SavvySugar

Would You Take an Affordable Clothing-Optional Vacation?

SavvySugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:09 -0800

Clothing optional situations are typically limited to behind closed doors, but not if you're venturing off on a nakation. You don't have to bare it all on nakations - that's where the optional part comes into play - though you can if you want to. Besides the fact that participating nudists say that nude recreation is fun, there might be a financial benefit to taking a trip that encourages you to don your birthday suit.

Travel writer Christopher Elliott hasn't taken a nakation, but he also isn't opposed to it. He points out that there are many deals to be had at clothing-optional resorts (which aren't seedy as some would assume, just make sure they're represented by the American Association of Nude Resorts). Aside from affordable rates, Elliott makes the reasonable suggestion that travelers can save on baggage fees by opting for a nakation.

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5 Ways Flexibility Can Cut Travel Costs

SavvySugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:45:42 -0800

When it comes to bargains, it pays to play it cool. High maintenance travelers can be as finicky as they want while on vacation, but that approach won't get you the cheapest trip while in planning mode. Think flexibility when organizing a vacation, and the deals will come to you.

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10 Questions to Ask Before Booking an All-Inclusive Vacation

SavvySugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:55 -0700

Whether you're running right out to schedule an all-inclusive vacation, or if you're just not sure of the point, check off the questions on my list before you book - I've come up with things you should ask yourself, fellow travelers, and even the resort to make sure you get the most budget bang for that (often) budget buck!

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Find the Tastiest, Cheapest Food While Traveling Anywhere

SavvySugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:30:14 -0700

Exploring new cities means exploring new food, and it's a glorious part of traveling. A limited budget doesn't mean your options are equally constrained, it just means you need to know where to look for cheap and delicious eats.
Money magazine has some helpful, universal tips for anyone who's hungry in a strange place and doesn't want to spend a fortune.

Money instructs tourists to "Head for hard-to-find spots that are patronized mainly by locals. . . . Don't know any residents? Ask your hotel bellman where he eats."
Ethnic food is usually a good bet. Money explains, "Ethnic restaurants serve customers who are both discerning and price-sensitive. The larger a given immigrant group in an area, the higher the quality of food tends to be."
Aim for areas with competition. For example, "If you're traveling where there's a large Vietnamese neighborhood, say, make a beeline there for dinner and you can't go wrong."

Source: Flickr User Annie Mole

Would You Rather Buy an Item or an Experience?

SavvySugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:00:58 -0700

I've never seriously mulled over the pros and cons of spending my paycheck on a pair of great pumps or a handbag, but the idea of splurging on a vacation usually requires some deliberation. However, a recent study revealing the monetary worth of happiness may have me reevaluating my long-practiced spending habits.

The study suggests that, assuming all basic needs are met, we're better off spending our extra cash on a meaningful experience - a romantic getaway or well-deserved stay at the spa - versus the latest version of the iPod. Over time, the material possession will likely lose its value, but our fondness for the memories of a great trip will actually improve over time - and they don't require maintenance or costly updates.

While this newfound insight has me thinking a little differently about my reluctance to treat myself to an out-of-the-box excursion, I'll admit, it's never easy to resist the immediate gratification of purchasing the must-have-boots of the season. So tell me, what's your spending style - would you rather purchase something to do or something to have?

Cash In on the New USVI Quarter With 25-Cent Hotel Rooms

SavvySugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:00:25 -0700

Want to book a hotel for a cool quarter? (Close your mouth.) Even though just 25 pennies will land you the room, this new promotion celebrates the newly minted US Virgin Islands quarter.

The coin features the bananaquit bird, yellow cedar flower and tyre palm tree, and you can look for all three live with a special offer from the islands' Dept. of Tourism: Seven St. Thomas resorts and four St. Croix locations now offer $.25 room rates for the first three nights of your trip. Cash in fast as travel (hotel+air) must be arranged through BookIt.com before Nov. 2, your island getaway needs to happen by Dec. 15, and the offer's good only while rooms last.

(For fun, I just priced out three nights, single occupancy on a mid-November weekend with a roundtrip ticket from San Francisco and got $640. I wasn't planning any trips, but this one just makes ~~sense~~ cents.)

10 Can't-Miss National Parks

SavvySugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:30:05 -0700

If natural, gorgeous scenery and fresh air sound appealing, then you should consider visiting one of the 10 national parks featured by Condé Nast Traveler in its September issue. Visiting these places will give you renewed appreciation for the geographic variety the US has to offer, and it can be a pretty inexpensive way to vacation.

Check out the 10 can't-miss national parks for a quick escape from your day, and get inspired to take a real trip sometime soon.

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12 US Cities For Traveling Every Month of the Year

SavvySugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:30:29 -0700

America, the beautiful. Summer is the most popular time to get out of town, but it's certainly not the only time. Visit a city you've always wanted to see without spending a fortune (or colliding with every other tourist in the country) when you plan a trip any time of year. Whatever month you want to travel, I have a suggestion for you.

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Submit a One-Minute Video and Win a Free Trip to Thailand

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:30:46 -0700

Inspired by Australia's newsworthy contest for the Best Job in the World, The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign it hopes will inspire renewed interest in traveling to the country that so heavily relies on tourism. Submit a one-minute video audition, and you could be one of five couples to win a fully paid trip to Thailand. One of the five winning couples will be eligible for the grand prize of $10,000, a BlackBerry, and a video camera.

Eligibility for the grand prize requires the couples to blog, chat and tweet about their six-day Thai vacations featuring Bangkok, beach resorts Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Video auditions will be accepted on the designated website until Oct. 15 and a group of 25 semifinalists will be selected by a panel of TAT officials. The final five couples and the grand prize winners will be chosen by a worldwide online ballot.

I'm Asking: Where Did You Travel This Summer?

SavvySugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:00:58 -0700

Most of the season has already passed, and like me, you might be wondering where all that time went. Summer in the real world means most of your time is still spent doing your daily grind, but hopefully you were able to head out of town for at least a little while. Where did the Summer of '09 take you?