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Tips, Deals and Trips: Blow Off Steam Without Blowing Your Wallet

If you look at a recent graph of the stock market it is difficult not to think about a roller coaster. Every day someone I know is either on the verge of losing their job or knows somebody who was laid off. Simply put, these times are stressful. I think my brother put it best, “Everyday I wake up and worry about how I am going to take care of my family.”

After thinking about the current economic dilemma for a few days, I came to a conclusion: If we are going to have to tighten our belts, we may as well blow off some steam doing it. During the most stressful financial times it is important to remember that there are so many deals available from companies trying to drum up business. Frankly, we would be foolish not to take advantage of them.

Let’s start with food. There is nothing like a good meal to help us relax. There are a number of restaurants out there trying to push a new dish or get people through the door. As we all know, the internet tends to bring information to the masses. One site I have found helpful looking for great deals on restaurants was a blog called Money Saving Mom. The author, Crystal Paine, is a mother of two that knows a thing or two about stretching a dollar when it comes to going out to dinner with the family.

Getting places is another area that we could all use some savings advice. As a part time global warming preacher myself, I always recommend using Google Transit to navigate public transportation and make the most of your day-to-day traveling budget. If you do drive a car then you may have noticed the dropping price of gas. The one problem with price drops is that some locations tend to have stickier prices than others. To make the most out of your gas budget I always tell people to check out Gas Buddy.com to find the stations near you with the absolute best prices.

Taking a vacation is the next area where I pride myself on saving a buck or two. Generally speaking I try and go ‘somewhere’ every few weeks. Many times we end up staying near home, but at least we are out of the house. I am personally a big fan of camping. I think every family should go out camping a few times a year. One site I rely on for tips on great camping spots is GreatCampingSpots.com. The site has a ton of resources on finding and booking the best campgrounds around the country.

If you are looking for a more pampered vacation or just don’t feel like breaking out the tent then I have a few tips for you as well. Generally when I make the decision to reward myself with a real getaway I try as hard as I can not to break the bank in the process. While it may sound generic, Orbitz.com has some great deals on the Orbitz Deal Page. They do a great job of pulling together some interesting cost effective trips. I must confess, my family also owns timeshare. In the long run we feel like it ends up saving us money because we travel so much. There are quite a few sites on the web that offer Cheap Vacations in return for attending a resort presentation for timeshare. Many times these deals include extras such as free rounds of golf, dinner for two or even theme park tickets.

As a self professes rollercoaster junkie I can’t leave out great deals on theme parks. If you are looking for great ticket deals on major parks, check out this recent About.com article. The author tells you all sorts of tips and trick for scoring great deals to the top parks.

With all these great channels to blow off steam without blowing your wallet, make sure you take some time to smile. Life is too long and these times will eventually pass. Make sure you get your proper dose of rest and relaxation.

About the Author

I am an aspiring blogger looking to make my niche by writing about smart travel deals.

Are steam trains good for the environment?

What effect does the steam/smoke whatever you want to call it have on the environment...is it a good economic travel??? Why/Why not??? ect... Thanks : )

A steam locomotive is about 10% energy efficient. That means that for every 100 shovels of coal that go into the firebox, 90 go up the chimney in the form of combustion products. Compare this with a diesel locomotive, which is about 35% energy efficient.

Steam locomotives are also heavy on water, using up to several thousand gallons per trip. The water once converted into steam is exhausted into the atmosphere where it becomes part of the water cycle. In countries where water is at a premium steam locomotives have often been fitted with condensers which recycle the steam back into the loco's own water tanks.

That said, a steam train carrying 500 people a given distance is going to create a lot less pollution than an aircraft travelling the same distance or 500 people each driving a car.

Steam locomotives also last a very long time. Decades, even a century or more. Compare that with a car which lasts on average about 10 years and when it rolls off the production line has already taken more energy to produce than it will expend in its lifetime.

For various reasons - cheap, ready supply of fuel, tourist attraction, Heritage interest, etc. steam locomotives are still being built and maintained in various parts of the world. In the UK for instance a brand new locomotive was recently built. Called 'Tornado' it is based on a design from the 1940s when steam locomotives were the main source of motive power for railways worldwide. It is currently under test and next year its owners hope to operate it on the main network. They have invested an enormous amount of money to get this machine built, but steam train trips are so popular in the UK that they stand to recover their investment and make a tidy surplus.

TRAVEL GUIDE: Tyrone
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