Archive for the ‘summer’ tag
It’s summer in CheapTweet Happy Hour #18
It’s summer! To celebrate our most favorite season, Hayes and I share some deals on fun summertime activities. The deals we talk about in the video are listed below.
What are your favorite things to do in the summer?
6 tips for saving money on your summer vacation
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!
The Happy Hatchling #11: Summer swims, part 1
In this edition of the Happy Hatchling, Heather – mom and CheapTweet guest blogger – shares a list of swim essentials. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!
Planning on taking a summer vacation? Do you plan on spending time at the pool? Don’t go unprepared! Here is a list of the essential items you need for going to the pool with your baby. Make sure you purchase these items before you go on vacation, because finding an infant float and swimming diaper can be difficult in a vacation spot or you’ll pay too much money (I know from experience)! Be safe and have fun!!!
1) Huggies Little Swimmers
The best way to stay welcome at the pool with your little one is to provide them with the correct swimwear (i.e., no one wants poop in the pool). These diapers were designed specifically for taking your kid swimming. If you take your kid swimming in his/her regular Huggies, they will fill to capacity with water. The Little Swimmers fit under your kid’s swimsuit and are disposable, which is great on vacation where you don’t have easy access to a washing machine. Washable swim diapers are also available and good for the pool close to home. Whether you have disposable or washable diapers, they all absorb some water so change your kid into a fresh diaper when she is done swimming to avoid diaper rash or chafing.
2) Sunscreen
Protect your child’s skin by always applying sunscreen. Look for sunscreen that has a high SPF (>30), and is waterproof and hypoallergenic.
3) An adorable bathing suit or a UV protective suit
Little kid swimsuits can be super cute so I have a hard time purchasing just one. The UV suits are not as fashionable, but they provide excellent sun protection and they have more coverage for the active infants or toddlers that like to play on the ground.
4) Swimming Pool Float
I’ve tried many swim floats with my daughter and the Swim School Baby and Me Combo Float (pictured) was my favorite because gives you a place to comfortably float alongside your kid. With this feature you can easily venture into the deep end and not struggle to stay next to your baby float. The only downside is that it does not come with an attached shade like the SwimWays Baby Spring Float with Sun Canopy.
Finally, if you want some reading material on introducing your kid to the water, check out this book: “Learn to Swim: Step-by-Step Water Confidence and Safety Skills for Babies and Young Children”.
What are some of your favorite pool or beach accessories for kids?