Saving $$$ for your Dream Vacation

Posted: August 23, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Money, Tips and Advice | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The summer is almost over and I didn’t travel anywhere, except to Niagara Falls.  My last “big” vacation was to Paris in 2006 –  four years ago! I’ve traveled to Las Vegas, Cuba, NYC, Chicago and Orlando between 2006 and now but I don’t consider those my “big” vacations. My next “big” vacation, if all goes well, will be to Asia next year. Fingers and toes crossed man! I’m excited to go there, and haven’t really started to plan anything yet because I still need to get my finances in order. If you’re trying to save money for your “big” trip or dream vacation, here are some tips you can follow:

1. Cooking at home – I love, love, love to eat out but as you know, if you eat out too much it can add up and you start to break the bank. Plus, it’s healthier to eat at home, ’cause who knows what kind of ingredients are going into your food.  This past weekend I went to a restaurant and ordered pasta and it tasted like they used ketchup as the pasta sauce with lots of salt. It was pretty nasty!

2. Have a separate account for travel savings – It’s just so much easier when you have a separate account for travel. It’s easier to keep track of and easier to see how much you’ve saved.

3. Borrow books and DVD’s at the library – I like to read and of course watch movies. The library near my house has a pretty good selection and if they don’t have what I’m looking for, I can always request it and they let me know when it’s ready for pick up. As I said in one of my earlier posts, it’s a great way to get all our travel guides..for free!

4. Smart shopping – Before I buy most things, I tend to have a conversation with myself “Do you really need this?” Most of the time I don’t, so I end up putting the item back. I’ve also started to buy things at garage sales and thrift stores. I bought a really cute black clutch purse at a garage sale for $1.00! Not only do you save money by shopping at thrift stores, you’re also being environmentally friendly! Think about it!

5. Get a Travel Rewards Credit Card – I still need to apply for one, but this is on my list of to-do’s. A travel rewards credit card is a great way to use your reward points towards hotels and flight costs. Click here to read more about it.

Happy Saving!

The Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards in Canada

Posted: July 20, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Honeymoons, Money, Reviews, Tips and Advice, Top 10 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking about applying for a travel reward credit card for some time now. I ALWAYS pay my credit card bills on time and getting a free trip with my points sounds good to me.  You would think this travelhugger would already have one but I’m loving my free groceries with my PC mastercard. But I figured since I’m planning a big trip next year, might as well apply for a travel rewards credit card right?!  So I did some investigating and I didn’t realize how many different travel rewards credit cards are out there.  According to Rewards Canada, there are about 60 travel rewards credit cards. Now I don’t have time  to research all 60 so thankfully Rewards Canada compiled a list of the Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards in Canada for 2010. Now I need to decide on which one to apply for…decisions..decisions…

p.s. if you’re planning on getting married next year, I would sign up for a travel rewards card ASAP and put all the wedding costs on the credit card. You could probably get a free honeymoon or a free flight for your honeymoon with all the points you will get. I would only recommend this to people who ALWAYS pay the full amount of their credit card bill on time. You wouldn’t want to call Gail from “Til Dept do us Part” to help you get out of credit card debt!


Do you have a travel reward card? What are the pros and cons of your card?

Planning your Honeymoon

Posted: June 29, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Honeymoons, Money, Tips and Advice | Tags: , | Leave a comment

My good friend, littlebrownbride, asked me to do a blog post for her about planning a honeymoon. This is my very first guest post! woohoo! Thanks for asking me to do this post for your blog littlebrownbride!

Check it out here!

To all those coming from littlebrownbride, welcome to my blog! Feel free to subscribe and follow me on twitter @travelhugger.

Peter Greeenberg’s 10 Best Travel Secrets

Posted: June 14, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Money, Tips and Advice | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

You decided where you want to go for your vacation but you realize that you may not have enough money for your dream vacation. Read Peter Greenberg’s 10 Best Travel Secrets.

Free Travel Books…..at the Library!

Posted: June 5, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Money, Tips and Advice | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon and my husband and I decided to go to the library/community centre near our house.  Now because I’m a Travelhugger, you know what section I went to first.  I picked up three travel guides and two books on finding cheap airfares.  So go to your local library and check out their travel section. I mean why wouldn’t you when it’s FREE!  That’s $20-40 you can save and you can use that money  for a meal on your trip!  As my mom says “Every dollar counts”.

Oh and I borrowed some movies too.  I love it when I don’t have to spend money on books and entertainment!