Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
If you still have a bit of “˜over the river and through the woods' this holiday season, you'll appreciate some last minute tips that you can use to hold on to an extra $100 or more during your trip. Whether you travel by plane, train, or automobile, a getaway (even if you are just off to visit family) can put a hole in your regular budget. Follow these tips and you my come back home with more money than you planned. This is especially important as the realities of December spending take their toll.
1. Traveling by car? Slow down. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.27 per gallon for gas. Also, avoid aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) which can cost you as much as an extra .17 to $1.11 a gallon! You can either pay $3.40 a gallon ““ or $4.65. You decide.
2. Another car tip: Make sure your tires are inflated properly. You may have heard this advice and it can save you a bit more money. As explained on fueleconomy.gov, “You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.”
It's a small thing to do before a road trip and worth the time invested. Bad drivers with under-inflated tires are now paying above $5 ““ while you'll be cruising along at $3.40 a gallon. Imagine your anger if you pulled up to a gas station and they charged you five bucks. Use that potential anger to cause you to take action. For additional tips on increasing fuel economy, visit fueleconomy.gov.
3. Want to only fill up at the least expensive gas stations? A couple of websites are worth watching: AAA's fuelgaugereport.com and gasbuddy.com. While on the road, the free GasBuddy app is all you need to ensure you hit the best prices. Getting a good price on fuel is helpful to your budget – but as you can see above, it can be very easy to undo your work of finding a cheaper price on gas.
4. While you are away, suspend any services you won't need. Also, unplug appliances and lower your water heater and thermostat. Forgetting these items could ring up huge costs during frigid winter nights.
5. Allow for some flexibility in your travel plans in case you are faced with bad weather, car troubles, or other obstacles. Rigid schedules can mean big expenses if something unfortunate happens.
6. While with family and friends, don't be afraid to opt out of activities that aren't in your budget. If a trip to the movies is suggested and you haven't budgeted $8 tickets for you, your spouse, and each of your children, politely communicate this and suggest alternate activities. My kids report some of their favorite get-together moments are around a board game, or on the receiving end of a snowball. Just kidding on that last moment.
7. Avoid eating at restaurants along the way and at your destination. You can easily save 75% by bringing your own food. Often, kids (and adults) may find it more fun to buy convenience store food and eat restaurant food on the road. Packed food may not have the allure that restaurant food does. To alleviate this, make sure you have your kids involved in the planning of the foods and snacks. If they have special treats that they really enjoy ““ build up some excitement for the item. For some reason, as a kid, I always associated apricot nectar with car vacations. Log in to SavingsAngel.com to find out how to get the best deals on treats for the road. With the right coupon matches, you can easily load up on nutritious and fun snack foods for 70-80% off. Just bring a cooler with ice or frozen water bottles and you'll be prepared.
8. Assuming you don't want to bring too much food with you on the road, you can save big money by wisely buying groceries at your destination. We track the best deals at more than 50 different grocery chains. With a little planning, you could bring a handful of coupons to your destination and experience enlightened shopping at a new grocery chain. This is helpful if you are expected to prepare any dishes for the family get-together.
9. If you do plan on stopping along the way for snacks, drinks, etc”¦ set up funds for your kids. Either have you kids earn a travel budget ““ or tell your kids beforehand how much they have to spend for the whole trip. This nearly eliminates the whole “can I have it” issue. Assuming it's a good food choice, the answer can almost always be yes”¦ if they really want to pay for it. If they don't, they can pocket the money and learn a thing or two about budgeting.
10. Finally, travel safely! The cost of an accident can be financially devastating but threats to your family's health and safety can be the most devastating of all. Give yourself ample time to get to your destination and give yourself regular rest breaks to keep yourself not only awake ““ but mentally aware. Prepare for the worst conditions as you watch the weather. Don't be afraid to wait out bad weather, either. Even if you are late for a party, work, or school, it's always better that you arrive knowing that you took the precautions to stay free from harm. Nothing is more important than your family's safety.
Merry Christmas and God bless you and your family with all the abundance you deserve! 2012 can be a life changing year for you financially speaking and I'm happy to serve you each week in your quest to keeping more of your own money.
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is through using manufacturers coupons combined with the best sales at local stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family. Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons ““ which are found in Sunday's paper and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Here are a few examples of deals that are available until Saturday at midnight. Please check out blog @ SavingsAngel.com/blog each week for tips on how you can easily start cutting your grocery bill!
Josh Elledge is the Chief Executive “Angel” of SavingsAngel, Inc. ““ launched from his home in January 2007. A husband and father of three, he now appears each week on television, in newspapaers, and a number of radio stations across the country teaching families how to cut their grocery bill in half using the Internet. Elledge created the technology found on SavingsAngel.com through the need to save his own family's money. Successfully able to cut his own grocery bill from $600 a month to less than $300 a month, his message has reached hundreds of thousands of families. SavingsAngel.com is now growing rapidly throughout the country. You can watch a short video at http://SavingsAngel.com that will explain more information about how to cut your own grocery bill in half with the help of SavingsAngel.com!
