Travel

Why You Should Never Buy Souvenirs

Kelly Kehoe — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:48:38 +0000

Tourism is a multibillion-dollar industry and souvenir sales make up a significant portion of that pie. If you’ve traveled at all, you’ve likely noticed gift stores on almost every corner in high-traffic, touristy areas and smaller vendors in less-traveled areas that welcome out of town visitors. There are no limits to what you may find in a souvenir shop: stuffed animals, clothing, shot glasses, or even "souvenir water" from places like Niagara Falls. (See also: The Easiest Way to Save Money on Vacation)

Most of these items are pretty useless, but we feel good when we buy souvenirs because we’re certain our friends and family back home will love them. But if your friend isn’t an avid keychain collector and your kids are too old for stuffed animals, is it really worth paying all that extra money for the sake of bringing back souvenirs? Or, to take it a step further, should you buy souvenirs at all?

I’d say no.

Zero "Obligation"

There is little utility value to most souvenir items, and yet we still find ourselves buying impractical, overpriced trinkets out of some sense of obligation to the folks back home. Remember that tourism is a highly profit-driven industry and extreme markups on cheap items (sometimes in excess of 50-60% of the item’s actual value) are commonplace. Travel is expensive enough; why squander Euros, rupees, yuan, etc. on souvenirs that will inevitably find their way to the back of someone’s closet?

Travel Hassle

In 2010, I was returning to the US from a month in Europe with a group of other exchange students. One girl bought a snow globe for her parents on the way to the airport, as a last-minute, obligatory souvenir. Unfortunately, it was bigger than the allowable "tennis ball size" snow globe and airport security promptly confiscated it. Since 9/11, the number of limits on carry-on items has skyrocketed, particularly where liquid or "sharp" items are concerned. Souvenirs present another hassle to already-hectic air travel plans, and, sometimes, you could be encouraging illegal activities without even realizing it.

"If you come across people selling wildlife or wildlife products, be aware that those 'souvenirs' could very well be endangered species that have been poached from the wild and are being sold illegally," Senior Policy Officer for U.S. Government Relations Will Gartshore said in a World Wildlife Fund article. This is especially true of the fur and ivory industries, which are targeting tourists who may not be aware of these illegal activities. Why risk it? Not buying souvenirs at all is a simple way to avoid this problem.

Worker Exploitation and Scams

In addition to animal-related incidents, there have been reports of worker exploitation on the fringes of the tourism industry. Allegations of souvenir companies overworking their laborers and exposing them to toxic chemicals in the factories have come to light, and New Zealand’s tourism industry recently experienced scandals involving mislabeled and overpriced "Made in New Zealand" rugs (that were really made by cheap laborers in Peru). These are only a few instances amongst many, and as a frugal tourist, remember that getting a bargain on souvenirs may have some unforeseen consequences.

Alternatives

But if you don’t want to avoid buying souvenirs altogether, there are a few, frugal ways to bring a little something back for your friends and family. Photos and maps are inexpensive and probably last longer than a cheap keychain. You could also bring back coasters and pens from hotels you stayed at, and places like Disney World or Disneyland hand out freebies such as pins (for special occasions), character or princess stickers, and the Autopia "driver's license." If you're vacationing off the beaten path, consider taking home a pressed leaf (they make for great wall art) or a little jar of sand (though mind the rules about removing sea shells from the beach, especially if you're in an environmentally-sensitive area).

Saving the best for last, postcards are the true winners when it comes to souvenirs. They’re simple, personalized, and affordable (just pay for the postcard and postage). That way, your friends and family still get a piece of your vacation without cluttering their homes or overstretching your wallet like traditional souvenirs often do.

What about you? Do you like buying souvenirs or do you have something else you like to bring back home? Tell us in the comments below!

Written by Kelly Kehoe and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Best Rewards Card: The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Jason Steele — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:36:23 +0000

If you ever run into me at a social gathering, don’t get me started taking about credit cards because I might never stop. After a few minutes speaking about some of the great reward credit cards available, I am often interrupted by a single question — “Which one is the best?” I have participated in this conversation so often that I now just blurt out “Starwood” before you can complete your sentence. (See also: The Best Travel Rewards Cards)

Why the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card?

Since I learned how to use credit card rewards to travel the world, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express has become my favorite product, hands down. For each dollar I spend with this card, I earn one point in Starwood Hotel’s Preferred Guest program. Starwood is the parent company of several different hotel chains, including Sheraton, Westin, and Le Meridian. Once points are earned, members have nearly endless options to redeem them for free hotel nights, frequent flier miles, or other valuable awards. Of course, there are several other credit cards that offer hotel points, and many of those programs appear to have similar redemption options. But compared to its competitors, Starwood points offer unsurpassed value and flexibility. In fact, each Starpoint is worth far more than any airline mile or credit card reward point, let alone other points from competing hotel chains.

