Tips, Deals and Trips: Blow off steam without blowing your wallet.

If you look at a recent graph of the stock market it is difficult not to think about a roller coaster. Every day someone I know is either on the verge of losing their job or knows somebody who was laid off. Simply put, these times are stressful. I think my brother put it best, “Everyday I wake up and worry about how I am going to take care of my family.”

After thinking about the current economic dilemma for a few days, I came to a conclusion: If we are going to have to tighten our belts, we may as well blow off some steam doing it. During the most stressful financial times it is important to remember that there are so many deals available from companies trying to drum up business. Frankly, we would be foolish not to take advantage of them.

Let’s start with food. There is nothing like a good meal to help us relax. There are a number of restaurants out there trying to push a new dish or get people through the door. As we all know, the internet tends to bring information to the masses. One site I have found helpful looking for great deals on restaurants was a blog called Money Saving Mom. The author, Crystal Paine, is a mother of two that knows a thing or two about stretching a dollar when it comes to going out to dinner with the family.

Getting places is another area that we could all use some savings advice. As a part time global warming preacher myself, I always recommend using Google Transit to navigate public transportation and make the most of your day-to-day traveling budget. If you do drive a car then you may have noticed the dropping price of gas. The one problem with price drops is that some locations tend to have stickier prices than others. To make the most out of your gas budget I always tell people to check out Gas Buddy to find the stations near you with the absolute best prices.

Taking a vacation is the next area where I pride myself on saving a buck or two. Generally speaking I try and go ‘somewhere’ every few weeks. Many times we end up staying near home, but at least we are out of the house. I am personally a big fan of camping. I think every family should go out camping a few times a year. One site I rely on for tips on great camping spots is GreatCampingSpots.com. The site has a ton of resources on finding and booking the best campgrounds around the country.

If you are looking for a more pampered vacation or just don’t feel like breaking out the tent then I have a few tips for you as well. Generally when I make the decision to reward myself with a real getaway I try as hard as I can not to break the bank in the process. While it may sound generic, Orbitz.com has some great deals on the Orbitz Deal Page. They do a great job of pulling together some interesting cost effective trips. I must confess, my family also owns timeshare. In the long run we feel like it ends up saving us money because we travel so much. There are quite a few sites on the web that offer Cheap Vacations in return for attending a resort presentation for timeshare. Many times these deals include extras such as free rounds of golf, dinner for two or even theme park tickets.

As a self professes rollercoaster junkie I can’t leave out great deals on theme parks. If you are looking for great ticket deals on major parks, check out this recent About.com article. The author tells you all sorts of tips and trick for scoring great deals to the top parks.

With all these great channels to blow off steam without blowing your wallet, make sure you take some time to smile. Life is too long and these times will eventually pass. Make sure you get your proper dose of rest and relaxation.

Bet your bottom dollar

I bought a bagel this morning and for the first time I pocketed the 75 cents instead of dropping it in the tip jar. What is this world coming to? A few weeks back the idea of saving a few quarters for parking was a far cry from my opulent lifestyle.

With the sky falling around our ears helmet sales must be going through the roof. The times are tough and need I say quite stressful. Many of us are feeling the crunch. People use a variety of outlets to channel the pressure in their lives. One of the most common is taking a vacation.

While it may seem counterintuitive to consider a vacation in such rough times, I propose that taking a vacation is all the more important. And while we all want to save our pennies (or quarters in my case), I submit that you can unwind and still keep some coin in your pocket.

There are a few new travel sites on the web that bring together the best of both worlds. Most of these sites are tied to the timeshare industry. The word timeshare might conjure up images of used car salesmen figures, but these day most of the vacation ownership companies are quite legitimate and concerned about their public image. Many offer great mini-vacation packages including extras like free golf, dinner for two or even gas certificates in exchange for attending a resort presentation with you significant other. One of these websites that recently caught my eye is Vacation-Offer.com.

My fiancé and I went on a ‘Romantic New Hampshire Weekend Getaway’ and I have to be honest, despite my initial concerns, they didn’t hold the romantic part back when we arrived. Charlene and I actually had a great time and the breath-taking views were not a garbage pit like I was worried about. We actually enjoyed a dinner like they said with a killer look over the lakes, mountains and foliage.

When it came to the tour, there really wasn’t too much pressure to buy, although after the time there we honestly considered it. I would definitely recommend going on a trip like this and I know I will give another location a try in the near future. Maybe the Myrtle Beach Golf Getaway, the pictures certainly looked nice.