Oregon Coast and Beer, what’s not to love?

If you are from the area or looking to vacation along the Oregon Coast this is a great deal. For just $199 you can get 2 nights, a large bottle of beer from a local restaurant and breakfast one day at the Pelican pub.

This little town of Pacific City has lots to offer. The Pelican Pub is known for their beer and great food. As a matter of fact they pair their food to their beers. There is also a cute coffee shop that has plenty of seating and really good coffee. Looking for some exercise? Take time to hike the large sand dune nearby. Not everyone can make it to the top.

I am a big advocate for working on your marriage. Getaways like this are great ways to invest and I think worth every penny.

If you are interested grab your Living Social deal today before they are all gone.

• This great Groupon deal is back!  Last time it sold out quickly, so if you want it, grab it now.
  

World Resorts International is offering a 7 night stay for just $399.This is a $1500 value.

This is a great price for accommodations and you can choose U.S., Mexico or Canada.

Just go to the top of your Groupon page and change the city. The deal is listed under Las Vegas.

Here is what I learned from reading the Groupon site.

• There is a 7 night stay at any of the participating and available World Market International Resorts. There are over 500 locations that are listed on their website.
• You will not have to sit through a presentation even though this is a time share. ( I stand corrected, this is not a time share.)
• Owners get first priority of the properties. World Market will then allow the Groupon users to purchase any that are available after that, so you will need to be flexible and have a few dates in mind.
• Purchases can only be made 60 days prior to travel. That does make planning ahead harder, but you are getting 7 nights for just $399.
• Some of the resorts do have the all inclusive option. You are not paying for that option, but it sounds like you can upgrade to that if you wish.
• Groupon covers all the taxes, fees and gratuities.
• There aren’t many available, so grab one now if you want one. Last time Groupon did this they sold out quickly.

Even with certain restrictions and needing to be flexible and only planning 60 days ahead, I still purchased this and here is why.

• Groupon offers an awesome satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason you are not satisfied you can get a refund with no hassles.

If you can’t find a date that works and you end up not using it, you can get your money back.

Want more information. Head on over to the Discussion board and more of your questions could be answered there.

Once you have purchased your Groupon head over to the company page and fill out the form and a certificate will be mailed to you with further instructions.  (Looks like the Groupon codes won’t be ready to be entered until tomorrow.)

If you haven’t bought your Groupon yet you can also check out this page. It will answer all your questions for you.

Thanks to Frugal Living NW for pointing this out. I have already purchased mine!

We are big roller coaster fans, for those of you that don’t know. (And yes we are in the front seats, and yes there is no one else on the coaster because we ran.)

But I also know many people will be hitting the parks for a summer vacation. Where ever you are headed try some of these tricks and see if you can’t save a buck or two.

1. When flying just a take carry on. I know everyone knows how the prices have jumped, but you can do it. Kids as young as 5 or 6 can pull their own suit case. Just give yourself more time and of course don’t over pack them.
2. If traveling by car take advantage of any gas coupons in the Entertainment Book or the Kroger stores are offering 10¢ off a gallon of gas.
3. If headed to a theme park never pay full price. Look around on pop cans, websites and even deals the companies offer themselves. Six Flags was offering a Buy One Day get a Season Free. This runs through June 5th.
4. Another way to save at a theme park if they aren’t running the above mentioned deal is check on the season pass. Often times it’s cheaper to buy a season pass than 2 day passes. AND you will often times get coupon books and FREE parking.
5. Buy 1 oz size sun tan lotion. These can go on the plane. Often times 8 of these will equal an 8 oz bottle for the exact same price. (provided you didn’t use a coupon) You don’t have to take to time to buy when you get to your location. You can bring the leftovers home as opposed to leaving it behind.
6. When at amusement parks ask for cups of water. Most places give them out for free. All Cedar Fair parks and Six Flag Parks do this.
7. They won’t give you water? Then buy from the vending machine. It will save you a few cents here and there because you won’t be paying tax.
8. Take your own snacks into parks. You don’t need a ton and you don’t even have to pack a separate bag for them. Just make the boys wear cargo shorts and throw in enough to last until your meal.
9. Use Hotwire to book your hotel. It’s a great resource and with a little effort you can figure out what hotel you are actually booking.
10. I say this over and over, but watch Groupon or Living Social for the city you are headed to. See if they have any great deals on activities or food.

