CheapTweet Blog

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite parts of summer is travel. It probably stems from childhood, when my family would take long road trips to all kinds of fun (and often educational) destinations. As an adult, I look forward to summer trips to the beach, long weekends driving around the state, and visits to see friends and family.

The only problem with summer travel is that it can be expensive! With transportation, accommodations, entertainment, food, and everything else, vacations can cost a lot of money. So here are a few ways to keep costs lower when traveling this summer.

1. Look for vacation rentals and home swaps.

Instead of going straight for a hotel, see if you can find a more creative and cheaper place to stay. Vacation and home rentals are wonderful deals – they’re usually less expensive than a hotel and give you a lot more space. If you’re traveling to a popular travel desination like a beach or mountain town, there will likely be hundreds of homes and condos for rent. You’ll get a full kitchen, lots more living space, and many rentals have amenities like board games, beach chairs, bikes and other fun stuff. Check out VacationRentals.com.

Or, you might consider participating in a home exchange (also known as home swap) program. Essentially you let someone stay in your home while you’re on vacation and stay in theirs (or someone else’s). You’re not the only one who wants to save money on their summer vacation, and it’s a great way to really experience how locals live. Start with HomeExchange.com or your destination’s Craigslist site.

2. Don’t rule out flying to your destination.

Gas prices tend to rise in the summer, and driving almost always ends up being more expensive than you plan for it to be, after you calculate the cost of repairs, wear and tear, an extra oil change and other pre-travel service. And lately, airlines have been running a lot of fare sales, so you might be able to fly to your destination for less than you could drive. Of course, once you factor in rental cars and transportation to and from the airport, flying is likely to be the more expensive option, but if you’re heading somewhere more than four hours from your house, just check around first for discounts on airfare. You never know what you might find.

Also, check out Yapta.com for tracking price drops in airfares. I personally used it to keep track of flights to Las Vegas this spring and saved almost $100 on my plane ticket (which I promptly lost in slot machines once I got to Vegas!).

3. Get a parks pass.

The United States has numerous national and state parks, and they are definitely worth checking out this summer. Summer is a great time to get outside, and there’s bound to be a park in or near your travel destination.

Most of these parks charge entrance fees, usually per vehicle. However, you can purchase a year-long pass that grants to entrance to all parks in the system for one price. If you’re going to visit more than a few parks in a year, this could be a great deal. The national parks pass is $80. State park passes are cheaper (for example, a Texas parks pass is $60). And most state and national parks also have deal days when entrance fees are reduced or waived (for example, park entrance fees are 75% off in Florida on Father’s Day).

4. Go camping.

Speaking of getting outside this summer, camping can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re vacationing with a group. It’s a great way to get away from your house without spending a fortune on a hotel. If you don’t consider yourself an outdoors person, many campgrounds have cabins for rent and actual indoor showers and toilets. KOA campgrounds in particular have a ton of amenities and some of them even have Airstream trailers and other unique accommodations to rent. Plus, there’s nothing better than s’mores made over a real campfire after a day hiking and swimming outside.

5. Explore locally.

No matter where you live, there’s bound to be fun things to do nearby. Instead of taking one long vacation to a far-flung destination, take day or weekend trips in your area to save on transportation and lodging costs. CheapTweet is headquartered in Austin, Texas and there is so much to do within a few hours of our office. For example, we could take a dip in a swimmin’ hole, go on a wildlife safari, hike through Hill Country, visit art museums, tour wineries, experience the Alamo, see dinosaur tracks, visit the Gulf coast, and so much more. All of this is within three or four hours of our office! If you haven’t spend much time exploring your town or state, summer is a great time to be a tourist in your own home. I bet you’ll find something you never expected.

6. Use coupons.

Before you go, check for coupons or discounts for the attractions you plan to visit. We often see coupons for theme parks like Busch Gardens and Six Flags on CheapTweet, but you should also check the attraction’s website. Or, a month before you leave, sign up for email newsletters from the places you plan to visit; most places send out discounts in their newsletters. Just check for a coupon or sale before you buy. Those savings can add up.

Bonus! Remember that you get what you pay for.

The New York Times has a great article about how to protect yourself from travel scams. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Just make sure you read the fine print, pay attention to deadlines and expiration dates, and get everything in writing. Because, no matter how much money you save, it’s not worth getting ripped off!

Do you have any advice or tips on how to save money on summer travel? We’d love to hear them – leave them in the comments!

