travel

The Best (Inexpensive) Souvenirs

Posted 3 weeks 4 days ago by Thursday Bram

Shopping

Souvenir shop

As a rule, we don’t buy souvenirs for their usefulness. A t-shirt from the Hard Rock Café or a shell sculpture from Hawaii isn’t going to increase your productivity — in fact, dusting it may just make your life that much harder. But souvenirs are good things to have: they’re meant to remind us of the amazing experiences we’ve had. Your souvenir doesn’t need to be useful or productive.

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Why You Should Donate a Blood Sucking Timeshare

Posted 4 weeks 3 days ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Lifestyle, Taxes

My parents always told me that buying a timeshare is a bad idea because of the inflated upfront cost and perpetual maintenance and exchange fees the timeshare companies pile on. It is also quite difficult to sell a timeshare you no longer want because there is usually a giant supply of them on the market. If you do want to get rid of a money sucking timeshare, donating it may be the most economical option.

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Getting Around the Guidebook: Techniques for Researching your Trip Without Spending a Fortune

Posted 4 weeks 4 days ago by Nora Dunn

Art and Leisure, Cars and Transportation

guide book

If you are planning a big trip with multiple countries on the itinerary, purchasing a guidebook for each one of them can get pricey. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be spending a lot of time reading and researching your destination next. If only you could find everything you specifically want to know in one or two places…wait a minute…you can!

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What will you do when gas hits $4 per gallon?

Posted 5 weeks 5 days ago by Paul Michael

Cars and Transportation

death by gas

The image you're looking at is a classic VW ad from 1979, a response to the gas crisis at that time. I just filled up my tank, and 16 gallons of Plus Unleaded cost me over $52 here in Colorado. If you're in California, you're paying more. Use diesel? I already feel for you. So the big question is, what are you going to do when regular gas hits $4/gallon this summer?

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The Shanghai Supposition: Better Choices=More Choices=Better Experiences

Posted 9 weeks 1 day ago by Jabulani Leffall

Lifestyle

Cheap Chinese goods have created a Wal-Mart economy in America but for the individual they can be an eye-opening experience about the joys of travel, about the pride ganered from being a citizen of the world, about knowing that an inexpensive trip isn't a waste of money or time but it's the opposite, if you don't do these things.

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Five Ways to Squeeze Savings from Your Workplace

Posted 11 weeks 2 days ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career and Income, General Tips, Lifestyle, Food and Drink

If you are a cube dweller like me you may be familiar with the usual benefits of a salary and paid days off, but there are many other ways you can benefit from your workplace. I am not talking about stealing pens or embezzling large sums of money. Read on for some of the practical and legal means I think you can use your work to squeeze just a little bit of extra savings for yourself.

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Passport Pictures for Under a Dollar

Posted 11 weeks 3 days ago by Nora Dunn

General Tips

passport

Use this technique to produce passport pictures, visa pictures, and any other required id photos, all for under a dollar.

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How Do You Spend Money When Traveling?

Posted 11 weeks 5 days ago by David DeFranza

Lifestyle

People shopping in a market

The urge to save money is a defining characteristic of the budget traveler. But is there ever a time when it is actually a good idea to spend money? If it will healthfully support the local economy you are visiting, or help accomplish some of the personal goals of your trip, then yes, spending, within reason, is a good thing.

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5 Tips for Sightseeing on the Cheap

Posted 12 weeks 1 day ago by Thursday Bram

Lifestyle

Washington Monument

When you’re traveling, half the fun is seeing the sights — museums, historical locations, that sort of thing. But more and more of those sights are trying to make money off of tourists: they charge entry fees, mark up gift-shop items and offer outrageously priced cafeterias. There are ways to keep your sightseeing on the inexpensive side, especially if you have an opportunity to plan your itinerary ahead of time.

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Foreign exchange class action settlement

Posted 12 weeks 2 days ago by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

Credit cards

Did you travel overseas between 1996 and 2006? Or, did you charge anything on a credit or debit card in a foreign currency? If so, be sure to claim your share of a class action settlement over allegations that credit card companies conspired to set and conceal the fees they charged for foreign transactions.