Looking for more ways to save on Theme Parks this Summer?  Here are some of the things I mentioned, plus more ideas.

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday

We are that Family

Frugal Friday

I am constantly watching housing prices. I watch them because I always want to know what my house is worth. You know wondering if it will ever get back to the price it once was.

I also check house prices when I go on vacation to other destinations. I do that because I begin to dream about someday moving “here” because the weather is so much better. Then I try and decide if I can make that dream a reality. Or some days we look and decide if we should just purchase a summer house “here.”

Zillow is a great places to check places in the U.S.  But where do you check after you have watched an episode of International House Hunters? If you are wondering what prices are like in England, Scotland or Wales check out Zoopla to see properties for sale. It’s a great place to check house prices in a number of regions.

With Zoopla you can also see the prices that were paid for homes sold since 1995. From there you can figure out what the value of other homes might be.

Maybe you are just interested in going over for a few months to vacation. You can also look under ‘To Rent’ and see if you can find something that is in a location that you might like with a price range that you can afford.

I know, I’m day dreaming. We have always said we want to go travel abroad and live in places for months at a time. It’s one of the cheaper ways to stay for less. So weather you are relocating or looking due to travel check out Zoopla.

I think the one thing I hate to do when I travel is arranging the rental car. It’s mostly because I am so frugal that I will compare every single company and try and save myself $2. In the process it takes me an hour to save that $2.

I am trying to let go a little of the “cents” if you will, and just grab a car and go.

In my most recent planning I chose rather quickly I might add ::

1. I went with a company I liked and had a membership with (although I did compare it to 2 others just to make sure, but no more.)
2. I grabbed a small car and hoped for a FREE upgrade when we got there. (She wouldn’t budge)
   
3. I used a special that was being offered on the web page that was just as good and in one case better than any other coupon I had.
4. I booked my car.

When this part is finalized you will see the total, mine was $38 with a statement that read other taxes may apply. I printed this and carried it with me.

When I picked up my car sure enough there were $3 in taxes added. I didn’t ask I just assumed this was part of what I had read.

When I dropped off my car this total had gone up to $46. NOW I ASKED. I handed him my printed statement.  Interesting thing is he couldn’t figure out where those came from. He worked on it for about 10 minutes and just said he would go back to my original amount because he couldn’t figure it out.

5.  ASK When you have questions about your final cost.

Also check 7 Car Rental Tips for more money saving ideas.

photo courtesy of Allway rental @flickr

I have to sadly admit I have never been to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. With a deal like today’s it might be time to make a trek down to check it out.

I love this Groupon offer because I know people are always looking for coupons to the Oregon Coast Aquarium since it can get expensive.

Groupon takes care of that today. There are two deals to decide between today.

• $15 for 2 Adult Tickets
• $25 for 2 Adult and 2 Kids or Young Adult Tickets

To find this deal, select Portland, OR as your city and find the deal there.

This offer will run through tomorrow. The Groupons are good until October 4, 2011, so you have plenty of time to get to Newport.

Not from the Portland area and not really interested in this deal? That’s fine. Find a city nearest you and check out their daily deals.

Better yet, headed some where exciting for summer vacation? Add that city to your watch list and watch for deals for activities, food, entertainment and more.

Enjoy!!

Really all you can do if you are traveling is suck it up. Gas prices are high, making everything else along the way high too.

If you are traveling by car there are a few things that can help cut some costs. Aside from the travel at 55 mph for the best possible mpg (which I won’t do for 8 hours or more), you can download apps to your iPhone, iPad or Android that can help you find cheap gas as you travel along the way.