We’ve built CheapTweet with shoppers and deal-hunters in mind. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find exactly the deals, coupons, and discounts you’re looking for, whenever you want them. Here are five ways to get a personalized deal experience with CheapTweet.

1. Set up your DealStream

The CheapTweet DealStream is a personalized feed of deals built just for you. The DealStream automatically monitors all the thousands of deals we find every day and keeps tracks of the ones you might like – you just have to tell it a little about what you like. And then only the most relevant deals are displayed in your DealStream, which you can access from CheapTweet.com or via an RSS feed. Your DealStream is updated all the time, so there are always new deals for you.

Sign up for a CheapTweet account to get your DealStream set up. It’s a quick and easy process, and there are more details here about how to set up and use your DealStream.

2. Search for a keyword or product

If you’re looking for a coupon for a specific item or store, use our search function to find that particular coupon. You can search for any kind of keyword, product name, store or brand, etc… Just type what you’re looking for into the search box and see what kinds of deals we can find for you.

3. Browse by category

Sometimes you just feel like browsing, right? We’ve organized all our deals into categories. Try looking around at some of our most popular deals in a category and see if there’s anything you like. For example, check out our Fashion and Beauty category. There are a lot more categories on CheapTweet, for everything from TV & Video to Pets to Travel (and so many more!). You can get to any category from the top navigation menu on CheapTweet.com.

4. Follow your favorite merchant

Each store, merchant, and brand has its own page on CheapTweet.com. This is the fastest way of looking through a merchant’s official deals and seeing what kinds of sales are going on now. Some of our favorites include Old Navy, Starbucks, DSW Shoes and Home Depot. There are thousands of merchants on CheapTweet, so look around for your favorites. We link to their websites and to their Twitter accounts, so it’s easy to purchase from them or follow them on Twitter.

5. Ask us for help

We are always here if you have any questions! If there’s something you’re looking for but can’t find, just ask. We’re happy to help and are available on Twitter and Facebook, and of course by email.

This post is the second in a two-part series where Jenn and Heather discuss ways to save money while still having a very special Mother’s Day. In this post, Heather (who writes the Happy Hatchling posts) shares her thoughts on having a wonderful Mother’s Day without spending any money at all. In part one, Jenn wrote about how to save money on Mother’s Day.

I, HappyHatchling Heather, have never been a huge fan of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Valentine’s Day. Now that I am a mother, my views on the “Day” haven’t changed, but my appreciation for my own mother has grown exponentially. I feel as if creating one day out of the whole year to acknowledge all that mom does for us is just not enough. Additionally, the stereotypical Mother’s Day gifts of cards and flowers are not very personal. However, I do love the idea of doing something simple to say “We love and appreciate you, Mom.” Here are some ideas that would melt my heart and don’t cost a cent.

Disclaimer: My views are not shared by every woman… If your wife/mom loves cards and flowers, then by all means make her happy! And go read Jenn’s gift ideas for Mom.

Give Mom a Nice Meal

Make Mom dinner AND clean the dishes! This is an especially good option if your wife does all the cooking. Try making her a favorite dish and if you have older kids they can help out too. But don’t forget the dishes! Nothing says, “Mom, I love you” like a clean kitchen.

Give Mom a Gift

Give Mom the warm fuzzies. Instead of giving Mom a card, reminisce with your wife about becoming a mom, or your favorite family memories with your mother. Moms love hearing you (dads and kids) talk about your feelings. Make their hearts melt by taking a minute to fondly remember and talk about your family’s future hopes and dreams.

Let Mom Relax and Sleep

Let mom sleep in… In peace and quiet! If you are short of time and money for a real vacation (like Jenn suggests), just give Mom the morning off. Dads/Husbands- When the kids wake up, get them out of the house. Go for a walk or get breakfast out so Mom can sleep in without hearing babies crying or breakfast bowls clanging. This is an especially appealing option for those new moms who desperately need sleep. Oh, and maybe make a quick stop for her morning coffee when she wakes. (If you go to church early on Sunday mornings, try celebrating Mother’s day on Saturday instead so she doesn’t get her lazy morning cut short.)

Share Memories of Mom with Photos

Organize the digital photo library. We have thousands of photos, but they are all on the computer. Sort through the photos (organize the photos for extra bonus points) and pull out 10-30 of the best shots. Make a photo presentation or slide show, and then together pick out a handful to frame and put up in the house. You don’t have to go look for a new frame, just replace pictures that are already up that are feeling outdated. Your wife or mom will love having the best photos visible and accessible.

