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• Extreme travel: How to go light and low budget

  Posted Jul 10 2008, 08:00 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Travel, Spending, Clothing, Wise Bread
  Rating:

  This post comes from Myscha Theriault at partner blog Wise Bread.

  How little luggage can you take and how low can you go on the budget end when you travel?

  Space

  With all the talk about airlines starting to charge for the very first bag you check, one-bag travel is going to become a larger priority for many. This is easier to achieve on some trips than others.

  My personal indicators? The length, diversity and independence level of the trip. The longer my husband and I are traveling, the more climates, cultures and regions we're trying to see, or the more independent we are trying to be in order to maximize our travel bucks, the harder it is to eliminate items like the corkscrew, multipurpose tool, and other miscellaneous gear like mosquito nets, sleep sacks or hammocks.   Read More...

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• Bon voyage: Passport photos for under $1

  Posted Apr 10 2008, 05:48 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Travel, Spending, Saving, Wise Bread

  This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread.

  As a traveler, very little irks me more than walking into a store and paying $7 to $12 for passport pictures. You need them not only for passports, but also visas, international driver's licenses, and other miscellaneous pieces of photo ID.

  At about 10 bucks a pop, this cost of traveling can add up. And ultimately, all they do is sit you in front of a white background, take your picture with a digital camera, then crop and print out a few copies.

  Ta-da: $10, please.

  The good news is that with a digital camera, you can take your own passport photos and print them out for pennies on the dollar. Literally.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 1 comments) 1,243 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Endurance frugality: Staying the course and being a winner

  Posted Feb 27 2008, 08:03 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Travel, Spending, Saving, Wise Bread
  Rating:

  This post comes from Julie Rains at partner blog Wise Bread.

  Frugality can be fun and help you sleep peacefully, knowing that you are not in debt (or at least that your assets are starting to outnumber your liabilities), building an emergency fund, saving for major purchases, and investing for the future.

  But don't be fooled: As frugal days turn into frugal years and frugal decades, bag lunches can be become boring; smallish houses confining; thrift shop clothing unfashionable. And though you may not care what people think of your "voluntary simplicity," it can become tiresome to always live outside of an acquisition-oriented, size-counts-the-most social norm.

  While some tout "The Millionaire Next Door" as a model for living and see their frugality as smart and wealth-building, others see minimalist living as pitiful, paltry and desperate.

  Call me shallow, but while I don't care if people think I'm poor, I certainly don't want them thinking I'm stupid. It's taken me years to figure out ways to look smart, be cool and remain true to my frugal roots.

  Here are my tips for gaining the psychological edge needed for endurance frugality:   Read More...

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• How much are memories worth?

  Posted Feb 21 2008, 06:34 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Travel, Spending, Saving, Wise Bread
  Rating:

  This post comes from Philip Brewer at partner blog Wise Bread.

  I get a particular negative jolt when I review a credit card bill and find a charge for  something that's already over and done -- a meal already eaten, a vacation already taken, a tank of gas already burned up. I'm much happier paying a charge when I can pat the thing purchased and know that it'll be serving some useful purpose for years to come.

  Just recently, though, I've found that I'm beginning to have a little more appreciation for those purchases that are only memories before they're even paid for.

  Try this thought experiment: Imagine that all your property was destroyed in some disaster, but that you got a large check -- replacement value for everything that was lost. How much of your property do you replace with exact duplicates?

  A lot of the most important stuff is irreplaceable: artwork, antiques, mementos of things you've done. You'd replace them with exact duplicates if you could -- and might pay top dollar to do so -- but mostly they're just gone.   Read More...

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• How to travel in style for less

  Posted Feb 07 2008, 06:32 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Travel, Spending, Saving, Wise Bread
  Rating:

  This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread.

  Next time you book a hotel room, would you like to stay in the presidential suite? Or drive that sleek convertible down the coast with the sun smiling down at you?

  And of course, would you like it all for the cost of the most basic economy option? All you have to do is ask.

  Free car-rental upgrades

  When you are renting a car, and they ask if you want to pay an extra $20 a day for an upgraded fancier version, say no. Then turn around and ask if free upgrades are available. Not only will they take the request in stride, but often you'll get some amazing results.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 4 comments) 8,368 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this