Saturday's Sojourn...

Saving along the way



Today I decided to look at vacations a little differently at let you in on some money saving ideas that will make it easier to go on a vacation with your family.

The first thing to tackle is the getting there. If you are driving make sure your car is tuned up and your tires are inflated properly, this is a huge gas saver. Also, you can check eBay auctions and gift cards sites like ABC Gift Cards for gas gift cards, there is usually a very small savings on these but any savings is good. If you are flying then make sure you check all the sites for the lowest fares, including the airline directly. Kayak, Cheap flights and Booking Buddy are great places to get deals. Most importantly, remember to include all your expenses in your calculations, here's what I mean; I am going to Chicago with some friends in a couple months and we thought about driving, the cost of gas from here to there is about $215.00 according to the AAA fuel cost calculator, plus the additional expense of parking at over $40 per day for 6 nights ($240) made the driving cost about $465.00. Our local airport ran a special offering one way tickets, non stop to Chicago for $99.00, so flying cost us a little less than driving and we don't have to worry about a car. Almost everything is with in walking distance to where we are staying so our transportation in the city is almost nil.  Also, be sure to check eBay for drink vouchers and airline gift cards, these can increase your savings even further.

The next huge expense is the hotel.  For our vacation I found a great deal right in the city using SniqueAway.  They offer 4 and 5 star hotels at very discounted rates.  This vacation will be my first time using them but the reviews on TripAdvisor are all favorable.  Another great option is Hotels.com, sometimes you can find rooms they want to book closer to your arrival date.  Remember to join the hotels guest rewards program if they have one as well, this may not earn you a free nights stay unless you visit a lot, but it will almost always get you free internet service in your room.  If you are a member of AAA be sure to ask when checking in or making your reservation is you get a discount with your card.

Once you have arrived its time to have some fun, one of the best things I have found to do is see if there is an Entertainment book for the area you will be visiting, these are filled with discounts and can save you hundreds.  Also be sure to check in with at the Tourist Information area, most every place has them, from big cities to little towns and they can be a source for some great coupons and information on specials in the area.  If you have a general working idea of the area you are going to visit then you can shop ahead at Restraunt.com for some great discounted meals, just be sure to read the small print, some require a purchase of a certain amount and others may expire.  You can also check on eBay and places like Gift Card Rescue for discounted gift cards, just make sure you don't get a card larger than you can use or it will go to waste.  If you are headed to a larger city be sure to check out CityPass, they offer a discounted price for all the largest attractions in the area.  I have also found that doing a simple Google search on Tourist Discounts for ______ will net you some pretty amazing results.

Do you have a money saving tip? I would love to hear about it.

Have a great weekend! 

C.Q.

Saturday Sojourn...

Portland, Oregon

Today I used my handy dandy book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die: In The US And Canada again to pick a fun place to visit.  My random spot in the book came up as Portland, Oregon, a place I have never been to but it is high on my wish list of places I want to see.

As many of you know, when I travel for longer times I tend to like to find a 3 or 4 star place to stay.  I look at the quality AND the cost because I will be sleeping in the room and if the weather gets bad I want to be able to hole up in a nice place for a bit.  One of my all time favorite hotel chains in Kimpton and they own the Hotel Monaco in Portland.  It is a mid range priced 4 star boutique hotel.  All the Kimpton's come with great service and based on the TripAdvisor comments this one is no exception.  The hotel features morning coffee and an evening wine reception in the lobby, complimentary newspapers, complimentary overnight shoeshine, Concierge service, complimentary bicycle rental to explore the city, an on site spa, 24 hour business center, an on site 24 hour fitness center and 24 hour room service.  The hotel is also pet friendly and has special packages designed just for your furry friend, and when you can't bring Spot or Kitty with you The Hotel Monaco will bring you a complimentary goldfish to keep you company during your stay, you don't need to do anything, the staff will feed it and check in on it for you. (I love this touch at the Kimpton Hotels)  If you are a member of the Kimpton InTouch rewards program you will get free Internet service,  any 2 items up to $10 from the mini bar, $30 off any In-Room Spa services, plus earn complimentary nights.  They have a AAA 4-Diamond rating and if you are a member of AAA you will qualify to get 10% off your rate.

