Search Results for: blog before you leave for summer vacation 2

Save on a Mid-Summer Getaway

Forget about the fact that Wal-Mart and Target erected their school supply displays before the last firework exploded on the 4th of July.  Take a look at the calendar and you will see that there are more than six weeks of summer vacation left before most kids head back to class. For many families, that leaves plenty of time to get in another trip or two before the end of the season.  In fact, if you’ve waited this long to take flight on a summer vacation you stand to save a pretty penny.  According to travel insiders, late August is … Continue reading →

Summer Crime Prevention

We talk a lot about saving money and earning money for financial freedom, but today I want to address loss prevention, that is, preventing your hard-earned possessions from being stolen. According to our county police department, robbery and home crime goes on the rise in the summertime. There are a number of reasons for this. Families go on vacation, leaving homes unattended, older kids are out of school and may want to cause some mischief in the form of vandalism, people are more relaxed and often leave doors and garages unlocked. You may have a thief watching your home right … Continue reading →

Beachy Keen

Don’t let your family getaway go undocumented this spring.  If you are planning to escape to the sun, sand and surf, be sure to take plenty of pictures, collect a bunch of mementos, and then create eye-popping scrapbook layouts to preserve all of the good times. Beach-themed page designs are fun to make.  Use the opportunity to flex your creative muscle by incorporating items you collect during your vacation with the myriad of scrapbooking embellishments available in stores and online.  For example, consider bringing home a small container or Ziploc bag of sand from the beach and adding it to … Continue reading →

Super Saver Weekends

We are smack in the middle of the travel’s industry’s low-season. Translation: You can score huge savings, if you have the ability to get away. The chaotic summer season is over and the even busier holiday season is right around the corner, which means most people are not looking to shell out a ton of cash on a long vacation right now. However, if you are looking to take a short and sweet weekend escape, the world is your oyster. For example, if you are able to stretch your weekend to include Tuesday, you can save hundreds of dollars on … Continue reading →

Vacation Budgeting

Can you afford to get in one more family trip during the upcoming Labor Day weekend? According to AAA, 33 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the holiday weekend, despite the fact gas prices are hovering near the $4 mark. Clearly, budgeting for gas is a huge factor for families looking to hit the road on a final summer fling, but it isn’t the only financial element to consider. Crunching numbers can provide a major reality check when it comes to vacation planning. However, by doing the math before you leave home, you can … Continue reading →

State Farm Has Tips to Avoid Bedbugs

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When you take your family on vacation, you want to have fun, relax, and come home with photos of your trip. No one wants to think about the potential of coming home from the hotel with bedbugs infesting your clothing and luggage. State Farm has some tips on how to avoid this problem. You have probably heard the old saying “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Unfortunately, bedbugs are not something that disappeared along with the popularity of this particular saying. They are still out there, and could be infesting the hotel or motel that your family stays in … Continue reading →

Hotel Sticker Shock

Earlier this year, my family took a pre-spring break trip to a popular water park hotel just north of Chicago. We chose a standard room that slept four and included passes to the massive indoor water park. For $119 per night, I thought it was a steal. Unfortunately, by the time taxes and resort fees were added on, the bill for our two-night stay ballooned to more than $300, not including meals or parking. Resort fees can really take a bite out of your vacation budget, regardless of whether you book a summer stay or one in the dead of … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Souvenirs

Enjoy your summer vacation without spending a lot of money on souvenirs. You don’t have to skip them altogether. Just use the following tips that will allow you to bring home the goodies without going into debt. The Penny Press Most popular locations, including Disney World, have pressed penny machines. For 51 cents, you can use the machine to press a design into a penny. Usually, there are several designs to choose among, and the pressed pennies are fun to collect. You can even purchase a special book to keep them in place, or make one of your own. Local … Continue reading →

Summer Grooming Tips

Today I saw this picture of a fake cat made out of the fur of the real cat it sat beside. The picture really drove it home, as if the hardwood floors I have all over my house hadn’t already: summer is here, and that means so is grooming season. I hate grooming. It’s always just such a trial in my house. But I’m cheap so I hate paying for it more, and because none of my animals do much more try to walk away a little and guilt me a lot for brushing them, I don’t have a great … Continue reading →

Make Camping Cool

Camping is a great way to bond with family and friends, but not everyone loves roughing it in the great outdoors. Teenagers are especially reluctant to unplug from their daily digital lives in order to commune with nature on a family vacation. However, there are ways you can make camping fun for the entire clan. Being prepared for an extended stay outdoors is one way you can reduce apprehension and anxiety associated with camping. Before you even leave your driveway, check the weather forecast. If Mother Nature looks like she will be raining on your camping parade, you might consider … Continue reading →