Tag: family travel

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/

Learn About Koalas from the Travel Rangers

Posted on by Erika Bud

I’d love to hold a koala. They sleep 22 hours a day, eat eucalyptus leaves and just hang out. I want to spend some time with that guy.

Milo Ventimiglia

Learn About Koalas from the Travel Rangers

It’s fascinating to learn about koalas. The Travel Rangers (Kayden, Bella, James, and Hannah) learned so many interesting facts about Australia during their last mission, especially about koalas. Bella, the Travel Ranger who loves animals and wants to be a veterinarian one day, wanted to write a blog about koalas. Bella loves their fluffy ears and couldn’t wait to get her picture with the koalas when they traveled to the zoo. Since the Travel Rangers didn’t have enough room to fit everything they learned about koalas in their book, Bella wanted to share some more interesting facts the Rangers learned during their mission to Australia:

 

  • Koalas aren’t bears, they’re marsupials – A marsupial is a mammal that is not born completely developed and develops further in their mom’s pouch. This was one of the first things Erika Bud, the author of this book, learned when she moved to Australia. Don’t ever let an Aussie catch you saying koala bear! Kayden said this when they arrived at the zoo and was quickly corrected by Georgie.
  • Koalas survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves – They can eat about 2 pounds a day. To give you an idea, humans generally eat between 3-4 pounds a day.
  • Koalas are picky eaters – They eat less than 50 of over 700 eucalypt species. James asked why they are picky eaters; it’s not because they want to be picky. Their stomachs just can’t handle all of the species.
  • Eucalyptus is poisonous to most animals and humans – So how are koalas able to eat these poisonous leaves? This part grossed the Travel Rangers out. The babies eat their mother’s feces….bet you didn’t see that one coming. Once koalas ingest these feces, termed “pap,” their bodies will acquire natural defenses to remove the toxins emanating from the eucalyptus oils.
  • Koalas prefer the leaves at the top of the trees – It’s not just a great view from the top of the trees. Koalas often choose leaves at the top of the tallest trees because they are fresh and contain more liquid and nutrients.
  • Koalas have few natural predators – While eating leaves at the top of a tree is safer for a koala since it protects them from dingo attacks, small koalas do become vulnerable to eagles.
  • Koalas can sleep up to 22 hours a day – While Hannah thought this was funny since she thought of many people who would like to sleep this much each day, she realized this was out of necessity and not a choice. Since the eucalyptus leaves are so low in nutrients, koalas need more sleep than most animals which basically helps them conserve energy.
  • Koalas can live 13 – 18 years in the wild 
  • What are the biggest threats to koalas…you’ll never guess (note: this is a fact for the adults)– While wildfires and deforestation are threatening the koala population, the current biggest killer is chlamydia. Yes, you read that right, the sexually transmitted disease. For koalas, chlamydia can cause blindness and painful cysts in their reproductive tract that may lead to infertility or even death.

 

Bella hopes you enjoyed learning about koalas as much as she and the rest of the Travel Rangers did!

A special note from the author, Erika Bud: Australia is such a magnificent country. My son and I had an amazing time. I hope you will consider traveling with your family to Australia and enjoying some of the same memorable experiences that we did! – Thanks for reading! Erika

Erika Bud and son petting koala in Australia

To hear more about family travel abroad experiences, international 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 Travel Rangers author and series at: http://bigworldpub.com/

Note from the author: The Travel Rangers are fictional characters from the book, “Travel Rangers: Mission to Australia”. The facts used for this blog were compiled from the below websites:

https://koalainfo.com/koalas-prefer-big-eucalyptus-trees-and-love-to-stay-at-the-top-of-trees

https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/koalas#:~:text=Koalas%20can%20live%2013%20to,ground%20to%20swap%20between%20trees.

https://tucson.com/news/science/koalas-are-dying-from-chlamydia-and-climate-change-is-making-it-worse/article_75d08901-940e-5c13-ba44-f4e2bcd764bc.html

https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/interesting-facts/