Generally speaking, for each dollar I spend using this card, I'm getting roughly 3 to 5 cents worth of free hotel stays or airfare back from the Starwood network. Other networks generally fall far short of this, providing me only with 1.5 cents back. Of course the 3 to 5 cents number is highly variable, and may go up or down depending on whether you are traveling during peak season (when you might get back more bang for your buck) or during off-peak season (when you might get back get less).

Using Starpoints for Free Nights at Hotels

Free night awards at Starwood hotels begin at a mere 2,000 points for a weekend stay. Although award nights at higher-end properties can cost as many as 35,000 points, Starwood has many luxury properties where an award night can be redeemed for 10,000 points or less. For example, my family recently stayed three nights at the Sheraton Four Points in Milan Italy for 10,000 points per night. We also have a three night reservation at a Sheraton Suites in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida that cost a total of 10,000 Starpoints. In contrast, a single award night with the Marriott rewards program starts at 7,500 points and goes up quickly from there. Furthermore, Starwood imposes no blackout dates or capacity restrictions on its hotel awards. If they have a room sale, you can instantly redeem your points for an award stay. Finally, when you redeem a four night stay with your Starpoints, the fifth night is free.

Transferring Starpoints to Airline Miles

I have met people who have redeemed hundreds of thousands of Starpoints without making a single reservation for an award night. These are travelers who earn Starpoints only because they can transfer them to miles in frequent flier programs. Award travel aficionados like me have discovered that Starpoints can be redeemed for miles in the frequent flier programs of over 30 different airlines plus Amtrak Guest Rewards points. When you realize that most of those airlines allow you to use their miles to book award flights with at least a dozen different partner carriers, you start to understand how this one credit card is the gateway to a staggering array of award travel opportunities. I have redeemed Starpoints for miles with carriers that I have never flown, which I used for award flights on their partner airlines that I had yet to travel on. I can also use a few thousand Starpoints to top off my various frequent flier accounts when I don’t quite have enough miles for the award I need.

If this flexibility wasn’t enough, mileage transfers also offer superior value. Starpoints are usually redeemed for miles at a 1:1 ratio, but when you redeem 20,000 Starpoints at once, you get a 5,000 point bonus. So in most cases, these bonuses allow you to earn more miles per dollar spent by using your Starwood card than you could by using that airline’s own co-branded product. In contrast, the Priority Club Rewards program run by the Intercontinental Hotels Group (the parent company of Holiday Inn and others), allows you to transfer points to a dozen different airlines, but requires you to redeem 10,000 points to earn 2,000 miles.

Other Benefits of This Card

When cardholders make any purchase at a Starwood property, they will earn a minimum of four points per dollar spent. Additionally, those who spend $30,000 in a calendar year will be upgraded to the Gold level in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. With this status, card members will earn five points per dollar spent at Starwood hotels while enjoying benefits such as room upgrades and late checkout privileges. Finally, award nights and mileage transfers are just two of a dozen different redemption options that include merchandise awards, charitable contributions, or the direct booking of flights. Having considered each of these other options, I have always found award nights and mileage transfers represent the most valuable utilization of my Starpoints.

The Downsides of the Starwood Card

For all my enthusiasm, I still realize that no credit card is perfect. For starters, those who carry a balance should not be trying to earn rewards with any card, let alone this card that does not offer competitive interest rates. When you don’t pay your balance in full, you will accrue interest at 15.24% - 19.24% variable. Additionally, American Express cards are not accepted everywhere, so I always carry a Visa or MasterCard as well. Despite using this card to earn award travel to other countries, I never use it outside the United States. That is because all charges processed outside of the United States will incur American Express’s onerous Foreign Transaction Fee of 2.7%. There is also an annual fee of $65, which is waived the first year. Finally, this card is a terrible way to earn United Airlines miles. Due to United’s close relationship with Chase, though which it offers its own co-branded cards, Starwood and American Express are only able to offer a single MileagePlus mile for every two Starpoints redeemed.

The Best Rewards Credit Card

If you are an experienced collector of points and miles, or if you are just starting your quest for award travel, you might as well just sign up for this card now. That way, you will earn fantastic awards, while I can feel free to talk about something else the next time we meet.

Click here to apply now

To the Credit Card Guide

Written by Jason Steele and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Taking Frugal Road Trips (Even When Gas Prices Are High)

Mikey Rox — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:24:44 +0000

Vacation season is fast approaching — and it’s time for you to solidify your plans. If you’re looking for an adventure outside of a resort or your Aunt Em’s farm, consider a road trip. Not only will you get to spend lots of quality time with your trip mates (for better or worse), but you’ll have incredible stories and memories that you just can’t get on a generic vacation. (See also: 5 Fun and Frugal Ideas for Family Road Trips)

Given the price of travel these days, specifically gasoline, how can you throw caution to wind and hit the road without draining your 401(k)? Consider these tips.

