Useful Travel Planning Resources

Planning a trip? Here's my roundup of useful travel planning resources:

(1) Making Reservations:

• Voyij.com (aggregates deals from other sites, e.g., Kayak, Priceline, Hotwire, etc.)
• 10 Ways to Cut Your Travel Costs This Year (NYTimes)

(2) Travel Planning:

• GetSetApp: Comparing the cost of travel by air, bus or car
  
• Frugal Traveler's Review of Travel Websites
  
• Frugal Traveling Strategies
• Buy Now or Later? Planning for Summer Travel

(3) Exchange Rates & ATM Fees

• Exchange Rate Surcharges and ATM Fees for the International Traveler

(4) Trains

• Germany's DB Bahn English Book Site

(5) Taxis & Cabs

• World Taximeter: International Taxi Fare Calculator
  
• Resources for Calculating Cab Fares & Booking Cabs

(6) Hotels:

• Hotel Rewards Cheat Sheet (NerdWallet.com)
  
• 7 Strategies for Hotel Upgrades (CNN.com)
• HotelChatter's Annual WiFi Report (find out which hotels offer the best/free wifi, which hotels offer the worst wifi before you book your hotel stay)
  
• Hostelling International New York (cheap lodging in New York City)
  

(7) Air Travel

• Resources for Planning Your Air Travel
• Tips On Finding A Comfortable Coach Seat Without Upgrading
• Saving Money On Your Summer Air Travel
• How to Get The Best Seat on the Plane

(8) Packing

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: Pack Like the Pros
  
• One-Page Checklist: Packing Everything into One Bag

(9) Useful Information:

• Live Train Map for the London Underground
• Traveling? Find the Best Spots in New Cities with these Tools (Lifehacker)

Resources for Planning Your Air Travel

My round up of useful air travel planning resources:

(1) Airfares:

• Whatever You Do, Don't Buy an Airline Ticket On... (Wall Street Journal)
  
• What is the best day to buy cheap airfare? (ABCNews) FareCompare's Rick Seaney shares his 10 things you should know to get the best flight deals -- Highly Recommended
  
• Airline Ticket Surcharges for Peak Domestic Travel – Avoid the Most Expensive Days(FareCompare) -- Highly Recommended
  
• The Frequent Flier's Guide to Finding Cheap Airfare (Lifehacker) -- Highly Recommended
  
• Booking a Flight the Frugal Way (NYTimes.com) -- Highly Recommended
  

• Hipmunk.com - a new flight search engine that provides search results in easy-to-read charts -- Highly Recommended
  
• ITA Matrix Lets You Find Cheap Airfare, Plus Advanced Routing Codes, Minus Ad Clatter(Consumerist.com)
  

• Cheap Airfare Links & Bookmarks (MyMoneyBlog.com) - useful list of links
  
• Fly for Less (Kiplinger.com) -- good advice on how to land a cheap air fare
  
• Voyij.com (aggregates deals from other sites, e.g., Kayak, Priceline, Hotwire, etc.)
• Frugal Traveling Strategies
• Delta Airlines Fare Chart
• United Airlines Fare Chart

(2) Airline Fees:

• A Staggering Look at Baggage Fees (Hipmunk Blog)
  
• Your Complete Big-Ass Guide To Annoying Airline Fees (Consumerist)
  
• Airline Baggage Fees (DansDeals.com)
  
• Useful Table of Airline Fees (Kayak.com)

(3) Searching for Best Seats:

• How to Get Exit Row Seats (includes chart of airline policies)
  
• How to Get The Best Seat on the Plane
• Tips On Finding A Comfortable Coach Seat Without Upgrading

(4) Packing

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: Pack Like the Pros
  
• One-Page Checklist: Packing Everything into One Bag

(5) Tracking Your Flights

• Live Flight Tracker: Flightlite

(6) At the Airport:

• Security Checkpoint Secrets: How to Dodge the Lines at Top US Airports(Frommers.com) -- Highly recommended!

