Traveling Cheaper with Coupons

Even as oil prices have fallen radically--some 40% since 2011--airlines have not passed their savings on to their customers.  Consumers have one of two choices: accept the current rates for what they are or, the savvier choice, to strike back as effectively as possible to try to recoup some hard-earned money.  

When you think of coupons, you might think of standing behind a little old lady in the supermarket, waiting not-so-patiently for her redeem several dozen coupons at a snail's pace but coupons have come a long way.  In addition to getting a more digital-age appropriate name, promotion codes or keycodes, most stores will offer a box on their checkout page asking if you have one and if you do then you'll get some bonus savings.  Do a search for, as an example, "Apple Vacations promotion code" and see what options pop up.  There are a lot of results to comb through but knowing where to look helps.  In addition to perennial favorite RetailMeNot, other sites have sprung up with fewer stores but better-curated offers.  Two of these are Groupon (not just for daily deals anymore) and PromotionCode.org, a site devoted originally to travel offers.  

In addition to saving with coupons, another great option is calling airline agent directly to book your flight.  Ask specifically about a "positioning flight"; an option where the airline is simply moving the plane from one port to another and the cargo isn't the priority.  If you have some flexibility in your itinerary you can save several hundred dollars off the cost of the flight if you don't mind leaving at the airline's preferred date and time.

Do you use coupons to make your travels more affordable?

Author: Steve Pame, Sources: PromotionCode.org, Groupon.com, RetailMeNot.com

Surviving a Cruise with Kids

You might be weighing your options on how to plan a vacation that your whole family will love. Kids have short attention spans sometimes and want instant gratification, so perhaps a cruise where there's always something going on and you have a finite amount of time in each port to get off the boat, do something fun and then get back on to get ready for the next stop.

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Do Your Research on Ships

All cruise ships are different and offer things that other ships don't. Also, smaller ships don't have tons of options for entertainment (duh, right?). Make sure you look at what ships have and don't have and do some research on what other cruisers have said about it. You don't want to spend 5 days on a ship that only has cool stuff for adults to do and your kids want to kill themselves.

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Scope Out the Foods

Almost everyone has a picky eater in their family. Sure, cruise ships have many different dining venues, but you're going to want to do your research here, too, even before you climb onboard. Make a list of what they have and match them up with what you know your kid(s) will eat. Who knows, maybe they will feel adventurous and try something new, but don't count on it. Once you get on the ship, take them around to all the different eateries and make sure you (and they) know where they can eat and how to get there. If the ship doesn't have enough variety to keep the kiddos happy, perhaps you need to find a new one.

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Entertain Them

What do your kids like to do? Does your chosen ship have the things that will keep them from hating life while stuck at sea? Many cruises have a teen dance club and kids-only activities they can do, but if you're spending time as a family, look for things that you will all like. The rule is: If the kids are happy, everyone's happy. Also, make sure that those activities they will enjoy won't cause you to go broke. There can be a lot of things on a ship that cost extra. If there are tons of activities, but they all cost extra, either you're going to have some bummed kids on your hands or you're going to be sad when you end up paying the bill at the end of the cruise.

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Plan Each Day

With all the activities onboard, make sure you don't end up with those dreaded summer words "I'm bored," or "There's nothing to do!" You'll get a schedule of events each night for the next day. Have your family look it over, either that evening or at breakfast and schedule what you're going to do while at sea that day. That way they have an expectation of how they'll be spending their time and you won't have to deal with sulkers (for that, anyway).

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Let Them Do Their Own Thing

Give your kids a bit of space and time away from you. You can probably both use it. There's no place for them to go, so eventually they'll show up for food or clothes or something. Allow them time to be on their own and make some new friends or hang out with their siblings without you. It'll give you time to hit the spa or have some romantic times.

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Have Them Pack a Bag

Kids should always know how to pack a bag, but this will give them some practice in packing light, because there's not a huge amount of room in a cruise cabin. Give them a bag and tell them that's the limit of what they can bring. Maybe make a list of the things that must be in there, like swimsuit, sandals, three pair of shorts, etc. 

Also, know that when you first board the ship, unless you have carry-ons that you're willing to drag around, your bags will be taken from you to your room and you may not see them for hours, so pack a must-have bag that includes everyone's swimsuits, sunscreen, games and whatever else you can't live without. Think of what you'd pack for the airplane, if it also had a pool.

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A cruise can make for an amazing family vacation. Just make sure everyone is happy and they all know the rules. A ship that has WiFi can be a great benefit to your kids, so they know they can keep in touch with friends while they're away and not feel like they're cut off from the world. Of course, it's possible that they'll be having too much fun to jump on Facebook or tweet about how awesome their parents are, but you can't count on that. Even if they don't end up using their phone incessantly, you can use it to keep in touch with each other when you're apart and plan where to meet up or to check and send important emails throughout. 

