Category: Travel and Vacations

Did you know that travel and vacations benefit your health? Most Americans do not know that fact nor do they travel as much as Europeans. Americans are half as likely as Europeans to travel to another country. A whopping 29% of Americans have never been abroad.

Travel benefits your mental and physical health, read on to learn all the travel facts. Then, book your trip, your health will benefit.

8 Travel Facts You May Not Know

In 2018, one study indicated that Americans forfeited 200 Million vacations days lost each year. We have the time to travel, we just don’t take it. It doesn’t take a huge budget or a lot of travel experience to have a great travel experience that boosts your health.

If you want to take a trip, but are concerned about your lack of travel experience, there are companies that can help. They will design a wellness travel trip that will fit your budget and meet your unique needs.

1. Travel Helps Your Heart

One study documented that women who traveled 2 times a year had fewer heart attacks than women who travel every 6 years. Men who skip their vacation had a higher risk of death and a 30% higher risk of heart disease.

When you travel, stressors from home don’t exist, that helps your heart. You tend to eat different foods which provide your body with different vitamins and minerals. It may also be that travel helps to keep you fit.

2. Travel Reduces Stress

This one may sound like fake news, especially if you don’t like airplane or car travel. But travel actually reduces your stress.

When you travel you take a break from your normal stress and that stress break sticks around. One study showed, as long as 45 days later you feel less strain. Your normal, daily stress, bothers you less after a vacation and you are better at dealing with stress, in general.

3. Travel Keeps You Fit

You may think about travel as sitting in an airport or on a plane, but once you arrive, you tend to be more active.

You don’t have access to your car, so you walk. You want to see the local museum, you walk. You try new things, snorkeling or diving.

When you travel you are more motivated to make the most of the experiences available. This pushes you outside of your comfort zone and you take on experiences you would not take on at home.

Travel may expose you to a new activity that you bring home and continue.

4. Travel Helps Your Brain

Every time we experience something new, our brain changes. New experiences change the neuropathways in our brain. This improves your health because it increases your cognitive flexibility.

When you travel to another country, you are challenged to learn different languages. Travel exposes you to different cultures that have different customs, that require you to move or act differently.

Travel may also make you more emotionally stable when you return home. The challenge and success of traveling to a different country make your daily stressors easier to manage.

5. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

Just as travel helps your brain, it also opens up space for new ideas. A study looking at 1,000 entrepreneurs found that 20% of their latest startups ideas came to them on vacation.

Exposure to new places, cultures, and languages can spark new ideas that you can take back home and implement.

6. Travel Boosts Your Immune System

Every time you are exposed to a different environment, your body adapts. Your immune system creates new antibodies and helps you to fight new bacteria or viruses. New exposures challenge your immune system and force it to become stronger in the long run.

While you may or may not have decided to drink the water. Traveling to new places helps to make your immune system stronger.

7. Locations that Have Healing Properties

There are places on the planet that have been associated with significant healing. The River Ganges in India has been a mecca for many who are looking to break the cycle of rebirth and find peace in heaven.

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland has mineral-rich geothermal seawater. The water and minerals heal exfoliate and heal the skin.

Walk in the woods actually improves self esteem and mood. Although we have improved our lives through the built environment, the reality is that our core nature needs to spend time in, actual nature.

In the United States, Mount Shasta in California is considered the place where heaven meets the earth. For Native Americans, space has been a place of healing. The earth’s energy in this location creates energy vortexes. Many have walked these paths and felt its natural healing properties.

8. Travel, You Will Live Longer

Research has shown that those who travel actually live longer. While we may not know all the reasons that travel helps to prolong life, it does.

It may be an improved immune system, lower stress, or lower risk of heart disease, but travel improves your health.

It is important to take time to take care of yourself and travel is one powerful way to help you live a healthier, happier, life.

Now Put that Knowledge into Action

Now that you have all the travel facts, it is time to put that knowledge into action. It does not matter if you want to do high-end or budget travel, if you save money in your daily life you have more to spend on travel.

I love to find deals and savings for myself and my followers. Follow Thrifty Momma Ramblings to learn to live frugally.

Summer is coming to an end and that means that almost 100-million families have already gone on memorable trips. If you haven’t gotten to enjoy your vacation yet and are planning to, time is running out.

Maybe you’ve been putting off your vacation intentionally because you’re worried that it’s going to cost you too much money to take the whole family out. We appreciate that concern and hope to alleviate it with the information in this blog post.

Our team has scoured the country to cook up what we think are the best, inexpensive family vacation ideas that you can invest in!

