Are the savings really so great?  What drives people into the shopping frenzy?

I first pose the question to Therese, a Canadian ex-pat working at Diamonds International (the ubiquitous port of call jewelry retailers) in Costa Maya, Mexico.  “Let’s put it this way,”  she says.  “Would you wake up on a Tuesday morning at home and go shopping for a diamond?  It’s part of the cruise experience, and there is a great selection…but no, the prices are really not the best you can ever find.  But people enjoy it, and it gives them something to show when the trip is over.”

I next approached Phil, our charmingly English cruise shopping guide.  “Oh yes,” he said, “the prices really are so much lower, since everything is duty and tax free.”  He recounts the tale of many couples, newly engaged or honeymooning, who are dismayed to find that the rings they just purchased stateside are far less expensive in the islands.  But, he added, it’s hard to compare when your’e dealing with stones.  The proof, he continued, is in the prices of the branded items.  For example, if someone wanted to buy a Breitling watch, they could instead take a cruise, buy the watch in a port, and essentially get the watch for free, based on the list price compared to the actual island price.  I will, when I return home, do a little research on the validity of that statement, and will report back on my findings.

Diane, a frequent cruiser and former jeweler, loves to buy jewelry when she travels, although she is clear that the savings are not all they’re said to be.  But she buys anyway, citing unique designs and uncommon stones as her reason for purchasing.  Anna, another frequent cruiser, agrees.  But for every Diane, Anna and Therese,  there continue to be dozens, maybe hundreds, of uneducated, free-spending travelers who believe that they could never find such bargains anywhere else.

Besides, they say, it’s fun to tell people, when they admire the new pieces, that they bought them in Mexico, St. Maarten, or the duty-free shop on the cruise ship.

Me, I’ll buy a t-shirt.

Back to civilization this weekend, back to the search for Health Insurance on Monday.  For now, though, the jacuzzi awaits.

Meanwhile, for more on discount cruising, click here.

I am beginning to realize that one of the reasons I can live well on a budget is that I don’t care about shopping, and I have enough stuff.  What is it about shopping that gets people so excited?  And are there really such great bargains to be had by leaving the US?

My plan today is to ask my fellow passengers why they get so excited about shopping on vacation.  For me, it’s the fun of having something that no one else will probably have, and the excitement of saying, when I get a compliment on the piece, that I bought it in Wherever.  Are the prices really so great that they can’t be matched in the states?  Is the stuff so unique?  Is it status?  I’m truly curious.  Why do people spend so much money when they’re away? How many watches does one person need?

I go ashore to see the country, meet the people, and maybe find some cheap, unique Mexican silver or pottery gifty things to bring home to my friends and family, and a little something for myself, as a memory of this lovely trip. Tomorrow, Belize City.  I wonder what’s available there.

It occurred to me that there should be a list of tips, or questions to ask yourself, to nip that urge to buy impulsively right in the bud.  So I asked a bunch of my frugalista friends how they cope with the desire to shop when they really should not.  Here are some of their answers.  Write them down on on an index card and, whenever you’re faced with the urge to splurge, take it out and ask yourself the following:

Why would I want to buy this thing when I am actively trying to save money?

What benefit would I get from buying this particular thing at this particular time?

Is this something that I need, that will go with other things in my home or closet, and that I will actually use?

Is this something that I cannot ever obtain anywhere else?

Is it a good buy?

Why do I want to deplete my cash (or run up my credit card bill) anyway? (This is the insightful, psychological question.)

By the time you get through these few thoughts, two things will happen:

1) You will have determined if you really want and need the item, and

2) You will have passed the crucial impulse-buying moment and you’ll be thinking more clearly.

At this point, you can choose — either you walk away, or you make your purchase, love it, and be clear of all guilt.

Either way, you will walk away happy with your choice.

Tomorrow, we head to upstate New York, the capital of fun, kitschy yard sale finds.  I’ll be armed with cash, and searching for bargains that rival my best one ever, a vintage Louis Vuitton overnight bag I bought up there for $2.50!

Spending update — Having shelled out maybe another $50 for food and drink on Fire Island, (definitely easier if you’re not a drinker), and including a generous (if we do say so ourselves!) gift to our hostess, and gas and tolls to get to the city, we’re now up to about $800 for both of us, after more than two weeks.  It’s good to have friends in high places.

For more how-to tips for drinking on a budget, click here.

Be back in few days from yard sale Heaven!

Greetings from Fire Island, NY, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. (But we only tell our best friends about it, so shhhh.)

When we last checked in, we had reached our first destination, New Jersey, where we stayed with a dear friend and had a delicious dinner.  The next day for lunch, we bought a salad for our hostess and shared a big one between us, total cost $20.  The on to Brooklyn, where $20 bought us (and several of our friends) a few slices of great New York pizza, some soda and a great night with more childhood friends at a free concert featuring Blondie, Pat Benatar and The Donnas.

