Would you like to find a way to save money or get extra perks during your next hotel stay? First, decide on a hotel or at least narrow it down to just a few choices a couple months in advance. Then consider becoming a member of one or all of the hotels’ free travel clubs or rewards clubs. Once you become a member, there is a good chance that the hotel will start sending you special hotel rates and offers by email with some amazing deals or packages.

 Additional benefits to becoming a member of a hotel’s travel or rewards club may include special offers for breakfast or free dining such as “kids eat free” and express check in or late check out. Hyatt club members are able to enjoy a later checkout at 2:00 pm which may come in quite handy if you have a later flight or would like to enjoy the pool just a bit more. Look online or call the hotel or hotels of your choice to check the savings and perks they offer. 
 
In your search for hotel savings, another option to consider and look into is combining an airline ticket with a hotel reservation. The combined rate will be much less than if you booked each separately. You can try an online or local travel agency such as American Express Travel to book your airline and hotel together.

Recently when making travel arrangements I found that when I added a hotel stay to the booking of my flight my additional cost per night was a mere $23 which included all hotel taxes and fees.  It is rare you can get a hotel for under $100 a night with the fees and taxes included, so at $23 a night it is a steal!

Remember that with just a little extra planning before you make your travel arrangement you might find easy ways to save money.

Wishing you a happy and inexpensive hotel stay!

Trying to find the cheapest car rental agency? Here’s a trick to find one.

Explore a website where you can book travel plans (car, hotel, flight) as opposed to the site for a car rental agency. Once on the travel site enter the rental location and the dates that you need the car and then the site will generate a list of car rental companies and their rates. Once you have determined the agency you wish to rent from, you can rent by contacting the car rental agency directly or through the travel agency. An example of a travel website is AmericanExpressTravel.com

If you need transportation after a flight typically the cheapest rate will be found at a car rental facility that is not located onsite at the airport. Onsite rental agencies usually have to pay additional airport fees therefore increasing your cost to rent the auto. Many airports have car rental agencies within a short distance of the airport and provide shuttle transportation to and from the airport.

“Avoid doing it (renting) at the airport: You could pay as much as 30 to 40 percent more than at an agency just off the airport grounds” says Real Simple. For instance I found you can save as much as $100 for a weeklong rental from Payless which is just around the corner from The Orlando International Airport. And the Palm Beach Airport has an Enterprise Rental Agency about a mile away where you can get a car for as little as $20 a day. If you do decide to rent your car offsite from the airport make sure the rental agency provides a shuttle service between the agency and the airport.

Before leaving home, find out whether or not your auto insurance agency insures car rentals - bring a copy of your insurance card with you on your trip. Also, check with your credit card company as some provide auto rental insurance free of charge when the rental is processed through your credit card.

Car rates may go down the closer you get to the date of your trip, so be sure to check online to see if in fact the rate has gone done. If it has, call the agency to change your reservation.

And finally, if you are a AAA member, check to see if the car rental agency provides a discount to AAA members. AAA members may also receive discounts to local and chain restaurants and stores. For example AAA of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania provides a discount at TGI Friday’s, A-1 Japanese Steakhouse, Bounce U (parties), New York and Company, Gold’s Gym (membership fee), 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision and Sears Optical. 

Whether on vacation, or at home, you may be able to save money.

Happy car renting!

One of the most comfortable and fun shoes you will ever wear are Onesoles®. Invented by a pharmacist who stood on her feet 12 hours a day, this incredibly comfortable and fun shoe is almost too good to be true. When I first tried on Onesoles®, the immediate thought that came rushing to my mind was, “Oh, my gosh! I don’t ever want to take these shoes off!”

Not only is this shoe fabulous because of its comfort, the top (or strap) of the shoe is actually interchangeable. With a wide variety of strap styles, colors and designs to choose from, you can easily make it look like you have hundreds of different pairs of shoes. And while all your friends are assuming you have mountains of shoes, secretly you’ll know that your closet is really occupied by just “one sole.” Imagine being able to honestly reply, “Just one.” when your husband asks, “Honey, how many new pairs of shoes did you buy?”

Like the straps, the shoe itself comes in different styles, heel heights, and colors. So you start by picking the heel style, height, and shoe color that’s right for you, and you finish by selecting the extra interchangeable tops (straps) that you like. And, if you travel, is this ever the shoe for you! Being able to pack one pair of shoes with multiple interchangeable straps is sure to help you win the battle to keep your suitcase from exceeding the airlines’ 50 lb weight limit.

Knowing the value, style, and comfort of these shoes, we’ve added Onesoles® to our local store and are now in the process of adding them to our online store. You can also visit the Onesole® website to check out the different shoe styles and over 600 tops (straps) as well as locate a store carrying Onesoles® in your area.

Wishing you happy feet!