1. Scale Lake Tahoe, California

Unless you’re from California, you probably haven’t heard of Lake Tahoe. That’s a shame because this lake is big on fun and small on prices!

Lake Tahoe is flanked by beautiful mountains which means that you’ll have to zig-zag your way up narrow highways to enjoy its splendor. Once you park your car though, you’ll be rewarded by getting to dip into the lake’s crystal blue, refreshing waters.

2. Explore the Nevada Desert

When people think of Nevada, they think of Las Vegas. That’s not a bad association and contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas can serve as an inexpensive family vacation ideas pick if you plan carefully.

The truth is though that Nevada is much bigger than Las Vegas and what lies beyond the City of Sin is what we think packs the most value!

Whether you choose to tour the Hoover Dam or explore Red Rock Canyon National Park, you’ll definitely find ways to create monumental memories in this sunny desert state.

3. Gawk at the Grand Canyon

Bordering Nevada is none other than one of the wonders of the world, The Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon draws in families from across the globe and offers activities ranging from hiking to helicopter rides.

No matter your family’s preferences, we’re confident that you can put together an affordable itinerary when touring this national park.

4. Get Patriotic in Washington D.C.

D.C. is a common destination among people’s inexpensive family vacation ideas because of the volume of free activities that this capital city offers. Touring the Smithsonian, exploring the National Mall or the National Zoo are all 100% free favorites that you and your kids can enjoy!

5. Soak Up the Sun in San Diego, California

San Diego is popular because of its outstanding weather and plethora of things to do. While San Diego can get expensive, if you do the city right, you’ll be able to enjoy a cheap vacation.

For example, San Diego’s La Jolla beach is absolutely breathtaking and doesn’t cost a dime to visit. You could easily make a whole day out of enjoying a picnic on its shores.

In addition to soaking up the sun, exploring San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter or enjoying an affordable ball game at Petco Park are both great activities to enjoy.

6. Find Culture in Ashland, Oregon

Educational vacations might draw some “boos” from your household at first but believe us when we say that everyone will fall in love with Ashland, Oregon’s culturally significant Shakespeare Festival once they’ve seen a couple of shows. Ashland isn’t big on tourists which means low prices year-round and more attention for you and your travel companions!

Be aware that Shakespeare festivities are typically held between March and October.

7. Get Your Thrills on in Anaheim, California

If you don’t know much about Anaheim, California, know this… It’s where Disneyland is. We don’t need to tell you that your family can absolutely create special memories when visiting Walt Disney’s very first theme park.

Unfortunately, Disneyland might get a little expensive for some travelers. If that’s the case for you, you can hop one city over to Buena Park and enjoy the almost as fabulous Knott’s Berry Farm!

8. Experience Nature in Portland, Oregon

Portland is an edgy town in the Northwest that is perfect for families that like good food and even better hikes. Also, if you’re a beer/wine lover, Portland and its neighboring suburbs offer world-class selections.

Getting a hotel just outside of Portland can represent an excellent deal and since much of Portland’s fun revolves around taking in its ambiance, tons of entertainment can be had for free!

9. Step Into a New World in Orlando, Florida

Disney World and Universal Studio’s theme parks live in Orlando. When you grab a hotel in the vicinity of these parks, it’ll literally feel like you’ve entered a new world where fun is the number one priority.

Similar to Anaheim, Orlando can get expensive when buying theme park tickets for the whole family. If you go during the off-season though and stay at non-amusement park owned hotels, you might save enough to make this vacation worth it.

10. Adventure in Astoria, Oregon

Steven Spielberg’s classic film “The Goonies” was filmed in a sleepy beach town called Astoria. Today, that town is still sleepy and makes for a great place to explore the beach, learn about marine biology and enjoy quality time with the family.

If you want to save money and avoid crowds, try visiting Astoria in mid-spring.

11. Enjoy a Larger Than Life Little Town in Independence, Missouri

Want to relax on vacation every bit as much as you want to save money? If you answered yes to that question, head over to Independence, Missouri.

Independence is a town that’s defined by a slow pace of life and an undying love for hometown hero, President Truman.

There’s an unlimited amount of things to do in Independence so learn more about the town on its website and plan your trip today!

Inexpensive Family Vacation Ideas Can Make for Priceless Memories

There’s no shortage of memorable and inexpensive family vacation ideas that you can tap into in order to have a great time this summer!

We hope that you found our suggestions to be helpful and invite you to check out more of the parent-centric content on our blog for additional family vacation tips.

Wanderlust kicking up strong? Sometimes it doesn’t matter where you go, just so long as you get there. 

