I might love it even more than her because it has helped me cook many dinners, given me time to lounge on the couch with my kindle, and I have enjoyed watching her play with it very much. It is a bilingual toy which is great and the songs are cute. When I saw that the price dropped to under $25, I had to post about it because this toy is a MUST HAVE!
Target is having an incredible baby sale right now. Over 300 items are on sale in the store and thousands online. Here are the promotions which are valid until March 9, 2013. Hope you find some good deals for your baby!
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article comparing the boutique muslin and made-for-store muslin swaddles by aden + anais. Because there are actually 5 different swaddle options by this truly awesome company, I wrote an article for Squidoo called Choosing the Best Aden + Anais Swaddles. I’d love for you to read it! There is also a swaddling tutorial video by Raegan Moya-Jones, the CEO of aden + anais, at the bottom of the article.
You can find coupons in all categories here. Digital coupons are so much easier to deal with and everything gets delivered right to your door for free, nice.
Whether you’re pregnant with your first or you have 3 kids in tow – you’ve probably realized that money changes when you have children. Whether it is the cost of daycare or the challenge of living on one income, money doesn’t flow nearly as freely when your family grows from 2 to more. However, with a little time and effort, it is possible to plan an affordable family vacation.
I love traveling (I miss you, Paris!) and have always been considered the family “travel agent” because I am really good at finding deals and making vacations affordable. I don’t want to give up traveling and I doubt you do either. Maybe our vacations will be more kid friendly and safe compared to when we were young and free – but they can be just as much fun and with a little effort, they can be affordable even on a tight budget.
So here are my best tips for planning an affordable family vacation.
Whether you use Mint, MS Excel, or a savings jar hidden in a cupboard – create a travel budget. Figure out what you can realistically afford and how much you can save each month. The whole family should get together for this meeting so that everyone will be motivated to contribute to the fund even in some small way.
Summer can seem far away in November so you’ll need something that helps remind you of your future trip. Maybe a Pinterest board, pictures on the fridge, or even a savings thermometer in the front entrance can keep your eyes on the goal.
If you don’t use Swagbucks yet, sign up here for a free account. Head over to my Swagbucks article for the basic info and then keep reading to learn how it will help your family make memories that will last a lifetime.
When you earn a certain number of points, you can redeem them for a variety of different travel rewards such as a Marriot, Hyatt, or Southwest Airlines gift card. A $50 gift card will cost you 5,000 swagbucks. Or you can just get cold hard cash thanks to Paypal and use it for food, gas or anything else. If you put a little time into Swagbucks every day, that will make a significant contribution to your family holiday.
This requires a bit of research because the off-season really depends on the location. Hawaii, for example, is more affordable mid-April to mid-June and September to mid-Dec. So a budget savvy traveler is going to plan a trip during those off-peak months because everything is going to be cheaper.
Once you reach your destination, it will be easy to derail your carefully planned budget by falling into all the tourist traps. Before you go, plan your activities and build them into your budget. If you Google, “Free Activities in Los Angeles” you can find more than 100 options such as visiting Griffith Park, window shop Rodeo Drive, explore the California Science Center, or cruise the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Car rentals are really easy to save on because they don’t require prepayment. Once I have dates figured out for a trip, I compare prices on Expedia or Travelocity. I book the cheapest one. Every week or so, I check again. If I find something cheaper, I book it and cancel the previous reservation. You can also do a Google search for coupon codes for Alamo, Thrifty or whatever car rental company is giving the best rate. I have booked cars for under $20 a day and often they run out of the compact/economy cars and upgrade you for free. (However, if you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to make sure you book a car that will accommodate your car seats and luggage. A compact probably won’t make the cut!)
Mileage points are invaluable. Start by applying for a credit card that gives you enough points for a free flight just by opening an account. If your family is planning on flying to your destination, this can save you $500-$800 easily. But be careful – these credit cards often have an annual fee. Often the first year is free and then I call and negotiate with the credit card company to waive the annual fee in trade for my earning less points per dollar spent.
Then, shop online through your credit card’s website to receive points for purchases at pretty much any major website (think Gap, 1800Flowers, Kohl’s) Explore your online account to see how you can earn more mileage points. Also, makes sure you pay off the credit card in full each month to avoid interest and damaging your credit score.
