fbpx
:::: MENU ::::

The Five Ways We Saved Money on our Trip

by

Trips can be costly, but here are a few things I did to save money on our trip:

1.) I shopped around the internet for the best hotel price. That meant checking sites such as expedia.com and travelocity.com. Also, don’t forget to call the hotel directly and check the hotel chain’s website. In my case, the best rate I received was from the hotel’s website. Also, don’t forget to use any discounts available – this trip was the first time I’ve used my AAA card ;). Note: If you are not picky with the amenities available at the hotel, sometimes it pays to not book your lodging and then just shop around when you arrive at your destination. When we went on our honeymoon, we didn’t book any lodging in advance. We were able to get a kitchen suite room complete with a nice big hot tub for $80/night that way.

EDITED TO ADD: Here’s a comment from a visitor regarding the above: “I work for a travel agency, and the one thing that I would advise for your first tip is that if you are going to take a chance (which, as you say, sometimes pays off big time)… make sure there isn’t a big convention in town or something.”  Thanks Steve for mentioning that!  🙂

2.) All drinks and snacks for the drive were purchased ahead of time to take advantage of sales prices and quanity discounts. Small purchases at the gas station can really add up, and I noticed the prices for 20oz soft drinks were running $1.29 each. For $4.44 plus deposit, I bought two 20oz 6-packs on sale (don’t worry – mine was caffeine-free ;)).

3.) Plan…plan…plan. We made a list of everything we needed for our trip. We started the list a few days in advance and wrote down everything we could think of. Then, as we packed we would cross things off the list. I am usually horrible with remembering all of my grooming products, but this trip went smoothly and I didn’t have to purchase anything due to my forgetfulness.

4.) We do not buy travel-sized products. Instead, we used reuseable containers and plastic bags to hold our normal sized items. Yes, it takes up a little bit more space, but if you look at those travel-sized products on a cost per unit basis, they are very expensive.

5.) We used the items provided by the hotels and took the leftovers home with us. The fancy hotel we stayed at even had mouthwash in a neat little container. Now that it’s home with us, we’ll use the mouthwash and then reuse the bottle for our next trip.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. I’m sure I’ll think of more later.

The Big Splurges On Our Trip

by

As I mentioned yesterday, we took a six-day trip to visit our parents (near Lansing and Port Huron). It’s a route we travel about once a year or so, so this year we decided to do something different on the return trip…we stopped at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

To those unfamiliar with the Soo (as it’s often referred to), it is home to the Soo Locks which is a must-see destination for those who enjoy watching freighters. That’s the main reason we enjoy going there. It is fascinating to watch those huge freighters up close and personal.

Going there did add a little bit of time to our trip and a little bit more in gas, but the big expense was with where we stayed. This time of year, we probably could have gotten a motel room for as little as $40. Instead, we decided to treat ourselves to a hotel that is right across the street from the Soo Locks park. From our window, we couldn’t see the Soo Locks, but we were able to see frieghters approaching the locks. We could then head on over to the park to see them.

On top of that, the hotel was mighty fancy. It’s the fanciest place we have ever stayed, I believe. We are very much used to the motel scene and we felt a bit out of place since most of the people we saw at the hotel were in suit and tie or dressed fancy. We didn’t explore the entire hotel too much since we only stayed a night, but what we did see screamed “elegant”.

Normally, the room goes for $300/night according to the sticker on the back of the door. But, when I called the hotel direct the rate was $125. By going online to Ramada.com (the hotel chain’s main site), I was able to get the room for $100. That was the lowest I could find it, and I even checked travelocity.com — I wonder if I had had some Travelocity Coupons if I could have found a deeper discount.

Our other big splurge came in the morning when we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Freighters Restaurant. By golly, it cost $21.00 for our breakfast, but I couldn’t quit talking about how good breakfast was all the way back home! It was the best breakfast I have ever had. The service was great too. It was so fancy in there and again we really felt out of place. We have been to a few fancy places before, and we have been treated differently and the service lacked. I always thought it could be due to our very casual appearance. Our waitress made us feel really special, so I left an $8.00 tip. No, not a huge tip, but the biggest (percentage-wise) tip I’ve given someone. I only wish it could have been more.

So, those were the big splurges on our trip. The rest was more low-key. Next I’ll write up how we saved some money.