Tag Archives: travel budget

Paying for End-of-the-Year Travel

How has the current economy affected your holiday travel plans? According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the 2012 Christmas travel season could be the busiest in six years.  However, thanks to an unstable financial future most Americans won’t be taking to the skies to get to grandma’s house this year; rather, they will be hitting the road.  AAA is predicting that 93.3 million Americans will hit the nation’s highways during the holidays. That’s 1.6 percent more than last year and just 400,000 people shy of the 2006 record, according to the auto club.  AAA says a record 84.4 million … Continue reading →

Be Smart and Save on Hotel Stays

A year ago today my daughter’s dream of swimming with dolphins came true.  As a combination birthday/Christmas present, we traveled to a resort in Hawaii, which allows guests to frolic with marine mammals, for a pretty penny.  I knew exactly how much we’d have to fork over for the dolphin experience; however, when I got the bill for the overnight accommodations, my jaw hit the hotel’s travertine floor.  I was shocked by the exorbitant resort fees, which by the way, were not fully disclosed during the booking process. I later discovered that this is a common practice with hotels and … Continue reading →