Consider uploading Voxer and you can send texts, photos or voice messages for free over a WiFi connection. This works easily on a WiFi-enabled ship, but also saves you tons of texting fees while out of the country. It's free, so your whole family and all your friends can download it easily. 

Have you ever been on a cruise with your kids? Would you do it again?

Flying with Kids Without Losing Your Sanity

Traveling with your kids can be really rewarding, but it can also be stressful, especially when stuck for hours on a plane with nowhere for them to play and having to convince them to sit still. You need to start planning for your stint on the plane before you even leave your house. You don't need to pack a ton of stuff to keep kids entertained and busy on a plane, so don't resign yourself to splurging on baggage fees already. I mean, you've already shelled out all the money to fly to your destination, so let's look at how to make it as painless as possible.

Tell Them What to ExpectKids are super-adaptable, but it does help to explain things to them. Traveling is kinda weird when you think about it. You stand in line to go through security, where people judge you and look at all your stuff, then you wait to get herded into a big metal room, where you strap yourself in and the air pressure is all funky and makes your ears hurt on occasion. It's sort of like being in the car, but with 200 other people and you can't get out because you need to stretch your legs. Crazy, right? Explain to your kids what they'll be expecting, and more than once. It's better for them to be excited that they're flying than for them to be freaked out and hate every second of your journey. Not only will you also hate it, so will everyone on the airplane.

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Pack SnacksRemember that meltdown that happened that one time when your kid was hungry and you didn't have any food in your bag? Imagine that 100 times worse, because you can't pop into 7-11 for almonds or a granola bar and all the airplane food that may or may not be available for purchase is $8. When you're bored, food can be distracting. Pack healthy things they'll eat, like cheese and crackers, fruit, nuts and cereal. Don't forget the beverages either, because having to wait for the drink cart to come around can suck, especially when you're "sooooooo thirsty!" You know how it is. Kids don't want it until they can't have it and then everything is dire. Either bring a bottle that you can fill up once you get through security or snag a few drinks before boarding. You'll be glad you did. (Don't forget the gum!)

Pack GamesThere's nothing better to distract your child(ren) than to make the time fly by. Games are a great way to do that. Pack a something they like and then a few other things that are a surprise, like some awesome card games. Depending on their age, this can be anything from Zigity and Old Maid to Fluxx and Uno. I have several travel games that I find fun, but perhaps your kid(s) loves Battleship or Guess Who, or maybe something more sophisticated like Yahtzee or Bananagrams. No matter what, bring an average of three games, so you can cycle through them. Coloring books, electronic games and even plain notebook paper are great ideas, too.

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Bring Your TabletKids are super tech-savvy now. If yous are too, then make sure you load up your tablet with games, videos and books they'll love. A long flight can fly by when they have everything they need at their fingertips. Don't forget a back-up battery to keep it charged and headphones, because as happy as everyone will be that your kids are entertaining themselves, they'll be less happy if they have to hear Dora the Explorer at full blast, because that's how your little one likes to watch it. 

Let Them Pack a Bag For Themselves

Everyone's entitled to a carry-on, and that goes for kids. Their little clothes can be packed into your carry-on, because they don't take up that much space. Allow them to bring stuff they love (within reason) on their trip in a little backpack or a fun roller bag. Even if it's just full of stuffed animals, Legos or play food, they'll feel more comfortable having that piece of home with them and they'll have something to play with on the ride if they want. In fact, here's an awesome way to pack and store Legos when you travel. (You know, so you don't have to pick up 500 of them off the airplane floor.)

Fly Really Early or Really Late

Don't fly when your kids are bound to be super cranky. You won't make any friends that way and you'll just get more stressed out. Fly really early when your kids are bright-eyed and bushy tailed. They'll be happier and excited for the day. Your other option is to fly really late when they will be asleep and can miss most of the flying time. Put them in their PJs (because this is the only time it is acceptable to wear nightclothes on a plane) and bring along a travel blanket and their pillow. 

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Stay On a Schedule

If your kids are used to doing certain things at a certain time (i.e. nap or eat), make sure you stay on that schedule, even if you have to do it in a different setting. Bring the things they have to have to do those things, like I've listed above. You'll be more likely to avoid a meltdown when they're tired or hungry and they'll feel a lot more comfortable, even though they aren't somewhere they're used to.

When you travel with your kids on the plane, how do you make it more fun for everyone involved?