Five Ways to Save: Last Minute Holiday Travel & New Year Getaways

Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom

With the holidays looming, millions of Americans will line up at airport terminals grimly hoping that they’ll survive their air travel experience with their bank account intact after all the extra fees.  If you booked your holiday travel in advance this season, domestic airfare was expected to be down 1.4 percent overall, with tickets averaging $302, as opposed to $306 last holiday according Bing Travel. But if you’ve waited until the last minute to book your holiday travel plans, you still have options.  The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman, has valuable advice for everyone traveling this season to avoid the ho-ho-hums of holiday travel.

Travel Tip #1: Road Trips vs. Air Travel Can Save Thousands of Dollars for Families.  If you’ve waited until the last minute to book a flight, you’re going to have a challenge finding a great airfare Christmas week but there still may be time for New Year getaway deals.  Driving instead of flying can save you two ways – a family of four can save thousands of dollars in airfare even with the price of gasoline on a road trip. You’ll also save hundreds of dollars on luggage fees.

Travel Tip #2:  Book a Reservation at an All-Suite Hotel vs. Standard Hotel.  Savings is about getting more bang for your buck so stay at a hotel that gives you more value than just a standard hotel like an all-suites hotel.   Embassy Suites Hotels is the only full service hotel that gives you a two-room suite for the price of one room.  This holiday season, they are also giving away a $10,000 online shopping spree.  You can enter to win at EmbassySuites.com and you receive one entry for every night you stay between now and January 31st.

Travel Tip #3:  Never Pay for Breakfast.  If you book the right hotel, you should never have to pay for breakfast which can save a family of four several hundred dollars over a one-week vacation or trip.  Look for hotels that provide a breakfast as part of the lodging fee, like Embassy Suites that includes a free cooked-to-order breakfast.  This can be a significant savings when you travel with kids.

Travel Tip #4: Get Local Deals at Your Drive-To Destination through Tourism Websites.  No matter where you live, road trips are a trend this winter because of the savings.  Recent holiday travel polls show that Americans are sticking with their cars instead of braving airport hassles and are choosing closer to home getaways for winter breaks.  Connecticut, the Closer Than You Think state, is a great drive to destination and a fun winter escape with four different areas for snowboarders and skiers of all levels. Places like Mohawk Mountain have seven ski lifts and snowmaking capabilities plus affordable packages for children starting at $27 a lift ticket. Beyond the slopes, there’s Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration and a free planetarium show at Mystic Seaport.  You can find lots of getaway ideas and discounts at dozens of area hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops at CTVisit.com.

Travel Tip #5:  Don’t Forget to Use Travel Reward Programs to Save. Travel reward programs and credit card rewards have more ways to use points for travel items outside of hotel rooms and airfare and include activities and meals when you arrive.

The biggest trend is that overall, travel spending for holiday travel is up from a year ago and 41% of people traveling are spending $500 or more.  Also, travel technology and the latest apps that make travel easy are trending in travel.

Don’t forget to use defensive flying tips BEFORE you board the plane.  That means use technology first to find out about delays in advance and have a back up plan including phone numbers or email addresses programmed in your phone so you can let your family know about delays – especially if you have someone picking you up at your destination.  Also, make sure you have a boredom buster bag for the kids with games, books and electronics so they don’t cranky.

Tara Aronson’s Busy Moms Survival Tips for Overwhelmed Moms on the Run!

January 2010:

Tara Aronson, Lifestyle Reporter

Watch Video. Did you know that 72% of moms with children over one-year-old work and moms with a full-time job spend 13 hours each day working at the office or at home completing family chores? Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or a working mom, you probably feel overwhelmed and as though you are always running out of time. Between managing jobs, the kids schedules with school and play, cooking, and cleaning, getting organized and under control doesn’t usually come naturally and busy moms need help. Working Mom and Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson, wrote the book on helping moms get control of their homes and their lives with Mrs. Clean Jeans’ Housekeeping with Kids and she has five time management tips for busy moms.

TIP # 1 – Don’t Skip Breakfast. Mornings are the hardest times for moms and kids with getting everyone ready for school and work and though you know that skipping breakfast is a bad idea, it takes a lot more time to cook a nutritious breakfast. Here’s an easy alternative when you’re on the go and need to get out the door, Carnation® Breakfast Essentials™. It has more than two times the protein of an egg, twice the calcium of a 6 oz cup of yogurt and 21 essential vitamins and minerals in every serving. It’s also easy on the budget since one serving averages $0.76 when using a glass of milk and the kids can even make this easy breakfast by themselves which saves moms time during the morning madness.

Don't Skip Breakfast!

