How Far Can Your Dollar Go?

Being a budget traveler can be hard, since saving money is not always that easy or convenient. Of course, if you are flexible, you can easily find a destination that fits the amount of money you can spend. I try to intersperse my vacations so that we go somewhere moderately-priced or budget-friendly several years in a row in order to save for larger and more expensive trips, like those to London or Disney World. Even though we had a lot of trouble in Ecuador, it was super affordable, educational and still one of the best trips we've ever taken. In fact, aside from the airfare, the two weeks we spent there were cheaper than the week we spent in Los Angeles going to Disneyland and other Southern California attractions. So, where should you go if you don't have a giant budget? Check out what a dollar can buy you in other parts of the world. I think Columbia and the Philippines might be added to my list after seeing this.

Pretty eye-opening, wouldn't you say? After seeing this, where would you think about spending your next dollar and vacation?

10 Ways to Save Money on Airfare

Airfare can be quite expensive, depending on where you're going or when, but there are ways to save, making your vacation easier to fit into you budget. It can be pretty discouraging when you search for airfare and see sky-high prices. It doesn't have to be that way, though. You can find rock-bottom deals if you know how. Here are my top 10 ways to save.

1. Get airfare alerts - NOW - As soon as you know where you want to go, set up airfare alerts, like from Airfare Watchdog, FareCompare and Expedia. If you want to go to a place where only a few airlines fly in, set up fare alerts with those airlines, too. For example, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines cover the majority of Hawaii-bound flights and often have the best deals.
2. Check regional airlines - These smaller airlines might offer lower rates, because they have fewer routes and need to compete with the big guys. This is a perfect way to make short trips for less or make a side trip. Some regional airlines include Peninsula Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, West Coast Airlines and Ozark Airlines. The same thing goes for budget airlines, like easyjet, which we used to fly from London to Paris for less than $200 for two of us.
3. Be flexible about what season you travel in - Every destination has an on-season and an off-season. Know when it's cheaper to visit there and you'll be able to book the best times for the most affordable flights.
4. Travel mid-week - Tuesday and Wednesday are the least popular days to fly for people, so generally airlines look to drop their rates, even if just by a little, on these days to encourage people to fly then instead of on the weekend. Of course, Saturday is also a "slow" day and can have equally budget-friendly flights.
5. Book mid-week - Most people look for airfare on the weekend, when they have extra time to spare. Take advantage of sales that run from Tuesday-Thursday and book mid-week instead. Those booking Friday-Monday will only find the most expensive rates, except for the odd typo rates found in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
6. Choose "flexible dates" when it's available when looking for tickets - Tuesday and Wednesday aren't always the best days to fly. Be flexible when you sarch and you might find a great rate a few days before or after you wanted to go or come back. Isn't it worth changing up your days if that's the case?
7. Fly into or out of a different/nearby city - Smaller hubs are less busy and because of that, they often lower their rates to get people to fly through them instead. Two ways I've saved this way is by flying into Oakland (OAK) instead of San Francisco (SFO) or flying into Ontario (ONT) instead of Los Angeles (LAX). Choose "nearby airports" on your search and see if this might work for you.
8. Book a promotional package deal - Sometimes it's just cheaper to bundle your whole trip. I've often found deals that included air, car and hotel for the same price or less than just airfare. In that case, I was able to save money by only having to book one thing and then just worried about food and what to do at my destination. It doesn't always work that way, but it's worth looking into.
9. Bid for low rates on Priceline - If you aren't picky about which airline you fly on or what time of day you fly, then choose your dates and what you're willing to pay and set your bid. Airlines will compete to see if they can match your bid and if they agree, your airfare will be booked, your card will be charged and details will be sent to you via email.
10. Book overseas flights 6-8 weeks in advance - Flying domestically has different rules than flying internationally. Domestic flights have the best deals, generally, 3-6 weeks in advance. The magic number is 42 days, but again, that's not a hard and fast rule. If you're traveling internationally, you'll want to book further out to get the best rates, and that's 6-8 weeks out. I know this can be difficult for people like me who want to book as soon as possible, but that doesn't mean that deals can't be found further out.

So, those are some of my best tips. If you want to save, you have to be flexible. If you have kids and think you can only travel during holidays, call the school and see if it's possible to take them out and bring homework with them. You just want to make sure you let them know with plenty of time to spare, so they can actually put together all the work for them to keep up with. Do you have tips on how you saved on airfare in general or on specific destinations?

Museum Day Live 2014

It's that time again! Time to get your free tickets to museums around your around your area or where you'll be traveling. Last year we hit up Portland's World Forestry Center. This year we'll be traveling, but we'll have just come from Washington, DC where we'll have visited several free Smithsonian museums (free everyday!), so we won't be partaking this year.

Museum Day Live! is a great way to see some of those spendy museums you always mean to get to, but then don't. There are over 1,000 participating across America that can be a fun (and entertaining) for the whole family. I know not all museums are fascinating for children, but there are plenty that are educational and fun for them, including the Pacific Aviation Museum in Honolulu, the Koshland Museum of Science in DC, the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan and Zoo Miami in Florida.

Mid-America Science Museum - photo credit

If you don’t have kids and just want to see some fantastic art, that’s great too, and you will have plenty more to choose from. Museums of history, art and sculptures fill the list in each state, so you will find something that will fit your mood. All you have to do is go to the website, choose your preferred museum and submit your information. You’ll get an email to print out your free ticket and gain admission for two people. It’s that easy! You can get a free ticket for two per email address/household. If there are more people in your group, use your husband’s email address or a friend’s. I don’t think you’ll need to go so far as to pretend you don’t know each other when you enter, but use your own judgment.

Bailey House Museum - photo credit

The majority of the free entries are September 27, but a select few aren’t open on Saturdays and are offering it on Sunday, September 28. You MUST have your printed ticket to get free entry, so don't forget it.

Will YOU be attending Museum Day Live! organized by Smithsonian Magazine?