Posts by Brittany Jones-Cooper

3 guaranteed tips to save money on summer travel

It’s almost summer which means one thing…vacation!

But before you go ahead and book that trip, check out these three ways to save money on your summer travel.

Imoova

Did you know that you can rent a camper for just $1 a day?

The site Imoova works with companies that need campers and cars relocated from one city to another, which is where you come in. For just $1 a day, plus a $25 booking fee, you can rent a campervan for a one-way journey. Some of the current routes available are Los Angeles to Denver, Miami to Chicago, and Las Vegas to San Francisco.

Most rentals have a time limit for how long you can keep the car, but you can extend it for an additional fee. As far as insurance is concerned, the vehicles come with reduced damage coverage and you can opt for additional coverage if you like. It’s a great option to take an affordable road trip, and the best part is that most of the routes will give you a $100 fuel credit.

Skiplagged

Up next is an app called Skiplagged , which lets you save money through hidden city ticketing.

Hotel Tonight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you should know about terrorism and travel insurance

We all face one important dilemma when booking a vacation abroad: Do I need travel insurance?

After booking your hotel, flights, transportation and activities, it’s easy to want to skip on travel coverage. After all, it can tack hundreds onto your bill, and really, what are the chances you’ll actually need it? But terrorist threats are real, and travel insurance could save you thousands on a last-minute cancellation.

This week the State Department issued a Europe travel alert , warning U.S. travelers of the potential risk of terrorist attacks in European cities. The alert warns travelers of threats at major events, tourist sites, restaurants, and busy commercial and transportation centers.

The State Department also issued a specific warning about travel to Krakow, Poland, where the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day is expected to attract 2.5 million visitors between July 26 and July 31. In response, Poland plans to impose stricter border controls between July 4 and Aug. 2. Visitors will have to show their passport and submit to stricter security screenings.

1. Decide if it’s worth it.

Can't afford a summer vacation? Take a staycation

In a perfect world, we’d all have overflowing bank accounts ready to finance a long and relaxing luxury vacation at a villa in Tuscany. But in reality, most Americans don’t feel like they can actually use their vacation days, and others have issues scraping together enough dough to make the time off really worth it.

To those people we offer another option: a staycation.

The AAA reports that 35% of Americans will travel 50 miles or more this summer. That means 65% of people plan on staying close to home. Obviously this isn’t the most exciting option, but it is way more budget-friendly. In fact, American Express reports that the average person plans to spend $941 on a summer trip, which is no small expense for a family of four.

But alas, all cities are not created equal, and a new report from Wallethub pinpoints the best U.S. cities to take a stay-at-home vacation. The site compared 150 of the most populated cities in the country, analyzing food, entertainment, rest and relaxation.

1. Change your surroundings

Crazy (and creative) ways people have dodged annoying airline fees

When it comes to airline fees, passengers often feel like their backs are against the wall.

But as the following stories show, all fees are negotiable if you use a little creativity.

Take Alex Hamberger, a 30-year-old man who used his mastery of the English language to convince American Airlines to waive a $200 cancellation fee.

Hamberger planned to fly from Buffalo, N.Y., to Kansas City to visit family when he started to feel sick. He went to a doctor who advised him not to travel because he had flu-like illness that could introduce pneumonia and other dangerous illnesses to his infant niece.

Hamberger rescheduled his flight, asking the airline rep if they could waive the $200 cancellation fee. He was told that the request would have to be sent through the mail along with a doctor’s note. He wanted to ensure that his request was heard, so Hamberger formulated a witty and heartfelt letter to catch the airline’s attention.

He went on t o describe the cause of his travel setback and even used some flattery, thanking the airline for “all you do to make the travel dreams of flyers such as myself a reality.” American Airlines received his letter and miraculously decided to refund the money.

Tips to save big money on your summer travel

We all know that Memorial Day weekend is a big time for travel, but if you’re already looking ahead to summer vacation, you’re not alone.

According to American Express , 80% of Americans, or about 196 million people, plan to travel in the next couple of months — and plan to spend an average of $941 per person on travel.

With cost and safety consistently ranking as top travel concerns, 72% of Americans also revealed they plan to travel domestically this summer, compared with 15% who plan on traveling abroad.

Throwing down nearly $1,000 on a getaway is no small expense, so to ensure vacation success, here are summer travel tips to get the most bang for your buck.

Beaches

After a long slog of winter, a beach vacation is a no-brainer. So it’s no surprise that 40% of Americans plan on taking a beach vacation this summer, according to the American Express survey.

Cost:

Where to go:

While everyone else flocks to Miami to party on South Beach, consider Tampa.

Road trips

Cost:

We’ve got some good news and some bad news.

