements. If you still insist on eating your meals at the local restaurants, you can use the food you brought with you for light lunches or travel food. This can still help you save quite a bit of money in comparison to the cost of eating out for every meal. An added advantage is that certain foods such as fruits and bread do not go bad while you are away from home; by packing them for your vacation, you can avoid wasting food while you are away.

Depending on the vacation that you want to take, you might find that you do not have enough money to be able to afford everything that you need. Should you have enough room in your family budget to be able to add another monthly payment, you might consider taking out a small personal loan to help pay for your vacation expenses. Before you do this, however, you should make sure that you can afford the loan payment and that you are not going to be overextending your finances by trying to pay it off on time.

Shop around for quotes from different lenders so that you can get the best deal on the money that you borrow and compare the repayment terms carefully to find the loan that best meets your needs. Save this as a last resort in case the vacation you are planning is very important to the family, since borrowing money is a serious responsibility and can lead to major credit problems if you are not able to repay what you borrow. If you can afford to add the loan payment to your monthly budget and are able to repay the loan in a respectable amount of time, it can be perfectly acceptable to borrow a little bit of extra money to help make your family vacation dreams come true.

A vacation is a great time for a family to spend time together. Vacations are possible no matter what your budget is. When you are planning your vacation, try to put a few dollars aside each week. This helps you accumulate money over time that can be used towards you family’s vacation. When you leave for your vacation consider packing sandwiches and other snacks. This can save you money since you do not have to eat at a restaurant for every meal. These tips can help your family plan a much-deserved vacation even on a tight budget.

Hot Ways To Find Cheap Last Minute Vacations

guider — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:41:46 +0000

Cheap last minute vacations: myth or fact? I say that this is absolutely a fact! You can find cheap last minute trips, and it’s easy. Finding a good last minute vacation is like finding any other vacation package, but it takes a little time, diligence, and effort. Now, there are generally only four important parts of the last minute travel that you need to make sure you keep in mind.

* Do Your Research.
* Do Your Research.
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* Do Your Research.
* Do Your Research.

(These are not the things to keep in mind, however, they are very important.) But, the reason I repeat them is because to find the right traveling package for you or your family, you’ve got to want it bad enough. For example, if I bout the first package I saw when looking for a vacation, half of my retreats would be upsetting – financially, and relaxation-wise (because of the financial aspect of it).

So, the reason I always stress the financial part of your holiday is because a lot of burdens that most people feel when they go on trips and such is financial. They worry so much about money that they can’t enjoy a beach, honeymoon, cruise, or what-have-you.

So make sure if you’re looking for last minute vacations, look for CHEAP last minute vacations. You can do it by keeping in mind these other four things (the real four things that I wanted to share with you in the first place:

1. As I’ve said before, saving money is a priority. However, it is not all that matters. Keep an open mind and use suggestions on hotels, car rentals, airfare, destination travel, food, maximize discounts, comparison-shop, special offers, insider-tips (like found at http://fun-vacation-ideas.blogspot.com) and more to put more in your travel budget (the best part).

2. Avoid unnecessary cost and costly mistakes: make sure you deal with impulse buying, un-reputable travel service providers, traveling without insurance, always read the fine print, buyer beware and other insights that will help you hold onto your travel dollar or spend it appropriately on what you want, is wise and advisable.

3. Confirming details and verifying all costs, special restrictions, change fees, cancellation, medical and travel insurance etc. are all important Read the fine-print so to speak. Ask as many clarifying questions you need to have full confidence and queries or concerns addressed and dealt with to your satisfaction.

Be a wise, empowered and informed consumer, making wise choices and decisions on all last-minute travel endeavors. Make all the tips I share with you your travel companion and checklist to evaluate good, cheap last minute vacations and getaway deals. These tips and “words of wisdom” (if you want to call them that) and advice is meant to assist and enable many last-minute travelers, “brave 11th hour explorers” and bag-toting travelers everywhere, to becoming travel-bargain smart.

Make the most of what the market has to offer. (Even when traveling on a limited or shoestring budget and for short-term travel!) Cheap last minute vacations are everywhere. All you have to do is look for them.

Travel Light: the How and Why

guider — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:12:13 +0000

I learned how to travel light from lightweight backpacking, then found it was just as useful to keep it light on trips overseas or driving across the country. The last time my wife and I went to Ecuador, I had 10 pounds of luggage, all in one carry-on bag, and Ana had just 8 pounds in her carry-on bag. This wasn’t a short trip. We spent six weeks in Ecuador, at times on glacier-covered mountains, and at other times lounging on Pacific coast beaches.