Gas

After food and lodging, gasoline will be your biggest travel expense. With some clever planning, you can trim the cost of filling your tank.

Pack Light

The more passengers in your vehicle during the road trip, the more ways you can split the cost of gas. But be careful. Each passenger will weigh down the vehicle, causing it to burn more fuel along the way. For every extra 100 pounds, you can expect to reduce your MPG by up to 2%. In that case, you’ll have to be smarter and lighter in your packing — unless your suitcase can suddenly pay at the pump, too.

Go Where Gas Is Cheap

Plan your route so that you’re traveling through places (or at least not stopping to fuel up) where gas is not at a premium. For instance, if you’re driving from Baltimore to Boston, get gas in lower-price places like New Jersey instead of filling up in New York. To save on gas most efficiently, avoid top-tier gas destinations altogether and plan your trip to places that are consistently affordable or less than the national average.

Drive the Right Car

If you’re traveling with passengers who all own a vehicle of their own, discuss beforehand whose vehicle has the best fuel economy. If you own a Ford F-150 pickup truck and your friend owns a Prius, it shouldn’t take an engineering degree from MIT to help you decide which vehicle is best. (Although it might make sense to leave the Prius behind if the pickup has a camper shell and you plan to defray some of the cost of lodging by camping out.)

Drive Responsibly

When you’re on the road, drive responsibly. Barreling down the highway like a speed demon will only burn gas quicker. Plus, you won’t be able to enjoy the scenery along the way — which is part of the fun.

Drive at Night

If you can hack it, try to make the bulk of the trip overnight, driving in shifts if you have to. You’ll burn less gas in the cooler night hours than in the warmer daytime.

Food

You have to eat, but you don't have to eat at diners and fast food joints for every meal.

Pack a Cooler

Smart, spend-savvy road trippers always pack a cooler filled to the brim with food. It may not be the healthiest food, of course, but this is vacation, so you can live a little. Packing these road snacks will help you avoid fast food joints and costly restaurants at which you may be forced to dine, especially when you’re hungry in the middle of nowhere.

Set a Diner Budget

You’ll inevitably want to eat out sometimes along the road trip — and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s not every meal — but for the times that you do indulge, have a budget set so you can manage your money well the whole way.

Find Happy Hours

Another great way to save when eating out along your trip is to find local happy hours that offer free snacks (they’re out there) or by using discount apps like Scoutmob, LivingSocial, or Groupon for instant savings.

Accept Free Meals

Accept free meals when they’re offered. Like if you stop at a friend’s or family member’s house and they insist on cooking your breakfast and sending you off with sandwiches.

Visit Grocery Stores

Hit up grocery stores along the way to restock your cooler. The price of a loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly, two bags of baby carrots, and two bags of potato chips will feed a group of four for a day for about $15. In comparison, a meal at a fast-food restaurant will cost more than $20 for four people — and that’s just one meal.

Drink Water

Fill up your water bottles with free tap water along the way to stay healthy and hydrated.

Lodging

If you're an experienced road tripper, you probably already have a tent and basic camping gear. If you're really experienced, you may have an RV. If you're neither, you still have options beyond pricey motels.

Nap at Rest Stops

You’re allowed to nap in your car at rest stops. I’m not saying it’s very comfortable, and I’m not saying it’s very safe. I’m just saying.

Camp

Renting a space at a campground is relatively inexpensive, but finding a secluded place to camp is free. If you plan to engage in the latter, make sure it’s not private property, which is usually designated by signs.

Impose on Friends and Family

Plan your trip to areas where you have friends and family who have space to accommodate you. Not only will it be free (hopefully), but you’ll also get to spend time with people you may not see very often.

Micro Sublet

For other affordable lodging options, look into Couchsurfing (which is free) or microsubletting sites like Airbnb. The latter isn’t free, but you’ll almost always get more for your money and have a better time than at a hotel.

Use Your Rewards

Cash in any rewards points that you may have racked up and turn them into a hotel stay. After a week or two on the road, you’ll want at least one night of luxury. What else are you saving it for?

Activities

I don’t expect that you’re driving all over the country to spend all your time looking at things from inside the car. Sometimes you’ll want to get out and explore.

Visit Public Sites

Plan trips to public and free sites, which are available no matter where you go — big cities and small towns alike.

Buy Daily Deals

Purchase daily deals in advance of reaching your destination to reduce the cost of higher-end activities. Remember that some activities that tend to be popular will need to schedule you in, so it’s best to do this at least a week or two in advance so you’re not shut out at the last minute with no chance of a refund.

