“I’m fully vaccinated… and decided to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as it’s the ‘queer capital of Mexico,’” says Méndez, a 31-year-old journalist based in Florida. “It is on the beach, close to nature, extremely vegan-friendly, and has had an effective Covid-19 response.”

LGBTQ+ community leads in post-pandemic travel

LGBTQ+ travelers have historically led the way for leisure travel, and post-pandemic life is no exception. “Gays lead and the rest follow,” Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association, told the National LGBT Media Association recently. 

“They travel more and spend more when they travel,” Dow says. “They’re the darlings of the travel industry.”

LGBTQ+ adults reported taking an average of 3.6 leisure trips in the past year compared with 2.3 trips taken by non-LGBTQ+ adults, according to a 2020 report by the Harris Poll.

And they have been anxiously awaiting the chance to dust off their suitcases—more than 75% of respondents were ready to vacation again, according to a Consumer Marketing Insights (CMI) survey on post-Covid-19 LGBTQ+ travel. 

Covid-19 was “devastating” for Out Adventures, a LGBTQ+  tour company based in Ontario, Canada.

“We went from our best year ever to cutting our staff by 75%,” said owner Robert Sharp. “We are lucky that our clients are extremely loyal, and that LGBTQ+ travelers are often among the first to start traveling after times of global or economic uncertainty.”

After a gut-wrenching 15 months without running a tour, business is now picking back up. Not only did most of the company’s guests choose to keep their deposits, they are now rebooking, Sharp says, and Out Adventures began seeing a spike in inquiries and new bookings once vaccines began rolling out in the U.S.

“At this point in time, 2022 is set to be our best year ever with about 20% more sales than what was forecasted for 2020,” he says, adding that U.S. customers make up about 75% of the company’s clientele. 

Travelers are still exercising caution

But travelers are taking precautions. Road trips are looking more popular than flights — 86% prefer the former while 27% prefer the latter, according to CMI. And people are looking to book smaller accommodations to cut down on the chances of large crowds, with 35% saying they’d prefer a small hotel with minimal or no public areas, 34% looking to book an AirBnb or Vrbo rental and 33% opting to stay with family and friends. 

“Most of our clients are travelling domestically right now, with very few interested in international destinations in the short term,” Sharp says. “Those who are interested in international travel are looking at destinations that have managed the pandemic well, and who are allowing vaccinated travelers, such as Iceland.”

LGBTQ+ travelers have their own set of priorities, out of both preference and necessity. LGBTQ+ friendliness (80%) and safety (74%) rank among the top considerations when picking a travel destination, according to the most recent CMI Annual LGBTQ Tourism & Hospitality Survey.

LGBTQ+ acceptance is key

Other top-ranked priorities? Destinations that offer natural beauty (80%), diverse ethnic and cultural experiences (68%), and lower travel costs (62%).

Méndez had booked a 6-day trip to Uruguay to visit family when Covid-19 lockdowns started happening in quick succession around the world. She chose to stay put with her family and her girlfriend in Uruguay, since that country boasts extensive LGBTQ+ protections. 

Now that she’s back to traveling, LGBTQ+ acceptance is a top priority. 

“I’m traveling as an out pansexual woman for the first time and am now considering how queer-friendly a destination is for my safety,” Méndez says, adding that she also researches crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. “I like to stay in one place for a few months so I do look for conveniences like vegan food and decent WiFi.”

Méndez plans to keep travelling around Mexico and has already booked trips for Oaxaca in October and Mexico City in November.

Sharp, who is gay, also touted the importance of LGBTQ+ acceptance while traveling, both for safety reasons and peace of mind.

“As LGBTQ+ people, we don’t come out once in our life. We come out in new jobs, when we meet people, and every day when we’re on vacation, which is why the LGBTQ+ travel industry exists,” he says. “We want to get away from it all, just like everyone else, without having to spend most of our holidays navigating the safety of a destination, or how welcoming hotels and travel providers are.”

“Professionals in the LGBTQ+ travel industry make it possible for their guests to relax, enjoy their holiday, and know that they are well taken care of,” he added.

Post-Covid LGBTQ+ travel tips

While many are excited to vacation for the first time in more than a year, there are a few Covid-19-specific considerations. 

“The ever changing landscape of entry restrictions is complicated,” Sharp says. “It is a moving target for most countries, so what we see today could be different in a month or two, which is why anyone planning travel right now should do so with flexibility in mind”

Other tips include booking refundable or flexible fares or vacation packages, and buying travel insurance to cover the costs of a potential medical emergency or cancellation.

TravelPulse.com has a list of top post-Covid-19 LGBTQ+ destinations for those needing a bit of inspiration. They include:

• Palm Springs, California
• New York City
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Provincetown, Massachusetts
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• San Francisco, California
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Los Cabos and Cancun, Mexico
• Las Vegas, Nevada

Vaccinations are helping to make inroads against Covid-19, but the pandemic is still a top concern in many destinations. Whether or not you identify as LGBTQ+, it’s important to take precautions and travel safely this summer. 

The post LGBTQ+ Travelers Pack Their Suitcases, Leading the Travel Industry Rebound appeared first on Stash Learn.

Nearly half of Americans surveyed by travel insurance comparison firm Smashmouth, about 48 percent, said they are planning to book a summer getaway within the U.S., up from just 19 percent at the same time last year. 

That matches up with data from American Hotel & Lodging Association, which reports that 56 percent of Americans say they expect to travel for leisure sometime this year. That’s up sharply from the 33 percent who reported traveling for leisure between the March and August of 2020.

A sampling of trips

Heidi Gilmore, a social worker from Enfield, Connecticut, is heading by car to Cape Cod this summer—her family’s first vacation since the pandemic started.The Cape has always been special to Gilmore after years of childhood summer vacations on Massachusetts’ easternmost coastline. Now she’s ready for some restorative fun and relaxation with her husband and their six children ranging in age from 2 to 18.

“The last year has had a negative effect on our mental health. Distance learning, seclusion from friends and extended family, quarantining after exposures has created so much emptiness within us,” she says. “I feel like my kids deserve a nice get away after so much seclusion.”

