jpmueller99/Flickr
Chris of Yard Sale Queen shared her recent adventure cross country via Amtrak. Got a frugal story to share? Contact me. Chris’ two-week trip (not all on the train) intrigued me. How much did it cost? Was it a frugal vacation? What did she possibly do with all that time on her hands? Chris writes:
The train was the most expensive part of our trip! I think Amtrak makes their money with the “sleeper cars” – train cars that have different configurations of sleeping arrangements. Some little rooms that sleep 2 people, some with their own toilet, some that slept up to 4 with no toilet, etc etc. We got something called a “family bedroom” that slept 4, but we are a family of 3. Much smaller than any cruise ship room. We shared bathrooms (similar to an airplane bathroom) – with just the people who were in the bottom part of our car (about 12 people – like 6 groups of 2). And there was a shower, which really wasn’t bad. Towels and soap was provided. There are no showers if you travel in Coach.
Taking the train by just buying a Coach ticket is definitely cheaper (more…)
Bryce Canyon by Alaskan Dude/Flickr
A lot of people asked for more suggestions for free, fun things to do as part of my reader contest to win $249 worth of swag. Here is one idea: this weekend, August 14-15, 2010 entrance to more than 100 National Parks is free. Click on the above link for a listing of participating parks by state or name.
The list includes Grand Canyon National Park, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Everglades National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Acadia National Park, Glacier National Park, Big Bend National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park. Many of these are on my list of places to visit!
The freebie covers entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. You still have to pay other fees, like for reservations, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties. I’m guessing this last part includes things like maps at the ranger station or firewood. At six of the parks, concessioners selling food, transportation, lodging and tours are offering discounts and coupons.
If you want to camp for free, there are tons of places where you can pitch a tent for no charge across the country, including BLM land, Wilderness Areas, and National Forests. I’m going camping in October and can’t wait!
Upcoming admission-free days at our National Parks:
- September 25, 2010
(Public Lands Day) - November 11, 2010
(Veterans Day)
If you are looking for fun things to do closer to home, check out this post on free and very cheap dates. If you live in Los Angeles or are visiting, make sure to get free tickets to the taping of a television show. Get behind the scenes and gape at your favorite stars. Lastly, check out these five ways to get free or cheap tickets to the theater.
My tip was a lot bigger than this! Credit: Dauella manera/Flickr
It’s amazing what two twenties will do. When I arrived at LAX last week, I had no intention of lugging seven heavy boxes through the airport by myself to the regular check-in counter. Instead, I stuffed my fist with cash and walked up to the Sky Cap counter, which had a line 40-some people deep.
Two nights before a reader named Eileen had shared a valuable but expensive lesson on luggage. “My Mother taught me this,” Eileen said. “If you ever need help at the airport, put a fifty dollar bill in your raised hand and ask if anyone can help. Someone will find you.”
Eileen was right. With $40 in my left hand, I approached the Sky Cap counter.
“I have seven boxes to check. Is it okay if I put them right here while I wait in line?”
Two junior Sky Caps conferred and decided it would be okay to tuck my bags off to the side so I wouldn’t have to inch them forward as I waited in line. I think they saw my twenties.
I put my cash back in my pocket and began unloading boxes from my friend’s car. A senior Sky Cap came over while I was dropped off box No. 3 and I double checked that it was okay to stockpile my boxes while waiting in line. It was.
When I dropped off the last box he was waiting for me. Had he seen my twenties? I’m pretty sure.
“How many are you flying with?”
“Just me.”
“We’re going to have to charge you for those extra bags, unfortunately.”
“That’s fine. I did the math and Southwest is the cheapest.”
The senior Sky Cap asked for my full name and suggested I step down two counters so he could check me in. What? No line?
He DEFINITELY saw my twenties. Because he offered to let me cut, I didn’t protest.