(7) Flight Cancellations:

• 3 Reasons You're Doing It Wrong When Your Flight Is Cancelled (Hipmunk.com)
  
• Airlines Play The No-Fault Card (New York Times Practical Traveler) - excellent article on your options in the event your flight is cancelled.
• 10 tips for avoiding delayed/cancelled flights and what to do if all else fails(airfarewatchdog)
  

(8) Getting Bumped:

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: An Expert's Guide to Getting Bumped (Frommers.com)
• How I scored 4 free flights last year - all without using frequent flyer miles(MoneyCrashers.com)
  

(9) Airline Customer Service, Lost Luggage & Filing Complaints:

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: What To Do About Lost Luggage (Frommers.com)
  
• If an airline loses your luggage, get compensation (Consumerist)
  
• How to Deal With Lost Luggage (FoxNews)

(10) Airline Customer Service & Filing Complaints:

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: How to Complain to the Airlines (Frommers.com)
  
• On Your Side: Phone Numbers & Emails of Executives
• When all else fails: Filing a complaint wih the DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Office
  

(11) Miscellaneous

• Fly Safe, Fly Smart: How to Beat Jet Lag (Frommers.com)
  

See also my previous blog postings:

• Saving Money On Your Summer Air Travel
  
• Frugal Traveler's Review of Travel Websites
  
• Buy Now or Later? Planning for Summer Travel

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Free Classical MP3s from Amazon.com

Are you a classic music lover?

Amazon is offering the following completely free albums of classical mp3s for your downloading and listening pleasure:

• X5 Free Classical Sampler - The Romantic Era
  
  
• Eternal Baroque


• I Love the 80s, Vol. 1 (1880s)

Enjoy!

My Frugal Living Tip #11: Using FatWallet to search for Coupons, Clearance & Freebies

Keeping track of coupons, clearance deals and freebies can be a challenging and insurmountable task. Rather than googling for them, I find myself heading to FatWallet's forum to check out the latest coupons, clearance offers and free stuff.

How do you find the coupons you want on FatWallet's forum without searching every thread? Here is FatWallet's Official Master Thread of "Official Store Coupons & Clearance" -- where you can find coupons and clearance sales for major retailers and stores, ascertain which coupons are valid and which ones have expired, etc.

If you are looking for freebies, you should visit the Free Stuff section on FatWallet's Forum. If you are a Twitter user, you should also follow the FatWallet's Free Stuff on http://www.twitter.com/freestuffrocks

Links:
FatWallet's Official Master Thread of "Official Store Coupons & Clearance"
FatWallet's Free Stuff (Follow on Twitter)

Like this article? Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.
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Outsourcing on the Cheap: Fiverr.com

One of the more intriguing things that I came across in my websurfing is Fiverr.com, where freelancers offer all kinds of services for $5.00. You got it, just $5.00. Anything from technology gigs, writing and translating to business and social marketing, and even crazy and bizarre stuff to goofy stuff.

Many of the services are clearly worth more than $5.00. As I see it, it's a win-win situation: I get something done on a shoe string budget and the service provider gets publicity and experience, as well as cash to tide things over.

Link: Fiverr.com

Car Buying Resources

Looking to buy a car? Here's a list of resources for you to consult before stepping foot at a car showroom:

• 10 Ways to Buy A Car Without Getting Ripped Off (OutOfYourRut.com)
  
  
• Car Dealer Scams to Avoid (Forbes). What to watch out for the next time you're in a car dealer's showroom. See also In Pictures: Car Dealer Scams to Avoid and Tech Options To Forgo.
  


• Beat the "Four Square" Dealer Rip Off (Consumerist). A very detailed breakdown of how a car dealership manipulates buyers with the four-square worksheet.


• Showroom Turncoat Comes Clean (Car & Driver Magazine). Learn the tricks that car salesmen use on unsuspecting customers.
  


• Car Dealers' Tricks to Watch Out For (Car & Driver Magazine). More car salesmen's tricks of the trade.
  


• Car Shopping on the Offensive: 8 Aggressive Buying Tactics (Car & Driver Magazine). How to outsmart the car salesman.
  


• Deceptive Car Salesman Tactics For Popular Cars (My Money Blog)


• Fueleconomy.gov - useful site to check out how thirsty your new car is going to be.


• More than you ever wanted to know about buying a car (Broward College) - a Car Buying 101 site. Great for the newbie.


• Car Shopping Generates Many Questions (Washington Post)


• Smart Car Shoppers Ask to See Invoice (Washington Post)
  


• Dealing and Wheeling (Washington Post)


• CarBuyingTips.com


• TrueCar.com


• US News & World Reports' Rankings of Cars & Trucks
  


• 2010 Cars: Where the Deals Are (Kiplinger.com). Kiplinger Magazine's advice for finding deals for cars in 2010.


• Guide to Getting the Best Value (Kiplinger.com). Kiplinger Magazine's rankings of the best values in cars.

Resources For Calculating Cab Fares & Booking Cabs

Afraid of being cheated by cab drivers when you're traveling?