Their itinerary includes kayaking, watching the seals follow the fishing boats into the pier, trips to their favorite ice cream store, side trips to Provincetown and a lot of time at Mayflower Beach. 

“With vaccines being administered, we feel like it is much safer than before,” Gilmore says. She and her husband have been vaccinated and the family wears masks at all times in public. And they hope others will follow suit. 

“I feel that if the local and state rules are to wear masks, then everyone should wear them,” she says. 

Vaccines and safety measures are top of mind for most summer travelers this year.  More than two-thirds of Americans recently surveyed by travel insurance company Allianz Partners said receiving the vaccine makes them feel safe enough to travel again. 

Vaccines are giving peace of mind to Hudsonville, Michigan high school teacher Becky Black who is taking road trips this summer to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and to Maine. 

“I’ve been fully vaccinated since February, my husband was fully vaccinated [in April]”, Black says. “We try to spend most of our time participating in outdoor activities, which I’ve always felt are quite low risk.”

Black, her husband and their two children, ages 5 and 9, plan to hike in and around the Tennessee mountains and explore Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky on their drive down.

“Vacation No. 2  is a road trip to Maine and a do-over from last year’s cancellation,” Black says. “We will stay in a yurt in Vermont and a hippie bus in Maine.”

Despite uncertainty, more people want to travel 

While the ability to travel is tantalizing, there’s still a fair amount of uncertainty as people test the waters.

Squaremouth reported that 35 percent of people looking to insure their summer trips chose a COVID-19 filter that showed only policies with COVID-19 cancellation policies or medical benefits in case you test positive while traveling. And 27 percent purchased policies allowing them to cancel for any reason, up from just 8 percent pre-pandemic. 

While both Gilmore and Black have chosen road trips over air travel this year, travel industry reports show that many summer vacationers are considering flying to their destination.

 Flight bookings are improving as more people get vaccinated and more places ease travel restrictions. Flight searches have skyrocketed nearly 60 percent, according to travel company Hopper.

But another pandemic travel wrinkle may force many would-be air travelers to make 2021 the year of the road trip. In what’s being called “a perfect storm,” the rebound in travel is causing massive rental car shortages, especially in popular warm weather destinations like Florida and Hawaii. Car rental companies that were also devastated financially by the pandemic, some selling off a large portion of their inventory to cut costs, are now scrambling to reshuffle their fleets to accommodate the surge in demand. And that’s creating shortages in less populated parts of the country, creating a cycle of inflated costs and unhappy customers.

Experts say the best way to deal with that shortage is to book your rental car before your flight and be flexible with your days—a few days extension in either direction can help with availability and pricing. 

Costs expected to climb

While the price of airfare and hotels is inching higher again with more people venturing out of their house, you can still snag a good deal. Hopper is predicting an average, round-trip domestic ticket price of $251 for July, which is 35 percent higher than last year, but still 15 percent lower than 2019.

Hotel occupancy is still expected to be low — only about 52 percent this year — so there are good deals to be found. But AirBNB rates are quickly rising with demand. The forecasted daily rate is $212 by October, compared to just $179 per night last year. 

Gilmore and her husband have been saving their tax return money to pay for their summer vacation. They budgeted about $4,500. They rented a house for about $2,000 for the week. They plan to save money by buying groceries and making their own breakfast and lunch, but have budgeted about $1,000 for meals out.

“With eight people, our restaurant bills tend to be a bit high,” she says, also adding in another few hundred dollars for snacks, souvenirs, ice cream and activities. 

Black’s family has been saving for their return to travel all year long, taking money out of their paychecks each month and using portions of their tax returns and stimulus payments. They plan to spend about $1,500 in Tennessee and $2,500 in Maine.

“I am so excited to get back to travel,” Black says. “After months of things being so tough and stressful, I think that this will be a joyful return to more normalcy.”

The post Safer Summer Travel As Vacation Planning Heats Up appeared first on Stash Learn.

With the unemployment rate current at 11%, the threat of Covid-19 infection still present in every state in the country, and tension boiling in cities around the United States, summer fun may seem harder to experience.   

But rest, relaxation, and fun are still important. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress can be dangerous for mental and physical health. Summertime play and adventure may help ease up some of those knots in your back (and perhaps in your mind, too). An investment in your health can be an investment in your whole life—social, financial, and otherwise.

In that spirit, we reached out to experts in health and finance to ask for simple, useful advice on how to have summertime fun in a safer way. The potential monetary costs represent a broad range, depending on how far you want to travel and how fancy you get when it comes to food and incidentals. But, remember, as always,  safety comes first.

Go camping

Cost factors: car fuel, food, camping equipment, access to parks

Potential cost per person: $15—$100 per day

Personal finance writer Lillian Karabaic, host of the podcast Oh My Dollar and author of A Cat’s Guide To Money, has a camping plan. She’s going to ride her bicycle 40 miles to camp at an Oregon state park that is currently projected to reopen in mid-July. It’s a very budget-friendly excursion.

“The overnight campsite fees are $5 for bikers, and I carry what I need on my bicycle to camp in a $30 tent,” Karabaic says. Assuming she packs $25 worth of groceries and other supplies, and perhaps stops for a socially distant $15 roadside lunch on her way to and from the campsite, this could easily be a gorgeous five-day athletic vacation for $90! 

“Bike touring gets me out in nature and is an affordable way to de-stress,” she adds. “Most of the costs are the cost of bringing extra food for all the calories I burn. In Portland, we’re lucky to have dozens of state parks within a day’s ride for a bit of an escape.”

Karabaic says that if you drive to go on your state park camping adventure, budget for extra gasoline and water. And since many rest stops will still be closed, devise an adventure that isn’t a terribly far drive from your home. 

Dr. Daniel Summers, M.D. has written about health and other subjects for Slate, The Daily Beast, and more. He’s a pediatrician in private practice in Maine who, like a lot of doctors in all areas of specialty, finds himself offering common-sense advice to people of all ages these days.

