Category: Quality Family Time

How Short-term Rentals Can Save Cash

Posted on by Erika Bud
Photo by Unsplash

An investment in travel is an investment into yourself – Matthew Karsten

 

How Travelers Booking Short-Term Rentals Can Save Some Serious Cash

Whether you’re traveling for business, pleasure, or to snap some memorable photos of sunsets on the beach, visiting a new place can be expensive. Over 75 percent of Americans go into debt when they travel (to the tune of $1,108), and this debt can impact your overall financial health. But you don’t have to dig a grave for your credit score to travel.

Many people choose to skip the fancy five-star hotels and book short-term rentals. Whether you’re traveling far away or staying close to home in Atlanta, these fully furnished and equipped apartments and homes can be a financial lifesaver, especially now that apps make finding short-term rentals a cinch. However, the savings don’t have to end there. From Big World Publishing, here are some ways to save some serious dough when you’re traveling and booking short-term rentals.

Scout Out Car Rental Deals

Chances are, you’re not bringing your car with you during your travels — especially if you’re going to another country. Just because you need a car to get around doesn’t mean you have to throw your budget out of the window. Luckily, popular websites make saving money on car rentals easier than ever. You can push your savings if you scout out coupons and stack them together before you rent the car. Some credit cards even offer you special discounts on rentals.

Leverage the Shared Economy

You can rent out short-term rental apartments and vacation homes that are fully furnished, but you’ll probably find a better deal on shared economy apps. Since you’ll be able to deal directly with people who are renting out their spare rooms or homes, you can usually save a ton of dough. Plus, some of the short-term rentals available are way nicer than five-star hotels.

But the shared economy goes far beyond rentals. EatWith connects you with local chefs and dinner parties that can give you the experience of eating out without the massive bill. Apps like Spinlister can help you find local bikes or surfboards without having to spend the dough to buy one outright. And apps like Wag! can find you a dog sitter on the cheap while you’re out of town. That’s just a small list. There are thousands of shared economy apps that let you get products and services at a fraction of the price that some companies charge.

Purchase a Vacation Property

If you find yourself repeatedly visiting the same place, it’s wise to consider investing in a vacation property. This is a great way to save on housing expenses during your vacation while also providing income opportunities when you aren’t using the property. Keep in mind that mortgages for vacation homes can have different requirements.

If you do rent the property, be sure to protect yourself with an appropriate business structure. An LLC is ideal for protecting your personal assets from legal liability. Plus, it offers you tax benefits as well.

Save on Airfare

That short-term rental you found may be amazing and cheap, but you still have to get to it. One of the most expensive components of traveling is airfare. Luckily, there are websites that can help. Places like Priceline can help you find cheap airline tickets. But be careful; there are some shadier websites that claim to offer cheap airfare. It’s not always worth it. Some of them are downright uncomfortable. Also, if you travel a ton, look into frequent flyer miles. Credit cards that offer these may restrict you to using certain airlines, but it’s almost always worth it in the end. And you also get to ride first class, which is always nice.

Flying and staying in new places can be great for your mental health. That said, it’s not always cheap. With these helpful tips, you can save some serious cash during your vacation or business travel. From car rentals to short-term rental apartments and food, there are plenty of ways to be budget-friendly on your next trip.

What travel-saving tips do you have? We would love to hear from you! Please post your comments below.

Make travel exciting for children with the Travel Rangers picture book series Available Here

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, travel tips, and more, listen to the Planes, Trains, & Kids Abroad travel podcast today!

Written by: Linda Robinson

Your Travel Abroad Memories Are Priceless

Posted on by Erika Bud

Author, Erika Bud's son holding a jellyfish while kayaking in Dingle Bay, Ireland

If you’re not taking your kids abroad because you’re afraid they won’t remember the trip, remind yourself that your memories are just as valuable. – Erika Bud

 

Your Travel Abroad Memories Are Priceless

So many parents love traveling abroad, but when it comes to traveling with young kids, they choose to wait until their kids are older. They want to make sure their kids are old enough to remember the trip. After all, traveling overseas is often more expensive than traveling domestically, so why waste the money?

My challenge to you, however, is what value do you place on your memories?

Of course, you want your children to remember this magical experience. You can try to look through pictures with them to make sure the trip stays on their mind. But if the kids are too young, even that won’t work. Does that mean you shouldn’t take the family trip abroad? Absolutely not. Why? Because you will remember every piece of it.

How many parents will remember when their child asks them why other people sound different than they do or why it’s so hot when it’s winter back home? These are priceless conversations that you would likely never have unless you traveled abroad with them.

Even if somehow, you don’t have these conversations with your children, what about your child’s expressions? How do you think it would make you feel when you see how excited your children get when they travel on the double-decker bus for the first time? Or how about when they see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night? When you’re traveling to new countries, these types of experiences happen all the time and for most parents, it melts their heart every time. 

