Sabbatical Update: 6 Weeks In

Sabbatical Update: 6 Weeks In

Travel
I’m now six weeks into my sabbatical. The first month I was on sabbatical I spent 100% of the time on vacation. (Well, vacation aside from the point when I hit rock bottom.)  We traveled to Italy for a month as a family as part of my plan to take a sabbatical abroad. We traveled slowly, staying in just 4 places, and doing day trips while enjoying the slower pace of Italian and vacation life. Sabbatical In Italy Highlights  Favorites included the beautiful town of Lucca, and shopping in the many food markets, enjoying the mini beaches on the Cinque Terre, the main beaches and their mini beach clubs in several cities. (If you’re ever on the Amalfi Coast make sure you visit Mary’s Beach in Nerano  and enjoy a…
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Best Unique Travel Resources for Planning a Trip

Best Unique Travel Resources for Planning a Trip

Sabbatical Sundays, Travel
I remember a trip to Ireland about 15 years ago. We drove across the entire country.  How did we know where to go? We purchased an Irish road atlas from a travel store. I also used Mapquest (yes, remember Mapquest?!) to pull up the step-by-step directions on my home computer, then I printed them out and brought the printed directions on our trip. Now, I often travel to cities and don’t even do restaurant research ahead of time. I just use my Google Map to find-top rated restaurants “near me.” As we plan our extended trip for my sabbatical, here are the top unique travel resources I’m relying on to plan our search. Top Travel Resources for Planning a Trip We have become so incredibly dependent on the internet, but…
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How to Set Up Price Alerts to Find Cheap Plane Tickets: 7 Tips and Tricks

How to Set Up Price Alerts to Find Cheap Plane Tickets: 7 Tips and Tricks

Travel
Given that my passions include travel and personal finance, it should be no surprise that I love searching for cheap plane tickets.  A key to finding cheaper plane tickets for an international trip is to start your search early and set up a price alert. This gives you a baseline price and then allows you to strike and make a purchase when you see a good deal. Setting Up Price Alerts for Plane Tickets Here are my seven best tips for setting up a price alert and finding cheap plane tickets. 1. Get a Baseline Price Today The first step to finding a cheap plane ticket and setting up a price alert is to know the baseline price for the itinerary you are traveling. What tool you use doesn’t matter, but…
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Airbnb (or VRBO) vs Hotels: How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay

Airbnb (or VRBO) vs Hotels: How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay

Travel
Depending on where you are traveling to and who you are traveling with, staying at an Airbnb or VRBO can be a much more affordable option than spending the night at a hotel. But do you know how to find the cheapest place to stay? Here are our top tips to save money on where you stay for your next vacation. How to Find the Cheapest Place to Stay Finding the cheapest place to stay requires that you ask yourself several questions. Be sure to consider the following before booking a hotel or Airbnb/VRBO so that you can save money on travel accommodations. 1. How big is your party size? If you are a family of four or more, usually renting a place will be cheaper than renting multiple hotel…
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The Best Way to Save for a Vacation in 5 Easy Steps

The Best Way to Save for a Vacation in 5 Easy Steps

Travel
I am ready for a vacation. Perhaps you sensed that in my post about How to Survive the Rest of COVID Winter with Kids. Most Americans don’t take enough vacation time, and we certainly didn’t take enough vacation during COVID-19. So, while we await the vaccine, travel restrictions lifting, and herd immunity, the wanderlust is real.  But what’s going to happen when we are all able to take a vacation again? How are we going to finance it? Will you be putting it on a credit card and planning to pay it off later? Perhaps you are counting on another stimulus check or a tax refund to pay for your time away? Or have you set aside money now?  According to a 2019 Forbes article, most Americans spend an average of…
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