“If you decide that you’re going to travel, it’s on you to know how the pandemic is being managed at your destination, and be prepared to adhere to the rules,” he says. “In Maine, for example, it’s expected that you will quarantine for two weeks [upon arrival] if you’re coming from out of state.”

Dr. Summers adds, “It’s also important to consider the risks inherent in the place you choose to go. The more of a tourist draw, the more likely you are to get exposed to larger crowds, and to people from various places of origin that may be doing a better or worse job controlling the pandemic.” 

Take a day trip

Cost factors: car fuel, food, cost of access to parks and trails

Potential cost person: $20—100 per day

Personal finance writer Carmen Perez of Make Real Cents is a big fan of the day trip as opposed to something more expensive that might necessitate whipping out the credit card. She’s concerned that if a newly unemployed or furloughed person decides to use a credit card to pay for a fancy vacation, they may find the experience ruined by the fear of what will happen when they get home and attempt to navigate unemployment—and, of course, when those vacation bills come due.

“I think a better alternative would be to focus on a weekend or day trip somewhere to truly decompress and figure out next steps,” Perez says. But even a day trip requires advance planning. For example, Perez recommends shopping for snacks the day before the trip. This may ward off impulse buys.

Karabaic is also a proponent of a daylong outdoor adventure: “Many hiking trails will be reopening later in the summer for day trips, which is another way to get a bit of rest without the logistics of overnight camping.” Again, plan ahead, since state agencies will be limiting the number of passes available to hike on the more popular trails.

The states are taking such measures in order to limit the number of people crowding public parks. Dr. Summers knows this will be a challenge in his home state of Massachusetts as well as Maine, the location of his practice. Both states are huge tourist destinations for hikers, cyclists, and campers.

“I would advise people to choose a destination that’s less likely to put them into contact with large groups of people, who may or may not adhere to mask requirements or social distancing,” he says. 

In other words, those super popular hiking trails to the most Instagram-worthy vistas? Consider skipping them in favor of less dramatic—but potentially safer—views.

Do a house swap

Cost factors: car fuel, food

Potential cost: $0 – 100 per week

“Sometimes you just need a change in environment—and likely your friends do, too,” Karabaic says. She adds that while you may not be able to hang out with your friends, you can become a free version of an AirBnB for one another. You can even swap houses within the same city!

 “I know I’d like to stare at a different street out my window after three months looking out the same window,” she says.

A house swap may seem unusual, but it could prove incredibly nurturing and relaxing. You do deserve nice things during this time! As Perez says, “Everyone is mentally struggling …You have to give yourself some grace during this time and try to keep the negative self-talk to a minimum. If you find yourself feeling overly indulgent or wasteful, take a step back for a moment and try to understand the root of the problem.” 

If none of these ideas appeals to you, try this one from Perez—challenge your family members or roommates to get creative. What kind of vacation can you do on one tank of gas and $100 between all of you? Throw the dream of pricey glamour out the window and brainstorm something realistic. It’ll likely spark some laughter, and may take you on a safer, cheaper, and more exciting adventure than you’ve ever imagined.

The post How to Take a Safer Summer Vacation During Covid-19 appeared first on Stash Learn.

You’re not alone. Nearly a quarter of U.S. workers don’t use all the time to which they are entitled. And one big reason they don’t is the expense of going away.

Well, fear not! It is possible to go on an affordable trip when the weather gets warm. It just requires you to do some simple planning.

Read on and I’ll show you how.

Dream big, and then make a budget

First, imagine what you’d do if money were no object.
Spend some time envisioning the vacation of your dreams. Give yourself permission to think as big as you like. Would you spend a full year hiking solo around the U.S.?  Perhaps you’d prefer to go on a month-long excursion to a tropical island with your best friends, staying in the most luxurious villa on the beach. Or maybe you’d go full Thoreau and build yourself a little cabin in the woods.

Next, look at your budget for the rest of the year.
We know things can change in an instant—you can get laid off, or promoted or hired away to a bigger position. But given your situation right now, and your plans for the rest of the year, how much can you reasonably expect to earn this year? Keep in mind, the median amount that people said they planned to spend on a summer getaway in 2018 was $1,000.

Then, carve out a realistic budget for a vacation.
You probably won’t want to blow most of your money on two weeks at Disneyland and then live the rest of the year like a pauper. What can you comfortably spend on a trip? Is one paycheck realistic? How about half of one paycheck?

Figure out what works for you, and get creative when it comes to vacationing on the cheap: Have you racked up miles or other rewards on a credit card that you can cash in for your trip? If you’re traveling by plane, can you fly on less popular days? Is an apartment or house swap an option to save on lodging costs?

Now, pick the really important stuff from your big dream vacation.
Maybe you’re looking at $1,000 and seven days versus that $10,000 month-long dream spa trip. Hey, that’s okay! This is where the fun really begins. Select the elements of your original idea that really matter.

Let’s take the example of a spa trip. What about that appeals to you? Is it the chance for envy-inducing Instagram posts from your organic mud bath? Or is it something deeper and more emotional—perhaps that feeling of being pampered and cared for? Chances are, you’re looking for a soothing, nurturing experience. And while these destinations are fabulous, you don’t need to do a week at the Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina ($615+ per night in the high season) or the Spa at Mandarin Oriental in Paris ($1400+ per night in the high season)  in order to get that feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Travel on the cheap

Here are a just few lower-cost options to get you started.

National Park Service—We can thank a whole host of reformers and conservationists for the existence of a gorgeous network of national parks and heritage areas here in the United States. From wandering the historic National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C. to hiking among the stunning vistas of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, to floating down the Tennessee River and contemplating local Native American cultures at Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in northwest Alabama, there’s something to thrill you. Entrance prices vary; some parks are free while others may charge $10 to $35 per vehicle.

And five days a year, all national parks offer free entrance days.

Hostelling International (HI-USA)—With fifty hostels in twenty states, HI-USA offers plenty of options for the low-budget traveler. If your vacation plans go beyond the domestic sphere, you’re in luck—there are an estimated 4,000 hostels in participating branches in countries around the world. They may run you anywhere from $15 per night for a bunk bed to $175  a night for a private room, so check your local listings.

