Holiday travel always seems to be expensive, yet there are strategies that you can use to save $1000s! Rowan Kelleher of WeJustGotBack.com

offers six different ways that you can save money on Holiday Travel:

1. Lower Airfare – while prices might be high this time of the year, there are ways that you can save money. Try shifting your travel dates forward or back by one or two days. For example, the majority of Thanksgiving travelers fly out on Wednesday and back on Sunday. A family of four flying from Cincinnati and Boston for Thanksgiving would save $200 by flying out Thursday morning and returning on Monday. Tip: The cheapest flights are often on the day of the holiday!
2. Checked Bag Fees – Many airlines charge you to check a bag with prices ranging for $15 to $25. To avoid paying fees, book with the airline credit card if you have one (or apply for one). For example, a family of four flying on Delta Airlines and using the American Express Delta SkyMiles can take advantage of its “First Bag Free” perk and save $200 on a roundtrip flight. Another huge perk that comes with using this card is priority boarding, which lets families board early together and get settled into their seats.
3. Dining Out – Unless you are staying with friends who are providing your meals, the cost of eating out for a family can add up really quickly! To lower your costs, try visiting Restaurant.com and buy dining gift certificates at a substantial discount at any of 18,000 restaurants nationwide. You can buy a $50 dining certificates for just $20 or a $25 certificate for $10. Even with the minimum that you will need to spend at the restaurant, you will still be saving about 30% per meal.
4. Ski Lift Tickets – If you are considering a skiing vacation, lift tickets can take a bite out of your vacation budget. Visit Liftopia.com to buy lift tickets for up to 35% off regular prices. A family of four that bought 5-day passes to Park City Mountain Resort in Utah would save 35 percent on their ski tickets – which would amount to a whopping $380 saved.
5. Airport Parking Fees – If you want to park your car at the airport, you know that these fees can add up. Instead, visit Airportparkinginc.com and Cheapairportparking.com to find discounted parking within a mile or two of the airport, and then take a free bus shuttle to the airport. You will most likely save more than 50%.
6. Car Rental – Car rental prices also go up around the holidays. Try Autoslash.com, a new site that not only finds you the lowest car rental price, but tracks it to make sure you never pay more than you have to. As soon as you book a car rental, AutoSlash will begin tracking rate changes for your reservation. If a lower price pops up later, AutoSlash automatically locks it in on your behalf. On average, you can save 30% and receive two price drops.

I will be shortly leaving for a week long cruise! This is the first time that I will be cruising and I am excited for the experience. If you are thinking about cruising, check out Cruise Critic. I have found so much valuable information there!

I found a packing list and went out and bought a few items including Nike ACG outdoor shoes so that my feet will be comfortable and protected when I do the zipline excursion!

After I return, I will give you a full review of my cruise!

I have had to say in a number of hotels over the last couple of weeks. When I am staying by myself, I often choose room service. I was disappointed to find that one hotel had a limited room service menu and no other options. Other hotels I have stayed in recently have a new restaurant delivery option. Instead of the hotel providing room service, they use a service that offers many different restaurants to choose from. You also don’t have to worry about the service coming directly to your room, you can have the food delivered to the lobby for security reasons.

When you are booking a hotel, it is a good idea to ask what options they have for in room meals.

Both Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in the world, and New York’s Staten Island Chuck did not see their shadow on February 2nd, Groundhog Day. Does this mean that we will have an early spring? Everyone across the country is hoping so. As for myself, I am looking into booking a discount cruise just to get away from all the cold weather! In Punzsutawney, the weather did not keep anyone from enjoying the festivities and watching Phil make his prediction. In case you missed it:

I am trying to talk my husband and my sister’s family into a cruise next summer for our vacation. I know there has been a lot of negative stuff in the news lately about cruises and I hope I won’t need a Maritime Injury Lawyer by the time the cruise is over!

I am thinking about a Western Caribbean Cruise. I have always wanted to see the Mayan ruins and there are tons of great excursions for adults and children. Have you ever been on a cruise? What was your favorite destination?

My kids love going to the Great Wolf Lodge. The lodge has an indoor water park and lots of fun activities for the kids. It is a great getaway during winter months too! My kids also love the great decor. Set up like a log cabin, you will find cabin beds, outdoor decorations and animals motifs. It is fun to wander around the lodge and discover all the great decorating that is put into the place. Next time you are there, take a few minutes to discover the ambiance.

In order to get a good deal on airfare, I usually start my vacation planning for next summer now. I usually sign up for Airfare Watchdog. They send daily emails with airfare deals. You have to now what you are willing to spend for airfare. For example, I always like to get an airfare for less than $250 flying to Salt Lake City or Las Vegas (from New Jersey area). This next summer, I am looking at Orlando vacation packages this year and would love to get an airfare of $150 or less to Orlando. If you know the price you want to spend, then you can grab up the good deals when they become available. Don’t shoot too low, or you will never find a good airfare!

Looking for discount vacations to Mexico? The Villa Group was founded in 1984 and has been awarded the 2008 Top Chain Collection in Mexico from Expedia. They offer beachfront resorts and timeshare resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit, Los Cabos, Loreto and Cancun. You can visit their website at www.villagroupresorts.com.

I definitely wish I was back on vacation and at the beach, worried about the best tanning lotion instead of school homework, reports and projects. Our weather turned cold shortly after we returned from vacation, and I didn’t get the chance to head to the beach again. Now it looks like the next few days are going to be quite warm. Too bad my kids are in school. I would love to play hookey and head to the sun and sand.

To me, vacationing is all about family. Each year we try and get together with some of our extended family and spend time together. Since all of my family lives across the country, this can be difficult. When my sister told me that she and her family would be willing to travel out east to visit us next summer, the first thought that popped into my head was Outer Banks, North Carolina. This is one place that both of us have been dreaming of vacationing. The Outer Banks is a 200 mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina.

I thought it would be a good idea to “envision” my family at the Outer Banks. Can you find my family members in the beautiful Outer Banks pictures?

The Outer Banks is a great place for a fun, family vacation. There are plenty of Outer Banks rentals and Carolina Designs is a good place to start. Take a look at this beautiful house that is available for rent. This Seahawk rental is close to the beach and includes two master suites and a lower lever game room. Plus there is a Private Pool, Hot Tub, 10 TVs and more!

The great thing about the Outer Banks is there is plenty to do. If you love gardens, visit the Elizabethan Garden. This 16th century garden was created by The Garden Club of North Carolina has a living memorial to the lost colonists. There is a thatched gazebo, herb garden and sunken gardens.

If you love history, you have to visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. This is the site of the first controlled power flight that took place on December 13, 1903. The Visitor Center features full-scale reproductions of the Wright 1903 Powered Flyer and there are special exhibits. The grounds have historical markers of each attempted flight and a replica of camp buildings.

Who doesn’t love lighthouses? There are five different lighthouse to visit. The lighthouse pictured here, Cape Hatteras, is also known as America’s Lighthouse. It is the tallest lighthouse at 208 feet. The lighthouse was built in 1870 and used whale oil and then kerosene to light the lamp until 1934 when electricity was introduced.

And of course, my favorite, are the beaches and sand dunes. We could spend days at the beach, playing in the sand, building sand castles and swimming in the water. There are miles of seashores, wildlife refuges, ecological parks and state parks. All with the wonders of North Carolina nature. If you love to fish, there are public fishing piers where you can reel in the big one!

The Outer Banks is a great place to vacation! Hopefully, this will be the place that my family and I get to experience next year.

PS – Did you find my kids in the pictures? I hope you had a a fun time looking for them!