I checked in and was free of my burdensome bags within 10 minutes. I paid $250 for my seven pieces of luggage (the first two bags are free on Southwest and each bag after that up to 10 bags is $50). Not a single bag was weighed – at least that I saw. Bags over 50 pounds are $100 and one of my pieces was awfully heavy. Did my big tip save me an overweight baggage fee? I’ll never know.
I jumped into the security line and wondered if big spenders regularly experienced the ease and comfort I had. My $40 saved me time, reduced my stress, and got me out of the mid-day heat.
I rarely sympathize with big spenders – I have been known to scoff at overt displays of wealth – but after my $40 worked wonders at the airport I have a new perspective. Spending money, and not just saving it, can bring peace of mind. So if a Sky Cap at my destination airport happens to notice my fresh twenties and offers to lug my seven boxes across baggage claim? Well, I’m going to smile and say thank you.
What was your most worthwhile splurge?
Thanks for the tip, Eileen!
Michiel Van Balen/Flickr
Staples - Get a free backpack while supplies last.
Back to school deals - Here are all the back to school deals and freebies I found this week. Got any to add?
Borders – Here is a Borders coupon for 33% off most items, including online purchases. Expires July 29, 2010.
Hotel deal - Get a cheap hotel stay at Red Roof (15% 0ff) when you stay three nights, or two if you are military personnel.
Check out all the coupons and deals I share on my WalletPop blog.
Kmart has donated a ton of camping gear for my latest reader giveaway. Camping is one of my favorite frugal vacations – did you know there are many places you can camp for free?!
To win, do two things. Join my BargainBabe.com Facebook page and leave a comment answering this question: How do you get ready for the great outdoors?
The contest ends Tuesday, July 27 at 9 a.m. PST.
One winner will take home:
- A $50 Kmart gift card
- A Northwest Territory 18×10 Dome tent, above, that sleeps 8 and has a rear storage locker with flap (orig. $230)
- Two Northwest Territory Big Boy Mesh Chairs, which each have two drink holders (orig. $27 each)
- Two Northwest Territory Hot Hood Sleeping Bags, which each come with a fleece pillow (orig. $25 each)
- A 4D LED Rugged Rechargeable Battery Lantern, right, that has a “lifetime” bulb that never needs to be replaced. The lantern has three settings and includes a 6V XPS rechargeable cartridge, 120v adapter for home, and a 12v adapter for car or boat (orig. $40)
- A Coleman Perfectflow portable grill with a 11,000-BTU tube burner and a 200-square inch cooking surface (orig. $70)
The camping gear will be shipped directly to the winner. Colors may vary.
Jamiesrabbits/Flickr
If you live outside the Golden State, I’m sorry! Here are three coupons for water parks in California, including Raging Waters in San Dimas, Wild Rivers in Irvine, and Wild Waters Adventure in Clovis.
Raging Waters (San Dimas)
Get $7 off a general admission purchased online or $5 off general admission purchased at the park. Print the water park coupon or online use coupon code 1060 when you buy tickets online. Single day tickets are $23-$37.
Wild Rivers (Irvine)
Get $5 off a general admission ticket with this printable coupon or use coupon code RRAPIDS2 if you buy your ticket online. Single day tickets are $17-$33.
Wild Waters (Clovis)
Get $6 off a general admission ticket with this coupon. Bring it to the park as you cannot buy tickets online for Wild Waters. Single day tickets are $17-$24.
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons.Get $20 off $100 at Footsmart. Expires July 31, 2010.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
goodrob13/Flickr.
Do you yearn to be a screaming audience member on The Price is Right or a cheering fan on the Tonight show? Do you dream of watching your favorite star being filmed on-set? With some pre-planning, patience and luck, these experiences can be yours – for free.
As hard as it is to believe, television studios have to work to fill their audiences each time they shoot. It’s not just a matter of opening their front door and letting any old riff-raff in. There are dress codes and rules. Doling out coveted set passes sucks up staff time and energy. For many (but not all) shows, this coordination is too much trouble so television show turns the duty over to a company that specializes in finding audiences.