AirBnB—Despite some well-publicized safety concerns, as well as issues related to competition with local innkeepers and hoteliers, AirBnB remains an excellent resource for travelers on a budget. Personally, I’ve had many great experiences thanks to highly rated AirBnb hosts. On book tours, comedy tours and personal vacations, I’ve stayed in a yoga and meditation studio in Rhode Island, a tiny condo attached to a converted barn on a 200-acre ranch on California’s Central Coast, a former servant’s house built in 1911 on a magical hillside compound in Los Angeles’s Highland Park neighborhood, a beautiful one-bedroom apartment in an old Victorian home in Toronto, and many other places. I’ve also met some great people. You can spend as little as $15 to pitch a tent in someone’s back yard, or as much as…well…Beyonce has used AirBnb. I’ll just put it that way.

Go Organic?

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms—WWOOF is a popular hospitality service that allows travelers to obtain room and sometimes meals in exchange for work on an organic farm. WWOOF experiences vary from farm to farm and traveler to traveler, but I know people who’ve spent anywhere from a weekend to three months acquiring new sustainable agriculture skills domestically or abroad. In some cases, you’ll pay a low fee to stay the night; in other cases, your stay will be free. You may need to cover your own meals, or it may be all-inclusive.

Personally, I want to spend more time in nature this year enjoying the stunning environs of the Great American West. And having stayed in super-fancy hotels, stained-carpet motels, frigid windy campgrounds, bustling youth hostels, and the aforementioned lovely AirBnb accommodations. I have a decent idea about what’s most important to me right now. I want the feeling of being pleasantly tired and sinking into a comfortable bed into a clean, safe room after a great day of walking several miles around in nature.

National parks, here I come!

My next destination is most likely Sequoia National Park, about four hours north of my home in Los Angeles. I can use my hotel reward points for a few nights at one hotel or at a series of motels at different entry points to the park. I can set my email away message, take my social media apps off my phone, do some day hikes, take photos, eat and write or read in low-cost restaurants, and meditate in nature.

One of my credit cards is offering 5% cash back on any gas station charges for a month, so I’ll use that card and then pay it off as soon as I get home. I’ll bring some snacks and food and rent a hotel refrigerator if one doesn’t come with the room. It won’t be fancy, but it’ll be my own adventure on my own terms. It should run me under $400 total for four days and three nights. And I’m looking forward to it.

The post Plan Your Summer Vacation Now appeared first on Stash Learn.

Well, remember that vacations ain’t just for rich folks. You deserve to treat yourself. And while your budget may not include a week in Cabo, you can still visit some great destinations on the cheap—or cheapish.

Read on for a few lower-cost ideas.*

Las Vegas, Nevada

Roundtrip airfare per person from NYC: $140+
Lodging per night: $120+
Food per day: $40+
Entertainment for 4 days: $100

Total estimated cost for 4 days, 3 nights: $760

Alright, so this won’t be the high-rolling gambling vacation of your dreams (or nightmares), but you can have a great time in Vegas without dropping a ton of dough. Even the biggest hotels (yes, including the ones with fancy pools) often run cheap midweek specials, when relatively few out-of-towners can make it to Sin City. You may also find lower-cost tickets to comedy shows, Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas, and other exciting events. If you enjoy people-watching and window-shopping, Vegas has plenty of both—just a stroll through the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort is perhaps the most bizarre and magical mall experience you’ll ever have. You’ll see insanely luxurious wares for sale, wacky street performers and artists, and possibly some celebrities, or just people who want to be regarded as such.

And there’s plenty to do beyond the Vegas Strip. Vegas has a Burlesque Hall of Fame with $15 regular admission. Spring Mountains National Recreation Area is only 45 minutes from downtown, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is a relatively new addition to the national parks system, and it’s a must for paleontology aficionados. Check out sites such as Hotel Tonight for last-minute deals, especially on the less-pricey hotels off the Strip.

Charleston, South Carolina

Roundtrip airfare per person from NYC: $120+
Lodging per night: $90+
Food per day: $40+
Entertainment for 4 days: $100
Total estimated cost for 4 days, 3 nights: $650

Spring is one of the prettiest times of the year in Charleston, before the humidity really kicks in and the summer crowds show up. For five days in late May, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival brings avant-garde and alternative music, comedy, art, and other programming to the Holy City. Think of it is as a kind of mini-Edinburgh Fringe Festival that won’t require a passport or currency conversion. Be sure to hit up Folly Beach, a lovely public site beloved by many a local visitor. Parasail, surf, sunbathe, go fishing, explore a maritime forest, hang out on the pier, and more. Charleston is well-acquainted with tourism, as it attracts millions of international travelers each year. Check out this variety of potential itineraries for the first-time visitor. You’ll likely find something to suit your tastes and budget.

Chicago, Illinois

Roundtrip airfare per person from NYC: $120+
Lodging per night: $90+
Food per day: $40+
Entertainment for 4 days: $100
Total estimated cost for 4 days, 3 nights: $650

As soon as the temperature gets above fifty degrees, the good people of Chicago lose their minds with joy. If you’re from a warmer area, don’t be surprised to see tank tops and booty shorts in weather that may strike you as a little too cool for summer gear. There’s so much to see and do in Chicago, but here’s an important piece for the budget traveler: the elevated railway system or “L” serves 140 stops in the city and suburbs. The Chicago Transit Authority has a guide on how to use it.  And check out this helpful list of 40 free things to do in the Windy City. If you’re looking for cheap but clean accommodations, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel gets very good reviews.

Wherever you choose to go and whatever you choose to do, make sure to research reviews of low-cost motels, hostels or bed and breakfast accommodations in advance. Remember that your safety should always come first. And when you’re done having the cost-effective time of your life, consider leaving a Yelp, AirBnB or TripAdvisor review in order to pay it forward to a future budget traveler. Happy spring break!

