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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 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
Jan 25 2008, 05:54 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar. This morning, I sat in the restaurant at my hotel, eating breakfast. I've stayed at this same hotel many times, and I couldn't help but remember things I'd done on past visits. I remember spending money several times like it was water, going out to eat at ridiculously expensive places. In fact, they were often so expensive that my organization would refuse to reimburse me for the meals. I remember more than once having a credit card rejected on the hotel grounds. Three years ago or so, I stood in the lobby, fishing around in my wallet for a credit card that would work and enable me to pay my bill. I finally had to call a secretary at my place of employment and have that person read off a credit card number so I could pay.
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Posted
Feb 07 2008, 06:32 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
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.
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Posted
Dec 30 2008, 07:57 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
It's so uncool to be ostentatious right now that some well-to-do people are vacationing in tiny hotel rooms with reupholstered secondhand furniture (for which they're still paying big bucks). It's called "rough luxe" or "Bohemian deluxe."
Is guilt motivating them to appear frugal -- they can tell their less fortunate or laid-off friends about the furniture and keep silent about the exceptional service and cost -- or is this just another way to show off?
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Posted
Mar 12 2009, 01:45 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
We've long suspected that space aliens would choose not to have a close encounter with us if they monitored activities in Las Vegas. (Think "Star Trek TNG" episode "First Contact," although in this case they might think we're a little too wild.)
We were wrong. The aliens at It's the Recession, Didiot think Vegas is a blast. Now, with bookings way down, casinos and other travel-related businesses, including airlines, are offering tremendous deals. Viva Las Vegas has become "Viva Las Frugal." So says Zork of Zork Planet.
As LasVegas.com declares, "Las Vegas is on sale!" Among the deals Zork found, plus some others we looked up:
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Posted
Jun 07 2009, 02:00 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Jon Hood at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
A Washington state court has ordered travel reservations site Expedia to pay $184 million to consumers, the largest consumer class-action award in state history.
The suit alleged that while Expedia paid taxes on the wholesale price of hotel rooms, consumers' taxes were based on the rooms' retail price. According to the suit, the corporation kept the difference.
Expedia announced that it plans to appeal the court's decision.
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Posted
Aug 11 2009, 06:17 PM
by
Teresa Mears
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Want to be the first to hear about airfare sales and hotel deals? You might want to join the microblogging service Twitter.
Twitter has become the latest place for airlines, hotels, tour operators and attractions to "tweet" their top deals. Twitter can take you deep into the Internet to find the latest information about hotels, restaurants and airfares, Everett Potter wrote in his Twitter primer for travelers in Travel + Leisure magazine.
JetBlueCheeps tweeted some $9 Boston-to-New York fares last month. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines also are on Twitter, as are hotels, tourist offices and numerous travel writers and sites that gather travel deals and information. BestTravelDeals.net, for example, has just expanded its services to include travel deals from Twitter. You can see them to the right on the website or follow the company's Mary Song on Twitter.
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