My favorite one that I am using right now is GasBuddy, which is a free download.  I am excited to use this as we travel. It shows the prices of gas at all the gas stations in the area, so you can find the cheapest one.

I also use a cash back credit card when I travel. Right now I earn 3% cash back on gas purchases. When it costs over $70 to fill up, this rebate begins to add up, especially when you are traveling long distances.

As always we will pack our own snacks and drinks. What we bring will be much cheaper than gas station prices, which I am sure are higher now too.

Just reporting in that I it did work perfectly.

For all you that have a Fred Meyers card with points (not sure if it’s all Kroger stores or not) and if you have a Shell gas station you can get 10¢ off a gallon. Woohoo, another way to save.

What tricks or apps do you use when you travel to help save you money?

photo courtesy of timsnell @ flickr

If your like us and don’t have Spring Break plans, you will want to start planning that summer vacation, just to have something to look forward too!!!  Sun and warm, that’s what I want!!!

Any vacation can be done affordably, it just takes planning. Do you like to golf, go to the spa, eat out, hit some huge coasters or just hang by the beach? They can all be done on a budget.

First off, go to your favorite group buying site. Mine is Groupon. All you need to do is sign up with an email and daily deals will be sent to you. Don’t want it cluttering up your email? Then open a gmail account for all the group buying sites, as there are a lot of them.

I shouldn’t say I just use Groupon, because I don’t. I also like LivingSocial, and TripAlertz just to name a few.

Nonetheless, sign up for your favorite and along with the city you live in, also watch for places you plan on vacationing too. Not only will you find great deals, but you will also find things to do and places to eat that you might not have considered, like the Pedi Cab tour we did last summer.

Want to take a cruise?  Here are 10 Ways to Save Money on a Cruise.

Hotwire is another great way to save money while on vacation. It can be a little scary, but read here on How to Figure Out What Hotwire Hotel You Are Booking. I have used it several times and have been very pleased and will continue to use it.

I hope my summer vacation includes a trip to a roller coaster park…again! Yep, we took that picture and I hope to add more to it.

What kinds of things do you do for summer vacations and how do you find good deals??  I need to know!!

For those of you traveling this Spring Break here is a deal for you, especially if you have an early morning flight.

For just $119 you can get a suite at Embassy Suites by the Portland International Airport. It comes with an Evening reception, a made to order breakfast and parking for seven days.

This deal is being offered today and tomorrow through Groupon. Just choose Portland, Oregon as your city and check the side bar for the deal. Even though this will be offered through tomorrow sometimes hotels have a limit on how many they will sell and if they run out they will stop the sale even though time remains.

I wish we were flying some place cool for spring break, but no.

Groupon is offering a one night stay at the Historic Columbia Gorge Hotel.  For $120 you get one night’s stay plus $40 towards dinner at Simons. (This deal can be found on the side bar)

My husband and I went there for the first time in June.  There are 2 different places to stay.  This deal is for the historic side, but we stayed in the newer side.  We didn’t realize it when we booked it.  I have to say there were no complaints, but I can’t wait to stay in the historic Hotel.  The grounds, which are used for many weddings, are beautiful.

Hood River is surround by amazing hikes, wineries and breweries.  It’s an outdoor town and romantic all wrapped up in one.

My husband and I had the best time on our last trip, and we can’t wait to go back.  Best part, it’s only 1 hour away.  So you feel like you are getting out of town, but not losing a whole day to traveling just to get there.

This Groupon is good until May 31, 2011.  There are blackout dates that will apply, so call early and check availability.

Visit after Thanksgiving and you will see the grounds lit up with 500,000 white lights.

This deal will last 3 more days.  Trust me, this is most definitely a Money4This expense.  I am a big fan of getting away with my husband.  You cannot put a price tag on keeping the flame alive.

This deal is listed under Portland, OR