Here are some ways to get in to the shows you want to see:
- For free tickets for Two and a Half Men, Wizards of Waverly Place, Melissa and Joey, I’m in the Band and more, try Audiences Unlimited, Inc.
- If you are a Jimmy Kimmel Live! fan, you can get tickets online or call 866-546-6984 (weekdays from 1-4 p.m. PST).
- American Idol, Hannah Montana, So You Think You Can Dance?, and Dancing with the Stars tickets can be obtained through On Camera Audiences.
- Your dream to be on a game show can come true at game show contestant submissions or go to any of the major TV network’s websites and look for a “casting” link.
- The Tonight Show tickets are distributed at the studio’s ticket window the day of taping or by mail. Write to 3000 W. Alameda Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91523 or call 818-840-3537.
- Saturday Night Live tickets are distributed by lottery.
- And last, but not least… if you are just dying to be seen on television wearing a hula outfit and scuba gear holding a sign saying “I love Drew Carey” then you are destined to be on The Price is Right.
Going to the taping of a TV show is an impressive first date (if the show is your date’s favorite), a frugal and memorable vacation event, or an educational field trip. There is a LOT more going on off the screen than most people know.
I’ve seen some really cool shows with my friends and family using some of these links.
Have you ever gone to the taping of a TV show? Was it fun?
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons this week.
Get an extra 15% off sitewide, including sale items at Kohl’s. Expires July 15, 2010.
Get $22 off $100 at Shoes.com. Expires July 31, 2010.
Get 70% off all Luggage at Calvin Klein. Expires July 7, 2010.
Get $50 off all computers with trade-in at Staples. Expires September 18, 2010.
Book cheap one way flights from $43 and up, plus get an extra $10 off CheapOair. Deal ongoing.
Silenus81/Flickr
Reader Aimee recently shared a tip about a newish low-budget air carrier called Allegiant Air. They specialize in flying from major cities to a lot of little ones. I’ve never flown Allegiant and am curious if it is a good deal. Aimee said:
I just wanted to let you know about this crazy Airline. They have airfare for like $15 each way. You just have to fly on specific dates and they only fly to certain locations but it is totally a fun way to travel and see parts of America for cheap.
I am not affiliated with the airline. My brother flies it with his wife regularly to Vegas. He’s mentioned the cheap airfair and that it is just like a regular airline. I have not flown it yet but I’m looking to soon.
Have you flown Allegiant Air? Are the low prices the real deal – or is the supply limited? Do high fees offset the super low base fares?
Act quick to get a cheap flight on Southwest for a summer vacation. You have to buy your tickets by June 17 and travel by September 2, 2010. The fares are good for travel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
One way sample fares include:
- Burbank to Oakland, Vegas, San Jose, or Phoenix for $59
- Orlando to Ft. Myers for $53, or to Ft. Lauderdale for $69
- Jackson to Houston for $69
- Long Island or New York to Baltimore for $69
- San Diego to Vegas, Phoenix, or Tuscon for $59
- San Francisco to Vegas, Orange County or Los Angeles for $59
- See all the cheap flights on Southwest
Caveats: 14-day advance purchase required, purchase by June 17, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST, fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.70 per takeoff and landing, airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9, and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5 one-way.
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons with me.
Save on orders of $100 or more with 25% off plus free shipping at Banana Republic. Coupon expires May 31, 2010.
Save 10% plus free shipping on orders of $125 or more at HP. Expires July 31, 2010.
Save 15% plus receive free shipping at Smart Bargains. Expires June 8, 2010.
Get 20% off at LuggagePoint.com. Expires June 30, 2010.
Save 10% plus get free shipping on orders of $50 or more at Folica.com. Expires June 1, 2010.
Itching to get out of town at the last minute? Southwest just launched a last-minute Memorial Day flight sale, with discounted routes across the country. Keep in mind these are discounted off holiday weekend pricing. You need to buy your cheap flights three days in advance and no later than May 27 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Sale fares are valid for travel through June 1, 2010. They weren’t kidding about last minute!
