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Travel & Entertainment

How To Avoid Hidden Travel Expenses

When you’re planning to take a trip, especially if it’s for leisure rather than work, you want to make sure that you are able to spend more money on things that you can do once you arrive rather than on the journey itself. For this reason, it’s wise to know about the many hidden expenses that tend to “pop up” while making travel plans.

Do you want to know what they are and more importantly, how you can avoid them? If so, we’ve enclosed five tips that can help you to keep more money in your pocket rather than spending it all on reservations at the airport, the rental car place or even at your hotel:

Make reservations online and purchase travel insurance. Just like with a lot of cable or cell phone companies, when you are booking a reservation and you would prefer to speak with a live agent, there tends to be a small processing fee. For this reason, you would be better off booking it yourself online. Just make sure that if you go with a travel deal website like Cheap Flights or Expedia that you purchase travel insurance. That’s because if you happen to miss your flight and you need to reschedule, without insurance, you can end up paying almost the same amount to rebook your flight.

February 23, 2013

Travel & Entertainment

5 Ways To Score Concert Tickets For Less

With the announcement of the Coachella lineup fans of live music have been reminded to turn their attention to summer concerts. The winter is comparably a slow time for music, but it’s also when some of the biggest shows of the year are announced. These are must-see events, where you never know what’s going to happen, just that the result will be glorious. But as much as you don’t want to miss the best concerts, tickets are very expensive, and with the fees tacked on top it can often get out of hand. So here are five ways you can score concert tickets for less.

First of all, get more involved with your favorite artists by joining their fan clubs. If you want to attend a rod wave concert, for example, you can also check out various ticket-selling websites and then you can see where Rod will be performing over the next several months. You can then select the time and location that works best for your schedule. Since many musicians now rely heavily on ticket sales as a core revenue stream, their promotional teams put far more energy into creating a vibrant fan club. And it isn’t only to disseminate information about tour dates. You will often get access to tickets in advance of the general sale, and will be able to buy them from the artists themselves. That will save you at least a few of the fees the larger ticket sellers tack on top of the face value.

February 9, 2013

Travel & Entertainment

Is A Boat A Bad Investment?

There’s no denying that a boat is an expensive toy to own. And yet, when you think about getting out on the ocean, opening up the throttle, and feeling the wind in your hair, you might be tempted to purchase one. But whether you have been an avid boater all your life or you are a motoring enthusiast looking for a new hobby, there are a few things you need to think about before you sink thousands of dollars into a boat. First, there are all different kinds of boats, so you’ll need to consider whether a sailboat, a speed boat, a pontoon boat, or a yacht is more your speed (just for example). But even beyond that, there could be drawbacks to such a weighty investment. Is it really worth it or is it a bad place to put your money? Here are just a few things you’ll want to consider before you rush out and buy your captain’s hat and deck shoes.

Some boats, like a canoe, for example, are not terribly expensive. And if you get a lot of personal use out of them it’s well worth the money because of the use value (the more you use it the greater the value, on a cost-per-use basis). But if you’re dropping the same dough as you might on a Mercedes or even a Ferrari, you’re going to need to take a harder look at whether or not the boat you’re buying is going to deliver the use value you’re seeking. Now, if you have the money to waste, perhaps there’s nothing to stop you from making such a pricy purchase, even if it will only get infrequent use. But if you’re counting every penny, you’ll need to consider related costs, as well as the potential resale value when you gauge the relative soundness of the investment.

February 3, 2013

Travel & Entertainment

5 Things You Can Get For Free On Your Birthday

We all love to get something for nothing and there’s no day of the year better suited to nabbing freebies than your birthday. You might be surprised to learn just how many businesses offer free fare to those celebrating the day they were born. But when you consider that going into any kind of shop will likely result in you spending money, especially if you have a birthday entourage with you, it make more sense. By offering you incentive to show up on your special day the business stands to make money they might otherwise have missed out on. Of course, this is still good news for you since you can definitely use the knowledge to your advantage when your birthday rolls around. Here are just a few of the dozens of types of giveaways you can get when celebrating the day of your birth.

Food, drinks, and dessert. There’s simply no way to count the number of restaurants, bars, and other food service establishments that will give you free fare when you come in on your birthday. But here are a few you’ll probably want to check out. You can start your day at Denny’s with a Grand Slam breakfast and then head to Starbucks for a flavored coffee drink to top it off (provided you’ve registered your Starbucks card and added your date of birth). For lunch you can head to El Torito for a birthday entrée and then wind up the night with food and amusement at a Benihana’s Teppan table (thanks to a $30 birthday gift certificate when you join the “Chef’s Table”) or Medieval Times, which provides a free feast and tournament to birthday boys and girls of all ages. And of course, numerous restaurants offer free dessert to patrons who come in on their birthday.

February 1, 2013

Travel & Entertainment

5 Ways To Save Money When You Book A Cruise

Cruising has become one of the most popular vacation options over the past couple of decades. While not much has changed when it comes to seafaring technology since World War II you wouldn’t know it when you first step foot upon a modern cruise ship. These things are marvels of technology and entertainment. You’ll find food that rivals Michelin-rated restaurants, world-class entertainment, Wi-Fi lounges that work even in the middle of the ocean and even a rock climbing wall. You get it all, plus stops at some of the most spectacular ports of call in the world. You can see most of the Caribbean or the Mediterranean in a week’s time on a cruise, and there’s something for the whole family to enjoy. All of that value aside, you’re still going to want to be as frugal as possible. It’s just a necessity these days. So here are five ways to save money when you book a cruise.

First of all, book as early as you can. A state-of-the-art cruise ship is literally a floating resort, and the line loses money if a ship departs with empty cabins. They’ll want to fill as many spots as they can, as early as possible. So keep tabs on the schedule and try to book your trip as much as six months in advance. You’ll find the cheapest rates that way.

You can also save money on a cruise vacation by traveling in a group. The larger your party, the deeper the discount they’ll be willing to give you. If you’ve got children in the party you might find even more savings. Many cruise lines will book children under a certain age for free or for a steep savings, to encourage the rest of the family to come along.

January 28, 2013

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