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Cheap Family Thanksgiving Travel Ideas

Traveling for the holidays can be expensive, as many people travel and transportation providers like to raise the prices in anticipation. You can get great deals on Thanksgiving travel, however, if you are prepared to do the research and plan a couple of months in advance. Do not snap up the first tickets you find, rather shop around and compare prices. You may find that by comparing prices you will spend less.

Planning in advance is your best bet for scoring cheap travel tickets for airlines and trains alike. As the flights fill up, ticket prices rise, all but guaranteeing that you will be paying more for your tickets as the holiday draws closer. It is always a good idea to plan your holiday travels in advance, months in advance if possible.

Try to take time off of work so you can fly on non-peak days and save even more money. Many people will fly the day before Thanksgiving and return home the following Sunday. If you can be a bit flexible with your dates, it may be a good idea to fly out on Tuesday and return home on Monday instead.

If you are driving to your destination, be sure to map out the lowest gas prices along your way. Gasbuddy.com is a great website that lists nearly all of the gas stations in an area and the price of the gas per gallon. This will help you to determine where the lowest gas prices are and it will help to cut your traveling costs.

On road trips, you will also need to eat. Take advantage of coupons to lessen the costs of your meals. Another option is to pack a picnic basket full of sandwiches or other similar items to snack on while driving.

If you find that you cannot afford a hotel, you might be able to exchange homes with someone for the duration of your vacation. Homeexchange.com requires a membership, but also guarantees that you will be able to swap homes with another member in the first year, otherwise your second year is free.

Home Exchange lists houses in a variety of countries. The way it works is that you pick a country, find a listing that you are interested in, and contact the member. It is that simple. It is a good alternative to renting a costly hotel room so as long as you do not mind sharing your home. This option does come with some risks, however, so please do your research before getting involved.

Thanksgiving travel is coming up right around the corner. Start preparing your travel plans now so that you can keep your costs as low as possible. It does not matter if you are traveling by airplane, car or train; there are significant ways for you to save money if you know where to look.

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Frugal and Cheap Party Ideas

Everyone loves to attend a good party. The costs, however, can be a deterrent to throwing one of your own. Throwing a good party does not have to cost an arm and a leg, however. There are several cost-effective ways to throw a cheap, but great, party. Utilize the following tips to keep your money and your sanity.

* Instead of renting out a hall or a venue for your party, consider having it at the park. Some parks will charge a deposit or a small fee to rent the park area for the day while others require a permit for parties, so be sure to check the local regulations.

* It can be tempting to want to hire a caterer or to order food for the party, but your budget could be better served if you made your own food. You can also hold a pot-luck where all guests are responsible for bringing one food or drink item. This can help to ease the cost on a tight budget. For birthday parties, instead of buying a cake, bake one yourself or have a family member or friend bake the cake for you. This will save money and you can have fun decorating the cake yourself.

* Planning ahead always helps to ease the budget as well. Decorations and such can be purchased beforehand so that all expenses are not paid for at once. Sometimes putting items on layaway can be a big help as well.

* Instead of buying favors at the store, consider making them yourself and involving your family, including children, in the process. Making handmade favors or paper goods can be a great bonding activity. So, in addition to getting a task accomplished, you will be enjoying some family quality time as well.

* Bring your own music. Some events may call for music, but skip the DJ – instead bring a stereo with CDs or even an iPod with songs pre-loaded. DJs can cost several hundreds of dollars but a stereo will keep playing music long after your guests are gone.

Planning a party is a fun endeavor, but not budgeting properly can make the party cost a lot more than planned. Consider having your party in a park atmosphere and providing the food and music yourself. You can enjoy family quality time if you make your own party favors and enlist the family help while doing so. Remember, it’s not the amount of money spent that makes a good party, it’s the company.

Cheap Family Thanksgiving Travel Ideas

Frugal and Cheap Party Ideas

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