Travel Simplicity

Why travel light? Travel simplicity. Everything is simpler when you travel light. With only carry-on luggage, we were on our way to a restaurant in Quito, while others were still waiting for their checked luggage. When we took busses our luggage was safely with us, not on the roof or in the hold below being cut open, like one time when I was in Mexico. While others struggled down the street with three heavy bags, we had our hands free and were walking comfortably because we use daypacks or small backpacks. We had less to lose, less to be stolen, less to wait for, less to pack and unpack in hotels, and less to worry about.

Light Travel Issues

There are a couple minor problems when you travel light. First, expect an extra question or two from the customs officials at the airport (Six weeks with only this?). Second, a small bag won’t work if you plan to bring back many souvenirs. In this case, you can still go light. Just plan to buy a second bag at some point during the trip, to carry your acquisitions. As for the seemingly obvious issue of not having enough clothes and other things all in one or two small bags, I’ll explain below why that isn’t as big a problem as you may think.

How To Travel Light

Silk shirts weigh 3 ounces, and travel well if rolled up. Nylon dress socks weigh less than an ounce, and they are cool and comfortable. Poly-cotton blend t-shirts weigh 5 ounces. Supplex or other lightweight travel slacks weigh 9 ounces, and are sufficient for a fine restaurant or a walk in the woods. All of these weigh less than half of the typical travel choices, and take less space, yet function the same. There is no sacrifice involved here. For this exercise in travel simplicity, you even get to go shopping for new clothes.

You don’t have to buy new clothes, however. You don’t have to buy a scale and count ounces to travel light. Just choose the lighter alternative whenever you can. Set aside your lightest jacket, socks and pants for your next trip. Travel simplicity is the goal, not more complicated planning.

More Ways To Travel Light

Money replaces weight, especially in the form of a debit or credit card. Why carry two pounds of your favorite shampoo when you can simply buy small bottles as you travel. It really won’t cost much more to buy things wherever you go, instead of carrying your bathroom and wardrobe with you. Also, you really don’t know exactly what you’ll need, particularly on an overseas trip. Buy what you need as you need it, and you won’t have a pile of useless things in your luggage. Don’t we all regularly unpack things at home that we never once used during the trip?

Take a lesson from long-trail hikers (backpackers who travel a trail for months). They send things, such as new shoes, to a post office on their route, ahead of time, so they’ll be waiting for them. They also send home things they no longer need, such as a winter coat. The latter may be a useful practice for other travelers. If you buy bulky gifts for family or friends, why carry them around for weeks? Put them in the mail.

A Light Travel Example

What I Took For Six weeks in Ecuador:

• 8 pairs of thin nylon socks (less than an ounce per pair)

• 2 silk shirts for restaurants and discos (3 ounces each)

• 4 poly/cotton blend t-shirts (5-6 ounces each)

• 5 pair of light underwear (2-3 ounces each)

• 1 extra pair of lightweight slacks (9 ounces)

• Single layer nylon shorts for hiking or swimming (2 ounces)

• Thin gloves (1 ounce)

• Thin hat (1 ounce – honestly)

• Thin wool sweater (11 ounces)

• Waterproof/breathable rainsuit (14 ounces for the set)

• Light plastic camera (3 ounces)

• Sunglasses (1 ounce)

• Small chess set (3 ounces)

• Bathroom kit (5 ounces)

• Maps, notebook and various small things (3 or 4 pounds)

My pack weighed ten pounds, and my wife’s weighed 8 pounds. We never felt deprived. I’m not suggesting that you start counting the ounces (that comes from my backpacking days), or that you buy all new lightweight things. Without spending money or thinking about it too much, you can just start setting aside your lightest shirts, socks, etc., so you can travel light on your next vacation.

Must Live By Best Vacation Tips so You Have a Wonderful Trip

guider — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:39:03 +0000

Traveling is such an enjoyable experience that we wish we could do it all the time. Unfortunately most of us only get a couple weeks a year (if we’re lucky) to take our vacations.

In order to ensure that those trips are the very best and everything we expect (unlike the many travel movies where there are nightmares around every corner), we want to provide our best vacation tips so your vacations are very memorable – in a good way of course.

Discount Florida Vacations Best Vacation Tips (these are in no particular order):

1. Plan early and book when a good deal fits your budget or smells right. There are more and more travel companies popping up everyday. Why? Because as the baby boomer generation gets older and once they boot their children out of the house, they are traveling more and more. Good deals are easy to find and there are many reputable companies that offer great rates and fares.

2. Know about your destination and the best times to travel. Remember when Chevy Chase takes the whole family cross country only to find out their favorite fun park is closed? Don’t let that happen to you. Know what is going on and when the best times to travel are.

