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Writing Wrap Up + Training A Spoiled Dog

Posted on May 24, 2013 // Writing Wrap Up

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another writing wrap up! I hope you enjoy all the great posts I’ve shared from other bloggers and a few I wrote myself. :)

Life Update

The hubs and I are trying to train our dog, Julep, to not sleep in our bed anymore. It’s not going so well. After 4+ years of snuggling with me every night, she’s not taking well to the change. From literally staring at us all night to howling as if she is dying while lying on the floor, it’s been a sleepless week.

This is actually something the hubs has been wanting all along. Of course, I found the two of them like this yesterday after a particularly long day at school, so I guess the joke’s on him:

The Hubs and Julep

Mentions

Thanks Travis, Bob, and Mackenzie for sharing my post about Life & Finances from this week. Glad y’all liked it! :)

Popular Posts That I Wrote For Others

A big thanks to those who hire me as a staff writer or welcome me as a guest poster! {virtual hug}

Are People Born Frugal?

How Much Money Should You Save For A Baby?

Should the Parents or the Couple Pay for the Wedding?

20 Ways to Save Money in Med School

Posts I Enjoyed By Other Bloggers

Cash Rebel completed the Yakezie Challenge, dropping his Alexa raking under 200,000 from over 2 million. Impressive! Congratulations!

There’s a good debate about engagement rings going on over at Girl Meets Debt. Did you get to pick out your own ring or did you get surprised?

Anna’s space cadet moments really made me laugh this week.

Kathleen has some mad interview skillz. I really enjoyed her post with Joe from The Free Financial Advisor.

Can we seriously all thank DC for his giveaway posts every Friday? They are super detailed and show just about every giveaway that’s happening on the Internet. If you’ve never seen one, ch-ch-check it out. It probably takes him forever to write them, and they benefit everyone.

Holly & Greg had a great post on how they make their marriage work. Loved it!

I definitely needed to read KK’s post this week. She’s all fired up about others paying off student loans. No excuses! I love it. I’ve had a few excuses creep into my mind regarding paying off my student loans, and it was just what I needed to read. Thanks KK!

Until Next Time, Let’s Stay In Touch!

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Have a great weekend, everyone!

Filed under Writing Wrap Up   ~  1 Comment
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Three Steps To Take When Booking Budget Travel

Posted on May 24, 2013 // Budget Travel
Traveling

By: Katerha

There are a million posts online about how to travel on a budget, score great airline deals, and find discounts on vacation packages, but the truth is, traveling on a budget is really up to the individual.

Essentially, it depends on how much you want to spend and what “budget” means to you. For some people, it could mean booking a three star hotel instead of a five star one. For others, it could mean flying standby and camping in a tent in a National Park. For me, it really is a combination of both. I really enjoy mixing in minimal and nice experiences whenever I go on vacation (remember that time I sweet talked my way into first class?)

When traveling, I might make myself sandwiches every day but splurge on a nice hotel room. Or, I might find a really cheap place to stay but get tickets to a cool show or have an expensive dinner out. This combination of budget friendly with some pops of fancy really works for me and has provided some awesome memories.

Anytime I am about to plan a vacation, I go through these steps:

1. Decide on Car or Airfare

Sometimes flying really is cheaper than driving. If you are trying to decide between driving or flying, sit down and calculate the miles you want to drive. Then calculate the average price of gas in your country. Think about toll roads, parking fees, etc. as well. If you are flying and need to use a car to get around, add in the cost of a rental. Go with whichever option works best for your time frame and budget.

2. Look For Coupons

I would never, ever book a hotel or buy tickets to a tourist attraction without looking online for deals and coupons first. Seriously, why would you ever book directly on a hotel website without first checking for coupons that can likely help you get over 50% off your booking? Even if you find a cheaper price elsewhere, some hotels will match or beat it, so it’s worth it to spend a few minutes doing research and trying to find the best deal.

3. Consider Buying A Package

I absolutely love looking at tons of different websites to find vacation packages. It’s actually my favorite part about planning a trip! Typically, when you combine airfare with hotels, you can get a big reduction on the price. Sometimes, I just like looking through all the different packages without a specific plan or place in mind. I often see good deals for resorts on neighboring islands to Grenada, and I’m always tempted to snatch them up!

Extra Tips: You can also significantly reduce the price you pay for flights by signing up for credit cards and receiving points. I’ve gotten 2 free international flights from using this method, but you just need to be sure you can pay them off in full at the end of each month!

So, now that I’ve shared mine, what are some of your favorite tips for traveling on a budget? Do you like to stay in nice hotels or eat a great restaurants or do you go all budget all the way?

Filed under Budget Travel   ~  3 Comments