TIP # 2 – Make Technology Your Friend and Reduce Stress. Today’s mom can use the latest technology to help organize her day and find ways to relax. Here are two lifesavers for moms. Whether you’re running errands or attending soccer practice, an Android smart phone will help you keep it all together. The new LG Optimus M from MetroPCS costs $229 and has over 100,000 apps with features like social networking, texting and email. You get unlimited calls, texting and internet access, service starts at $50 a month and you never sign an annual contract You can find out more details at MetroPCS.com.

Android Smartphone: LG Optimus M from MetroPCS

Now, busy moms get stressed out but did you know that technology can help reduce stress? Video games aren’t just for kids and a recent clinical study conducted at East Carolina University found that playing Bejeweled 2 reduced stress 47% on adults tested. It’s easy to see why more than 300 million women around the world play it and now, the sequel Bejeweled 3 has launched with an expanded Zen mode for stress reduction where you can customize ambient sounds, mantras and even breath modulation settings. You can get it in stores or at PopCap.com.

Get Bejeweled 3 in stores or at PopCap.com.

TIP # 3 – Get the Kids Involved. First of all, you’re a mom, not a maid, and it’s important to be a good parent and teach your kids age appropriate chores to learn the life skills they need to succeed in life. That includes not doing every thing for them when they’re old enough to start making the bed, cleaning their room, taking out the trash, and even doing laundry. By delegating these chores, it’s less stress on moms and it’s teaching kids responsibility.

Age appropriate chores teach kids important life skills and help busy moms.

TIP # 4 – Conquering Clutter, Cleaning and Chaos. Here are three easy tips to conquer clutter, cleaning and chaos and it starts with keeping a schedule and posting it on the fridge, or “family central,” so everyone knows the plan and keeps track. Next, cleaning is delegated so that’s a family affair as well and the kids chore lists on also on the fridge. Finally, have a catch-all basket for important papers like homework that needs a signature, etc. and set that in a place you won’t miss it and keep another basket where you can collect items that go back to bedrooms so you only have to make one trip.

TIP # 5 – Organize Errands to Save Time and Money. Organizing your time by combining errands will save you gas, time and money so plan your errands so you make one trip instead of three or four. Go to Tara’s MrsCleanJeans.com website to get lots of free tips to help you organize a busy mom’s life.

2010 Holidays on a Budget: Making Them Special

December 2010:

Tara Aronson, Lifestyle Expert

Making the Holidays Special on a Budget 2010 View Video on Vimeo.

It’s the most wonderful time of year but now more than ever it can also be a frustrating time financially with the economy weighing heavy on everyone’s mind. But there’s no need to cancel Christmas or your holiday spirit because you can still make the holiday season special — even on a shoestring. Believe it or not, Gallup’s initial poll of Americans’ 2010 Christmas spending intentions finds consumers planning to spend an average of $715 on gifts.  But budget minded elves can save $325 by harnessing Santa’s secret to making the holidays memorable even when money is tight.  You just have to be creative – from planning holiday parties to giving great gifts that work – you can plan a Christmas that’s 50% off the projected spending amount and still have lots of great memories to last a lifetime.  Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson has some tips to make the holidays memorable when money is tight.

Host a Holiday party for under $25.  You can definitely host a holiday party for under $25.  It’s simple and easy to do with an old-fashioned pitch-in or potluck themed party where everyone brings a dish.  Your guests supply great hors d’oeuvres, casseroles or holiday cookies and you provide the party space and drinks – sodas, punch or even some of the budget wine that’s available.

New Ways to Save Online
The average Christmas gift budget for 2010 is $715 and you can save 50% of that budget with one simple idea.  Instead of buying a gift for everyone in your family or circle of friends, use the old fashioned Secret Santa idea and draw one name so you buy one gift instead of ten or more.  This is a great way to save and everyone will appreciate the savings.  Just in case you want to get a little personalized something for everyone on your list, here’s a new spin on an old fashioned gift giving idea that saves time and money.

At PearTreeGreetings.com, you can craft personalized cards and gifts. There are hundreds of designs and colors to choose from in a price range from $.85 to $1.25 per card.  You can also design personal stationery that’s a unique and personal gift for anyone on your list.  It’s easy to upload your photos, write personal greetings, and your cards arrive within a few business days printed on beautiful thick card stock that’s 100% post-consumer recycled.  The unique and personalized designs make a cherished memorable gift.

Now this is one of my favorite ways to save money online. At Pig.com, you can earn up to 15% cash-back on purchases and $5 will be added to your online Piggy Bank just for signing up.  This website gives you cash back on purchases made at 1,000 of the most popular online stores and there’s no limit to the amount you can earn. Once at least $10 accumulates in your piggy banks, you can cash out and collect real dollars.  You can also earn $5 just by referring other friends and family to the website.

