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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 Family Vacations

by Frugal Simplicity

Frugal Family Vacations

Everybody loves a nice, relaxing, vacation. The family vacation gives us a chance to focus on family and spend some quality time together. Unfortunately, sometimes the family vacation can be costly. Especially, if you have a large family.

Including a vacation in your plans can be a challenge on a tight budget. For those of you who want to get in that family quality time, yet don’t have the finances for an extravagant vacation, here are some frugal family vacation tips. Since the goal here is to get the most fun for your money, let’s talk about some frugal and low cost vacation ideas and tips that could be right for your family.

1. Camping: A great low cost option for families that enjoy the outdoors. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sleep in a tent. There are lots of state parks that rent cabins for a very reasonable fee. As an added bonus, when you are registered at a state park, you gain free entrance into all state parks.

2. Beach It: If you want to beach it, be sure to check out all your options for lodging. Sometimes a large family can do better by renting a condo or home for the week rather than staying at a hotel. Remember, you can save a tremendous amount of money if you can prepare your own meals while on vacation. A good portion of a families vacation budget can be literally “eaten up”! Even a little kitchenette in a suite can save you big bucks. If you’re campers, you can almost always find a campground near popular beach areas and get maximum savings on lodging.

3. Low Cost Lodging: Don’t forget your best resources, friends and family. Ask around to see if anyone has visited an area you plan to go. You may get lucky and have a “friend that has a friend” who maybe has a vacation spot they wouldn’t mind renting to you for a lesser fee. Sometimes people won’t rent out their vacation spots for various reasons, but don’t mind doing so if the tenant is a trusted acquaintance of a friend or family member.

4. Visit Friends and Family: Plan to visit friends and family that live far away, or even those that live close, and you rarely find the time to visit. In today’s fast paced society it’s not unusual for family and friends to lose touch. You’ll save money and get to catch up on what’s happening with friends and/or family that you haven’t visited recently. This will be fun for everyone and reinforce family togetherness.

Whatever you decide to do, if you’re traveling a great distance be sure to check all your travel options. With today’s soaring gas prices it’s not unlikely that you may be able to get there faster, and cheaper, in the air. Hey, maybe there’s a conspiracy here?

If all this just doesn’t fall into your category of “fun”, and you just have to have that exotic resort vacation, then at least be sensible about it. There are many great deals on vacation packages and off season rentals. And, oodles of travel agencies just waiting to tell you about them.

This is one area where do-it-yourself isn’t always the most practical advice. Travel agencies are privy to a lot of travel information, especially seasonal discounts, that you and I don’t have knowledge of. Do Your Research at least for goodness sake. You won’t be kicking yourself later when you come across that great deal you missed out on!

Check out your local travel agencies, as well as some of the many online agencies. Don’t forget, if you’re an AAA member you’re eligible for travel discounts. Before finalizing any plans, be sure to know your rights. What happens if you have to cancel? What is the deadline to cancel? Will you loose your deposit or is it refundable? Know your options.

Remember, the most important thing about family vacations is to spend quality time together. Have fun, and have a safe and happy frugal family vacation!

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Frugal Traveling Budget Tips

by Frugal Simplicity

Travel has a reputation for being expensive. And it certainly can be if you feel it necessary to go first-class all the way. But it’s also possible to travel on a budget. You just have to be vigilant about finding the best prices on everything.

Here are some tips that will allow you to travel without spending a small fortune.

* Find the best deals on flights, hotels and car rentals. Sites like LastMinute.com and Travelocity.com are great for finding deals on these travel essentials. But it’s also a good idea to check with individual airlines and hotels, too. Sometimes they offer deals that you won’t find on such sites.

* Consider traveling by train. It’s less expensive than flying, and you’ll experience fewer security delays. The biggest disadvantage is that it will take you longer to get where you’re going.

* When traveling to a foreign country, do some research on exchange rates. Your best bet is usually to withdraw money from your bank account at an ATM, but different ATMs offer different exchange rates. You’ll also pay some fees to the bank that owns the ATM, and probably your bank as well. Try to find out how much these fees are in advance so you’ll be prepared.

* Consider a traveler’s cheque card. These cards are not linked to your bank account and will be replaced if they are lost or stolen. You’ll have to pay an issuance fee, but withdrawal fees are often lower than those charged by banks.

* Avoid eating in restaurants for every meal. Most hotels include a breakfast of some sort with a room rental, so you can take advantage of that in the morning. If you can get a room with a kitchen, you can cook your own lunch and dinner. Or you could take along some bread and sandwich meat and pack picnic lunches.

* Take vacations in the off-season. If you’re going to a theme park with a small child, for example, plan your trip for the spring or fall. If you check with the ticket office, you’ll often find that admission is discounted. And the school-aged children will be in school, so it will also be much less crowded.

* Consider vacation packages. Travel agencies offer packages that include travel, accommodations, car rental, admission to popular attractions and more for one low price. Some packages even come with gift certificates to restaurants and shops, so you can eat and get souvenirs at no additional charge.

If you’re on a tight budget, travel might seem out of reach. But if you are willing to spend some time finding the best deals, you might be surprised at what you can afford.

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