Check Visitor's Centers

Stop in at visitor's centers to gather information on free events and activities and scoop up valuable coupons you can’t find elsewhere.

Wing It

Plan your own activities. You’re on a road trip with friends. Surely you guys can come up with plenty of fun things to do together that don’t cost a dime. All you’ve got to do is put your heads together.

Have any more tips on how to have a frugal road trip?

Written by Mikey Rox and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

3 Ways to Enjoy Business Class for Less Than the Cost of Economy

Craig Ford — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:48:36 +0000

Would you choose to fly 14 hours overseas in a seat that is 32 inches wide and has a 6 inch recline or in a seat that is 82 inches wide and lies completely flat? Would you choose to sit for the few hours before the flight in a loud waiting area with limited seating or in a room that has free WiFi, comfortable chairs, and complimentary food? (See also: 6 Compact Snacks for Frequent Fliers)

We'd probably all prefer to fly business class except for one thing — the price. Business class travel is expensive. For example, at the time this post is being written, Kayak.com is offering a round trip business class flight between Denver and Beijing, China for $5,033, which is the cheapest fare available.

How many of us can afford to fork out several thousand dollars for a business class seat?

But what if a traveler is determined to get to Beijing in a business class seat? Would there be a cheaper way?

Yes — more than one, even.

1. Accumulate Airline Miles via Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses

I checked out a few of the major U.S. airlines to see if there was award availability and how much it would cost to travel from Denver to Beijing on the dates I used in my example above.

Business Class to China Cost in Airline Miles

United = 120,000 miles plus around $50 in taxes and fees.
American = 110,000 plus around $50 in taxes and fees.
US Airways = 90,000 plus around $125 in taxes and fees (higher taxes and fees because it can't be booked online).
Delta = 120,000 plus around $50 in taxes and fees.

So, dependning on the carrier, you'd need 90,000 to 120,000 airline miles.

Accumulating Miles Through Credit Card Bonuses

Several cards offer attractive sign up bonuses. To keep it simple, I've limited the example to United.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives a 40,000 Ultimate Reward point sign up bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Those points can be transferred 1:1 to United.
The Chase Ink Bold business card has a 50,000 Ultimate Rewards sign up bonus offer. You get 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
The Chase United MileagePlus credit card has offers between 30,000 and 55,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first three months.

You couldn't get all these cards at one time, but you could get a business and personal card and then wait 90 days and get a second personal card. Either way, after applying for these three cards and meeting the minimum spend, you could have a $5,000+ business class ticket to China. By focusing on the best travel credit cards, you should be able to get the miles necessary to fly for next to nothing.

2. Buy Miles

This tip specifically applies to US Airways, as they tend to have the best offers for buying miles. There are other airlines that occasionally sell miles at a discounted rate, too.

Several times this year, US Airways has had a promotion where they will give you a 100% mileage bonus when you purchase miles. During those promotions, miles cost 1.88 cents each (including any taxes and fees). Since US Airways requires 90,000 miles to fly business class to China, you could buy the miles you need for $1,692 plus your approximate $125 in taxes and fees when you redeem your miles. That's still a sub-$2,000 business class flight to Asia.

Typically, you need to have an active US Airways account before the promotion is announced, so I suggest you join Dividend Miles in order to be ready for the next 100% bonus mileage purchase promotions.

3. Make Mileage Runs for Airline Status Upgrades

This is going to sound really crazy, and it probably is, depending on how much time you have and how much you like flying.

Using this approach, you would fly on a plane simply to earn the miles and status. Of course, you'd want to find the cheapest fares possible in order to earn the miles at the lowest price possible.

I visited Flyer Talk and found an expired fare to use as an example. This sample is probably low for what you could find today, but it's a good illustration. The sample flight on American Airlines is from Boston to Portland for $180 round trip. You could book the flight via Dallas, which is a total of 6,355 miles round trip.

Using this example, if you flew that flight 17 times, you'd end up with 114,390 miles. You'd earn that much because when you hit Gold status, you'd earn a 25% bonus, and when you hit Platinum status you'd earn a 100% mileage bonus. Anyway, it would cost you $3,060 to get the miles (plus a bunch of time), and you'd also get American Airlines Executive Platinum status.

One of the nicest benefits of the status is that you'd get eight system-wide upgrades for international flights on American Airlines. This means that if there is upgrade availability on a flight, you can buy the cheapest American economy class fare and upgrade to business class. There are a lot of other benefits, too.

The result is that you don't just get enough miles for one business class flight to China, but you could find an economy class fare of $1,256 on American and upgrade it to business class. With your accumulated points, you could do this four times, round trip. The upgrades are not just to China, but to any American Airlines destination.