The post How to Spring Break When You’re Broke appeared first on Stash Learn.

Millions of Americans are expected to travel in the next few months, whether it’s for Christmas or a winter vacation. Travel experts say that being flexible with both your travel dates and your destination is the biggest way to cut costs, especially around the holidays when airfare and hotel rates are at a premium.

Winter vacation travel tips

The average round-trip Christmas airfare is now $467 per ticket, a 10% increase over last month’s $423 average ticket, according to a fact sheet from airfare discount site CheapAir, which tracks over 11,000 flights globally, waiting until December can cost you. On average, you’ll pay an additional $64 per ticket, or about $250 total if you’re a family of 4.

So before you book, check out these budget-friendly winter travel tips from our vacation travel gurus.

1. Try to be flexible with your dates

If you can swing the time off from work (and tolerate that much family togetherness) the cheapest flights leave Dec. 18 and return Dec. 28. Another good travel day, according to CheapAir? Christmas Eve Day.

Hot tip: If you’re planning a New Year’s trip, New Year’s Eve is one of the cheapest holiday days to fly. Just make sure to avoid returning on Jan. 2, which is poised to be the most expensive day to fly home.

2. Don’t lock yourself into a specific vacation destination

Heading out of town but have some freedom on where to go? Be flexible.

“Too many times I hear, ‘I want to go to Maui on February 11th.’ Well, that’s the absolute worst way to save money on travel,” says travel expert and Club Thrifty blogger Holly Johnson. “Getting your heart set on a specific destination is the death knell for travel savings.”

Instead, she says, make a list of four destinations that fit within your vacation theme, whether it’s a beach vacation or ski trip, and make your decision based on each trip’s cost.

“Maybe if you were willing to go to another island in Hawaii or consider a few destinations in the Caribbean as well, then you could check flight prices, hotels and everything else in all those destinations,” she says.

3. If you are visiting family, check fares at multiple airports

Just because grandma lives in Fort Lauderdale doesn’t mean you have to fly into that airport.

Look up fares in and out of area airports even if it means a bit more driving or a longer Uber ride. It could save you hundreds in the long run.

“We live in Indianapolis, in the suburbs, but we drive to Chicago all the time for cheaper flights,” Johnson says

That drive, which takes about 2 ½ hours each way, typically saves between $200 and $500 per ticket for her family of four, or about $2,000.

“It can be a pain, but the savings can be worth it,” she says, adding that bigger airports also offer more options for direct flights.

4. Going skiing? Don’t buy your lift tickets at the door

Dave McHale, a web developer from Connecticut,  always on the lookout for discounted lift tickets and passes for himself and his winter sports-loving family.

He says that he ’s saved more than 25% by booking tickets and passes online and doing his research.

McHale recommends comparing the costs between the mountain’s website and third-party sites like Liftopia.com.”

“Even if you make weekend plans with friends during the week, you’re still better off going online and buying your ticket 72 hours ahead of time instead of waiting and buying it at the window,” he says.

McHale, who lives a few hours’ drive away from New England’s popular peaks in Vermont and New Hampshire, also makes a point to hit up local ski expos, even if it’s a bit of a drive to get there.

“Lots of mountains will often have reps out there selling deeply discounted tickets, and sometimes you will even get free lift tickets just for walking in the door,” he says. “A few years ago, I bought a single-day pass for $70 when the current going price was $95, and as a bonus, I was given a free pass to bring a friend.”

5. Book short-term rentals, rather than hotels

Not only are short-term rentals often less expensive than hotels, but you also get more for your money in the form of more room, a kitchen, and possibly laundry facilities.

A hotel near the slopes in Park City, Utah, for example, will run you $396 per night for a 355-square foot room that sleeps two adults, according to booking data from Expedia. If you book that for four nights during New Years week, the total can come out to more than $1,900 when taxes and fees are added in.

But a 1,000-square foot VRBO condo rental in the same area that sleeps four and has two bathrooms just $270 per night for the same week, totaling about $1,550 — a savings of nearly $400 for a space that’s more than twice the size and sleeps more guests than the hotel room.

“We almost always get Airbnbs,” Johnson says. “That makes food a lot more affordable, especially if you can eat breakfast in.”

“We like to have a kitchen,” she says. “Just to have drinks in the fridge can make a big difference when you’re not constantly buying a $2 drink.”

6. Start planning for next year’s winter vacation as soon as the ball drops for 2019

Make a New Year’s resolution to plan in advance.

Keeping an eye on deals throughout the year and buying in the offseason is a great way to book next year’s holiday or winter vacation at rock-bottom prices.

According to CheapAir, the Christmas airfare that’s now nearly $500 per ticket was just $391 for people who bought their tickets in early April.

Good tip: If you take advantage of early deals, just remember to protect your investment should your plans change. Travel insurance can help you recoup the bulk of your airfare, and make sure you choose accommodations with a generous cancellation policy.

The post 6 Holiday Travel Hacks for Winter Fun on the Cheap Holiday Travel appeared first on Stash Learn.

Holly Johnson* of Club Thrifty, a blog for budget travel aficionados, joined us on our podcast “Teach Me How to Money,” and shared her tips and tricks for frugal travelers.

The following are edited excerpts from her recent conversation with Stash editorial director Lindsay Goldwert.

1. Frugal travel doesn’t mean haggling.

The internet really is a treasure trove of information when it comes to looking for the best price on hotels, AirBnB [rentals], and flights. There are so many websites and tools that can help you figure out how to pay less for travel. A lot of people use credit card rewards and travel rewards to get a lot more bang for their buck on their vacations, and that doesn’t involve any haggling at all. It just involves research and time. I would say you don’t have to haggle at all if you’re good at researching, if you’re willing to read blogs, and find out where the deals are.

2. “Google” or search your way to cheaper flights.

If I’m paying for flights, instead of using airline miles, I really like Google Flights. You don’t buy your ticket at Google Flights…[it’s] just a search engine that lets you find the cheapest flight to a destination you want to go to for your dates. And it’s very easily searchable, although you have to go buy the ticket directly with the airline.