What are some of your favorite Mother’s Day gifts or memories? We’d love to hear them!

Heather and her daughter

This post is the first in a two-part series where Jenn and Heather discuss ways to save money while still having a very special Mother’s Day. Up first: Jenn shares a few Mother’s Day money-saving tips. Tomorrow: Heather will discuss having a great Mother’s Day without spending any money at all.

Mother’s Day is coming up soon! It’s time to show Mom how much you care about her. Here are some tips for saving money while still giving Mom a great day (tomorrow, Heather is going to take it one step further and explain how we can celebrate without spending any money!). And for fun, I included a picture of my mom with my sister and me at the end of the post (happy Mother’s Day, Mom!).

Give Mom a Nice Meal

Why not take mom to dinner to celebrate? If your mom is like my mom, she does a lot of the cooking at home, so she deserves a night out. You can go out for a nice meal without spending too much. Check out the gift certificates from restaurant.com – through April, you can buy a $25 gift certificate for only $2! If you don’t see your mom’s favorite restaurant in their inventory, try searching on CheapTweet for that restaurant. We find hundreds of meal discounts every week – from national chains to local places – so there’s bound to be something to please your mom.

Give Mom a Gift

Instead of spending a fortune on jewelry from the mall, buy your mom a lovely piece of handcrafted jewelry she will always cherish. Through sites like Etsy, it is incredibly easy to find beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind jewelry. What’s even better is that many of the artisans who sell their work on Etsy offer great sales around holidays like Mother’s Day. For example, you can get free shipping from vividcolors and clamzeeart, and 50% off from eNVeDesigns. There are tons more jewelry discounts and sales on CheapTweet.

Let Mom Relax and Sleep

If there’s only one thing your mom wants, it’s probably some rest. It’s not too late or too expensive to give your mom a weekend getaway. Travelzoo and VacationRentals.com are two great places to find discounts on accommodations, even at the last minute. To be restful, a weekend or night away doesn’t have to be far from home; look around for small towns within an hour of your mom’s house. There might even be hidden gems right in your town. Sometimes a little peace and quiet is the best gift of all.

Share Memories of Mom with Photos

One of the best ways to share some of your mom’s favorite photo memories is with a digital picture frame. Prices on these gadgets have dropped significantly in the past few years, and you can definitely find a good deal on one now. For example, here is a ViewSonic 9-inch frame for only $69.99 (normally $159.99). If your budget is a little tighter, try this Aluratek 7-inch frame that’s been marked down to only $29 (was $89.95). Preload some of your favorite pictures on the digital picture frame before giving it to your mom and she will love it.

If these ideas don’t inspire you, there are thousands more Mother’s Day deals on CheapTweet.com. Also, be sure to read Heather’s post about how to celebrate Mom without spending a cent. And happy Mother’s Day!

Jenn with her mom and sister

The following is a guest post from Emily Starbuck Gerson. Emily is a journalist and copywriter who lives in beautiful Austin, Texas. She is obsessed with travel, so she runs a blog, Maiden Voyage, in her free time as a fun excuse to spend more time thinking and talking about travel (follow @themaidenvoyage on Twitter). Emily is also an avid photographer.

Yapta.com

It’s a sickening feeling when you purchase an expensive flight, only to see it have a major price drop just days or weeks later. Yapta.com helps you save money both before and after you purchase a flight. On the front end, Yapta can help you track prices of a flight before you book. You tell Yapta which flights to track (you can also have it track hotel prices based on dates). When the prices drop to rates that will give you the best value, the site sends you an email so you know it’s prime time to book. Conversely, if you book airfare and the price later drops, Yapta will send you an alert letting you know that you are eligible for a refund from the airline you’re flying with (and it gives you instructions for claiming the credit for each airline). According to Yapta.com, the average annual savings per user is $334.16.

HomeExchange.com

Have you ever seen the movie “The Holiday,” in which an American woman and a British woman swap homes for the winter holidays? The site they use in the movie, HomeExchange.com, is real. You have to pay for a subscription for listing your home, but the fee is low, and it doesn’t cost any extra to actually swap homes. You create a listing with basic information about your home in addition to information about where and when you would like to travel. You can then search through the 32,000+ homes around the world and contact the owners of the homes you are interested in directly.