Groupon Getaways together with Expedia offers discounts on hotels, resorts and vacations in the US, Canada, Mexico and all over the world. So if your family has decided to go to Florida, subscribe to the Getaway emails and watch for hotel and other deals. Just make sure you read the FINE PRINT carefully and compare with the current prices for that hotel to make sure it really is a good discount.
VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. You can often find a condo or a house for cheaper than you could get a hotel room or two depending on the size of your family. My husband and I used VRBO for a trip to Maui and got a condo for $65 a night. Hotels there are outrageous but we were at the beach all the time so why spend a fortune on a place to sleep?
Another great thing about VRBO is you can often get a kitchen and that can you save you a lot of money – eating out 3 times a day for a week can burn a hole in your wallet.
I am always surprised how few people know about Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” option. I have used this more times than I can count. In fact, at our wedding we booked about 6 Residence Inn suites and 2 Marriot hotel rooms at $45 a night. That saved my family a lot of money. The downside is you don’t know what hotel you’re getting but as long as you choose a star rating you’re comfortable with, I don’t really think that is a problem. I’ve used it for Southern California cities, San Francisco and Las Vegas. I also love the thrill of bidding – you’ve been warned!
Like I mentioned above, eating out can add up fast on a vacation. When you arrive at your destination, get to the grocery store or Target. Grab some bread, peanut butter, fruit, granola bars, and so on. Make sure you eat breakfast before you leave the hotel and brown bag your lunch. Keep snacks in the car. If you eat at a restaurant, have some rules such as everyone can drink water and no dessert. Plan ahead to eat at restaurants where kids eat free.
Saving on gas is a tough one but if you are driving to your destination, plot your trip ahead of time carefully to make sure you take the shortest route. If you can walk to an activity or restaurant, do so. Exercise is good for a family to do together! Make sure to use an gas reward programs available in your area (I just got $10 in free gas for linking my bank account to my gas rewards card) and even though it might drive everyone crazy – drive slower because you’ll burn less gas!
Spending money can also dig your grave if you don’t plan ahead of time. One suggestion is to give everyone a sealed envelope with their allotted spending money whether it is $10 or $100. Then the kids know exactly what they have to spend and not to ask for me. This will be a great lesson for them too! The kids might want to have a piggy bank to save up their allowance or money from raking the neighbor’s leaves in order to have spending money. It is also completely okay to have no spending money. Spending time together is enough.
It is easy to let money slip through the cracks. You can find extra money by following an organized budget all year. If you are under budget on groceries, put the extra in your vacation fund. If you get a tax refund, do the same. Have a jar where everyone puts random coins found around the house or in pockets. We call that the Poor Pot and it really adds up! The more you look for money, the more you will find.
You don’t have to go far to enjoy a vacation. If you haven’t heard the term Staycation before – it is a vacation where you don’t leave home. Go to local museums or parks or drive a couple hours to Six Flags or another attraction. You still sleep at home but every day, you go out and do fun stuff that you never get around to otherwise. This can save you a lot of money – just make sure you schedule it out so it still feels like a vacation. We used to live in a very hot area so we would bid on a Priceline hotel for $45 and go enjoy the pool and maid service for a couple of days.
Wherever you go and whatever you do – make sure the focus is on spending quality time together. Put away the electronics and pause the bickering and enjoy being a family! The most important thing about going on an affordable family vacation is spending time together which costs nothing but is priceless – these are memories that will last a lifetime.
Choosing a crib is often the first step in designing a nursery. I knew I wanted a white crib and that I didn’t want to spend an outrageous amount of money. When I saw the Graco Lauren crib, it immediately made my shortlist and we ended up choosing it. Although we were thinking about getting the Gulliver crib from Ikea, it was just a little too simple and small for me. However, I have seen many beautiful nurseries with the Gulliver. It just wasn’t what I was looking for. We’ve had the crib for over 2 years now and I’d like to share my experience with you in case you are looking for some help with deciding on a crib.
Kohl’s is starting Spring Break early and giving 20% off purchases of $100 or more – TODAY ONLY – with the code “SPRING” or you can get 15% off if you spend less than $100 with the code “BREAK”. We still have lots of snow here but it sure feels good to think about warm weather or a trip to the Bahamas.
Kohl’s has a great baby section as well as a maternity line called Oh Baby by Motherhood Maternity, plus almost anything you need for the whole family and the home.
Note: This deal has EXPIRED
