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Posted
Sep 22 2007, 07:39 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Carpooling for work often isn't practical. So look for other ways to combine trips and save time, gas money, and wear and tear on your car.
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Posted
Oct 02 2007, 09:42 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A cost comparison by a frugal blogger shows it's usually cheaper to drive than to fly, but that's not always the case. Use the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator and an online airline ticket service like Priceline to compare, and figure in other costs like meals, hotels and taxis. The comparison offers other tips, like how to save on car rentals.
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Posted
Oct 05 2007, 08:52 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Two modern-day nomads have figured out how to live on the cheap in fabulous places. The Professional Hobo 's next destination? Hawaii, where she'll be a caretaker on a 76-acre beachfront property. She uses several resources to connect with paying ( Caretaker Gazette ) and volunteer (Wwoofing and Rotary International ) projects around the world. Fabulously Broke offers another take on the "homeless" life, living out of a suitcase -- in nice hotels -- as she moves from city to city.
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Posted
Nov 08 2007, 06:23 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
After a weekend flurry of housecleaning, laundry and catching up on The New Yorker, young, hip New York City denizen Madame X pondered a Carrie Bradshawesque question at My Open Wallet : Does it cost less to be antisocial? Like many other things in life, it depends. You'll save a lot on food and entertainment, particularly if, like Madame X, you're uncomfortable eating out and going to the movies alone. On the other hand, traveling is cheaper for two. You can split the hotel bill, and you'll likely eat in a restaurant, rather than overpay so a guy in a white jacket will bring food to your room. Fellow New Yorker Little Miss Moneybags agrees that being social has its costs . Because her vegetarian entrees normally cost less than those of her meat-eating friends, she loses out if everyone decides to split the bill equally among them. But spending money from time to time may actually be good for her, she concludes. "I already lean toward the crazy-cat-woman and frugal-till-you're-just-cheap
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Posted
Nov 28 2007, 02:21 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Jennifer Derrick is planning her sixth vacation this year and is getting tired of the same old question: "How can you afford to take so many vacations?" She's not rich, she explains in a post at SavingAdvice.com . She knows how to prioritize and plan. "I try not be short with people when they ask me how I’m affording yet another vacation, but it’s difficult when I see some of them drinking coffee from Starbucks every morning, heading out to the movies every weekend, or eating out five meals per week," she writes. Her formula: She doesn't have consumer debt, has part of her paycheck automatically deposited in a separate high-interest savings account, and also throws in rebates, coupon savings and spare change. During the planning phase, she hunts online for coupons and discounts useable at her destination. No five-star resorts or fleabag motels for her. She looks for family-owned hotels and restaurants moderate in price and big on local flavor. Finally, she doesn't buy a lot of junk. She
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Posted
Nov 29 2007, 04:34 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
New York Times "Frugal Traveler" Matt Gross is indeed a travel writer, but is he frugal? No, says poetloverrebelspy in a post at one of our favorite budget-travel sites, Less Than a Shoestring. Poet breaks down Matt's $392 in expenditures during two days in Seattle and explains how he could have spent a lot less and still had tons of fun. Matt forks over $250 for two nights at a B&B. Poet wonders why Matt didn't stay with his sister, with whom he visited during the trip. Poet also notes that Matt spent $55 on booze. "A travel writer can drink $10 martinis; a frugal travel writer should be sticking to the $2 beer specials," poet recommends.
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Posted
Dec 13 2007, 01:59 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from David Wood at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com. While this year's Thanksgiving travel rush was less troublesome than expected, frustrations of all kinds await travelers not only during the holidays but year-round. Here's a holiday review of frequent mishaps and what you can do to avoid them. The epidemic of lost bags is the tip of the iceberg. Flight delays, canceled flights, overbooking and an assortment of other annoyances are common. Keeping your cool is only part of the equation. You also must be educated about your rights and the laws and regulations that govern airlines. For instance, it's no secret that airlines routinely overbook flights in anticipation of passengers not showing up, and there is nothing illegal about that. Part of the traveling life is the chance of being bumped, and minors are not exempt.
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Posted
Jan 02 2008, 01:49 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
We've been mighty intrigued by Location Independent Living, a weblog by and for people who live wherever they want in the world and still earn a decent living. (Imagine working, say, on the beach in lovely Diamante, Italy.) The Web site deals with the practical and the cerebral. A recent post, "3 fears I had about leaving the rat race that didn't come true," addresses worries about failure and divorce, and the limiting effects other people can have on your confidence as you pursue your cubicle-free dreams.
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Posted
Jan 04 2008, 09:28 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Some of you who read last week's "Always budget for a carousel ride" wrote to tell me to go ahead and splurge on a cheesesteak during a trip to visit family. I grew up near Philadelphia, home of that deliciously cheesy, greasy, oniony sandwich that's impossible to duplicate elsewhere.
Turns out that the one store in my hometown offers a daily special: a 9-inch cheesesteak, small bag of chips and a can of soda for $4.59.
At that price, how could I resist? And a 9-inch cheesesteak consumed at 2 p.m. eliminated the need for supper.
This wasn't my only frugal hack, though.
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Posted
Jan 29 2008, 06:35 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. Four years ago my fiancee and I went on our first cruise, a four-night trip to the Western Caribbean in December that cost us about $300 per person, not including airfare. The cruise's port of call was Miami, and we were able to score cheap $70 tickets from Baltimore to Orlando. Both were burgeoning Southwest Airlines hubs at the time. We were able to find such a screaming hot deal -- a cruise for under a hundred bucks a day is pretty sweet -- because we signed up for the cruise about a month before it set sail. It was one of those "last-minute" deals on Travelocity or Expedia (I forget which) and it was possible only because we were keeping our eyes out for a last-minute type of vacation. However, with the great reward of a good deal comes a bit of risk.
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