Here are useful resources for calculating cab fares and booking cabs in major US cities:

• Taxifarefinder.com
• TaxiWiz.com
• TaxiMagic.com

Online Coupon: 15% off 1 item at BarnesandNoble.com

15% off 1 item at BarnesandNoble.com.

Use Online Coupon Code: X4L9P7H

The Fine Print:

For each customer, this coupon can be redeemed once at online at BarnesandNoble.com

This coupon is valid from February 26, 2010 to March 1, 2010 at 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time.

The 15% discount will be applied to the most expensive eligible item in the order - not the entire purchase - and will be deducted after all other eligible discounts, including (if applicable) the standard Member discount, are applied.

Additional Rules Governing Use of this Coupon: This coupon is (i) not redeemable for cash or cash equivalents (including Gift Cards and online Gift Certificates); (ii) not valid on past purchases; (iii) not eligible for purchases of the following products and services: Barnes and Noble Memberships, Gift Cards, Gift Certificates, gift-wrapping, textbooks, digital content (including but not limited to digital books, magazines, and periodicals), nook(TM) and related accessories, other hardware and electronics, software, products available for pre-order, products from the Rosetta Stone Series, shipping or handling expenses, or products marked as not eligible for "coupons or promotional discounts;" (iv) not valid on purchases made from third parties accessible from the BarnesandNoble.com website (e.g., used books, PC and video games, etc.); (v) may not be combined with any other coupon; and (vi) may not be combined with the Educator program discount. This coupon is not valid at Barnes & Noble or Barnes & Noble College retail bookstore. Void where prohibited by law.

My Frugal Living Tip #8: Useful Resources for the Frugal Consumer

Roundup of useful resources for the frugal consumer:

• Amazon.com's Textbooks Trade-In
  No-hassle way of unloading unwanted textbooks and getting some money for it.


• Freecycle.org
  The granddaddy of recycling stuff you no longer need by giving them away to others within your community. Read my earlier blog post about Freecycling.
  


• Kashless.org
  Takes the Freecycle idea one step further to provide a one-stop site for getting free stuff. Besides member submitted offerings, it also aggregates postings from the "free stuff" section of Craigslist and also partners with Recycle Bank to offer a rewards program.
  


• Measy.com
  Excellent one-stop online search tool for researching products before you buy. Allows you to limit by price, brands, needs, etc.
  


• Toolzdo.com
  Allows you to swap, exchange or give away stuff with other folks in your community.
  


• Groupon.com
  Social networking meets bargain hunting. Lets you hunt for deals with a twist: you must find enough friends/strangers to join you in order to meet the deal's minimum number of folks who sign up for it. Great way to make friends, renew friendship and save money in the process.
  

Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.

Comparing Cell Phone Plans

Are you confused when you try to compare cell phone companies' plans and offerings? Then you would want to consult BillShrink's Ultimate Cell Phone Plans Comparison.

It's not perfect but it's a good start.

Link: Ultimate Cell Phone Plans Comparison

When Is The Best Time To Buy Something You Want?

Want to know when is the best time to buy something you want?

Lifehacker has posted a helpful guide on the best times to buy anything: The Best Times to Buy Anything, All Year Round.

How to Search For Bargain Deals on Amazon

Amazon lists lots of deals every day. How do you find out what they are? Boston Gal has posted a helpful guide on searching for bargain deals on Amazon.

Happy bargain hunting!

Bargain Hunting at Target

Missed out on Black Friday deals? Looking to pick up bargains at Target after Christmas? You can pick up holiday and other merchandise at fantastic discount after Christmas.

From my past experiences, Target's typical post-holiday discounting schedule is as follows:

• 50% off on day 1-3 after holiday
• 75% off on day 4-6 after holiday
• 90% off on day 7-9 after holiday

You should confirm with your local Target, as local managers have some leeway to set their own timetable.

In the past, I have picked up Christmas trees at 50% off (I wanted a fabulous tree), as well as Christmas cards, decorations and wrappings at 90% off.

When I enter my local Target, I often head straight to the markdown sections where the clearance items (with red price tags) are found. Target regularly mark down items with red tags at 30%, 50%, and finally 75% off. I normally wait until 50% or 75% before I buy.

Shopping with Coupons

New to using coupons? Wonder how is it like to start using coupons without prior experience? Slate.com's Alicia Barney has written about her experiences as a coupon newbie using coupons in a post entitled Supermarket Sweep: Using Coupons to Get Free Groceries. This article has links to useful coupon blogs and resources, as well as her own experiences.