Christmas Gifts that Don’t Cost a Dime.  You know if your budget is super tight one of the most priceless gifts you can give is the gift of time.  Classic gift ideas that won’t cost a dime are coupons for the gifts of “time” like “5 hours of Babysitting” – “Movie Night @ Home” – “One Hand Car Wash for Dad” or even a “Day at the Museum.”  Also, check out Craigslist.com under FREE and who knows what you might find.

Give More.  Spend Less.  Get Family & Friends Involved in Spirit of Giving and New Traditions. Make those Homemade or Personalized Christmas Cards and make it a family affair.  Also, the whole family can get into the spirit of giving by adopting a charity each year like the Heifer organization.  $20 buys a Gift of Chicks and your gift will help provide a family in need with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks that will lay 200 eggs a year – a steady source of nutrition and income for a third world family.  Also, start a new tradition of volunteering during the holidays – this could be volunteering to help serve Christmas dinner at the local mission, caroling at a nursing home, or assisting with pet adoptions.  Also, designate a Make Room for Santa Day and have the kids clean out closets of old clothes & toys that are then donated to a local mission or homeless shelter.  Finally, create an ornament for the tree for each family member (perhaps a child’s school picture) and don’t forget the pets.  This ornament collection grows throughout the years.

2009 Top 5 Busy Mom Time Management Makeover Tips

October 2009:

Tara Aronson, Lifestyle Expert

Tips from Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson. 72% of moms with children over one-year-old work and moms with a full-time job spend 13 hours each day working at the office or at home completing family chores. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or a working mom, you probably feel overwhelmed and as though you are always running out of time. Between managing jobs, the kids schedules with school and play, cooking, and cleaning, getting organized and under control doesn’t usually come naturally and busy moms need help. Working Mom and Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson, wrote the book on helping moms get control of their homes and their lives with Simplify Your Household and Mrs. Clean Jeans’ Housekeeping with Kids and she has smart time management tips for busy moms  Here are her top five tips for a Busy Mom’s Time Management Makeover.

TIP # 1 – Eliminate Morning Madness. Simplify your mornings by doing as many things as you can the night before.  Sign off on homework and school papers, pack lunches, pack up backpacks and station them near the door and lay out school clothes including shoes, socks and hair bands.  Finally, make sure kids set their own alarm clocks as it encourages them to be responsible for their own schedules.

TIP #2 – Conquer Clutter and Cleaning to Prevent Chaos. You can conquer what I call important clutter like receipts, mail, permission slips and other important items by creating a temporary holding area with what I call clutter-buster baskets.  These are not a permanent dumping grounds because you will check them daily and distribute the contents. Now, here’s a cleaning tip most people don’t know about.  Many kitchens can get foul odors if the dishwasher and garbage disposal are not properly cleaned as directed in their Use & Care guides.  In fact, dishwashers in particular can be a problem when dirty dishes sit for several days or when food residue is not completely rinsed away.  I recommended something that is brand new on the market from Whirlpool for a cleaner, fresher dishwasher and disposal, Affresh™ Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner.  You use this once a month or as needed and it’s the only national two-in-one product available that removes odor in dishwashers and garbage disposals.

TIP #3- Make A Family Calendar to Save Time by Organizing Schedules. Everyone in the family has activities so it’s important to make a family calendar.  This can help you figure out things like what errands can be combined and if you can arrange car pools that can be real time savers. Also, establish routines with set times for homework and playtime so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each day.  Now, with school in full-swing, several play dates for your toddlers in the afternoons, and soccer games on weekends, kids can get some tough stains on their clothes that can be time consuming to get out.  To tackle these messes, here’s another new product, Tide Stain Release.  It’s an in-wash booster designed to help remove the toughest fresh and dry stains.  Just drop one of these duo pacs into your washing machine, along with regular detergent, and Tide Stain Release will help lift tough stains like grass to ketchup on everything from your clothes to your favorite linens.

TIP #4- Get the Kids Involved to Save Time Cleaning. Make family participation in household cleaning and maintenance the rule rather than the exception.  On Saturdays, have your whole family engage in a 60-minute cleaning routine.  This is a round the room and through the home cleaning and organizing system.  The goal is turn housework into teamwork, with each member of the family helping to get it right and fast.

TIP #5- Learn the Art of Delegation to Balance Work and Family. Working mothers of all kinds need to know that getting your entire family involved with effective time management is the key to overcoming overwhelm and balancing work and family. Too many times, moms try to do it all by themselves.  They need to look at their family to as a support system.  Start getting kids involved early with age appropriate chores to lessen your load.  The more the kids pitch in, the less Mom and Dad have to do, and the more free time everyone has to go to the movies, eat out at a favorite restaurant or take afternoons off to head to a park or a beach.