Where to go:

National Parks

Cost:

Where to go:

 

The cheapest (and most expensive) cities in the world for a weekend getaway

If you are looking for a vacation that won’t break the bank, then it’s probably best to avoid Switzerland.

For the fifth year in a row, Deutsche Bank has released its survey of global prices, which concludes that Swiss and Nordic cities are generally the most expensive in the world to visit.

For instance, the most expensive place in the world to take a weekend getaway is Zurich, Switzerland, which Deutsche Bank estimates would cost $2,475. The survey defines a weekend getaway as two nights at a standard five-star hotel, two pub meals for two, two restaurant dinners for two, a two-day car rental, two pints of beer, four liters of soft drinks/water, and a bit of shopping including a pair of jeans and sport shoes. Note the hefty price tag doesn’t even include airfare!

Sydney, Australia, was deemed the most expensive city for a weekend getaway, costing $2,320, and London, England, rounded out the top three with a projected cost of $2,226 for a weekend away.

Other note-worthy travel prices to know:

Public Transportation

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$201 for a first date?! The priciest cities for a night out around the world

As any right-swiper on Tinder will tell you, dating is expensive. But while a dinner for two at Red Lobster can be pricey, it could be worse.

Deutsche Bank recently released their annual map of global prices , which compares the cost of common goods and experiences in cities around the world. When it comes to the cost of dating, love birds in Zurich, Switzerland fork out an average of $201 for a night on the town.

It looks like The Beatles were wrong when they sang, “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Zurich isn’t the only city where romance comes at a price. Rounding out the top three are Copenhagen ($173) and Tokyo ($172) as the most expensive cities to go on a date around the globe. On the other end of the spectrum, Bangalore, India, is the cheapest city to go on a date, costing just $42 for a couple. Jakarta, Indonesia ($44.50) and Mumbai, India ($44.90) round out the bottom of the list.

A date in San Francisco will cost $128, and a date in New York City averages $126. These cities come in at #10 and #11 on the list.

Air travel this summer will be the worst: Here's how you can beat the lines

A record number of Americans are expected to fly this summer, but there’s one major problem: The airports aren’t ready.

Airlines for America, a trade group, predicts that U.S. airlines will carry a record 231 million passengers between June 1 and Aug. 31. That boils down to 2.5 million passengers every day, or 95,500 more passengers per day compared to last year.

Blame lower airfares on a rise in airline passengers. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the average price of an airline ticket in the U.S. dropped to $363, which was the lowest it's been since 2010, according to the Department of Transportation.

  Lower airfares have continued into 2016, thanks to the low cost of fuel, which has been good news for airlines. In the first quarter of 2016, Airlines for America says that the 10 publicly traded U.S. airlines (Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, American, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United and Virgin America) reported pre-tax earnings of $4.8 billion. This puts the profit margin at 13.2%, up from 11.2% in 2015.

Before you book:

When you book:

At the airport:

Millions of Americans regret not saving for retirement earlier. Don't let it happen to you

We all set out to live a life with no regrets, but sooner or later something happens that we wish we could take back, and oftentimes it includes money. 

According to a new study from Bankrate, a personal finance site, 75% of of Americans admitted that they have financial regrets. Of that, 18% of Americans say their biggest financial regret is not saving for retirement early enough. 13% of people say they regret not saving enough for emergencies, and 9% regret taking on too much student loan debt. 

Of the some 1,000 adults surveyed by Bankrate, it’s no surprise that older respondents are the ones feeling the heat, with 27% of people 65 and older admitting they have retirement regret. That’s compared to 17% of people between 30 and 49.

As a 30-something trying to keep it all afloat, this study really hit me. I feel like I’m saving enough money now for my retirement. I mean I HAVE a 401(k)…that’s good, right? But is it good enough? And what should I do now to ensure I don’t have financial regrets when I’m 65?

The next question is, “How much should you be saving?”

 

8 cheap airline routes for your Memorial Day getaway

Memorial day (May 30) marks the unofficial start to summer, and it’s also one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. In fact, AAA predicted that 37.2 million Americans traveled 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend in 2015.

Summer is a busy time for the airline industry, and thanks to high demand, finding cheap tickets can feel nearly impossible. Still, there are some great fares to be found if you know where to look. Yahoo Finance reached out to the airfare prediction experts at Hopper to provide travelers with the cheapest airline routes for Memorial Day weekend 2016.

(Fares may vary slightly based on demand and availability.)

Cheap destinations from New York:

Fort Lauderdale: $122 round-trip on Spirit Airlines

If Miami’s energy stresses you out, then Fort Lauderdale’s relaxed vibe is a nice alternative getaway for Memorial Day Weekend.

Staying with a local is also a really great way to save money. On Airbnb you can rent this beachfront private room for just $89 a night .

Myrtle Beach: $209 round-trip on Spirit Airlines

Cheap destinations from Chicago: