Money Saving Wednesday..oops it’s Thursday
I know I got really busy trying to save money today and time got away from me. I decided I would make all our Christmas gifts this year since I have a huge stash of fabric. I think I am now officially overwhelmed. I took a few quilts and quilted them on a long arm machine today. They look so good! One of them was to give to the fire department to use as a Christmas gift for a teenage girl. I understand when they do the names on the Christmas tree in the mall and ask you to buy gifts, the teens are usually not taken. I’m sure some of this is because some teens want items we can’t even afford for our own children, and if we could, we still wouldn’t buy them since we realize children need to understand the value of working for the things they want.
This year is going to be a much more frugal holiday season for us. We are flying to our son’s grad school graduation, however, and that got me thinking about travel and some money saving tips.
1. Some airlines are now charging for checked bags. Some charge for every bag, others allow one free. Call the airline you are flying with and check out their policy. We have decided we are going to mail our Christmas gifts instead of taking them on the plane with us. It would cost $25.00 to take them on the plane and less than that to ship them.
2. We are taking a carry on only. Since we are going to stay with our son and his family we are just planning on doing a load of laundry while we are there. I really don’t think they mind if we wear the same outfit more than once and a load of wash is much…less than the $25.00 per checked bag charge.
3. We have a layover and we are taking our own snacks and an empty water bottle. Food and water are very expensive when you are a captive audience.Some airlines serve their water to passengers as individual bottles. When this is the case I always ask for water and then refill the bottle in the terminal as I wait for my next flight. Another benefit of carrying food and water is the possibility of an emergency which would leave you stranded. If you have my ebook: That Won’t Happen to Me you will remember the story of Cait. Cait is a friend who was stranded, on the way home from school, in the Denver airport. She spent three days with thousands of others who were stuck at the airport due to a huge storm. Food could not even be purchased after a few hours and only those with cash were able to purchase anything since all the ATM and credit card processing machines were down. No one could get in to restock the restaurants and vending machines. Taking a little food and a container for water is not a bad idea!
4. If you live in an area where one is available check out a shuttle to the airport. In some areas long term parking is really affordable, at other airports it can be $25.00 a day or more. Know what you are getting into before you go. If you have a friend who lives near the airport ask if you can park your car at their home and owe them a dinner to drop you off to catch your flight. It may even be cheaper to spend the night before your flight at an airport hotel. They will often let you leave your car parked during your trip. Check out all your options.
5. Flying stand by used to be a great way to save but with very limited seats this year you may miss Christmas dinner if you choose this option. If there are storms and airport closings the standby passengers go all the way to the bottom of the list. Flying the red eye can still be a good choice especially if you are making reservations late. There may be less expensive flights at midnight than at 10:00am. Remember that there are less seats available now so don’t wait too late or you’ll be taking the bus.
6. Speaking of the bus. Check out taking a bus or train instead of flying. In some cases this can save you half the cost.
7. Plan your carry on. I always pack a small purse inside the largest piece of luggage that will fit under the seat as one of my carry on pieces. My second carry on is a rolling bag for in the overhead compartment. I also layer. If I am traveling to an area where there is cold weather I wear a sweater and also a coat even if I don’t need them when I leave California. If I am taking more than one pair of shoes I wear the most bulky. You get the idea.
Got some favorite money saving travel tips of your own? Let’s hear them.
When I travel with my kids I can’t take their apple juice through security. At least as much as I want. As soon I get on the plane I ask the attendant for juice or milk as soon as I board and fill up the empty juice cups I brought. I explain it’s to help the kids ears pop on takeoff and the attendants are happy to help. Why pay $1.50 for a bottle of juice in the terminal when they have plenty on the plane. I make sure and fill the cups before we leave the plane, too. Might as well get my $300 worth for the kids’ tickets.