Tag: credit

Create an Abandon Ship Bag

Create an Abandon Ship Bag

We have taken many cruises. And have returned safely from all of them. Therefore, it wasn’t until very recently that we thought about creating an Abandon Ship Bag. We had an upcoming trip to Antarctica. The MS Explorer, The Little Red Boat, had sunk in Antarctic waters a few months before we were scheduled to leave. That made us think long and hard about what we might do in a similar emergency.

Did this cause us to rethink our trip? Yes, for about 10 seconds. My husband and I talked about this and we decided that the best thing we could do was to simply be prepared in case something like this happened to our ship.

We decided to do some investigating and ended up creating an Abandon Ship Bag.

When we got on board, we emptied one of our backpacks. We then lined it with a heavy plastic bag we had brought along for the purpose and then put into it:

money

credit cards

copy of passports (the ship held the originals)

medicines

emergency blankets – purchased in a camping store for $4.00 each

our picture backup device: Digital Foci Photo Safe

flashlights

change of underwear

extra pair of socks

We kept the backpack at the foot of the bed so that it was easy to grab on the way out, if necessary. We also left it open so we could quickly add hats, scarves, gloves and cameras. (I’m very pleased to report we didn’t need it after all.)

Transportation Tips to Stretch Your Travel Budget

Transportation Tips to Stretch Your Travel Budget

If you’re going to visit several cities consider flying with an “open jaw” ticket. It may cost a little more for the ticket itself, but you might save in time and ground transportation costs. If you’re renting a car, drop off charges might cancel any savings, so it could be better to get back to the same airport. Do your research to see which way you will save.
Once you’re at your destination, stretch your travel budget by using public transportation to and from the airport… taxis can be expensive. You can compare prices… if there are four of you sharing the taxi, it might be a push or only a little more and worth it.
Share rental car expenses. Rental cars can be a great way to get out to the countryside, but they add a daily expense to your budget. Cut that down by traveling with others. If four of you are traveling together, a car may be less than the price of four train tickets.
Try to avoid the collision damage waver charges on rental cars. Generally if you have a “gold” credit card, the credit card company will cover this insurance. Check with your card company though, because certain counties are not included in this coverage. In those counties, the CDW will be mandatory and should be included in the priced you are quoted.
You don’t want to have your rental car in big cities. Those big cities are a headache to drive in. To keep your rental car safe, you need to park in a garage, and parking fees are expensive. Do your city touring first. To save the headaches and stretch your travel budget, take trains or buses between cities, then pick up your rental car for your drive in the countryside.
If you’re going to stay only in cities, use the train and local transportation. When you’re taking the train, go second-class. The seats aren’t quite as cushy, but they are comfortable enough for your trip, and you’ll save a bunch.
When you’re using the local subways and buses, consider how many trips you’ll be taking on that transportation… It might be worth while buying a transit card… or at least a booket of tickets for a discount. If you’re only going to take one trip, just buy one ticket. No need to pay for transportation you won’t use.
Walk around the city on your own with a good map, rather than taking a bus tour. Organized walking tours can be a fun and inexpensive way to go. If you want to arrange a tour, you might do better arranging it through the tourist office rather than your hotel.
You can stretch your travel budget if you are smart about how and when you travel to your destination. Take the less expensive options to get around once you’re there. You’ll be traveling frugally, but having just as much fun.

Vacation On A Budget: Tips And Reminders For You

Vacation On A Budget: Tips And Reminders For You

Everybody needs to unwind and relax for some time. A vacation is what comes to everyone’s mind every time we speak of such. Enjoying a nice and comfortable hotel on a place far from home is everyone’s dream. However, every vacation would always require enough money in order to enjoy.
But if we are wise enough, there is actually tons of ways to save on a vacation but still get quality service. The first and wisest move you can do is to make reservations online. Find a travel agency that offer the best cheap hotels deal. There are some that offer as much as half of the regular just to match the competitor’s offer. As soon as you find the best deal, book it right away. Don’t be too confident after doing the reservation online, though. Make sure to get the agency’s contact number so you can confirm your reservation through phone. In this way, any misunderstanding that might lead to unnecessary fees will be eliminated.
Another ways to save some of that hard-earned cash is to use cash as much as possible. Resist the temptation of using that credit card. In this way, any unnecessary extra expenses can be avoided. Avoid hotel foods. We all know that ordinary food would cost thrice the normal cost in a hotel. Bring your own food, I mean snacks and the like. Majority if hotel rooms have refrigerator you can use to keep your food so you might want to take advantage of this. But if your hotel room doesn’t have one, you can just but a disposable cooler to use.
If you are not the type of person who likes recreational services or any extra amenities, then better find cheap hotels that doesn’t offer this. Extra amenities means extra fee. When checking in, don’t hesitate to ask the front desk for any promotion going on that you can take advantage. Or maybe a discount for those who are staying for a week or so, if you are planning of staying for a week.
Lastly, try going on vacation during off season. Hotel rates usually increase up to 30% during high season. You may not be enjoying the highlights but at least you get to experience staying in a wonderful yet cheap hotels.
There are still a lot of ways to save while enjoying a vacation. Gone are the days where you have to save a year of that salary just for days vacation.