3. Points and miles aren’t worth going into debt…

I used to think that people who pursued credit card rewards were debt-free because I am. But I’m finding out that there are a lot of people who carry a credit card balance at 17% interest, pursue rewards, and think that they’re doing themselves some big favor. So I would say that’s the number one thing to keep in mind: That you shouldn’t be in debt [or] carrying a credit card balance, if you’re [only] spending on the credit card trying to earn rewards.

4. …Unless your plan is air-tight.

If you are debt-free, then you can set up your favorite rewards cards to pay regular bills. For example, we pay for our health insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, groceries, gas, the kids’ gymnastics lessons. Everything we can pay for with a credit card, we do.

The best way to use credit card rewards to save money on travel is to use them reasonably for things you were going to buy anyway. And then pay them off right away.

5. Travel insurance isn’t a bad idea.

You should have a travel insurance policy. You can buy one, most of the time, when you book your trip. Or you can buy individual travel insurance policies. I have an annual travel insurance policy on our family through Alliance Travel Insurance, but you can shop around.

Some [policies] you can cancel for any reason. For example, If you plan your trip and you buy a ‘cancel any reason’ travel insurance policy, you can cancel it [simply] because you don’t feel like going.

6. There are cheap vacations.

We do a lot of cheap beach vacations where we rent a rental condo on the beach in [places like] Florida, or on a golf course in Alabama. And those can be really cheap. My kids are seven and nine (years old), and ever since they were little, they’ll just play on the beach all day. When you have a condo, you can make most of your own meals, and save money that way. Sometimes simple vacations like that can be a ton of fun.

7. Expect unexpected expenses.

No one ever takes into account the [cost of] the cab to the airport. Or that every airline has a different checked-bag fee. Or that the kids are going to want a snack at the airport because they might not want the lunch you’ve packed.

One thing that has really happened to me in the last year—and I knew this, but it still caught me off-guard—is that we adopted a dog from the animal shelter last December. And it was free because it was a five-year-old pitbull. But every time we go somewhere, I have to pay $40 per day for somebody to watch the dog. So, sometimes, on a three-week trip, it can cost $700.

The post Frugal Travel: 7 Tips For How to Vacation Without Going Broke appeared first on Stash Learn.

Leave us your review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Budget travel doesn’t have to mean staying in student hostels, eating fast food, and living out of your backpack. And you don’t need to know “secrets” to get the best deals.

Traveling on a set budget requires planning, flexibility, and a little savvy. There are a lot of ways to vacation within your means without sacrificing quality—or getting suckered by a bad deal.

Holly and Greg Johnson, the founders of the budget travel blog Club Thrifty, left their jobs in the funeral industry (really!) to embrace the joys of global adventure.

Holly shares her tips, hacks, red flags, and all the ways she learned to follow her dreams while taking her family around the world.

Send us your questions at teachmehowtomoney@stash.com, and we’ll try to answer them on a future episode.

The post Podcast: How to Travel on a Budget with Holly Johnson appeared first on Stash Learn.

Fear not, intrepid traveler. Here are a few simple, easy, and entirely doable ways to minimize costs and maximize fun.

Make a budget

Sit down and realistically plot out all the costs for your trip. Remember things like: city and state tax for hotels, your fondness for purchasing ridiculous souvenir magnets at the airport, and the actual cost of a rental car (don’t forget gas!) Then throw in some extra probably-won’t-happen costs—like what if XYZ happens and you’ve got to stay at a different hotel and it’s a little pricey?

Build in a mini-emergency fund just in case. The point isn’t to get anxious; the point is to be prepared.

Airline points are your friend

Seems obvious, right? And heck, if you had a zillion airline points stored up, you’d already have a free ticket booked. But I don’t mean just using your airline points for a ticket. Maybe you’ve earned enough for a hotel room discount, or a gift certificate to a local restaurant, or a free whale-watching trip—I seriously saw this once on an airline rewards site.

If you booked your ticket before joining the airline rewards program, see if they’ll let you join retroactively. You haven’t used your ticket yet, so it’s worth a shot. The points will be deposited after you complete your trip, and you can get started on making your next vacation more cost-effective.

Use public transportation

Many cities have discount passes for visitors, that knock some of the cost off public transportation, museums, occasionally even restaurants. And you’ll certainly get a more intimate view of your environs than you will in a rental car. If the city has notoriously bad traffic, public transportation may be a big win for you and your “trip mates.”

For a great example, check out NYC’s MTA tourism site for a host of cool options.

It’s Groupon o’clock

Ah, the joy of finding an excellent Groupon in a city that isn’t your own! A little advance research on coupon sites is well worth the fun you’ll have, and the relief your bank account will experience.

Think outside the box. Maybe you’re going to gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina and instead of hitting the usual tourist traps on King Street, you find a Groupon to a family-owned soul food joint or a local rock club you’ve never heard of.

Why not go for it? You could even try a dance class or exercise class at a studio or gym. You’re a lot likelier to make local friends at one of these places than at Joe’s Crab Shack Store #5367. Plus, you’ll support the local economy. If you have a good time, write a nice Yelp review after. Which reminds me – sometimes Yelp offers discounts, too.

Eat cheap

Look, I know I just recommended you support local establishments, and I truly want you to do this. But I also will admit I hit a fast food place on a recent work trip to Indianapolis, and man did I enjoy every single bite. You can mix up the corporate/independent eating!

On a recent trip to Massachusetts, I ate a great, affordable meal at a diner that’s been in the same family for thirty years. It was nearly as inexpensive as a fast food meal would’ve been. I also went to a more upscale place in the same small town and enjoyed that, too. If you’re hungry enough and you enjoy the company you keep, you can have as much fun at Chipotle as at Le Fancy Café.

Pack (some of) your own food

Checking a bag will likely cost you around $25, but it may just earn out if you pack carefully. What should you put in there besides clothes, sunscreen, and toiletries? Specifically, snacks to keep you fortified against the temptation of unnecessary expenses. Nuts, seeds, chips, crackers, peanut butter, even powdered soup packets.

