Frugal fun in the Sun

Date: Apr 16, 2009

Frugal fun in the Sun

Date: Apr 17, 2009

One of my most favorite summer memories are camping as a kid...in the backyard of all places. My parents always took us to theme parks, and my grandparents and those types of things, but camping in the back yard for some reason is still one of my favorite memories. I still do it today with my kids and they are always begging to do it again.

Date: Apr 18, 2009

We used to spend summer vacations driving to some distant destination. What we soon discovered was that we spent a lot of time in the car just driving down the highway. Sometimes that can be fun, but do it for very long and it turns into National Lampoons Summer Vacation. Now we prefer to take shorter day trips. We still enjoy the drive together but it's not so long we start to get on each others nerves. Plus there is a lot of things to do if you know where to look. Here is a website that can help you find things to do within a reasonable distance to where you live:

http://tripadvisor.com/TankOfGas

Dave@D2P · Posts: 20

Thanks for the link Day Tripper,

I think that the tripadvisor.com site is a great resource for our community members.

Date: Apr 21, 2009

It seems there are a lot of people who really enjoy camping, including my kids, but my idea of roughing it was a Holiday Inn. However, last summer with gas prices through the roof we decided to stay close to home and instead of camping we settled on a compromise. We rented a cabin in the woods. I hate to admit it but it was really quite an experience. During the day we visited some national parks where we some some old Indial ruins and even walked on an old lava flow, which rivaled the scenes I paid thousands to see in Hawaii. At night we spent time stargazing with a star and planet locator we bought before the trip at edmunds scientific for about $3.00. The whole trip was something the whole family enjoyed and cost a fraction of what we have spent on vacations in the past. Who would have thought there was that much to do virtually in my own back yard. I guess it's more about how much you experience, not how much you spend, that really matters.

Date: Apr 29, 2009

One of the best ways to reduce your vacation expenses is to use promotional coupons. Many restaurants, theme parks, hotels, etc. offer promotional discount coupons. The secret is to know how and where to find them. Here is a site I found that offers some specific tips on the subject:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2176109_locate-summer-vacation-coupons.html

the Debt Doctor · Posts: 46

Another great place to find ways to save on vacations is at the resource section of the prosperity power plan website. There are several links to helpful sites, just go to: http://www.prosperitypowerplan.com/d2plinks/index.html

Date: May 15, 2009

Another popular way to save is with a "staycation." If you live in a major metropolitan area there are often cheap deals on resorts, etc., right in town.

Date: Jun 15, 2009

If you are looking for a real summer bargain, the U.S. Department of the Interior has decided to provide FREE admission to the national parks and monuments that often charge hefty entrance fees. According to http://www.nps.gov/FINDAPARK/FEEFREEPARKS.HTM admission to these parks will be FREE to all visitors for the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16 this year. As their site says "Americas best idea just got better!"