Do you have any other tips for getting a business class ticket at a fraction of the actual cost?

Written by Craig Ford and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Fun and Frugal Ways to Enjoy Montreal

Myscha Theriault — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:48:31 +0000

Historical architecture, easy international access, and a world-class cultural scene make Montreal a sought-after destination for many travelers. If you’re wondering what to do in Montreal, this list is long indeed. With activity options including everything from live outdoor performances and a strollable street-art scene to evening snowshoeing events and a world-famous winter festival, you certainly won’t be bored. If you’d like to make the most of your visit to Montreal by channeling your monies towards some favored splurges, follow these tips to enjoy some of the more affordable things the city has to offer. (See also: 10 Inexpensive Weekend Getaways Anyone Can Take)

Mont Royal Park

One of the largest and most impressive urban parks in the world, Mont Royal Park is one of Montreal’s crown jewels. Accessed regularly by tourists and locals alike, the venue costs nothing to visit and offers a variety of ways to enjoy the city’s green space. Biking, stroller walking, birding, and nature hikes are all part of fun. In the winter, there are even guided evening snowshoe events with mulled wine for a nominal fee.

Museum of Fine Arts

This three-building complex is located in a picturesque area of the city and boasts some exquisite examples of Canadian and international art from a number of time periods. While the museum does charge fees for visiting its rotating exhibits, all of the permanent collections are free. Since they are all world-class and extensive, this venue easily takes two full afternoons to completely explore. Their permanent collections include sections on early to modern international art, archeology and world cultures, Quebec and Canadian art, a photography and graphic arts display, and more. It’s important to note that there is no free parking near the museum, so you may want to contact the tourism office for information on a Montreal hotel that’s in the vicinity.

McGill University Campus

Within walking distance of Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts is the campus of McGill University. Arguably one of the more attractive college campuses in the world, it’s a pretty place to plop down with a picnic, and it's also near a number of fun restaurants, bars, and shopping opportunities. The historical buildings, including an 1800s cathedral, add to the atmosphere.

Place d’Armes

Located in the historic district known as Old Montreal, the Place d’Armes is a charming city square where you can people watch while sipping a hot coffee and planning the next stop on your city travel itinerary. While there are several striking streets and buildings that will have you in travel photography heaven, one attraction that is not to be missed while visiting the square is the jaw-dropping Notre Dame Basilica. It’s gorgeous enough from the outside, but the interior is particularly picturesque and totally worth your tourist time. With an entry fee of $5, touring the building is definitely a budget-friendly activity.

Public Bikes

The infrastructure supporting Montreal’s public bike system is completely solar powered, and the multiple pick-up and drop-off locations throughout the city make choosing this transportation as fuss-free as possible. If you’re only there for a weekend, you may want to purchase their one-day access cards, which are available for $5 each.

Metro System

A public bus and subway system is also available for tourists wishing to make their way throughout the city. If you want to see a spot that’s too far to venture on foot and the thought of biking in urban traffic leaves you feeling a bit intimidated, hopping the metro is definitely an inexpensive way to go. They also have discount tickets available for families, which let adults bring multiple children along for the ride at no extra charge.

Visiting Montreal provides travelers with a great mix of historic charm and urban chic, with plenty of cultural diversity built into the experience. By incorporating some of these cost-effective items into your vacation schedule, you’ll easily be able to channel saved funds towards other memory-making activities. The city’s international food offerings, year-long festival schedule, and strong art and cultural scene are all things that grabbed my attention. Your preferences may include incorporating more museums or breaking up daily walking tours with happy hour sessions and coffee house performances.

Have you ever visited Montreal? What are your favorite frugal destinations in the city?

This post was made possible by support from the Tourism Board of Montreal and local businesses like La Maison Simons, a fashion clothing store in Montreal.

Written by Myscha Theriault and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Best Money Tips: Save Money on Your Vacation This Summer

Ashley Jacobs — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:00:33 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on saving money on your summer vacation, building a library on the cheap, and money lessons from Mad Men.

6 Compact Airplane Snacks for Frequent Fliers

Myscha Theriault — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:48:32 +0000

Those who spend a significant amount of time on the road know that being stuck on a plane with no food service after running to make it through security and leaving your house at oh-crap-thirty in the morning does nothing but suck. Being prepared with sustenance without cutting into precious luggage space can be tricky. These six suggestions for compact and easy airborne snacking will satisfy your craving without over-stuffing your carry-on. (See also: Precision Packing Tips for the Frequent Business Traveler)

1. Powdered Drink Mixes

One of the more efficient travel uses for water is the preparation of powdered drink mixes on the plane. You can either mix them in your own reusable water bottle by pouring the drink mix in along with the free water provided by the flight attendants, or mix portions of your drink powder at a time in the smaller drinking cups the airlines make available. Adults might prefer a fitness drink powder such as Propel or a low-calorie lemonade mix packet like Crystal Light. Alternatively, you can add this to your list of tips for frugal family travel by packing drink mixes more suited to young people.