If your hotel doesn’t offer free coffee—check ahead of time—you might even bring your own. I’ve heard of folks bringing their own mini-coffee makers and ground coffee beans. Hey, whatever works. Bring some plastic baggies to store sandwiches, and consider silverware. Use real, recycled plastic or bamboo kind.

Sink laundry on the go

You can do your own laundry in your hotel sink or bathtub (and maybe even cut down on the temptation to buy souvenir t-shirts) by bringing a little detergent with you. I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s wacky hippie all-purpose soap for this purpose as well. I’m always bowled over when people actually get their laundry done by the hotel—it’s so expensive! (Unless they’ve got laundry machines, in which case it’s usually pretty cheap.)

These recommendations are just the beginning. I really recommend Lonely Planet guides as well as various country-and state-specific tourism websites to help you out.  A little research can make your trip even more fun.

Enjoy yourself! And don’t forget about the sunscreen, please.

The post How to Save Money on Your Summer Vacation appeared first on Stash Learn.

Valentine’s Day, as an annual romantic celebration, was invented by Hallmark about a hundred years ago to sell greeting cards. Since then, it’s expanded into a $20 billion industry. That’s how much people spend on Valentine’s every year, according to the National Retail Federation.

We break down Love Inc., by the numbers.

Gold

Gold, the key ingredient in wedding bands, has been in use since ancient times, as jewelry and also as money, because everybody recognized the value of the glinting, yellow metal. It has industrial uses as well, that have nothing to do with ornamentation. Your cell phone contains bits of gold. It’s also in cars, circuit boards, dental fillings and NASA space equipment.

All the gold in the world totals about 170,000 metric tons, if it were all gathered together in one place. If all the world’s gold were melted into a cube, that cube of solid gold would measure 20.7 feet to the side.

Americans eat $18 billion worth of chocolate per year, which amounts to 18 percent of the world supply.

So how much is gold worth? We normally weigh it in ounces, not tons, and it’s currently trading at about $1,300 an ounce. Gold is volatile, and it increased increasing 12% in December and January, before dropping to its current level, as the stock market roiled through its extreme sell-offs since last week, including the Dow’s biggest single-day point drop ever (down 1,175) on Monday.

With gold priced at about $1,300 an ounce, now might not be a bad time to buy a wedding band. Yet,  the price of gold has gone way down since hitting its peak in 2011 of $1,889.70 an ounce.

Fortunately most wedding bands weigh no more than 0.35 ounces. That little band around your finger doesn’t amount to much weight. But here we are, paying $300 to $3,000 for a wedding ring. Why? Because it’s “platinum”? No. It’s because of the sentiment.

But that pales compared to engagement rings, which can cost more than $6,000, on average. Remember, there’s no rule that says you have to spend that much. Or even that a ring must have a diamond at all.

Chocolate

Americans love chocolate. Those $5 heart-shaped Russell Stovers at Walgreens and those $125 gilded boxes of Godivas really add up to billions and billions of dollars of consumer spending.

Americans eat $18 billion worth of chocolate per year, which amounts to 18 percent of the world supply.

Valentine’s Day spending gets a big piece of that. We’re expected to spend about $1.8 billion on candy on February 14. And that includes a lot of chocolate hearts with gooey centers.

Where does all this chocolate come from? Big Chocolate is dominated by Nestle, a Swiss conglomerate, and Hershey and Mars Inc., and also Ferrero, the maker of Nutella.

One of the biggest business stories of the year so far is when Nestle sold $3 billion worth of candy brands, including Butterfinger and Babe Ruth to Ferrero. Chocolate is big business.

Weddings

Weddings are a $76 billion industry. There are more than 300,000 wedding-related businesses employing 1.2 million people and the industry is growing 2.8% every year.

How much does the average wedding cost? About $35,000, according to recent survey from The Knot, a site devoted to the wedding industry.

The venue where the wedding actually takes place gets the lion’s share of the take, about $16,000, followed by the band, who typically earn about  $4,000. Overall wedding prices vary widely depending on the location, with Manhattan being the most expensive, at $78,000. For those on a budget, Arkansas is the cheapest, but even in Little Rock the typical wedding costs $19,000.

That doesn’t even count the cost of the honeymoon.

The average cost of a honeymoon is harder to nail down, because it depends on the destination. A 2015 report from WeddingWire, a company that works in the wedding retail industry, puts the average honeymoon cost at about $3,882.

One classic honeymoon is the ocean cruise, and cruises are a big business, creating a $117 billion industry annually, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. How much does a cruise cost? A website for cruise line might list packages starts at $1,000 for two, but the travel guide Frommer’s says the average is closer to $4,000.

Remember: Food is included, but many times, the drinks are not

Starter homes

The term “starter home” seems to suggest something cheap purchased by newlyweds, in the hope that it will appreciate in value and they’ll someday sell up to something bigger. The median price of a home sold in the U.S. in December 2017 was $335,400, according to the U.S. Census. So a starter home is likely to  be cheaper than that, on average.

Hundreds of thousands of people are buying these lower-cost homes. In tracking real estate deals by price, the Census Bureau says that 18,000 units sold for less than $150,000 in 2017. Another 62,000 houses sold for between $150,000 to $199,999, and 187,000 abodes sold for between $200,000 and $299,999.

Beyond that, as the price of houses get more expensive, the number of buyers drops.

Who says you can’t put a price on love?

The post The Business of Valentine’s Day: Love Inc. appeared first on Stash Learn.

Customers wowed by the cheaper flights on certain airlines are often in for a rude awakening when they see the bill. While airlines like Spirit, Allegiant, Frontier, and others make their money by offering low-base fares, they can be be sneaky when it comes to getting inexperienced travelers to purchase things they don’t need.

If you want to fly the skies on the cheap, here are five simple tricks to save your budget.