Link: Supermarket Sweep: Using Coupons to Get Free Groceries

Target beats Walmart at cheap grocery prices

Everyone knows that Aldi's has rock bottom grocery prices, but Target beating Walmart at grocery prices?

Walletpop's grocery pricing survey suggests that Target beats Walmart by a small margin: Comparing grocery prices, Aldi wins overall, but Target beats Walmart. Not surprisingly, traditional full service supermarkets like Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons didn't fare as well as Walmart and Target in Walletpop's study, which also finds that Aldi has the lowest prices, but as anyone who has shopped there would know, selection is limited.

My own admittedly unscientific study, borne from my own weekly grocery routine, suggests that Target and Walmart are extemely close in pricing, especially if they are near to each other. Both Target and Walmart give the managers of their local stores some flexibility in pricing to compete with neighboring stores. Where I live, there is a Walmart, Target and Aldi within a one-mile radius and you can see my local Target and Walmart competing on the pricing of groceries and household items. In fact, prices on many household and grocery items are lower at my local Target than at Target in other neighborhoods.

My personal preference is to do my grocery shopping at my local Trader Joe's, which is about 5 miles away. Both Trader Joe's and Aldi's are owned by the same German parent company and they reflect that German ethos of frugal pricing. I shop for household necessities at Target, which gives me the opportunity to browse their close-outs and clearances too.

Link: Comparing grocery prices, Aldi wins overall, but Target beats Walmart
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Saving Money When Buying Software

Are you looking for tips on how to save money when buying software? This online article, How to buy genuine software online for less gives excellent advice on how buying software without paying retail, from comparison shopping for discounts, searching for coupon codes, and buying software at academic prices.

It would still cost you some money, but at least it is legit.

Link: How to buy genuine software online
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Being Frugal at Fancy Restaurants?

So you want to eat a nice fancy restaurant but don't want to go broke or overpay. Well, you can have your cake and eat it. Lifehacker has two blog posts on this topic. The first, What not to order at fancy restaurants features New York Times columnist Frank Bruni's sagely advice on how to get your money's worth at fancy restaurants. A follow-up blog post features excellent tips from its readers on how to find value at fancy restaurants.

Bon appetit!

How to Save Money When Buying College Textbooks

It's that time of the year again when college begins and there is a mad scramble to buy textbooks for courses. Suffering from first time sticker shock when you look at the astronomical textbooks, whether as a parent of a freshman or a neophyte freshman wandering into the college bookstore for the first time? You're not alone.

Cosumerist has two recent blog postings that you might be interested in. The first post warns you about how textbook publishers are fighting the used book market by pushing high-priced "textbook packets." The second post, College Textbooks: Shop Around, Ask Yor Professor, And Save offers tips and strategies on saving money when buying college textbooks.

Here are my tips for saving money on textbooks, from my own experiences many years ago as a perpetually broke graduate student:

1. If you're on campus, head over to the campus bookstore, look up the textbooks assigned for your courses, take note of the ISBNs, and then hit the web (Amazon, etc) to see whether you can find a used edition at a lower price. In particular, Amazon Marketplace is filled with students flooding the market with textbooks they don't want to keep.
   


2. If it is a bundled package, try e-mailing your professor or TA to find out what exactly is in the bundle, and what you really need for the course.


3. If the current edition is too expensive, you could buy an older edition but check with your professor or TA before doing so. I doubt that there are major changes in Philosophy or Literature textbooks, but you might need the latest information for your engineering or psychology courses.


4. Look up your college bulletin boards, textbook exchanges, etc. There might be students who are looking to sell off their previously used textbooks.

Do You Practice Extreme Couponing?

WCVB TV (Boston) recently featured a mom with extreme coupon skills: Mom Feeds Family For Under $10 A Week

Is it possible? Sure, it is, but it requires discipline, long term planning and flexibility (i.e., no impulse buying, on-the-spur-of-the moment cravings). I've previously blogged about using coupons here and here.

As for me, I use coupons primarily for household items (paper towels, detergents, etc.) and organic food (e.g., Mambo Sprouts, Organic Valley). My own savings from using coupons aren't as high because I avoid those coupons for processed food with artificial additives. Long temr health is more important saving money. I'd rather save on long term health costs in the future. It helps that there are organic food coupons out there. One just have to hunt harder for them.

Happy couponing!

Save More At The Supermarket

Looking for tips on saving money at the supermarket? How do you balance your frugal sensibilities with healthy living? Shopsmart has an informative PDF filled with tips and suggestions that you might find useful: Save More At The Supermarket.

Link: Save More At The Supermarket (PDF)