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.