Thursday, November 8, 2012

Thrifty Thursday: Hotel/Fun deals


Today I want to share some ideas on finding deals for hotels, attractions, and restaurants.

First off, there are many resources to find deals, online and otherwise.  Check local hotels and visitor centers for brochures for local attractions as these often have coupons.  The visitor center may be just a little desk/booth set inside or outside another building or store, or it may be a full-fledged visitor's center.  Check online for coupons or gift cards at discounted prices--simply put where you'd like to go and see if there are coupons available; many attractions/restaurants that have websites may have coupons available right on their own site.

If you live locally, you may have deals because of that:  some attractions have certain days or times that are discounted to locals, or discounted prices during the off-season.

Family Fare:  some attractions that allow you to purchase a family year pass can save you money if you plan to go more than once, plus many of these offer other discounts to other attractions or locations when you purchase a year pass.

Credit cards:  Some credit cards offer rewards, insurance and/or other incentives by reserving and using it to purchase airline tickets or for car rentals.  If your credit card offers insurance on a rental car, you won't have to add that onto the bill.  Also come credit cards offer cash or other rewards when you use it for eating out or other specific purchases.

Eating out:  many restaurants have kids eat free nights/times, find out when those are and plan your eating out for those nights.  Other restaurants offer specials during off-hours (not lunch or dinner rushes).  And if you have a favorite restaurant that is rather expensive, go during the usually less costly lunch time instead of dinner.  You may also find gift cards on-line or for a deal at the restaurant themselves--one instance I remember is a restaurant's Christmas deal that if you bought a $50 gift card you got a free $10 gift card--that's like being able to get 20% off a $50 meal--or free dessert:).

Be kind:  often you can ask for and receive a better price at hotels, car rentals, restaurants, etc. simply by asking for any specials or other discounts (perhaps you have a membership somewhere or insurances that offer discounts, sometimes hotels, stores, restaurants and other places also offer military, student, or elderly discounts).  Other times, simply by being kind, the manager or owner will reward you with a coupon for next time--it never hurts to be kind.

These are just a few ideas and examples that might help save some money when traveling and visiting attractions or eating out.

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