One way flights include:
Burbank to Tuscon for $165
Dallas to Oklahoma City for $79
Denver to Midland/Odessa for $138
Long Island to Cleveland for $149
Los Angeles to Boise for $191
Lubbock to Albuquerque for $101
New York to Baltimore for $94
Oakland to Spokane for $132
Portland to Reno/Tahoe for $88
Caveats: fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.70 per takeoff and landing, airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9, and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5 one-way. These fares are available only on southwest.com or swabiz.com.
adactio/Flickr
You get what you pay for, but in New York City you get even less. Four years after leaving the Big Apple for sunny Los Angeles, I re-learned this lesson after booking a budget hotel room on the Upper West Side with appalling results.
The $145 room – well below normal prices for a Manhattan hotel – had a shared bathroom and lacked amenities. But for one night it would be fine, I reasoned. I had used the same booking site in the past and gained great deals on beautiful hotel rooms. I trusted they would never work with sub-par hotels (Mistake No. 1).
We arrived a few minutes before check-in and noticed that, after each party checked in, an attendant walked them to their room. When it was our turn, a young woman led us through a maze of connected buildings so disorienting that I joked about getting lost. So this is why we were walked to our room, I thought. (Mistake No. 2).
The woman stopped in a narrow hallway and turned the key. No modern card swipes at this hotel. She opened the door and motioned for us to step inside.
I was stunned. The blue carpet was so ancient it was beyond cleaning. The pillows were flat as pancakes. The mysterious smell made me breathe shallowly. A single window blurred by years of muck looked onto an alley. The bed – oh how I was ready for a nap until I saw the bed!
“Do you still want the room?”
I looked at my friend, looked at the woman, and paused. I turned down the sheets and squinted to see possible tiny red spots, a sign of bed bugs. The thin yellowed sheets showed through to the mattress. I did not see any spots, but the light was too dim to erase all doubts.
“We heard there were bed bugs,” I said to the woman.
She shook her head. “The things people write online,” she said. “Disgruntled employees.”
“Oh, okay.”
“So the room is okay?”
No, it was not okay, But I was so ashamed that I had gotten myself into this situation, that I had believed I could get such an amazing deal, that I was too cheap to pony up for a better room in the first place, that I looked at the woman and nodded. (Mistake No. 3)
She closed the door behind her.
“Do you want to stay here?” I asked my dismayed friend.
“Do you want to stay here?”
We both agreed we could suffer a night in the dingy hotel room, but that we really, really wanted a nicer hotel room. We gathered our bags and marched back to the lobby.
“We changed our minds,” I said. “The room is not acceptable. I’m sorry.”
The hotel staff was ticked off. The manager refused to give us a canceled receipt because it was the booking site that was charging us, he said. Arguing was no use. We walked out.
I immediately called the booking site and asked them to refund the $145 charge because the room did not match the online description, to put it mildly. The customer service agent offered me a 10% refund. I politely pushed back. She offered me a $50 credit. No thanks. Manager, please. The manager refused to help a loyal customer and, after more than an hour on hold, my cell phone battery died. The next day I called my credit card company to contest the charge.
Whether or not I end up paying for the hotel room, I’ve learned three lessons. I was greedy, thinking I could find a better price for a hotel room than the millions of other tourists who visit New York City. I made assumptions that got me into trouble and did not recognize them until it was too late. And to top it off, I kept quiet when I should have spoken my mind.
As karmic payback, I booked a ridiculously expensive hotel, slept extremely well, and made free Starbucks coffee the next morning in my room.
Get a free Limeade drink from Taco Bell. Limited to the first 500,000!
ValueMags.com has a bunch of free magazine offers that have no strings attached.
If you live near a BJ’s warehouse club (on the East Coast, basically) there are a lot of perks for non-members, including a free 60-day membership!
Save $30 off a purchase of $100 or more with this Coldwater Creek coupon code.
A European travel site is expanding to the US and offers high-end travel deals at 60% off.
Check out all the deals and coupons on my WalletPop blog.
