Archive for the ‘ Vacations ’ Category

It’s no secret that the hotel industry has been struggling through the economic downturn. Americans are traveling less frequently for leisure, businesses are cutting back on employee travel, and the word “staycation” has made its way into the cultural lexicon.

But the industry’s pain can be a smart traveler’s gain. Continue reading Oyster Hotel Reviews

Once upon a time, the die hard NFL fan who couldn’t afford the outrageous (corporate) ticket prices for the Super Bowl had an alternative. The alternative was Las Vegas. For years, Las Vegas held Super Bowl parties at almost every casino. For paid admission, you got to watch the game usually on stadium size monitors, all you can eat stadium food and best of all some parties were Open Bar. Oh those were the days. 

Today, those parties are almost non-existent due to the NFL threatening lawsuits on casinos for charging for an event that is free. This was a rude awakening in 2004 when my friends and I were in a cab after landing in Las Vegas and our cab driver told us “The NFL sent lawyers to shut down the parties!” We were not quite sure whether this was rumor or fact.  This would be our 4th year going to the party and we had been waiting for this day since the end of the last Super Bowl.

At the hotel, we jumped out of the cab and headed immediately to the concierge where they told us “We will not be having a party this year.” We tried to find other parties but received the same disappointing news from every place. 

So since that year, my friends and I have joined the masses in watching Super Bowl from a TV in one of our living rooms. Its not Vegas but we still have fun; and maybe, all those years in Vegas, wasn’t about being in Vegas that made it fun, but rather just us getting together to celebrate the biggest Sunday in sports.

Travel less this season
Traveling at holiday time is expensive and stressful, and this holiday season is proving to be an absolute bear. The weather in the Northwest and the Northeast is causing huge delays at airports. Many airlines are letting you reschedule at no extra charge. Be sure to ask about these special offers and if you are able to cancel at no charge, even better. We hope you are not one of the thousands of stranded travelers at the airports but if you are, we wish you the best in getting where you want to go as soon as possible.

Curb your spending!
There are going to be some incredible bargains after the holidays. In order to keep myself away from the stores I say – “do I really need this?” And “do we have the room?” Most of the time it is a resounding no!  If you think your spending is not optimal, there are online tools you can use to do a better job of budgeting such as Mint and Wesabe. You can use their budgeting tools and discuss strategies with active online communities. It may be that you find out those extra take out meals or that additional night out at the movies and dinner is costing just a little too much at the current time and if you cut back, your savings could exceed more than $500 a year.

Credit cards
Yes we all know we need to cut back on credit cards. Easier said than done? Try shifting everything over to your debit card. If you are carrying a large balance and have good credit try getting a balance transfer and a lower interest credit card. But pay them off whether you have transferred the balance or not. And while looking for those lower interest cards, assess your lifestyle. There are so many cards that offer value added perks such as cash back, gasoline discounts etc. - you can select one that best meets your needs.

How’s your driving?
If it’s good you could always up your deductable so that the annual premium is lower. You could also do this on your dental and medical if you have not signed up for your annual plan. It’s really a lifestyle choice and an assessment of whether you can afford the deductable if you have to use is, vs. the ongoing higher premiums.

Receive more money in your paycheck
If you think you are going to get money back for this year you might want to reassess your
W-4. It’s wonderful getting the tax refund – makes you want to jump for joy, but you could have been using that money throughout the year rather than waiting until the first quarter of 2009 to receive the money back. There are really good online tools you can use to determine whether you could take more exemptions and therefore have more take-home pay each paycheck.

This holiday season I requested edible gifts – we can all enjoy them, they are relatively inexpensive and we don’t have to worry about finding the space for them!  Have a very Happy Holiday with your loved ones. And hopefully you are not stuck with the horrible holiday weather holdups.

The Fourth of July is up there with Halloween as one of my favorite holidays. I love it so much that I have a Thomas Rebek water-color of the Boston Esplanade hanging in my bedroom. The weather is usually perfect, you often get a four day weekend of freedom from work, and the food… doesn’t everyone love barbecues?

