Here is the next installment of EML‘s Tightwad Tuesday.

We just took a vacation to CA for my brother’s wedding so I thought I would compile a short list of some of the way we keep our cost down while on vacation.
1. Don’t just look at discount sites for airline tickets, but also check the companies site directly for sales. We usually fly Jetblue or Virgin America since they have direct flights and it is almost always cheaper to buy directly from them. Virgin America was actually having a sale on round trip tickets from DC to CA for $160 round trip!
2. Do some reach for your destination spot and see if they have any “off season.” We usually fly to CA in the colder months
(January-March) since airline tickets and car rentals seem to be cheaper then.
3. When I am looking for a hotel, I always make sure it comes with a free breakfast. I am actually surprised at some hotel’s free breakfast since it is like going to a sit down restaurant.
4. Get a hotel room that comes with a fridge and microwave so you can bring and prepare your own food. For our honeymoon, we stayed in an extended stay hotel and it came with a complete kitchen! We saved quite a bit of money by packing our lunch and making our dinner. It was nice to go out a few times on our honeymoon, but I actually preferred the homemade food.
5. Think about going on vacation with a group of people to help cover cost.
a. When you have a group of people you can see about renting a house in the area rather than staying in a hotel. However, renting a house usually requires week long stays.
b. Carpooling will help you save money on gas.
7. Most cities have tourist websites so check out what free things you can do in the area.
8. Set a budget of what you can spend on the vacation and stick to it.
If you are the type that always goes over then only use cash that way you have a more clear idea of how much money you have for the trip.
What are some of your ideas to save on vacation and still have a great time?

Here is the next installment of EML‘s Tightwad Tuesday.

For quite some time, I didn’t use coupons because we didn’t get the newspaper and they didn’t come in the mail. However, after reading a number of blogs that showed the wonderful deals they got by using coupons I thought it might be worth it to buy the Sunday paper. We have received the newspaper for 3 weeks now and it has already paid for itself. I also discovered that you can print many coupons on-line from manufacture websites and other coupon sites. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but is well worth the time and effort. Here are a few things that help me with my coupon chipping.
1. Don’t clip every single coupon. I only clip coupons for products that I actually use or similar products.
2. Keep them in a coupon holder or binder of some kind and organizer them in the way that works for you. I have them filed by category and then put the ones that expire in two weeks in the front so they won’t go to waste.
3. After you make up your shopping list for the week or two, pick out the coupons you plan to use and paper clip them to your list. That way when you actually get to the store you have them right there and you don’t have to be search for them.
4. Bring your coupon holder with you, in case you remember something you need that you didn’t list or see a clearance item at a good deal. I have a small coupon holder that I keep in my purse so I have it ever where I go. I usually give it to my daughter to hold it so she gets used to using coupons. Of course, she is only 7 months old so I think she just thinks of it as something to chew on. 🙂
5. Start small. You hear about people who buy $100 of groceries for $10, but I am sure they have been at it for a long time. If you expect that from yourself on your first shopping trip with coupons and you don’t reach it, you may get down on yourself and then give up. Any money you save is good even if it is a few dollars. As you shop with coupons more and more often, you will become a pro and be getting $100 or groceries for $10 or less.
Below are some blogs about coupons that I have found helpful:
Coupon Cravings
http://www.couponcravings.com/
Money Saving Mom
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
Frugal in Virginia
http://www.frugalinvirginia.com/
Let me know how you do your coupon clipping.
Bobbi’s note: I must admit that I hate clipping or carrying coupons. Or when I do take them to the store, I forget all about them until AFTER I’ve already paid and am back home. Last week I thought I’d give the coupon thing another try so instead of paperclipping the coupons to my shopping list, which I tend to shove in my pocket when I am unloading the groceries and then forget to take back out, I stuck them with my money so I am sure to see them before I pay. It paid off because I bought about $30 worth of food for $10. My sister’s good habits are starting to rub off on me! And as an added incentive, I take whatever money I’ve saved by using coupons and place it in a jar. The hassle becomes much more bearable when I see the dollars being saved for something fun – like our next trip to Disneyland. 🙂 So start that clipping!