How to Save Money for Travel

When you love to travel like I do, you want to do it often. You also have to think of ways to fund your trip. You can save all your change or have a special travel fund. It seems like that may take forever. Sometimes trips come up at the last minute. You decide to get away or a loved one needs you. Unexpected travel happens. You have to plan for the unexpected. You should have a small savings if possible. It doesn't have to be strictly for travel. This fund can be for anything. Traveling doesn't have to be really expensive. There are tips and tricks to save while traveling. Everything from staying with family to packing your own meals. You could see as many loved ones as possible. Try to put together an impromptu reunion or get together. I love when my family gets together. Even when it's family I see often. We sometimes get together because someone is In town. It gives an excuse to see each other. I grew up really close to my cousins even though I am the youngest. We are still really close but don't spend nearly as much time together now that we are all adults with children, jobs and we are more spread out. One of my cousins lives in Switzerland now.

Cutting down or out some of the expenses can definitely help you have a better trip without making your pocketbook hurt.  Check out my tips and tricks to save money while traveling.

Getting Your Car Ready for Winter

Growing up in the Midwest, I know how important it is to get your car winter ready. While the snow is fun to play in and build a snowman with your kids, you still have to drive in it. We can't hibernate like bears all winter. We also tend to travel during the holiday season. Even a short trip to Grandma's house can be hard if your car isn't prepared. There are some easy steps to take to make sure you are ready for the unpredictable Midwest weather. You may face snow, ice, sleet and freezing rain. Don't forget extremely cold temperatures. You don't want to end up like I did, and have your car break down on the side of a busy highway on Christmas Day one year. That was not fun. Thankfully, it wasn't too terribly cold and it wasn't snowing. It ended better than it could have but it still was a major pain to deal with on a holiday were nothing was open and my cell phone was dead. We had to find a pay phone and call someone to come. We had to rely on family to take us to all the places we needed to go. It was when I was married, so thankfully we were able to without really inconvenience anyone too much.  I was able to enjoy Christmas still thankfully. Don't take the risk and get your car ready for winter, I wish I would have.


 Read this post to learn more about getting your car ready for Winter

Gift Baskets for the Car

The holidays are fast approaching and we have started shopping for gifts. When you have a guy who loves his car almost as he loves you, you want to embrace that by getting him gifts for his baby. It is kind of like buying baby gifts for an expectant mother. When my sister was pregnant, I gave her a gift to buy something for her baby for Christmas. It's not exactly the same thing of course. Creating a car gift basket is really easy with a little know how and creativity. You will even score brownie points with the guy in your life. It will show him that you really put some thought in the gift and you are fine with how much he loves his car. I have dated a guy who loved his car to the point that he worked on it any chance he got. He was even a mechanic. My grandpa was a diesel mechanic and he spent a lot of time in his garage at home teaching my cousins how to work on cars. He also taught my uncles how to fix cars. My mom and aunt learned how to change tires and change oil. Don't get him another tie or a new sweater, make him a gift basket for his car. I am sure he will love it.

Check out my post about creating the perfect car gift basket for some inspiration.