How to Plan a Cheap and Romantic Honeymoon

"Just Married": 1948 in Worthington,... 

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A honeymoon is a vacation that will be memorable for years to come, and it is a big part of the new life as a married couple. Having time to spend with just each other in a relaxed atmosphere can lead to good communication and enjoying the company of the partner. However, planning a honeymoon can be very expensive, especially if choosing a tropical location or somewhere that is quite far away.

Taking an inexpensive honeymoon doesn’t have to mean cutting back on luxury, however. Once engaged, couples can immediately start browsing websites or meeting with travel agents, because booking early can mean big savings. Some resorts offer all-inclusive packages, which can end up being much cheaper than budgeting for multiple meals in different restaurants, plus airfare, transportation to and from the airport, and lodging. Many hotels and restaurants will also offer extras to couples on their honeymoons, such as free drinks or desserts, or even a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite. Talking to travel agents can be a way to save, since these individuals often have access to discounts that can’t be found online. They are often able to score perks as well.

Some people choose to register for their honeymoon expenses, so that friends and family members can contribute to the cost instead of purchasing a gift. This can help to alleviate the burden of paying for a dream honeymoon, while still enjoying a wonderful vacation with a brand new spouse. Some people might argue that a honeymoon isn’t necessary, but it is one of the best ways to begin life together in a stress-free and enjoyable atmosphere for both parties.

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Going to South by Southwest? 3 Tips to Save Cash & Stress

The second largest state, Texas, is only 40% o...

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South by Southwest is a big music festival held in Austin, Texas every March. This is a great way to hear and experience new and upcoming bands, popular sounds, and innovative underground trends. If you’re planning on attending, use these tips to plan your budget accordingly to make sure that six dollar bottle of water won’t break the bank.

Save on Lodging

One of the biggest expenses during this festival is the cost of lodging. Hotels and resorts raise their rates when expecting a sell-out crowd. Instead of attempting to arm wrestle a hotel chain to avoid exorbitant rates, consider renting a home. HomeAway has a large selection of homes to choose from in the Austin area. These are either full-time residences or vacation homes, and you get the extra benefit of affordable rental rates. During a stressful vacation, nothing is better than returning to the peace, quiet, and privacy of an actual home when your busy day is over.

When selecting a rental property, choose to be as close or as far away from the action as you want. Parking is already established, and your entire party will have the exclusive use of any included amenities like washers and dryers, showers, and maybe even a pool. This is a great way to eliminate some of the stress associated with attending a large event.

Additional Savings

Try these additional tips to eliminate stress and save cash while attending this exciting event:

  1. Bring your own food. There is nothing wrong with brown bagging your lunch for the day. Since you will have access to a kitchen, you ng opportunity, as food and beverages at the event are marked up significantly.
  2. Take pictures, and not a t-shirt. Pictures can last forever, but that high priced t-shirt only has 20 good washes in it. Souvenirs are one of the biggest money makers at these events. Many people are shocked to see a one dollar undershirt with a silk-screened design priced at $30 dollars or more. Take your time when deciding what to purchase. This can be an expensive endeavor, and one that can be easily avoided.
  3. Come early and stay late, or not. This festival is hopping all day long, so your arrival time is up to you. By staying close to the action, you could be within walking distance from the festival. This is the biggest stress reliever as you can avoid the parking fiasco, enter when you’re ready, and even sleep in if you so choose.

Saving time and money is everyone’s biggest concern, not just the weary traveler. Consider renting a home rather than a hotel room. This allows you more freedom and privacy, so when you are tired, you can return to your home away from home to simply relax and recharge. Use the cost saving tips listed above to turn this potentially expensive endeavor into a cost-effective adventure. If you can return home with your savings account and credit rating intact, your memories of this music-lover’s paradise will be even sweeter.

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Maintenance is Cheaper than Repairs

Everyone has either seen it, heard about it, or experienced it. Someone is driving along on their vacation and the car breaks down. Usually this happens at the worst possible moment, with no civilization for 50 miles in either direction and no cell phone reception. Maybe you have not had this happen to you, but you can imagine how it would feel to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with a car that hasn’t had an oil change in the past 15,000 miles. While it might seem like a very bad thing to be stranded so far from civilization on your vacation it is still very bad for this to happen even if you are in the middle of a city, especially if you are driving your own vehicle. After all, vehicle repairs can be very expensive and that is one thing you do not want to have to deal with during your vacation. The best way to avoid this situation is to simply keep your vehicle properly maintained. This is actually rather easy to do and will usually not take too much out of your wallet, especially not when compared to the consequences of not maintaining your vehicle. Simply changing your oil regularly (most mechanics and car owner’s manuals say every 4,000-7,500 miles is recommended), having a mechanic check out any problems you encounter, unless you are able to do so yourself, and getting a regular inspection of your vehicle every couple years can keep your vehicle from breaking down at the worst possible moment. If you really want to enjoy your vacation and plan to drive your car or truck very far then you might want to consider having a mechanic give your vehicle a quick check. No one likes to be stuck in the break down lane, but it is exceptionally bad to be stuck on the side of the road during your vacation.