No that you have unpacked lets find some things to see.  Portland came to be known as the 'City of Roses', and one of the first things that caught my eye was the International Rose Test Garden, here you can stroll the grounds and smell the flowers and learn a little of the history of roses.  Garden hours are7:30am-9:00pm and admission is free.  From June 1 through September 21, tours of the rose garden are led by trained volunteers at 1:00 PM seven days a week or you can download a self guided tour and enjoy it at your own pace.

Bad weather? Don't let that slow you down, stop in at the Pittock Mansion.  The Pittock Mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919.  A house of historical significance and visual magnificence, the Pittock Mansion today offers us a uniquely personal opportunity to peek into the past, and study our world as it was - from the viewpoint of one Portland family.  Admission is $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors over 65, $5.00 for children 6 - 18 and free for children under age 6, please check the web site for hours because they vary slightly by season.

Looking to keep the kids entertained for a whole day?  Head over to Oaks Amusement Park.  This amusement park opened in 1905 to celebrate the Lewis and Clark world Expo and is still entertaining the masses today.  Be sure to check the schedule for the day you want to visit, hour vary slightly and it will give you the times the roller skating rink and amusement rides are open.  Parking and general admission are free, a Deluxe Bracelet is $14.75 and includes all the midway rides and a roller skating session. Valid from open to close on day of purchase. Go Karts, games and concessions sold separately.  They also offer a more limited $11.75 bracelet that is good for the day or you can purchase ride individually at $2.25 per ticket or 7 for $13.00.  If you don't want to go on many rides you can limit the cost by getting the bracelets for your kids only.  On Tuesdays Community Newspapers present Two For One Tuesdays with Radio Disney- Purchase one thrill ride bracelet, cotton candy, corn dog, or hot dog and get one of the same for FREE! No coupon necessary! At 2 pm enjoy a LIVE show with the Radio Disney Funsters featuring games, prizes, singing, dancing and more. 

There are a million great place to eat in Portland and you should have no problem finding something to fit your budget and your taste, but remember to check out Groupon, Half Price Portland, Half off Deals, Portland on the Cheap, The Daily Deal Portland, Living Social and Restaurant.com for some amazing deals.


Today I will also be sending an email out to the folks who signed up for the swap.  They will have a couple weeks to send their goodies out and on the 18th I will post what they got from their swap buddies.  The 25th is the next swap so I hope to have more folks join in next time.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

Driving up your savings

This is the perfect time of year to look at getting your car tuned up for Winter. Depending on where you live that could even include new snow tires. A tune up can increase your mileage as well as find any potential problems before they become major repairs. Check all your fluid levels, spark plugs, air and fuel filters, change the oil and remember to check the pressure in your tires, if they are under inflated you could be losing over 3% of your car estimate gas mileage. Currently Pep Boys has a coupon at their site for a free seasonal prep evaluation that includes checking the exterior lights, wipers, coolant system evaluation and battery/starter check, you can find their coupon here: Pep Boys this coupon expires 10/31/09. If you want to start small and just go for the oil change there is a coupon for $6 off at Valvoline: Valvoline savings and Jiffy Lube is offering a coupon for $5 off their Signature Service® Oil Change which features a whole lot of nice extra touches: Jiffy lube.

If you live in a northern climate and need new tires or snow tires for your vehicle there are currently some great offers available to you. First, Cooper Tires has a $40 to $75 rebate available if you buy 4 qualifing tires, good through 10/31/09: Cooper Tires Goodyear has a $50 to $100 rebate depending on if you have a Good Year Credit card that is good until 10/31/09 Goodyear Tires, Michelin tires has a $70 rebate until 11/15/09: Michelin Fall Savings.

Amazon currently has a slew of BOSCH wiper blades that are available for rebates, to find out if they have the blades for your car you can check here: BOSCH wiper blades they are all eligible for Amazons free super saver shipping.

Having a good roadside plan over the winter is a great idea in case of any emergency like going off the road, the car won’t start or you need help changing a tire. Now days a lot of new cars come with road side assistance of some kind, be sure to look it over and see what is covered and what you have to pay out of pocket, if anything. Another popular place to see road side assistance coverage is with your auto insurance, check with your agent to see if you have this coverage and what exactly is covered and if there is a deductible. Remember that there is always the tried and true AAA: AAA Membership , the advantage to AAA is that they offer discounts at many retailers including places like NAPA where you get a 7% break. They also will give you free maps of where ever you may be off to visit over the holidays; whether its over the river or through the woods.

Hope this helps get you prepared for the coming winter season!

C.Q.