Search Results for: blog preparing for your road trip part 3

Tolls Taking a Toll on Travelers

Nothing gets a traveler hot under the collar faster than having to spend extra money on tolls.  If paying for gas, hotel rooms and meals weren’t enough, several states have increased the amount of cash they are requiring road warriors to fork over for the privilege of driving on their asphalt. The expansion of the electronic toll system allows locals and visitors alike to speed through the express lanes without having to shell out cash each time.  Rather, drivers can pre-purchase toll devices and use them on highways, bridges and tunnels, from California to Maine. The largest toll program is … Continue reading →

The Pet-Friendly Travel Planning Website

The time for summer travel may be over, but we’re still having gorgeous weather in many parts of the country. That means it’s a good time to get in those fall road trips. Think of it: windows down, hair whipping in the wind, your dog’s tongue lolling out the window. You may want to go on a road trip, but you don’t want to leave your beloved pet behind. Never fear: there’s a website for you that’s here to help. It’s called Pet Friendly (gopetfriendly.com). This comprehensive site has everything you need to plan a trip with your pet. If … Continue reading →

Six Critical Skills for Frugal and Eco-Friendly Kids

These are frugal times, and these are times when environmental consciousness is rising. How can you prepare your kids to live as adults when times are more frugal and much more ecologically conscious? This generation of parents has lost a lot of the skills that our grandparents had. I know I have, and I’m trying to regain them. Here are six ways that you can help your children become frugal adults. By modeling these skills and allowing your kids to help, you’ll give them great know-how for the future. Preparing Food Prepared food is something that is easy for kids … Continue reading →

On The Road Again, By Herself

My daughter set out on her first road trip today. She is driving from Salt Lake to Boise with her cousin to pick up her other cousin. How did she get old enough to go on a road trip without me? But more importantly, why do I feel so vulnerable and helpless? We took her car and got the tires rotated, filled the tank with gas, stopped and got drinks and snacks for the ride. Once we were home we checked and filled all the fluids in her car and loaded it up. The last thing she put in was … Continue reading →

Summer Vacation from Hell

The next time you feel like complaining about how your summer vacation was marred by delayed flights, flat tires, crabby kids, and horrible hotels, consider the hell a Nevada mom endured while taking a camping trip with her 11-year-old son last week. What started off as an innocent overnight trip with her son and their dog to Death Valley National Park, quickly turned into the worst summer vacation in Alicia Sanchez’s life. The 28-year-old mom was just released from a Las Vegas hospital where she was being treated for severe dehydration. Now Sanchez must return home to bury her young … Continue reading →

Frugalista fashions: Five Fashion Musts for Light Travel

If you are going on vacation, it pays to travel light. Firstly, you won’t need to pay the $15.00 luggage price plus $50 to $100 for a second bag. Second, you will be able to navigate your way through the airport faster. Finally, you won’t need to spend any time at the luggage carousel, which is one of the least enjoyable parts of any trip. Traveling light doesn’t must mean shoving every into one bag because you can also be penalized for having too heavy a bag. Furthermore, you don’t want a bag so heavy you can’t manipulate it. It’s … Continue reading →

Are Travel Clubs Really Money Savers?

With the price of airfare skyrocketing to new highs it’s no wonder travel clubs are attracting more interest than ever before. Commercials and print ads for travel clubs offering, “super deals and deep discounts” are virtually everywhere. The advertisements promise huge savings on everything from airfare and cruises to rental cars and hotel accommodations. If you are a cash strapped traveler who has always dreamed of taking a Caribbean cruise or a fantasy flight to Paris, then one of these flashy ads or mailings (typically in the form of a postcard) may have caught your attention—-especially the ones that promise … Continue reading →

It’s a Gas—Even More Hotels Helping You Save This Summer

Last Friday marked the official start of summer. The days are longer and the sun is more intense. Unfortunately, now that the Summer Solstice has passed it means we are losing one to two minutes of daylight per day as we head towards winter. If that sad fact doesn’t act as a motivator for you to get out and enjoy the nice weather perhaps these next deals will. Lodgings across the country are offering money saving deals to entice you to spend part of your summer vacation with them. If high gas prices have you putting the brakes on your … Continue reading →

Try These Gas Saving Tips

Are high gas prices driving you crazy? In Spring Lake, Michigan the record number of illegal drive offs drove one gas station attendant to take matters into her own hands. The 21-year-old Michigan woman told police that she thought she’d be able to stop a fuel thief by jumping into his car, but her plan didn’t exactly work out the way she planned. The feisty gas station clerk says she had seen the same motorist leave the Spring Lake gas station twice last week without paying. The third time he attempted to gas and go she reportedly wrote down his … Continue reading →

It’s a Gas—More Hotels Helping You Save Money This Summer

Who knew it would come to this? That hotels would actually be paying you to visit them? With the slew of gas saving travel packages being offered by lodgings from coast to coast, that’s pretty much what is happening–hotels, motels, inns and B&Bs across the country don’t want you to put the brakes on your summer road trip so they are providing generous discounts and rebates to travelers who choose to stay at their properties. Here’s a look at the latest offerings: COLORADO You can thank the Aspen Chamber of Commerce for this next gas rebate. The group is currently … Continue reading →