Next stop, Long Island, where we stayed with family and visited the beach outside their door.  After a stop at a local supermarket, we stocked up on items that would surely be overpriced if we bought them at our next destination, Fire Island, and tiny sandbar of a beach paradise, with nothing but beach, bay, bars and a few little shops.  (Very expensive, but I hear that next week the stores start cutting prices drastically in order to clear out their inventory before the summer ends; will keep you posted).  Supermarket bill, $80.  Savings over Fire Island prices, probably $75.

We parked at a friend’s house, saving over $100 for parking, and another friend drove us to the station, savings of about $5.  The ferry ride over was $34 round trip for the both of us, and we are now ensconced for the next week at the home of another dear friend,  just steps from the beach and a short walk to the town.  So far, we’ve been cooking and BBQing, and our on-island expenditure up to now has been $6 for yummy water ices.  Added to the running total, we’ve now spent, between the two of us, including gas for the car, roughly another $200, bringing us so far to a grand total of about $500 and we’ve been gone a week, and traveled about 1300 miles.  So far, so great!

It’s good to have friends in high places!  (Of course, they’re all always invited to visit us in Florida any time they want.)

Until next time, stay cool!

(BTW, we didn’t win the lottery…yet!)

For more about travel on the cheap, click here.

The Queen and I have reached our first destination, New Jersey, where friends await and the gas is cheaper — and they pump it for you!  We came prepared with gas and gift cards from cash-back rewards, and we saved by figuring out how to fix a blown fuse ourselves.

We stayed at budget hotels along the road, splurged on Lottery tickets in most of the states we passed through, and joined a dozen of our childhood friends for a delicious family-style dinner and ate more than our fill for a very reasonable price.  We used Dunkin’ Donuts coupons for a few discounted meals and free drinks and snacks, and munched on nutrition bars purchased by the dozen at Costco.

Between us, the total so far has been less than $300, of which real out-of-pocket cash was probably slightly more than half.  This is a small savings over the current airfare costs, not including the luggage fees and airport transfers, and a huge savings over the AutoTrain, which would have cost us over $700 including us, the car and the accommodations.

We’re keeping a running total of money spent and money saved, and will keep you posted as the trip continues.

Here’s a little video of us taken along the way.

Let me warn you, it’s kind of nauseatingly shaky.  But cute, we think!

Postcards from the Road

Meanwhile, click here for other info on discount traveling.

More to come!

My sister, the Rebate Queen, and I are hitting the road in a few weeks for an extended road trip to NY and the Northeast.  If there’s anyone who is better than me on saving money, it’s her.  We will report on our money saving techniques and successes (and failures!) as we plan and go.

One stop: Visiting my little country house in the Catskill mountains to bring home some of my stuff.  Talk about a deal:  I bought this house for only $30,000, fixed it up, expanded the porch and deck, filled it with lots of Vintage Catskill furniture and knick-knacks, and now have it on the market for much more, after 10 years of enjoyment.

But I digress.  First job is finding the best and cheapest way to get there.  Do we fly? Do we drive? If so, which car?  And who’s going to do the driving anyway? As a Florida newbie and ex New Yorker (i.e., not a daily driver) I don’t always make my passengers comfortable).  Where will we stay?   Actually, I’ve never meticulously budgeted my travel expenses.  This will be an adventure for sure!

If you’re traveling this summer, there’s lots of good news — gas prices going down, tons of great deals, lots of people taking the summer off (i.e. laid off) so easy to find travel companions.  At the same time, Continental, like other airlines, just announced the addition of checked baggage fees, Spirit Air is now charging for seats and drinking water, and other airlines are trying similar tricks.  So buyer beware.

We’ll do our best to help you find ways to travel cheaply this summer.  Here are a few links to get you started.

Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, for more on travel, click here.

Thankfully, I just last week came upon an article which outlined a bunch of the best internet sites for finding low gas prices and getting the most out of your car. Here, compliments of www.DumbLittleMan.com and his contributor, blogger Abhijeet Mukherjee (www.Jeetblog.com) are a list of winners.

Fuelfrog
Fuelfrog tracks your gas mileage and reports back on your car’s fuel economy. You just need to enter the distance you traveled on your last tank, the price you paid, and the amount of fuel you added to your car.  Plus, you can even tweet your info to @fuelfrog!

CostToDrive
CostToDrive, calculates your driving costs city to city in the US. Give it the info on the two cities, your car’s make, model and year, and it will give you back the estimated cost based on the gas you use.

MyMileMarker
MyMileMaker is a site which can track the mileage and fuel consumption for your car.  It also generates distance and gas economy charts.  Just enter a few details on the site whenever you fill up your car’s tank.