These are memories you will always have when you take your children to a new country.

So, remember, if you’re not taking your kids abroad because you’re afraid they won’t remember the trip, remind yourself that your memories are just as valuable. Your kids will still learn from the experience since it’s opening their eyes to a new way of life and because of the memorable conversations you’re having with them. Don’t let this be the reason you are not enjoying an overseas travel adventure with your family.

What are your concerns about traveling abroad with your young children? I would love to hear from you! Please post your comments below.

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, travel tips, and more, listen to the Planes, Trains, & Kids Abroad travel podcast at:  https://bigworldpub.com/listen-to-travel-podcast/

Written by: Erika Bud. You can find out more about the author, the Travel Rangers book series, and the travel podcast at:  http://bigworldpub.com/

Your Comfortable Bubble

Posted on by Erika Bud

Easter procession in Barcelona

Every time you leave your bubble, you enter someone else’s. The best thing to do is ask questions. Then close your mouth and open your mind. – Kellie McIntyre

 

Your Comfortable Bubble

It’s not easy for many people to leave their bubble. It’s what you know, it’s safe, it’s comfortable. So why should you push yourself out of your bubble and travel to another country?

Because of everything you’ll experience and learn.

My 9-year-old son and I spent a month in Barcelona. Every day my son would come back to our apartment and write something new that he learned or experienced that day…every day. That’s 30 things he learned about a new culture. This list included everything from the Romans who founded Barcelona, to discovering that on Easter, there are processions where men where colored robes and hoods. As my son walked in the footsteps of the Romans, he will never forget that they founded Barcelona. And he’ll never forget the strangely dressed men during Easter processions. Especially since he was so fascinated that he researched more about them when we returned to our apartment(the hoods are called capirotes and the robes and hoods have great meaning).

Will it be strange to leave your bubble?

Yes, it will, because the world is comprised of different cultures. But just because it’s strange and different, doesn’t mean it’s bad. My mom does not like to leave her bubble at all, but she pushed herself to visit us in Barcelona. To stay within the comforts of her bubble, she wanted to find the exact same foods she eats at home. Yes, she was more comfortable, but the problem was that she missed out. As soon as she left, my son and I ate at several tapas restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed new foods that we would have never imagined if we didn’t try to experience the Spanish culture and its food.

So, push yourself. Step out of your bubble and open your mind to a new culture. Let yourself be surprised by new foods, new architects, and walking the footsteps of ancient Romans from 2,000 years ago.

What are your concerns about traveling abraod and leaving your bubble? I would love to hear from you! Please post your comments below.

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, travel tips, and more, listen to the Planes, Trains, & Kids Abroad travel podcast at:  https://bigworldpub.com/listen-to-travel-podcast/

Written by: Erika Bud. You can find out more about the author, the Travel Rangers book series, and the travel podcast at:  http://bigworldpub.com/

Cruising the World with Your Child

Posted on by Erika Bud

A mother and daughter are on a ship balcony looking out over the water

“Some cruise lines cater to different passengers. Some are known more as the booze cruises, some as the family cruises, cruises for older passengers, and cruises for those who like luxury.” – Erika Bud

 

Cruising the World with Your Child

Have you been wondering what it would be like to take your children on an international cruise? Or have you visited countries sailing on a cruise with your family and you think it’s the best thing in the world? Well, you’re not alone. According to a study conducted by AAA earlier this year, over 58 million Americans are considering a cruise in the next two years (Edmonds, 2022). Prior to the pandemic, ocean cruising had been steadily increasing over the last decade with almost 30 million passengers cruising worldwide (Statista Search Department, 2022). If this many people are cruising, there must be something to this method of travel, right?

Why should you consider cruising for your family?

For most families, convenience is what comes to mind when you cruise. If you want to see multiple destinations, you can do that with ease as you only need to unpack once, if at all, since you’re on a moving hotel. Cruises, especially ocean cruises, are also considered to be fairly affordable, when considering other forms of traveling. This has especially been true since the pandemic. While there are cruise lines that are more luxurious than others, and therefore more expensive, there seems to be an option for almost everyone. Entertainment is another consideration. The types of entertainment will vary between cruise lines and drastically when you’re considering ocean vs. river cruises, but the point is that some form of entertainment is available.

Should I choose an ocean cruise or river cruise?

This is an easier question than you may think. If your children are younger than eight years old, stick with ocean cruises. If your children are older than eight, make sure they are entertained by sites, history, and experiences. If your children need constant stimulation and the idea of experiencing new cultures sounds like torture to them, avoid river cruises. Ocean cruises are like amusement parks and a dream for most kids. Parents also get to relax knowing their children are entertained. Entertainment on river cruises is the sites and activities themselves. There is minimal entertainment on the actual ship because most people are too tired from that day’s excursions that relaxing sounds like the best option. Speaking of excursions, on a river cruise, there is usually at least one or two excursions included each day, which is a big difference from ocean cruising. Ocean cruising is more about the ship, while river cruising is more about the destination and experiencing the culture.

