More Travel Tips

I just got back from my vacation in North Carolina and I have a few more tips on saving money when you fly or drive.

First, travel light. The airlines are now charging for every check-in bag when you fly Economy. In my case, the hit was $15 for one bag each way or an extra $30 total. (I did mention in my initial post that you should always allow for extra expenses, right?) Even though I only took one check-in bag , that was one bag too many. I took a complete change of clothing for all six days, which was overkill since I wasn’t heading for the Arctic Circle or the wilds of Borneo; even in North Carolina, they do have these places called LAUNDROMATS. Actually, four of the five Motel 6s I stayed in boosted coin-operated washers and dryers. I ended up relaxing with a book for 30 minutes while washing three days worth of dirty clothes; if I’d only bought that much to start with, I could have fitted it in a single carry-on and saved myself both money and effort. (Check online with any airline to find their dimensions for carry-on bags.)

Second, if it’s going to be a long flight, bring along a bag of nuts, an apple, a banana or some other snack. Paying $6 for a bag of airline almonds is not my idea of frugal, so I was happy I had a banana in my handbag when the hungries hit halfway through the two-hour flight.

Third, as I also mentioned in my previous post, allow for extra fees, taxes, etc. I’d booked a rental car for $181 for the week, but somehow a few previously unmentioned charges hiked that nearly $40.

Fourth –a word of warning—the rental car company may try to convince you that your best value on gas is their “prepaid” fill-up. The pitch to me was that if I paid $36 up front, they’d fill up my car when I got back, at a bargain rate of $1.70 a gallon, and I wouldn’t have to waste time tanking up. Since gas in NC at the time was running about $1.99, this sounded like a good deal, but here’s the catch….my car had an 18 gallon tank. (I asked.) My filling up an almost empty tank ( you have to top it off within ten miles of the dropoff point) would have cost only $33.84, even at $1.99, and if I’d still had a gallon or two in the tank, it would be even less than that. So prepaying $36 would have cost me extra.

Fifth, (shameless plug!) Golden Corral is my favorite fast-in, fast-out restaurant of all time. For the same $7.50 I paid for a sandwich and a pile of fries at Chili’s, I happily ate lunch at GC three of my six days, browsing through a dozen types of meat, a comprehensive fruit and salad bar and more types of chocolate deserts than is really good for me. (If you don’t want to pack on pounds eating at GC, don’t pile your plate high. Go for variety, not quantity.) Plus, you don't have to wait ten minutes for a waiter, ten minutes to get your food, or ten minutes to get your check. I found myself looking for GC signs every time I drove the highway. (By the way, a week’s worth of nothing but fast-food burgers and burritos will not make your innards happy, and few things are as miserable as getting sick when you’re traveling. So be sure to include fruits and vegetables in your travel diet, even if it means stopping at a grocery store to buy apples, bananas and snack-packs of raisins.) Also, unless you can handle huge portions, look for half-serving options whereever you eat. It will help save you money and keep you from coming home ten pounds heavier than when you left.

Sixth, remember to allow for tips. Yes, I was not eating or staying at expensive restaurants or hotels, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t tip. Someone has to serve the food and clean the room; so be classy as well as frugal and leave a tip.

Next....some thoughts on my visit to the largest private home in the country...the Biltmore House!