Fuelly
Beyond tracking your fuel consumption, sharing data and seeing comprehensive reports on the money you’ve saved, Fuelly actually allow you to compare your data with other users of similar cars. 

GasBuddy
GasBuddy is a site which helps you find the cheapest gas prices in many US cities.  You can also check the gas price maps and historical price charts. A good, interactive site. 

MPGtune
MPGtune, among its other services, has a  primary function of tracking your vehicle’s MPG (miles per gallon or litres/100km). You can also find out about similar vehicles, and use the website to track their MPG.

GasHog
For iPhone users, an app the does everything the aforementioned web apps are capable of doing and also works on iPod touch.

And here’s a few more that I found:

Fuel Economy.gov

A government site, and they should know — and be honest about it.

Fuelgaugereport

The definitive report from AAA.

Plus,  you can get additional info (if indeed you need more) from Google, MSN, Mapquest, etc., even EBay!

Don’t let the high prices keep YOU at home this summer.  Just research, plan, and hit the road, knowing that all the money you save, on both gas and all the other things (which you are learning from reading this blog), allows you the luxury of travel.

For more ways to save on travel and entertainment, click here.

Says who? With an internet connection (which we all have) and knowledge of the right buttons to push (some are conveniently located at the end of this post), even today you can have a wonderful trip across the pond.

Today’s post comes to us from Paris, where my dear friend Richard Nahem, another New York expat, writes a blog called Eye Prefer Paris, a look into the City of Lights for frustrated travelers everywhere. For your daily dose of the continent, sign up here. And when you make it to Paris, be sure to look him up; mention this blog for a special discount on his fabulous personalized tours of the places only the natives know.

Here’s Richard’s take on ten ways to save money in Paris:

“This valuable list of Top Ten Paris Bargains came to me from Sonia at www.hostelbookers.com, an excellent resource for budget travelers. It always great to know where the bargains are in Paris and this list has some nice surprises I didn’t know about.”

So, from Richard and Sonia in Paris, with a little help from other travelers….the Top Ten Paris Bargains.

A budget trip to Paris? C’est impossible? Mais no! It’s a Paris cliché that Gallic chic doesn’t come cheap, and travelers always complain that the city of lights is costly. But there are loads of ‘bon prix’ to be found along the Parisian streets, you just have to look beyond the Louvre…

1. A Bargain Bistro
L’Avant Gout (26 Rue Bobilot 75013), is a gourmet bistro famous for its signature dish ‘Le pot au feu de cochon aux épices’. The lunch menu is a true bargain — for €14 you get an entree, main course, a glass of wine, and coffee all included in the price.

Many restaurants, especially in the Latin Quarter, still offer price-fixed dinners; blackboards and aggressive restauranteurs will be sure to let you know about them.

2. The Batobus
A trip along the Seine is the perfect way to see Paris, but avoid the overpriced tourist boats blaring irritating commentaries. From Mid-April to November, the Batobus is a great budget alternative, and it stops off at all the main sites, looping from the Eiffel Tower right round to the Champs Elysee. Take to the water for €12 for one day or €16 for two, and hop and off when you please.

3. Another Tower
Whilst the Eiffel Tower may be Paris’ most iconic way to see the city, the Montparnasse Tower offers a far cheaper romantic view. Ignore the tourist lift and take your loved one to the café on the 56th floor. Grab a gourmet café au lait, enjoy the sights below, and spot that other famous tower from the window!

4. Vintage Finds for €5
Free P Star, and a few other unnamed, tiny shops in the Marais, are a vintage mecca for sourcing cool secondhand clothes. Crammed to the rafters with fur coats, pretty dresses, leather jackets and platform boots, hoards of chic Parisiens elbow each other out the way in search of the perfect bargain outfit. The real draw for bargain hunters are the €3 and €5 ‘bins’, where you can rummage for some truly unique pieces.

5. Cool Cocktails in the Marais
This cobbled former Jewish quarter is now the hippest hot-spot in the city, and at around 8pm most of the bars have a happy hour, where you can get a pint of beer or a cocktail, and some bar snacks for under €5.

6. The Musee D’Orsay
This is a well-known museum, but I really think this is one of Paris’s best-value galleries. Housed in a beautiful old train station, it showcases a range of art from 1848 to 1915, but is most famous for its impressive collection by the Impressionists Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cezanne. Smaller and easier to navigate than the Louvre, tickets are only €5.50 on Sundays and for under 25s.

7. Cemeteries and Churches
The ultimate bargain when visiting Paris, all the cemeteries and churches in the city are free to enter. Cemeteries like Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise are completely free, and are home to many famous graves, from Jim Morrisson to Jean Paul-Sartre. The Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and a whole host of lesser known churches like Saint Sulpice are some of the cities grandest buildings, are just as beautiful inside, and cost nothing to visit. Plus, artists camping out on the steps sometimes create beautiful art, and of course, prices are very negotiable.