Erika Bud on an ox cart with the river cruise ship in the background along the Mekong River
Erika Bud on an ox cart with the river cruise ship in the background along the Mekong River


Don’t forget about the people! This is a big factor for many cruisers. If you like a quieter experience, river cruising is better for you. River cruise ships only hold around 150 passengers, while ocean cruise ships hold on average 3,000 passengers, up to over 6,000 passengers. Now, while this does sound like a lot and you definitely see the people, because the ocean cruise ships are so much bigger than a river cruise ship, you can still find a rather quiet corner of the cruise ship if you would like. As far as the size of the cruise ships, there are advantages to the larger ships vs. the smaller ships. The larger ocean cruise ships can accommodate more room types, food, and entertainment options than a river cruise ship. The advantages of having a smaller river cruise ship are that you can go to smaller, less touristy ports than ocean cruise ships. This means that you get a more intimate, cultural experience at your ports and you’re not battling the extremely busy ports when thousands of people disembark to visit the same places as you.

large slide on the top of an ocean cruise ship
Large slide on the top of an ocean cruise ship

Cruise restrictions

It is common for people to think that cruises are too restricting. It’s true in that you can’t go where you want when you want. You are restricted to the cruise itinerary, and you must be back when the cruise line tells you to be back. This can be frustrating for people who want to spend more time in a particular port. The great thing is that you know your itinerary before you book a cruise. If you want to spend more time in a destination, make sure to pay close attention to your itinerary. Many people choose a cruise that leaves or returns from a city they really want to see and stay for a couple nights in a hotel before or after the cruise. Similarly, if you want to have more or fewer sailing days, take that into consideration when you’re looking at the itinerary. As far as food options, river cruise options are more limited as there is usually only one dinner time. Again, since the experience is more about the destination, the dinners are timed perfectly so almost everyone is ready to eat at the scheduled time. That doesn’t mean the food is not high quality though! With ocean cruises, you are usually only restricted to specific times if you want to eat with everyone. If you don’t care, there are several food options that don’t require eating at a certain time. It is very rare that you ever hear about a person coming back from any cruise complaining about being hungry. Most every passenger gains weight by the end of the trip because of the ample food options.

Keep in mind

Some cruise lines cater to different passengers. Some are known more as booze cruises, some as family cruises, cruises for older passengers, and cruises for those who like luxury. Using a travel agent who specializes in ocean or river cruises will help to ensure you have the experience you are looking for and get to enjoy every aspect of your international family vacation.

What are your concerns about traveling with children on a cruise for your next overseas travel adventure? If you love cruising with your family abroad, what did I miss? I would love to hear from you! Please post your comments below.

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, travel tips, and more, listen to the Planes, Trains, & Kids Abroad travel podcast at:  https://bigworldpub.com/listen-to-travel-podcast/

Written by: Erika Bud. You can find out more about the author, the Travel Rangers book series, and travel podcast at:  http://bigworldpub.com/

References

Edmonds, E. 2022. Ship Ahoy: 40% of Americans Just as Likely to Take a Cruise as Before the Pandemic. AAA Newsroom, https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/03/ship-ahoy-40-of-americans-just-as-likely-to-take-a-cruise-as-before-the-pandemic/

Statista Research Department (2022, July 27) Number of ocean cruise passengers worldwide from 2009 to 2021 [Infographic]. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/385445/number-of-passengers-of-the-cruise-industry-worldwide/

 

Travel to Ireland – What I Learned From Taking My 8-Year-Old Child

Posted on by Erika Bud

You never know what kids will enjoy, but you undeniably can’t discount the little things. – Erika Bud

 

Travel to Ireland – What I Learned From Taking My 8-year-old Child

I had always wanted to travel to Ireland with my son. This summer, we were able to enjoy a two-week family vacation in Ireland and Northern Ireland. While I advocate for overseas travel adventures with your children, each time I take my son out of the country, I can’t help but cross my fingers that he enjoys the experience. One thing I have learned is that what you think your child will love is not often what they actually love or will even remember most. When you plan a family trip abroad, as a parent, you really must allow your children to make the trip theirs and not force them to have the trip or memories you want them to have.