For example, most people know that March and April tend to be spring break times. Well, if you take your little ones to Panama City Florida during these months, chances are you are going to run into wild, college kids. Bummer for your children and you.

3. Take care of things at home. Making sure the family pet or the house is taken care of is important. You don’t want to come home to a disaster after you’ve had a wonderful vacation.

4. Budget wisely. Even if you don’t have a budget it is smart to take care of your money. Make sure that if the worst happened you still have funds to fall back on. If you are on a budget be smart and enjoy doing things on vacation that aren’t going to have you taking out a 2nd mortgage just to pay for everything.

5. Don’t forget your important documents. There is nothing more frustrating than forgetting something when you are hundreds or thousands of miles from home.

6. Plan things to do ahead of time. Again, get to know your area of choice to determine how
close you are to various activities and restaurants. There is nothing like landing a great deal on a hotel only to find out it is miles from anything or in a location that is not suitable for a great vacation.

For example, a hotel that is so far away from the beach you need to catch a plane just to get there. Also, you want to make sure that everyone traveling with you will have fun! Again, in Vegas Vacation when the kids are too young to gamble, they have to come up with creative ways to have a good time (hence Nick Popagorgio).

7. Sign up for online newsletters and keep your ear to the ground about your destination of choice.

8. Read the fine print. This can really bite you in the behind on certain things like rentals and such.

9. Utilize a checklist and make sure everything is in order before and during the trip. From booking to packing to check in to relaxation, don’t forget anything.

10. Have fun and enjoy yourself. No matter what type of vacation you are going on, the goal is to not want to come back.

Those are our best vacation tips and we live by them each time we take a vacation. Hope you will too because we know your trip will be much more pleasurable.

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina – the Top 5 Reasons to Visit

guider — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:13:01 +0000

Breath-taking beaches, awe-inspiring nature and rich historical significance make North Carolina’s Crystal Coast the perfect vacation escape. Atlantic Beach offers an unspoiled stretch of Southern Outer Banks Coast with some of the finest fishing and scuba diving in the country. With so much to do, this top 5 list should help guide you on a fantastic Atlantic Beach getaway.

Beaches, Beaches and More Beaches
The beaches along the Crystal Coast are undeniably the greatest feature. Soft warm sand spread out along the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean offers an unparallel experience of pleasure and relaxation. Bogue Banks is where the majority of beach communities are located. This barrier island offers access to many beautiful beaches, public fishing piers and hotels. Most access points offer shower and restroom facilities along the pristine beaches.

Great Accommodations
With such great scenery, any lodging along the beach has a built in panoramic treasure. For travelers looking for a high-class pampered stay, the One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa (http://www.oneoceanresort.com/) offers upscale accommodation with the added benefit of a full feature spa. For those of you looking for a bargain stay, check out an Atlantic Beach Hotel with a mini-vacation offer (http://www.vacation-offer.com/special/new/25). These packages are designed to introduce you to a resort’s timeshare offerings and they generally include access to some great amenities during your stay.

Scuba Diving
The Atlantic Beach area is far and away one of the absolute best scuba destinations in North America. With an abundance of clear, clean water and an amazing array of marine life, diving along the Crystal Coast is an experience that will last a lifetime. While exploring the variety of marine animals you can visit one of the many shipwrecks or take a peak back in history by diving alongside a sunken U-boat.

History
First envisioned in 1870 as an Ocean Resort town by Appleton Oaksmith, Atlantic Beach began life as a retreat for relaxation purposes. The first bathing pavilion was constructed in 1897 followed by the construct of the New Atlantic Beach Hotel to house guests. Surrounded by significant historical sites such as the Civil War era Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach also offers a glimpse into World War II history with the sunken wreckage of a German U-Boat sitting on the sea floor just off the coast. Any history lover will enjoy the many tours and historical sites available to wet their appetite.

Exposure to Nature
Atlantic Beach is surrounded by and saturated in pristine nature. The Rachel Carson Reserve, named for the well-known naturalist, is home to an abundance of crustaceans, birds, butterflies and wonderful vegetation. For those of you interested in observing ocean life without a scuba tank, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores (http://www.ncaquariums.com/pks/pksindex.htm) is a must see. This state of the art aquarium displays all the local sea life and is a great family destination if you want to take a break from the beach for a day.

With all the activities to choose from, Atlantic Beach is a prime location to get away from it all. Pack your sunscreen, bring a good book and don’t forget your camera. The memories you make while staying on the Crystal Coast are sure to last a lifetime.