2. Instant Oatmeal Envelopes

There are also numerous savvy ways to use hot water while traveling, including being able to enjoy a hearty serving of oatmeal on the plane. My secret strategy for doing this involves one of my favorite Whole Foods bargains for travelers, the 365 brand boxes of organic instant oatmeal envelopes. Remember, the airlines make hot water available for coffee and tea just like they make cool water available for basic hydration. By mixing your oatmeal packet along with hot water in an insulated coffee cup, you’ve got yourself a healthy bite to take the edge off. You can sip the oatmeal from the cup, use the flatware from the plane, or pack your own if you’re the type of indie traveler who usually packs your own zero-waste lunch kit anyway.

3. Individual Soup Mixes

I pick these up at the grocery store and use them the same way I use the individual oatmeal packets above. Simply pour them into the insulated coffee cup the attendant gives you and add the hot water to make soup instead of tea. There are a number of varieties for you to choose from, but if you’re going to be mixing them up in the coffee cups anyway, why take up the extra luggage room with those soup-in-a-cup products? Simply purchase the ones in the flat envelopes to maximize your carry-on space.

4. Cracker Sandwiches

You can buy individually wrapped cracker sandwiches by the case at Costco or your nearest Sam’s Club. I’ve seen cases go for $8 or less, resulting in a multi-trip supply that’s within most people’s budgets. They may not be the heartiest option, nor the healthiest, but they will take the edge off without costing a great deal of dough.

5. Power Bars

Personally, I’m pretty much a power-bar girl when it comes to being prepared for long flights and missed connection drama. Both my daypack and my main bag have zippered pockets at the top that allow me to easily reach in and grab one when my head starts to pound from hunger. You can pay $2 to $3 a pop for them, or you can make the case for an Amazon membership to your significant other and order them by the case to be delivered to your home. When I’m on the road for a few weeks at a time and run out, I can order replacements on my Kindle Fire and have them delivered in advance to the next hotel I’ll be staying at.

6. Trail Mix

You can certainly bring some from home, but as I covered in a previous article on how to score free travel food, trail mix packages are a great way to use the free meal vouchers that come with delayed flights. Often, the next flight availability is unpredictable, making a trip to the nearest restaurant a no go. Using the shorter time slots to grab snacks for the plane is a savvy way to handle a flight delay and grab some in-flight snacks at the same time.

Do you have some favorite airplane snacks that also help save space?

Written by Myscha Theriault and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

5 Best Travel Reward Credit Cards

Jason Steele — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:48:24 +0000

Updated May 2013

There are few things as alluring as the promise of free travel to exotic destinations. The banks know this, and have long offered travel rewards to their customers for receiving and using their credit cards. In turn, savvy credit card users have learned how to exploit these offers to travel in comfort and style well beyond their means. (See also: 6 Ways My Family Scores Free Travel With Credit Cards)

Recently, I was explaining this to an European executive sitting next to me in Lufthansa’s Airbus A380 business class while returning home from a vacation in Italy. I told him that my family and I could not possibly have paid for our three, $7,000 tickets for this flight. But thanks to my travel rewards credit cards, my journey was all but free after some taxes and fees. Through careful selection and use of these product, these kinds of trips have become an annual occurrence for our family. While there are innumerable ideas, tips, and tricks to be gleaned from endless hours research, my mission is to do the work for you and deliver only the most valuable advice to busy people who lack the time and patience to discover and decipher these deals.

Choosing The Five Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

It would be nice to pick the best travel reward cards in a purely empirical manner, the way one would choose a card with the lowest interest rate. Unfortunately, each travel rewards card offers a unique mix of benefits and drawbacks, and rarely is one card ideally suited for everyone's travel aspirations. I have read thousands of blog and forum posts, written hundreds of credit card reviews, and personally held dozens of different travel rewards cards over the last twenty years. In the end, I judge these cards based on three criteria:

Value –What is the most return you can expect from a credit card, in cents per dollar spent.

Flexibility – Since everyone hates earning miles that they can’t redeem, how can cardholders redeem awards for travel services from multiple providers.

Costs And Fees – A top travel rewards card should have reasonable fees that are more than justified by its rewards and benefits.

Of all the travel rewards cards currently offered, these are the five I find most rewarding:

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

If I had to choose only one travel rewards card, I would pick this one without hesitation. Hardcore travel hackers and newbies alike love this card as it combines exceptional hotel rewards with unparalleled options to transferring points to airline miles with 30 different carriers.

