Save on St. Patrick’s Day Travel

The luck of the Irish is on the side of frugal travelers this month. Several hotels are offering money-saving deals on St. Patrick’s Day themed packages.  Meanwhile, some cities are featuring holiday fun for the entire family for free, including: California:  Go green in sunny San Diego this year.  On Saturday, March 16th the city will be hosting an Irish bash like no other beginning with a massive St. Patrick’s Day parade.  It features more than 120 marching bands, towering floats, dancers, bagpipe contingents, singers, drill teams, clowns and a variety of other entries.  The parade kicks off at 10:30 … Continue reading

Paying the Price for In-Flight Food

Forget about sky-high luggage fees and consider the priceless commodity you risk when you take flight these days—your health. Most travelers are quick to calculate airfare, hotel accommodations, rental cars and souvenir expenses, but neglect to factor in the toll eating overpriced airline food may have on their health. According to a new survey, most airlines don’t offer food items that do a body good; though, some are better than others. According to the poll featuring 10 North American airlines, Air Canada and Virgin America top the list of healthiest in-flight food. Both carriers scored high marks for their healthy, … Continue reading

17th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

I’m breaking with my own tradition here: usually I wait to post about the Epcot Food & Wine Festival until closer to when it will actually start. We’ve got just over a month until it kicks off, so why am I writing about it now? I’m doing so in case anyone reading this is interested in going, and wants to sign up for one of the seminars or other special events. As of right now, some are sold out but others still have spaces available. Slots are going fast, so sign up ASAP if you’re interested. Here’s a quick summary … Continue reading

Theme Park Discounts and Savings Tips

Are the kids clambering for a theme park vacation this summer? Are you clambering for a way out of the great expense of it? You don’t have to. Just take advantage of these theme park discounts and ways to save on your theme park vacation. Make their dreams come true for less. Local Theme Parks Residents can often get deep discounts on local theme parks. Even without this benefit, lesser known parks can often be much less expensive than the bigger ones. Plus, you may save a bundle on travel expenses. Find out if there any theme parks in your … Continue reading

Easy and Affordable New Year’s Eve Party Grub

Partying like it’s 2012 may be fun, but it can also be costly if you don’t plan ahead. If you are looking for ways to preserve your budget without skimping on your last party of 2011, then consider hosting a potluck and asking friends and family to bring their favorite dish to pass as you usher in the New Year. For those of you faced with the task of making a dish that is easy, inexpensive and will travel well, as you head over to a New Year’s Eve bash, consider the following recipes: Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Bake Ingredients: 1 … Continue reading

Traveling During Pregnancy Part II

The day planned for our long drive as arrived! 6AM: Wake up and make breakfast! I prepared the veggies for our omlete the day before and set everything up for my latte the evening before too. I am not going to sacrifice the most important meal of the day nor my favorite meal of the day for travel. While the vegetables and sausage are cooking, I fill the cooler with the perishable foods that we are bringing with us, and make my yummy latte and I get all my morning prenatal vitamins together. 6:30AM We are finishing up breakfast and … Continue reading

Traveling During Pregnancy Part I

I have spent the last two days preparing for a long drive to visit my sister, her husband, and their precious four week old baby girl. This will be my first long drive with just the kids, granted one is in utero. I suspect that pregnancy will have an affect on the road trip because I have never traveled more then two hours away while I was this pregnant. None the less this is a visit that I have been looking forward to for the last ten weeks at least (ever since my sister’s visit for her baby shower). Still … Continue reading

Mini Mickey: The Ultimate Disney World Travel Guide

Learn how to avoid the crowds This weekend my family and I engaged in an activity along with many others across the country: raiding the clearance sales at Borders. I’m devastated at the mega-bookstore’s demise, but that didn’t stop me from seeing what books I could obtain. Before I made a separate trip to the store with my mother, she gifted me with three books she’d bought there earlier in the day (thanks, Mom!) They’re all unofficial guides to Disney World. Between them the three contain myriad tips on taking a Disney vacation: how to find the best savings, how … Continue reading

Cheap and Easy Summer Fun with Kids

As I mentioned in a previous blog, you don’t have to fly to Disney or rent an expensive RV and hit the road on a two-week vay-cay to make lasting summer memories with your kids. If the struggling economy has you scaling back on your summer vacation plans, then consider sticking closer to home and bonding with your children while taking part in the following activities: Berry Picking Strawberry picking is a summertime tradition in our family. Each June, we drive to a nearby farm and pick pounds and pounds of fresh, juicy berries. The family-friendly activity is geared towards … Continue reading

Get a Coupon for Free Food at the Movies

Going to see a movie, in an actual movie theater, can be expensive. You might be paying for parking, depending on if the theater has it’s own parking lot of if it lacks one. The price of movie tickets, even during an afternoon matinee, seems to go up every year. If you would like to have something to eat or drink while you watch the movie, well, that’s going to cost you some money as well. Unless, of course, you print out a coupon from the theater, and bring it with you. For a lot of people, watching a movie … Continue reading