Let your children make the trip theirs

What does this mean? As parents, we often want the vacation to be so perfect and so memorable, that we plan out almost everything. Even if we don’t verbally share the plan with everyone on the trip with us, we have a fairly good idea about what we’re going to see or do at a certain destination. One thing you learn when you travel abroad is that children often have different ideas about what they want to see or do. For example, while we were on Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands, we wanted to walk around to see this new town since we were only there for an afternoon. To my son, this was boring. All he wanted to do was walk on the sand by the water, something that he’s done many times before in his own country. This wasn’t what I planned, but it was ok. We decided to do a little bit of both, so we all got to do what we wanted. He was happy, and now when he thinks of this island, he thinks about how much fun he had on the beach. He was making the trip to this island his own, with his own memories.

The surprise that enhanced the trip for my son

One of the best decisions we made on this trip was to bring a digital camera just for my son to use. It was an old, waterproof camera, nothing special. We thought he would use it occasionally, but we could not have hoped it would have enhanced his experience as much as it did. I think it was the fact that again, he was making the trip his own. He was taking pictures of things he wanted to take pictures of, like five pictures of the fat caterpillar he saw in the parking lot. I was worried that he would have a challenging time traveling for hours between destinations, but instead, he took pictures out of the window for most of the drive. It not only enhanced his experience, but it enhanced ours since we didn’t have to hear him complaining during the drive.

You never know what will happen when you’re on vacation

While we were visiting the stunning Kylemore Abbey, a rescue helicopter made a rescue on the mountain across the way. My son thought it was the most exciting thing he had ever seen. It’s one thing to see a rescue on TV or in a picture, but to see this happen in front of him while he was on vacation in Ireland was priceless. He was way more excited over that than he was by the Abbey that many people dream of seeing. It just goes to show you that you never know what will happen when you’re on vacation. My son will always remember that experience (because he took a million pictures with his camera) and where he was when he saw it.

Take chances; they might surprise you

One of the excursions, when we were in Dingle, was to go kayaking in Dingle Bay. My son was excited to go, but I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t nervous he would fall out; I was nervous that halfway into the trip, he would get too tired and complain. The last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by amazing scenery, kayaking in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, and not be able to enjoy it because my son was complaining. This excursion really helped to get that way of thinking out of my head and to start giving my son the benefit of the doubt. He absolutely loved it! When he was tired, we took breaks, which was fine because we needed the break ourselves. He brings up all the time how we were kayaking with jellyfish and how he got to hold one and how he felt like such an adventurer since he got to kayak through caves. I am so glad I took a chance as I know he had one of the best experiences of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the little things

When I take my son to another country, I’m always reminded that it’s often the little things that make the trip fun and memorable for him. Again, what I am excited to see and experience is rarely what he finds exciting. I saw my son’s face light up over things that I would have otherwise forgotten if it weren’t for him. In one of our hotels, you could climb six stories and look down the grand staircase to the bottom. He thought that was so cool and asked us to climb them several times throughout our stay. Another example is when he was having a blast climbing the cannons on the Derry/Londonderry Wall. He had climbed cannons many times throughout his childhood, but these were the coolest cannons because he was in Ireland and on a wall. You never know what kids will enjoy, but you undeniably can’t discount the little things.

What to get a child as a souvenir

I’m a very practical, rather frugal mom. I mean, how else would I afford these family trips abroad? I am not the mom who buys my son whatever he wants whenever we go to a store. This trip to Ireland made me realize that when traveling abroad, I need to relax this a bit. As I said before, I needed to let my son make this his trip, not my trip. While I like to get practical gifts that will provide memories that will last for years to come, my son doesn’t care about that stuff. We wanted to get him a shirt, sweatshirt, or poster…something that would last longer than a few weeks. On this trip, my son asked for a tin whistle and a little box that had a replica of Blarney Castle in it. This gimmicky stuff was not practical to me in the slightest. While I know he will likely lose it and he will lose interest in the whistle soon, I realized I’d rather him love it for a few weeks than wear a t-shirt he couldn’t care less about.

The memories that will always stay with you

As we wrapped up our trip, we all talked about our top three favorite things we saw or did. Hearing that my son could only narrow it down to his top favorite eight things only confirmed how important it is to keep taking him on overseas travel adventures. While we were talking about the Cliffs of Moher or Kylemore Abbey, some of his favorites were rather surprising. They included staying for a night in Abbeyglen Castle, kayaking in the caves in Dingle Bay, visiting Ross Castle, holding a lamb, seeing a rescue helicopter rescuing people, the ferry ride to Inishmore, and Blarney Castle. While his top memories are different from our top memories, those are memories he will always have, and we will always have together.

What did you learn the last time you took a family trip abroad? I would love to hear from you! Please post your comments below.

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, travel tips, and more, listen to the Planes, Trains, & Kids Abroad travel podcast at:  https://bigworldpub.com/listen-to-travel-podcast/

Written by: Erika Bud. You can find out more about the  author, the Travel Rangers book series, and travel podcast at:  http://bigworldpub.com/