Here are the updated offer details:

Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of Cardmembership

That’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 Hotel

Earn up to 5 Starpoints® for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG hotels and resorts – that’s 2 Starpoints for using the Card in addition to the Starpoints you earn as an SPG member. Earn 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.

Free Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide — with no blackout dates

Free Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights — with no blackout dates

Get 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlines

No limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65

Terms and Restrictions apply

Click here to apply now

The Platinum Card® from American Express

This card is a must if you are one of the lucky few who enjoy frequent international travel. The Platinum card offers a list of features as long as the options on a high end luxury car. Perhaps that is why Mercedes-Benz just announced a co-branded version of this popular card.

Here are the latest offer details:

Earn 25K Membership Rewards® points when you spend $2,000 during your first three months of Card membership

Premium travel benefits: access over 600 lounges worldwide when you enroll in Priority Pass(TM)Select, no foreign transaction fees

Receive up to $200 annually in a statement credit with the airline of your choice to use towards baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases and more

Entertainment benefits: get Advance Tickets before the public and access once in a lifetime events with By Invitation Only®

24/7 Platinum Card® Concierge service for assistance with reservations, travel, gifts, and more

Terms and restrictions apply.

Click here to apply now

Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card

This innovative card offers two “miles” per dollar spent on all purchases. Capital One’s miles can then be redeemed for one cent each as statement credits against any travel related expense such as airfare, hotel, and rental car charges.

Simple award system grants two cents in value per dollar spent on all purchases with no limit.

Miles can be redeemed for travel with any company in the world, and award travel itself is eligible to earn miles and receive upgrades.

$59 annual fee that is waived the first year.

There are no foreign transaction fees on this or any other Capital One card.

Click here to apply now

Sapphire Preferred from Chase

Cardholders earn on point for most purchases, with double points for all dining and airfare transactions, and triple points for travel booked through Chase’s site. Points are then worth one cent each, or 1.25 cents for travel booked at their site.

40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that's $500 toward travel rewards!

2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you redeem through Ultimate RewardsSM

No foreign transaction fees

Receive a 7% Annual Points Dividend on all new points earned on purchases - even on points already redeemed

1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs - that means 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points

Direct access to expert service advisors anytime

Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95

Sorry, this offer is currently unavailable

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card

PenFed is the Pentagon Federal credit union, but anyone can join if they are not already eligible. Like all of their products, this card offers maximum benefits with few hassles or fees.

Earn one point per dollar spent on most purchases, with five points per dollar spent on airfare.

Points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for gift cards, but 1.6 cents towards airfare purchases.

Use this card to purchase airfare and you can earn eight cents per dollar spent (5 points x 1.6 cents per point) towards future airfare purchases.

20,000 points available as a sign up bonus; worth $320 towards an airfare purchase.

No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

Click here to apply now

Conclusions

No discussion of rewards credit cards is complete without the warning that these products are only best for those who always pay their balances in full and never incur interest. Everyone else should use the card with the lowest APR. That said, if you do pay your balance off every month, and you love to travel, then you have much to gain by applying for and using one of these top travel rewards cards. Join me in the exciting world of those who regularly travel for free.

My wife and daughter on one of our trips earned through travel rewards cards:

Back to the Credit Card Guide

Written by Jason Steele and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Best Money Tips: How to Avoid Costly Travel Mistakes

Ashley Jacobs — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:36 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on how to avoid costly travel mistakes, ways to clear your mind, and how to not get hustled by your student loans.

Best Money Tips: Inexpensive, Short Vacations for Parents

Ashley Jacobs — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:00:33 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on inexpensive, short vacations for parents, money rules of thumb to live by, and foods you should and shouldn't buy organic.

Best Money Tips: Cool Things to Do With Hotel Amenities

Ashley Jacobs — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:00:45 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on cool things to do with hotel amenities, free ways to say 'I love you,' and how to make an interviewer like you.

Best Money Tips: Plan Some Cheap Travel This Weekend

Ashley Jacobs — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:00:34 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on planning cheap travel this weekend, spending money wisely, and ways to avoid student loans.

Best Money Tips: Save on Your Snowboard or Ski Trip

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:00:31 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on saving on your snowboard or ski trip, ways for teens to make money, and getting your retirement back on track.

Best Money Tips: Winter Vacation Deals on the Beach

Ashley Jacobs — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:00:30 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some stellar articles on winter vacation deals on the beach, resolutions you should make this year, and how fighting can be good for your finances.

Skip the Travel Size: How to Save 66% or More on Travel Toothpaste

Myscha Theriault — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:36:40 +0000

Sometimes the obvious just hits you, and you can’t imagine why you hadn’t seen the answer before.That's what happened to me recently while shopping for travel supplies to take on a business trip. Turns out, I’ve been spending at least 66% too much on a basic travel supply for years.