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One is the Loneliest Number

There are many things to remember to bring when packing to travel. You need to pack the obvious things such as clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, possibly shampoo, maybe a book or some other form of entertainment, and a handful of other necessities. But, there is one thing that many people have found is one of the most important thing to bring on a trip: Someone else. Whether you plan to be gone for 2 days on a short getaway or for 3 weeks on a business trip it is always a better experience when there is someone else there to experience it with you. Of course, who you bring will be different depending on what kind of trip you are taking.

If you are simply taking a couple days as a getaway from life then you might consider bringing either one or two close friends with you or possibly a significant other. Bringing too many people or bringing children and family with you can be tiring and be counterproductive on a relaxing getaway, but spending the time with a friend or two or a significant other can still be very relaxing and can still be a good escape from life. On the other hand, if you are going away for a few weeks or a month on a business trip then you may consider trying to get your family or several friends to come with you, at least for part of the time. Even if they have to leave after a few days or a couple weeks it is still much more fun if you can spend a little while with friends and family. While it might seem exhausting to bring family or even friends on a trip that you imagined as being relaxing, it can be very fun and more exciting with others there to share the trip with you.

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The Places You Will Go

Sometimes one of the most difficult parts of planning a vacation is deciding where to go. After all, there are about a billion-and-one things that would be exciting to see and there are a lot of things that go into making the decision: Costs, preferences, time of year, landmarks, and a million other things. With all these things to take into consideration and too many places to choose from it can seem almost impossible to decide on a vacation destination. While it does usually end up coming down to where you really want to go and where you can afford to go to, it might be helpful to take a look at some of the most popular vacation sites.

Stonehenge in the United Kingdoms is considered one of the most popular vacation places on Earth and is in the UK with many other vacation sites, such as London and Scotland. Many places to visit can be found in The United States, such as the Grand Canyon, New York City, Las Vegas, the St. Louis arch, the Great Lakes, the Hawaiian Islands, and the many sports arenas, fields, and bowls. Also in the Americas are popular places such as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Mexico City, and Cancun. For a more Eastern feel you might try visiting the Great Wall of China, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. Or, another popular vacation site is the Great Barrier Reef around Australia.

The many places to go are limited only by your imagination. There are so many different and unique places to go in the world that it is almost impossible to not find the perfect place to take your destination. All you have to do is look for the destination that is right for you. After all, the world is a very big place and there are countless cultures, customs, people, and sites to see.

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Some Useful Travel Tricks And Tips

If you are the kind of person who would like to go on a holiday but are concerned about your budget there are many options available which would make it possible for you to tot around your favorite destination on a shoe string budget provided you are able to plan it properly and are open to learning some common tricks and tips pertaining to cheap yet enjoyable travel.
First thing you should be doing is to check out on the cheapest mode of travel when budget is a constraint for you. There are many cheap airline travel options available provided you plan the travel well in advance. Or if your funds do not permit travel by air, you could have comfortable travel by train or by road. But remember you would be spending en-route rail and road travel and if this more or less equals the air travel expenses it would make better sense to travel by air.
The next important component which accounts for a lot of money is without doubt your hotel stay expenses. Staying in hotels could be very expensive. So try for those guest rooms at YWCA or YMCA where the rates could be dirt cheap and the facilities could also be not bad at all. Many such hostels even allow self cooking or eating outside. This will help you to save lot of money. Develop the habit of finding out some cheap, healthy and good eating joints, just by taking a stroll and finding it out all by yourselves. You can really save a lot of money on food if you are careful and are informed.
Now that you are in the place where you want to spend the holidays, you need to move around a lot to see places. Always try and keep the children in the back seat. The biggest mistake many of us make while holidaying is that we opt for cab as a mode of travel within the city. Avoid this even if budget is not a problem. Make it special by keeping your travel plans in order.

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