And when you’re traveling on a budget, the biggest wiggle room is how much you’re paying for plane tickets. And airlines have a lot of tricks to get you to pay more.

Here’s exactly how to find cheap flights to anywhere. 

Compare Ticket Prices

Like any thrifty shopper, you know how to comparison shop. But there are some particular tips to make your comparison shopping a bit easier. 

When you’re shopping for flights, you may go back to a site only to realize a sweet deal is no longer available. That doesn’t mean someone else snagged it up. It means your cookies are giving you away. 

When you use the internet, most sites keep track of your cookies. This is the personal ID number for your computer, and it improves user experience. But not on flights. 

The airline companies track your cookies, and if they see you come back to the same flight, they’ll bump the price. How do you get around this?

Use an incognito window on your browser. Incognito windows reset your cookies, so the airlines can’t track you. This way you’ll always see the lowest prices, not the ones bumped up special just for you. 

When you compare flight ticket prices, check out sites like Skyscanner and Kayak. But remember most comparison tools don’t look out for budget airlines, so it pays to search them out. 

Get a Card With Miles Rewards

If you’re a frequent traveler, it may make sense to get a card to start racking up points to add towards your next flight. 

Of course, there are a lot of caveats with this. To make the rewards pay off, you have to be responsible with credit. Otherwise, you’ll lose the value of your points by paying interest. 

It also pays to comparison shop reward cards — there are quite a few on the market. Look for one without an annual fee, but know you’re shopping and spending personality. 

Also, keep an eye out for sign-up bonuses. For example, the Discover Miles Card matches points your entire first year. Essentially, every dollar you spend earns you three miles your entire first year. 

Look For Budget Flights

We talked earlier about how flight comparison tools don’t usually track budget flights. So it’s worth checking them out specifically. Some of the biggest budget flight brands in the U.S. are JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit Airlines. 

But there are many more. Furthermore, they vary by country. You can check out Wikipedia here for a full list of budget flights by country. 

Be Flexible

The ultimate way to find cheap flights? Be flexible.

Some flight comparison tools will let you look at entire months at a time. This can help you get the absolute best deal.

Skyscanner will even let you search by entire countries. So say you’re flying around Europe. You might find better flight deals outside of the iconic cities. 

It may even pay off to make your own connecting flights, and spend an entire day or two in your layover city. This alone can save hundreds. 

These Tips Will Teach You How to Find Cheap Flights to Anywhere

When it doesn’t matter where you go, you need to know how to find cheap flights to anywhere. These tips and tricks will help you get started.

Remember, use points, compare flights, and be flexible. Some of the greatest adventures come from spontaneity. 

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In the modern world, travel is easier than ever. People from all backgrounds have experienced the thrill of visiting a new culture in a new land. Still, traveling isn’t a cheap experience for everyone.

It’s understandable if you want to travel more but don’t think you can afford it. Vacation expenses can add up to a pretty penny. If you already live with frugal means, you know that your next vacation needs to be well-planned.

Consider how vast the travel and tourism industry is throughout the world. In the year 2016 alone, it generated over $7 trillion in revenue! It’s obvious a trip will cost you.

If you and your family are ready to go on a vacation sometime soon, you’re in luck. The good news is you’ve come to the right place by reading this article. Detailed below is five ways you can ensure you’re traveling on an affordable budget.

1. Focus on Saving Up Your Money Ahead of Time

It’s no secret that travel can be expensive, no matter how proactive you are about it. You can plan to stay in the cheapest hotel and eat the cheapest food. Still, a vacation is going to cost you extra expenses.

That’s why it’s so crucial that you plan ahead and save up. If you and your family are already on a tight budget, there’s no need to stretch it even more. Instead, cut out some of your current luxuries so that you can put that money towards the upcoming trip.

One good idea is to cancel any subscriptions you have. Even though the costs seem minimal, subscriptions like Netflix, Spotify, or Hulu can start to add up. A temporary break from those services will give up a little financial padding for a few months.

Another thing you can do is sell some of your nonessential valuables you have lying around. Electronics and collectibles can get you a surprising amount of money on sites like eBay and Craigslist.

If you have the means, it’d also be a great option to have a full-blown garage sale. Get the rest of your family on board with a garage sale, too. have everyone contribute donations to the sale and agree that all profits go to the eventual vacation fund.

Saving up for a vacation can seem overwhelming, it’s true. If you’re committed and smart about it, though, it’s possible to have the entire trip funded with plenty of extra spending money.

2. Make Sure You Do Your Research to Find the Best Travel Deals

Of course, there’s no need to settle for the first “deal” on a hotel that you find. It’s good practice to shop around to find the best bargain for your dollar.

