It is interesting you point out experiences. That is one thing I have been okay with paying a premium for. Those are the things that you will always remember and that do not grow old and rust away.
John S @ Frugal Rules
I completely agree! Those experiences can be priceless and it’s always so fun to watch the little ones start to create them.
We’re doing NOTHING this year! (I’m having a baby. I hope today. We don’t do stay-away vacations with newborns.) My son’s going to Canada and China this year, though. 😛 Lucky kid!
John S @ Frugal Rules
Wow, I can understand why you would not be going any where this year! 🙂 Best wishes for a safe & healthy delivery!
I always go to southern California to visit my extended family during July 4th. Airfare is ridiculous because it’s a holiday weekend and everybody wants to go to the beach. One year, we flew into Orange County airport and started our vacation with a beach day. The flight was cheaper and we were guaranteed some time at the ocean. This year, I might have to get two one-way flights to save about $40 on the trip.
John S @ Frugal Rules
That sounds great Kendal! My wife is from San Diego and we go back every couple of years to visit her parents, so I can relate to the airfare. Starting the vacation with a beach day is never a bad thing in my book. 🙂
Living in Colorado there are so many places to explore and a ton of awesome camping spots to visit.
John S @ Frugal Rules
That there is Sean. I do have to admit that I am just a bit jealous. 😉
Stock trading
You can also make a collection of reward points which you get by using your credit card and use them while vacation planning. http://www.pipstoday.com/
We have an acre of grass, and a second acre of woods. Hiring out our lawn care would be gruesomely expensive.
We make sure to give our lawn only what it needs. We fave money by buying off-brand for some products, but we make sure that the fertilizer has the correct percent of slow-release, etc. I’m also going to bluegrass in front and back–poa supina in the shade and a regular bluegrass in the sun. I am SO tired of overseeding the fescues!
John S @ Frugal Rules
I would say so Jenny. I would hate to see what that would cost. 🙂 We follow some of the same things and buy generic where we can and not go over the top in terms of caring for it. As long as it looks half way decent, then we’re ok with that.
I have a small garden in my home and a beautiful lawn which me and my wife takes care of. It’s good pastime for us and also saves hundreds of dollars every month,. Thanks for your tips BTW!
John S @ Frugal Rules
We like to garden quite a bit as well to save money as well as to be able to eat healthier. What types of things do you grow in your garden?
Down here in South Florida, sometimes no AC is not an option. On top of having to keep it on, it will run much longer than normal to counteract the summer swelter. The best thing to do during these times (and yes this could save up to $100 per month depending on your home) is to put the thermostat closer to 80 than 70 and make good use of fans. 78 is the “recommended” thermostat setting, because the difference between 78 and 77 could mean as much as 25% more energy usage. It’s a fine line. Some AC units are energy hogs, but you’d be hard pressed to find a fan that eats up more than a couple bucks a month in energy.
Unless you are going to keep it off, never turn off your AC. If anything, raise it up to 80+ before you leave and put it back down to your desired temperature once you get home. This helps control the amount of moisture in your home and keeps the AC from running more than it has to.
I hear that. I’ve spent time around Fort Lauderdale and couldn’t imagine living without AC there. Here in Denver, it is dry so the heat doesn’t bother us as much.
Interesting that the difference between 77 and 78 could make such a big difference.
krantcents
Good points! I would add lower water temperature and use a cold water wash.
Good tips. I tried couchsurfing before. It’s cheaper and you get to meet and live with local people who can give you really good suggestions on where to go and what to do. Saved me a lot of money and would love to try it again.
It is interesting you point out experiences. That is one thing I have been okay with paying a premium for. Those are the things that you will always remember and that do not grow old and rust away.
I completely agree! Those experiences can be priceless and it’s always so fun to watch the little ones start to create them.
We plan on doing a lot of short camping trips this summer. Looking forward to it! 🙂
We camped a lot when I was growing up. However, I think we’ll wait until our little ones get a little older to try that out now. 🙂
We’re doing NOTHING this year! (I’m having a baby. I hope today. We don’t do stay-away vacations with newborns.) My son’s going to Canada and China this year, though. 😛 Lucky kid!
Wow, I can understand why you would not be going any where this year! 🙂 Best wishes for a safe & healthy delivery!
I always go to southern California to visit my extended family during July 4th. Airfare is ridiculous because it’s a holiday weekend and everybody wants to go to the beach. One year, we flew into Orange County airport and started our vacation with a beach day. The flight was cheaper and we were guaranteed some time at the ocean. This year, I might have to get two one-way flights to save about $40 on the trip.
That sounds great Kendal! My wife is from San Diego and we go back every couple of years to visit her parents, so I can relate to the airfare. Starting the vacation with a beach day is never a bad thing in my book. 🙂
Living in Colorado there are so many places to explore and a ton of awesome camping spots to visit.
That there is Sean. I do have to admit that I am just a bit jealous. 😉
You can also make a collection of reward points which you get by using your credit card and use them while vacation planning.
http://www.pipstoday.com/
We recently decided to hire out for our lawn care. We just don’t have enough time to do it, and the cost isn’t too bad.
It can be a wise move as long as you can afford it. The worst part of hiring it out was always dealing with their continuous attempts to sell to us.
We have an acre of grass, and a second acre of woods. Hiring out our lawn care would be gruesomely expensive.
We make sure to give our lawn only what it needs. We fave money by buying off-brand for some products, but we make sure that the fertilizer has the correct percent of slow-release, etc. I’m also going to bluegrass in front and back–poa supina in the shade and a regular bluegrass in the sun. I am SO tired of overseeding the fescues!
I would say so Jenny. I would hate to see what that would cost. 🙂 We follow some of the same things and buy generic where we can and not go over the top in terms of caring for it. As long as it looks half way decent, then we’re ok with that.
I have a small garden in my home and a beautiful lawn which me and my wife takes care of. It’s good pastime for us and also saves hundreds of dollars every month,. Thanks for your tips BTW!
We like to garden quite a bit as well to save money as well as to be able to eat healthier. What types of things do you grow in your garden?
I really love being able to keep our windows open when we can. Hopefully it’s not TOO hot of a summer!
We have our windows open right now!
Down here in South Florida, sometimes no AC is not an option. On top of having to keep it on, it will run much longer than normal to counteract the summer swelter. The best thing to do during these times (and yes this could save up to $100 per month depending on your home) is to put the thermostat closer to 80 than 70 and make good use of fans. 78 is the “recommended” thermostat setting, because the difference between 78 and 77 could mean as much as 25% more energy usage. It’s a fine line. Some AC units are energy hogs, but you’d be hard pressed to find a fan that eats up more than a couple bucks a month in energy.
Unless you are going to keep it off, never turn off your AC. If anything, raise it up to 80+ before you leave and put it back down to your desired temperature once you get home. This helps control the amount of moisture in your home and keeps the AC from running more than it has to.
I hear that. I’ve spent time around Fort Lauderdale and couldn’t imagine living without AC there. Here in Denver, it is dry so the heat doesn’t bother us as much.
Interesting that the difference between 77 and 78 could make such a big difference.
Good points! I would add lower water temperature and use a cold water wash.
That’s a good one. Changing your hot water heater temperature just a degree or two can save big money on your gas bill.
I love using Airbnb when I travel instead of booking a hotel. Renting someone’s home means you can cook as well which saves even more money!
Good tips. I tried couchsurfing before. It’s cheaper and you get to meet and live with local people who can give you really good suggestions on where to go and what to do. Saved me a lot of money and would love to try it again.
Thank you for the tips! I’m planning to get a vacation next summer and this post definitely helped me a great deal.