There is only one problem, it can get expensive. As WCCO TV reports, food, fireworks, and travel are going to be more expensive this year. Everyone knows about the food and the travel expenses, but I was surprised to learn that fireworks are up 30%. I think you should skip the fireworks and leave it to the city. No only are they illegal in many states - why would you pay 30% for the privilege of losing a finger?

How can you lower the cost of the Fourth of July and still have fun? It helps to get creative. Here are a few tips:

Look to the Community
I noticed that a neighboring town is having a full day of activities starting at 8AM and carrying through to the 9:30PM fireworks. Activities are family friendly and this one includes a pancake breakfast, parades, dog shows, four concerts, and of course a barbecue. I’m sure the barbecue and pancake breakfast are going to cost a nominal fee, but they are for good charities. Chances are you live near a community that has similar activities.

Throw a Pot-Luck Barbeque
My mother always said that many hands make light work. When it comes to the Fourth of July, many wallets make for a cheap party. Get a bunch of friends and throw a party. Everyone should bring something. If you get enough people, each person can take advantage of bulk purchases at warehouse stores such as Costco. You can save a lot of money by buying 40 hamburgers at one time. If you are looking for some cheap foods, here is a great list of frugal Fourth foods (say that five times fast). As a final tip: Don’t get stuck as the guy who has to buy the beer if invited.

Try not to Travel, but…
If your plans involve traveling and it’s too late to change your plans, you can at least look to travel cheaper. Look for some ways to save on fuel. While on the road, keep your eyes open for cheap eats along the way. I recommend Taco Bell’s Fresco Menu - for around a dollar you can get a choice of a few options that are high in protein and low in fat. Lastly, please don’t add to any credit card debt to celebrate the Fourth of July. Credit cards can charge more than 20% interest, which compounds extremely fast.

You can skimp on a number of things; just don’t skimp on the fun.

Photo Credit: 1

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Lazy Man has been a lender at Prosper since February 2006. He is the author of the personal finance blog, Lazy Man and Money (where he wonders Is MonaVie a Scam?) and the health and fitness blog, Lazy Man and Health (extolling the virtues of Beer as a Healthy Drink).

If you’re considering taking a vacation this year, it may be a smarter idea to get a personal loan than rely on high interest rate credit cards. Rising gas prices have made travel almost prohibitive and you can easily run up a huge bill just filling your tank. Summer is the time to kick back and relax, not worry about how much you’re going to have to spend just to have fun.

A lot of people make the mistake of using their credit cards to pay for their vacations, not realizing how much interest they’ll be paying over the long term. When you join Prosper, you’ll be getting access to a new type of personal loan, one where you set the interest rates. If you’re credit is solid, p2p lending is the latest way to gain access to unsecured loans with great interest rates.

The entire process of using Prosper is incredibly easy and won’t take more than a few minutes. You’ll find that it is much easier than going to the bank. With today’s economic crises, getting a personal loan from a bank for your next vacation can be incredibly complicated, and few banks are willing to offer unsecured loans at this time.

If you’re ready to take that vacation, but you’re running out of options when it comes to funding it, p2p lending may just be the answer you’re looking for. With access to lenders all over the United States that are looking to provide you with great terms and a reasonable amount of time to pay back the loan. Suddenly, going on a vacation doesn’t seem that stressful or expensive.

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer. There are many options available to you that will save you time and money. Instead of falling back on your credit cards and relying on them for your next vacation, consider going with a p2p lender with a great track record.

Prosper has much to offer for travelers and getting a personal loan is very easy. Once you set up your request, you’ll receive bids from lenders that would like to offer you a loan. It’s up to you to pick the terms you want to pay. You’re completely in control and will have many options available for personal unsecured loans at great rates. P2P lending is quickly becoming the wave of the future.