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Keeping The Budget In Budget Travel

Posted 12 weeks 5 days ago by David DeFranza

Budgeting

The budget traveler's terminal

To save money for your vacation you crafted a detailed budget and stuck to it. Now, with your bags packed and ticket in hand, you are ready to put all the of preparation and planning into action and enjoy your travels. When you leave the airplane, it is easy to forget the months of work that made this experience possible. This is a good thing. But, if you are a budget traveler, you cannot forget to pack the budget.

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Eating Cheap While Abroad

Posted 16 weeks 10 hours ago by Thursday Bram

Food and Drink

Falafel, a Middle Eastern Treat

I've been on the go a lot this last year: I lived in Dublin for four months, accompanied my family to Israel, and made it to plenty of other points on the globe. But no matter which city I was in, I still had to eat. I learned a few tricks to keeping myself comfortably fed on the go, without breaking the bank.

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These Choos were made for walkin': an interview with a modern urban nomad

Posted 28 weeks 3 days ago by Andrea Dickson

Lifestyle

Ever feel stuck? In a rut? Running in place, but not getting much exercise? There's another way to live, you know; a way that bypasses, or at least delays, the mortgage, the commute, and the keeping up with the Joneses. It's called Modern Nomadism, and it's increasingly popular with people young and old. Read on to learn about one blogger who leads such a life.

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Quick travel ideas

Posted 34 weeks 9 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey

Art and Leisure

So, I'm finishing up at my old job this week and things are crazy. Thus, I offer you some of the best travel tips that just might save you some money.

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Chance to Win a Culinary Trip to Umbria, Italy - Contest Over Oct. 15th, 2007

Posted 38 weeks 4 days ago by Myscha Theriault

Food and Drink

Have a passion for truffles? Love to create original recipes? Your talents could get you an all expense paid trip to Umbria, courtesy of Urbani Truffles. 

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Yes You Can!: Travel With Ease and Without Guilt

Posted 40 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey

Art and Leisure

Thailand Dragon
You know you love it...travel, that is. But it's expensive--there's no way around that. Now, I'm not against breaking the bank for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but here are some tips to make your money (and time!) go farther. 1. You've heard about it, but now it's here. Virgin America is cool, but it's also driving rates down around the country. Get in line soon--once this get's out, the plush seats will be filled!

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Frugal travel with Esperanto

Posted 41 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer

Life Hacks

Above Edinburgh
Travel presents the classic conundrum: If you have the money you don't have the time, and if you have the time you don't have the money. You can travel on the cheap if you have friends or relatives that you can stay with. But even if you have some, they probably aren't all over the world, so your options are limited. Suppose, in addition to them, you had another twelve or thirteen hundred friends willing to give you a place to sleep? And suppose they lived in close to 100 different countries? Well, you very nearly do: The Passport Service.

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What to pack for a road trip with Rover

Posted 41 weeks 4 days ago by Andrea Dickson

Lifestyle

dog in car

Our friends at Itchmo.com recently posted some helpful hints about what to pack when you go road tripping with your four-legged friends. It might seem like a bit much, but planning ahead and having everything you need on hand is the best money saver for road trips. That, and never stopping at a gas station even when all your children really need to pee and haven't eaten since the day before (you know who you are, Dad).

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Money-saving travel hacks from your own home

Posted 41 weeks 4 days ago by Jonathan Bender

Life Hacks

luggage at the airport
Your flight is leaving in less than an hour. Your bag is less than packed. And you're less than thrilled about the day's developments. But, you can still look like you planned ahead, thanks to a few household items in your kitchen. And the good news is you don't have to spend a dime. Your best, last-minute packing friends have been cleverly disguised as everyday kitchen products. Behold the power of cleaning wipes!

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How to Take a Shower in Sixty Seconds or Less

Posted 42 weeks ago by Myscha Theriault

Filed Under: Lifestyle

pocket watch 

Living or traveling in an extreme situation? The following is a real life scenario that our friends and several internet readers have gotten a kick out of. Yes, at least for this summer, this is how we do it. No, I'm not kidding. Read on.

Due to an extremely small water heater and the fact that our ground water is the same temperature as the lake (a degree or two above freezing), we have developed this technique for shower survival. It’s also a handy strategy to use on the road: desert camps with limited water supply tanks, solar shower bags, hostels where hot water is in short supply, etc.

Continue reading "How to Take a Shower in Sixty Seconds or Less"

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