Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Staycations have been rising in popularity in the U.S. since the summer of 2008. The chief instigators of the trend have been high fuel prices and the economic recession. Staycations can give many of the same benefits of a full “˜traveling' vacation without the stress and high costs. The American Automobile Association estimate the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals. Adding some kids and airfare and costs can really soar!
Many will argue that a true staycation means staying at home and playing in the backyard. I'd like to expand the definition to include opportunities to stay “˜close to home' but still get away for a night or two.
October is a perfect month to take that local getaway. Temperatures can be mild as the heat of summer has subsided. The cold of winter will soon be upon us – and I like to think of October as a good midway point between a Summer vacation and Christmas. As a professed workaholic, I've come to learn that I simply have to schedule vacations (even mini-ones) or they won't happen. I always feel better after enjoying some dedicated family time.
From a budget standpoint, you can also save big money due to incredible opportunities from local hotels, bed and breakfasts, and vacation condos compared to summer rates. The reason is that the summer rush is over and the hospitality industry is pushing to fill all their unused inventory. According to Michigan Economic Development Corporation, it's normal to see hotel occupancy rates drop below sixty percent in the fall – which is in line with the rest of the country. This presents great mini-staycation opportunities for you and I.
If you have a location in mind and have a few weeks to plan, I strongly recommend watching the daily deal websites like LivingSocial and Groupon for both activities and vacation packages. (You can scan through around 20 daily deals every morning at https://savingsangel.com/deals/). While the vacation packages offered tend to be in the most popular destinations, the activities truly dot the map.
If I've inspired you enough to pack your overnight bag this weekend, go ahead and try your luck at Priceline.com or Hotwire.com and see what you get. Nice three-star hotels for under $60 is common. If you need some help with bidding the right amount based on your location, do a quick search at betterbidding.com and see what other bidders have won.
If you don't want to go the name-your-own-price or find-out-after-you-buy-it route, I like the results I've been seeing at bing.com/travel. Before you book, call the hotel directly and see if they can match or beat that price. Also, make sure to sign up for the hotel's frequent guest program (free) and link your stay to your account. In my experience, you can get better service and complementary upgrades more easily.
For a list of things to do in an area, I love tripadvisor.com. I've gotten some insight into some great activities to not miss and ones I'm thankful I've avoided. While you are deciding on your activities, do a separate Google search for any Internet coupons available – or call the business directly to see if they have any fall specials. Tourist activities have the same challenge this time of year that many hotels do: not as much business.
Eating out at restaurants may be a part of your mini getaway. To conserve cash, I recommend bringing a cooler of food with you, which will include snacks and breakfast at a minimum. This will give you a better budget for activities, lodging, dinner, and another getaway in the future.
Finally, upon going on your overnight staycation, let me make some suggestions on making it feel like a full-fledged getaway vacation: let friends and your employer know you'll be unavailable, avoid your email as much as possible, let phone calls go to voicemail if you can, and give your loved ones all the attention (and patience) you can during your designated staycation time. You'll get far more value from your time away and it may end up being just as memorable as a long distance summer vacation.
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 your Sunday paper and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better.
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 Fox 35 Orlando, in the Grand Rapids Press, 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 SavingsAngel.com that will explain more information about how to cut your own grocery bill in half with the help of SavingsAngel.com.