Never pay to check in

One of the most common tricks of airlines like Spirit is to make you think you have to pay for the right to check in. Other airlines do this as well, suggesting on their websites that you’ll need to pony up $10 to check in with an agent if you don’t go through the process online. In reality, the airline will either provide a kiosk at the airport to handle check in or they’ll have to check you in for free with an agent. Airlines are required to give you the ticket you’ve paid for. Don’t fall for the trick of thinking you have to buy this service ahead of time.

Consolidate those bags and check the size

Another trick of budget airlines is to charge lots of money for bags at the gate. At Spirit Airlines, the cost of checking at bag at when you arrive is $35. But the fee to check the same bag at the gate is $65. (Note: Spirit used to charge $100 to check a bag at the gate.) Plan for this and have bags that fit in the airline’s size specifications.

Airlines are required to give you the ticket you’ve paid for. Don’t fall for the trick of thinking you have to buy this service ahead of time.

Book early and take advantage of the 24-hour cancellation period

Even the cheapest airlines will give you 24 hours to cancel your booking after you’ve made it. You have nothing to lose by locking in early fares and continuing to check for new ones. Take advantage of that grace period if you find something better. Timing is also critical with budget carriers. Because they are not in the financial position of their legacy competitors, budget airlines often like to lock in a certain number of advance customers. This can lead to lower advance rates if you’re willing to book a few months ahead.

Avoid bundle packages

Some budget carriers will try to entice you with bundled amenities packages. They’ll combine a checked bag, a line pass, and a seat assignment for some combined rate. These bundles are often a bad deal, and they routinely include things you just don’t need. On Spirit, for instance, it’s routine to see an expedited security pass in these bundles. That pass is notorious for saving travelers very little time because it is included for so many travelers.

Bring your own food and drink

Many travelers look forward to a can of soda and a bag of pretzels or peanuts when they fly. On the budget carriers, these amenities are not free. That can of Sprite that might have come free on your Delta flight last month may cost you on a budget flight. The better option is to bring your own drinks and snacks. This can save you a few dollars or even more if you’re flying with a group.

Key takeaways

When you fly with a budget airline, prepare to spend no money whatsoever. You should take advantage of the cheap flight fare and aggressively decline all extra options that seek to separate you from your money. When you head to the airport expecting that budget airline to try to trick you into spending more, you can begin to enjoy the process. The best budget travelers take pride in their ability to say no to add-ons that pump up the price on top of those cheap fares.

The post Five Simple Tricks for Saving Money with Budget Airlines appeared first on Stash Learn.

The value of a key stock index that comprises the major airlines fell by 7.5%, and in aggregate lost close to $10 billion of market value in August, according to a recent report from Bloomberg.

The major airlines include American, Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest.

Bad for investors, good for consumers?

Big airlines have suffered a double whammy of economic forces–some of them prompted by the weather.

These air carriers are under increasing pressure from smaller airlines that have cut the cost of tickets on a wide range of routes. In June, for example, the ultra-low cost airline Frontier announced it would more than double the number of routes it flies in the U.S., with teaser rates for some one-way tickets as low as $20.

To keep up, major airlines have been cutting ticket prices. The average domestic airline ticket departing from Los Angeles International, for example, fell by 5%, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Adding to the pressure recently, the price of jet fuel has also increased since Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in late August. The storm reduced by 4.4 million barrels, or 24% of the oil refining capacity, according to reports.

Economic challenges for the airlines are likely to continue.

Delta, Spirit Airlines, and JetBlue all reportedly cut their revenue forecasts for the coming months.

Top Takeaways:

• It’s been a tough few months for the airline industry.
• Competition from low-cost air carriers has forced major airlines to cut prices for domestic air travel.
• Hurricane Harvey has taken about a quarter of oil production offline, and that’s led to increases in fuel costs for major carriers.
• These factors have all cut into airline profits.
• While airlines compete on cost, consumers are benefitting from cheaper tickets.

Read more: Hurricane Harvey: How a Big Storm Affects the Market

The post How Discounters (And the Weather) are Making it Tough for Big Airlines appeared first on Stash Learn.

And while the phrase “budget travel” doesn’t initially set the soul soaring, consider taking another perspective. By focusing on where you are (rather than what you’re spending) the trip will be so much sweeter—and the memories just as vivid.

Ready to travel light? Check out these budget vacation hacks:

Take public transit

Wherever you choose to go, make friends with the metro system. There are plenty of cities all over the world with wonderful public transportation infrastructure, such as Stockholm, Sao Paulo or Tokyo. For just a few dollars, you can travel to beaches, museums, and other places of interest via bus, train, ferry, or the subway system.

Good to know: Check to see if there are museum and restaurant discounts associated with the metrocards in the city you’re visiting. You may find yourself seeing a lot more than you would out of a cab window.

Shop for food at grocery stores

When you’re at home, you probably don’t eat out every meal. Why should it be any different when you travel? Learn the grocery stores like a local, and you’ll save a bundle on food.

An advantage of grabbing food at grocery stores is that they often have some of the same famous local delicacies you’ll find in a restaurant, but at a fraction of the cost. You’ll still be able to experience a great deal of the regional cuisine simply by purchasing the dishes at the grocery store. Also, if you happen to be traveling in Europe, check out rival discount grocery stores Aldi and Lidl—and save your money for at least one memorable dinner out.

Free and easy

Why spend hundreds of dollars when so many wonderful things are free? Many beaches don’t charge admission—just bring your snorkeling gear or boogie board. Check out schedules for museums and other local cultural locations for free days and times.  

There are sometimes discount coupons available for visitors in tourist brochures, which you can find at many information points in major cities.

And remember: history is nearly always free. By just walking around interesting historical neighborhoods you’ll feel immersed in your new destination. No credit cards needed.

Drink local

Looking to relax with a glass of wine or a local beer? If you really want to enjoy yourself and have a night out on the town, steer clear of the large, fancy tourist bars. Ask where the locals go to enjoy a night out. They’re likely to be cheaper. Plus, chatting with locals is a great way to get to know a place.

Good tip: Neighborhood watering holes may also offer some of the best food around, because they cater to a local crowd.  

The post 5 Budget Travel Hacks for Your Next Vacation appeared first on Stash Learn.