The product? Toothpaste.

We all need to deal with oral hygiene on the road, just as we do at home. The problem is, toothpaste isn’t exactly something that’s cost effective to purchase in a travel size, and decanting is problematic. Smack dab in the middle of the dental aisle at my local Walmart, a simple solution hit me. It cost roughly 66% less than the option I had been using, and once I grabbed hold of the idea, I started thinking about other ways to save. (See also: Vacation Hack: 7 Tips for Single-Bag Travel)

Kiddy-Size Toothpaste Is Better Than Travel Size

This was actually the light bulb moment that inspired it all.

As luck would have it, the aisle where the travel-sized supplies are located is the same as the main toothpaste aisle. Since I had started with my cart at the other end, I had already noticed the children’s sized toothpaste options — and their price of 97 cents — near the full-sized adult selection. So when I got to the travel amenities bins and saw the same price for a smaller, roughly one-ounce tube, I immediately backed up to check the amount of product in the children’s tubes. I knew it was a cheaper solution, but would it meet the TSA carry-on standards for liquid toiletries? Indeed it did. Just less than three ounces, which was basically triple the amount of the smaller tubes further down the aisle for the same price. Score!

It’s important to note a few things about this option, should you choose to embrace the savings potential. First, if you are extremely limited on space, the smaller, more expensive tube may still be what you go for. But for most people on a 2-3 day excursion, there’s room to purchase the slightly larger, money-saving size. Also, depending on the store, it may be a challenge to find one that doesn’t sparkle or taste like bubble gum. We are talking kiddy paste, after all. I have noticed upon further research that Dollar Tree has the just-less-than-three-ounce tubes of plain white peppermint paste for a buck, if you find you just can’t embrace the child-approved flavor options. Dollar Tree, incidentally, is one of my favorite places to buy cheap travel supplies.

Travel Dental Kits Can Also Be Frugal

If the three-ounce tubes are still too large for your needs, another frequent item in the travel amenities bins is the dental kit, which includes one of the one-ounce tubes, a clear zippered storage bag, and a new, name-brand toothbrush. At my neighborhood department store, the price for these is also 97 cents, which is the same as both the three-ounce kiddy tube and the travel-sized toothpaste tube when purchased on its own. This is markedly less than you would spend even for a name-brand toothbrush sold separately, and it also gives you a see-through container you can reuse to carry things like flat-packed first aid supplies. Definitely a bargain.

Castile Soap Provides Extreme Penny-Pinching Potential

When you are packing for special events or a remote adventure, having multipurpose beauty products and hygiene items can mean the difference between overpacking and remaining within carry-on limitations. That’s when a bar of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap can come in handy. In a pinch, it can be used to suds up your toothbrush and clean your teeth, providing a flavor that is far more preferable to shampoo or regular bar soap if you...umm...say...travel to a remote national park and forget to pack your paste. (Just trust me on this one.) If you already purchase this type of item for skin care and hair cleansing, then using it instead of toothpaste actually provides you a solution that comes at no extra cost whatsoever.

Dehydrated Toothpaste Dots Travel Easy

Rather than spend big bucks on expensive tooth powders to avoid the TSA liquid drama, consider these DIY dehydrated toothpaste dots. Prepared in advance and stored in bulk, they can be a space-saving option for those times when you are opting for an extreme travel adventure when every ounce and inch is at a premium. Since you can make these with the larger, more cost-effective tubes of toothpaste you already purchase for home use, incorporating this strategy essentially eliminates the cost of travel-sized toothpaste altogether.

Carry Toothpaste in a Contact Lens Case

I’ll be honest. Most decanting solutions I’ve tried for travel toothpaste over the years have been complete debacles. Insufficient size on the transfer openings and leakage have made transferring toothpaste into smaller containers something I avoid. Which is why I was so glad to receive this hot tip from the folks at Wandering Educators — contact lens cases. Brilliant!

Since these pack flat, are designed to be leak proof, and come in a double pack for a buck at my local dollar store, they are my new go-to solution for paste-like products. Workable for everything from toothpaste and eye gel to diaper ointment and triple antibiotic ointment, their size makes extreme packing much easier.

Controlling costs on toiletries and travel cosmetics can contribute greatly to meeting your desired vacation price point. These travel tips for toothpaste assist in that endeavor.

Written by Myscha Theriault and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

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Best Rewards Card: The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

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Skip the Travel Size: How to Save 66% or More on Travel Toothpaste

Kiddy-Size Toothpaste Is Better Than Travel Size

Travel Dental Kits Can Also Be Frugal

Castile Soap Provides Extreme Penny-Pinching Potential

Dehydrated Toothpaste Dots Travel Easy

Carry Toothpaste in a Contact Lens Case