8. Monoprix Macarons
Whenever I visit Paris, I pay a visit to the many amazing patisseries in the city, and occasionally indulge in one of Lauduree’s sumptuous macarons. These candy-colored confections cost a bomb, so you can only limit yourself to one at a time! For a delicious treat at about a third of the price, head to supermarkets Franprix or Monoprix, and stock up on the little boxes of mini macarons. The quality is almost as good, and you’ll have enough to share round!

9. A Paris hostel
Forget dingy dorms and dirty shared bathrooms, it’s easy to find a stylish hostel in Paris, and many have better facilities than most budget hotels. Prices at Le Montclair Montmartre start at only €26 a night for a private room, and the hostel is enough to convert even the most skeptical of travelers, with a free breakfast, internet facilities and a stylish lounge, all in the heart of bohemian Montmartre.

10. And finally…the Louvre for less
If you are desperate to visit the Louvre, at least do it on the cheap. The Louvre is free the first Sunday of every month, but all of Paris knows this – so the queues are vast. It’s far less stressful to visit on Wednesday and Friday evenings, between 6 and 9:45pm, where the admission fee is halved, and you won’t have to wade through the crowds to see the Mona Lisa!

Thanks, Richard. Hope to see you in the fall, after the crowds are gone.

Here, for your convenience and dreaming, are a few links to good discount travel sites,
plus one for cheap international calling :

Compare and save!

We wish you a fun, safe journey to places unknown. Caveat Emptor — Just look, don’t shop. With Euros and Pounds, those little Eiffel Tower charms can cost you as much as the airfare.

If you read my blog regularly, you may get the impression that I’m a big gambler, which I am not.  But, this trip was a combination of all my bargain hunting abilities.

I flew on a discount through Priceline.com.

I took advantage of the cash-back offers presented upon completing my reservation.  I remembered to cancel the offers once I got the cash back coupons.

I got friends to drop me off and pick me up from the airports.

In AC, I met up with my good friend Robyn from England.  She was going there anyway to take care of some family business, and insisted on paying for most of the room and car.  I took her out for an expensive dinner as thanks.

We visited a few of the casinos and signed up for all the promotions available — free parking, discounts on foods and of course, the granddaddy  of all, $150 in free gambling money each.  We played with abandon on the casinos’ money.  Robyn likes the penny and nickel slots, which to me are crazy as you need to put in at least 40 cents to cover all your bases.  And all you win are more pennies and nickels. I stuck to the rare quarter machine where you can actually play one one pay line and win quarters.  Now, here’s where we differ.  Robyn kept returning her winnings to the machine.  I, on the other hand, pocketed all my winnings.  The result: I played for four nights and came out about $30 down.  Robyn was further down but, since she was playing in dollars bought with pounds sterling, she thought it was all play money anyway.

Robyn loves to shop in the US since her money is really worth so much more over here, so I grudgingly joined her on a trip to Macy’s.  The only thing I wanted was a white, sleeveless ruffled shirt — which I found as I was browsing a 65% off rack (really, I wasn’t even looking for it!).  Misplaced from the Ralph Lauren department, the $98 blouse came to $30.32, no tax. Lucky me!

Now, off to NY where more cheap fun awaits. Will write more later. Got to go get the famous Atlantic City salt-water taffy out of my teeth now.

First I checked a friend’s website, and found a trip that fit the bill:  three nights, leaving from Miami on a Friday, returning on Monday morning, two different islands, and a room with a balcony, which usually jacks up the price substantially, for a total with fees and all of $612 for the two of us.  No other balcony room came close, so I booked it.  Two days later, I received a notice that my debit card had been rejected.  No reason, no response, except when I attempted to rebook, the price had become $712.  Usually, just on principle, I would refuse to do business with that agent or company again.  But that balcony kept drawing me back.  

A few calls later, I had reserved the same cabin, but with some urging I was able to received $105 in shipboard credits.  This paid for our gratuities as well as a surcharge for dining in the fabulous specialty restaurant, a steak house where my husband’s request for both a sirloin and a filet mignon was met with a gracious smile and a larger plate.  
 

The one financial drawback that I found on the ship is that, except for a welcoming glass of champagne and occasional tastings,  liquor is not included in the cost of your cruise. We are not big drinkers so it didn’t really affect us too much, but at almost $10 a pop, heavy drinkers could easily rack up a hefty liquor bill.  And there’s no was around it, except sneaking it in in water bottles or flasks.

We had a wonderful time, and we are spoiled — we could not imagine now a cruise without a balcony, listing to the waves lap again the ship as we drifted off to a deep, salt air filled sleep.

 Check back here for a few companies that offer discounted cruising, and for more personal reviews.  To read how to drink for less, click here.

By the way, motion sickness meds are available 24/7 at the reception desk, and except for a few swells, I hardly felt the motion at all.