Online travel sites like Expedia and Priceline are a great place to start for travel deals. Often, you can get both your transportation and lodging bundled for a lower price. In fact, there are all sorts of travel package deals available online if you’re willing to do the research.

Another great idea is to call the hotel you like directly. This is true, in particular, if you’re booking the room last minute. Hotels don’t always post their room deals online, and they might give you a huge discount if they don’t have all of their rooms filled for the night.

3. Keep a Frugal Mindset for Your Vacation Expenses

The vacation mindset is a dangerous one for those on a limited budget, by the way. It’s easy to let loose with your spending when you’ve got that carefree attitude.

Instead, don’t spend all of your money in one place. Go on your trip with a set limit on extra spending. If you have to, leave your ATM card at home so you won’t be tempted to dip into parts of your finances that you didn’t allocate for the trip.

4. Don’t Be Afraid To Take Out a Personal Loan

You might need a vacation soon but don’t have enough money for one. That’s okay – you deserve to go on a trip for working so hard in the day-to-day.

Perhaps you need to work on your credit score anyway. Well, paying back a loan is a great way to improve that score. Plus, a well-deserved vacation is a great excuse to take out a personal loan in the first place.

Check out One Main Financial Review to see if their loans suit your vacation financing needs. Paying back the loan is worthwhile if it means you get out of the house for a bit!

5. If You’re Flying, Do So in the Middle of the Week

The last tip to travel on a budget is to be smart about your flights. So many people pick the weekend for their travel days. For a better deal on your flight, instead, fly to and from your destination on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Continue to Maintain an Affordable Budget

At this point in the article, you should have a pretty good idea of what it would take to reduce your overall vacation expenses. Whether you decide to take out a loan or save up, your trip will be worthwhile.

You deserve to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing your travels will be financed. After all, you don’t want to get stuck in a place that’s unfamiliar! That’s why planning ahead and understanding your financial situation is so crucial.

Of course, keeping track of your finances is important throughout the rest of your life, too. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your vacation is the only time you need to recognize what you can or can’t afford. The fortunate news is that there’s plenty of helpful financial guidance out there – if you know where to look.

Well, that’s where we can help you. We value helping families live their lives to the fullest with frugal means. There’s no need for you to sacrifice a good time just because money is tight.

That’s why we encourage you to browse through the rest of our website. You’ll find other financial practices that suit your needs and desires.

In 2017, over 4.1 billion people traveled by plane, this is roughly half of the number of people on the planet!

Are you ready to become a part of the statistics for this year?

Can you only afford to fly coach but want to get access to the best airport lounges? On long trips being able to stay in a nice lounge can make the difference between a layover filled with frustration and one that is pleasurable.

If you have been wondering how you can fly at cheaper rates and still get into the best lounges then you should read on because you are about to find out how to get cheap airport lounge access.

1. Get a Day Pass

You can get a Day pass for airport lounges. The amount you will have to pay is dependent on the airline that you choose. If you buy a day pass from an American airline company it will usually only be valid for American lounges.

If you are traveling internationally you can use the internet to find websites that offer passes to lounges worldwide. However, you should read the fine print carefully when purchasing these passes. Many will have specific time restrictions.

2. Get the Right Credit Card for Cheap Airport Lounge Access

One of the best and easiest ways to ensure that you do not get stuck in a dingy lounge is to get a credit card that gives lounge privileges.

However, most of these cards have an annual membership fee attached. If you are a frequent flyer then it goes without saying that the annual fee is worth it because it works out cheaper in the long run.

This may not be the case if you are not a frequent flyer. Some none frequent flyers don’t mind the fee though because they know that when they do travel, they can access the best lounges.

It’s a matter of personal choice.

3. Get Connected to the Right People

This may sound a bit presumptuous but it actually works from time to time. Many people have gotten lounge passes simply by asking someone who is going in if they can be their guest.  This is the cheapest way to become an airport VIP instantly.

However, if this idea makes you balk you can go on eBay and Craigslist. You will usually find a deal that will allow you to save money on guest passes. If you ever need to exchange the guest passes you have purchased then search the internet there are sites where you can exchange guest passes with others.

Final Thoughts

If you are ready to get cheap airport lounge access then you now know exactly how to do it. The key to getting the best deals on airport lounge passes is to know exactly what you want so that you don’t make mistakes when buying passes.

You also want to take advantage of what credit cards can offer since they provide a secure and guaranteed way to access the best lounges worldwide. Finally, you should try to connect with the right people so that you can take advantage of the association to get guest passes.

If you would like more travel tips, please visit our blog.