I know of one American family who wanted to go to Paris but were concerned about the price. They found a Parisian family wanting to visit their city in Massachusetts, and it worked out perfectly and saved them tons of cash by swapping. Some people will do a simultaneous swap, while others do not swap at the same time (perhaps one party has a second home, or is traveling somewhere else at the time). Some people swap for a few days at a time, while others swap for several months. Swapping homes is completely free – the two parties don’t exchange money. Some homeowners include their car for the guest. Some may ask that you take care of their pets, but that is not the norm.

CouchSurfing.org

It’s become a bit of a cliché, but CouchSurfing really is a great way to travel on the cheap if you are open to meeting new people. Anyone can join and create a profile for free. The site is primarily for people who are open to having out-of-town guests stay with them, or travelers who want a free, no-frill place to stay. The hosts don’t necessarily have to offer a couch – they may have a guest bedroom or an extra inflatable mattress. Some hosts like to hang out with their guests and show them all around town, while others simply want to give you a free place to crash and be left alone.

If the thought of sharing a home with a stranger freaks you out, you can also just use CouchSurfing to meet people during your travels. Many people have accounts and have indicated that they are not interested in hosting, but are happy to meet up for coffee or show a visitor around town. A free tour from a local is hard to beat. While it may sound a little sketchy, CouchCurfing has safety measures and vouching systems in place.

Email newsletters

Sign up for email newsletters for discount travel websites. Nearby every website sends out email newsletters these days, but only some are really worth receiving.

• ShermansTravel.com sends out a weekly email called “This Week’s Top 25,” which contains hard-to-beat, last-minute deals on hotel stays, cruises, and travel packages.
• TravelZoo.com sends out their Travelzoo Top 20® every week, which is similar to Sherman’s and covers some of the week’s best deals.
• AirFareWatchdog.com sends out weekly newsletters about dirt-cheap flights that leave from your chosen destination. These email newsletters are all very popular, so the deals sometimes sell out if you don’t act fast.

What are some of your favorite money-saving travel websites?

(Bed photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theredproject)

Andrew, the industrious CheapTweet mailroom clerk, is back with another reader letter. This week, Andrew answers a tough question about how to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that not-so-special someone.

If you missed the last post from the CheapTweet mailroom, watch it here.

Do you have your own question for Andrew? He reads emails, too, so feel free to send him your questions. Maybe he’ll read it in the next CheapTweet mailroom video! You can also follow Andrew on Twitter at @ishak.

Football season might be almost over, but there’s still one more big game. Which means you have one more chance to throw a Super Bowl party your friends will never forget. (Besides, if you’re like me, the party is much more important than the game itself!) Here are a few tips to help you keep your party costs low.

Stick to beer, soda and water.

You can almost always find discounts on beer and soda at your local grocery stores. Start checking for sales a week before, and you’re bound to find a good deal. Beer is actually one of the big loss leaders for many grocery stores; advertising beer discounts is a good way to get shoppers in the door, so you can almost always find a sale. Liquor and wine can take a big chunk out of your budget, so avoid those. But, if you and your guests really like mixed drinks, consider making a large batch of a signature cocktail instead of offering individual servings of a lot of different drinks. By the way, @FLSouthernSaver says to check CVS this week for great deals on soda.

Keep the food simple.

Instead of serving gourmet food with expensive ingredients, keep your menu a bit more basic. Good football food is finger food – think about dips and things on toothpicks. You can still be creative with simple (and affordable!) ingredients. @Todds_wife has a great idea for an easy and inexpensive game day appetizer. If you want to try some Super Bowl-themed dishes, check out @Diana512’s blog for lots of great party recipes. Finally, Heather (who writes our Hatchling posts) has a yummy recipe for mini tacos:

1. Arrange Tostito’s Scoops on a baking sheet
2. Put ground beef (or beans) and taco spices in the scoops
3. Sprinkle chips with cheese
4. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes til hot and cheese is melty
5. Add dollop of sour cream and salsa

Go potluck.

Why not encourage your guests to pitch in and bring a drink or dish to share? Football parties are perfect for a potluck. You could assign roles (one person is in charge of dessert, another in charge of chips, etc…), or just let everyone bring what they want. You’ll have lots of variety, and it guarantees that every person will like at least one thing on the table. As a bonus, you won’t have to do all the cooking.

Order pizza.

Lots of pizza companies offer game day specials, so check around for a good deal. It can be a fairly inexpensive way to feed a group, and pizza is always a crowd-pleaser, particularly with kids. Be sure you call around before game day to make sure you have a game plan (ha, get it?), to make sure you know which pizza places are offering the best deals. Check the sale flyers that come in the mail the week before, as lots of the larger pizza chains offer coupons there.

Stock up at the dollar store.

For your game day decorations and paper products, look at your nearest dollar store first. They usually have a great selection of color-coordinated plates, napkins, cutlery and party decorations, and it all costs only $1! Buy plates in your your favorite team’s colors and you’ve got an instant party theme, especially if your guests will be wearing team colors.

Buy a new TV.

Okay, this last tip doesn’t really help you save you money on your party. But if you’re looking for an excuse to shop for a new HDTV, the Super Bowl is a great time to do it. We’ve found a lot of great TV deals the past couple weeks. So maybe we can save you a few hundred dollars on a nice new (and big) flatscreen TV.

Got any other money-saving tips for a great game day party? Leave a comment; we’d love to hear what you think. Enjoy your party!

From time to time, we like to check in with our mailroom clerk, Andrew Ishak, and see what sorts of mail we’re getting at CheapTweet headquarters. Here, Andrew gets a letter from a reader with a big problem, sending him on an investigation of how to save money by buying spices in bulk.

Got a question for Andrew? He reads emails, too, so feel free to send him your questions. Maybe he’ll read it in the next CheapTweet mailroom video!

If you like this video, be sure to check out Andrew’s other work. He produces Yakademics, a hilarious video series about the field of communication, and created a film called Out of Egypt, a documentary about Coptic American culture. You can also find him on Twitter (@ishak).

Valentine’s Day can be stressful and oh so expensive. There’s a lot of pressure to have the perfect romantic day; jewelry stores start running Valentine’s Day commercials right after Christmas, restaurant reservations are booked a month in advance, and roses get more and more expensive every day. But, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a memorable Valentine’s Day. Here are five ways you can save money this February 14th.

1. Cook dinner at home.

Eating Valentine’s Day dinner at a fancy restaurant can be very expensive, not to mention crowded. Instead, cook something at home. You can experiment with a new recipe or cook an old favorite. Add some candles and presto, a romantic, candlelit dinner! As a bonus, if you have special occasion china, this is a great opportunity to use it.

2. Skip the roses.

Around Valentine’s Day, the price of roses skyrockets, especially red ones. If you want to give flowers to your valentine, try another variety. There are so many beautiful kinds of flowers; roses are definitely not the only option. In fact, you could buy a potted plant and it will last even longer.

3. Buy handmade.

Why spend hundreds of dollars on overpriced chain store jewelry when you can buy a handcrafted, one-of-kind piece of jewelry for much less? Sites like Etsy offer so many beautiful choices and almost all of them are considerably less expensive than what you’ll find at the mall. Plus, you’ll be supporting an independent artisan.

4. Start a new tradition.

Instead of celebrating your love the same way everyone else does – flowers, candy, fancy dinner out – try something new. Think of something silly, fun or just different that you can do together, and make a commitment to do it every year. A friend of mine and her husband go to Waffle House on Valentine’s Day. They’ve been doing that for ten years, and it’s sweet and cheap! Check out the fun and inexpensive things you can do in your town. For example, there are a ton of free things to do if you live in the Bay Area and here are a few cheap dates ideas if you live in Austin.

5. Make your own cards and gifts.

One of the best ways to show your love and appreciation for your partner is by making a gift. Some of my favorite gifts have been made by the gift-giver. For example, think about making a photo album or scrapbook, a framed photo or artwork, a thoughtful note, and so on. Anything that reflects how you feel about your valentine or an important part of your relationship will work. Be creative!

Also, be sure to check out all the Valentine’s Day deals we’re finding on CheapTweet. From the biggest name brands to the smallest local and independent sellers, we’ve got the best sales, discounts and coupons for all your Valentine’s Day needs.

Whether you still have holiday shopping to do or you’ve been done for weeks, Thursday, December 17 is a great day to do some online shopping. December 17 is Free Shipping Day, and it’s one of the best days of the year to stock up on things you need (and maybe even things you don’t). You already know you can avoid the crowds, the lines, and the stress of stores by shopping online, and on December 17 you can also avoid paying for shipping.

Hundreds of online retailers are participating in Free Shipping Day by offering free shipping at their sites. And most of them will guarantee delivery by Christmas. We’re keeping track of all the free shipping offers on CheapTweet. com. And we’ll be posting some of favorite free shipping deals to Twitter from @CheapTweet.

So stay tuned for the best Free Shipping Day deals. And as always, happy shopping and happy saving!