We Need to Find More Ways to Spend Our Money

Tired of rising gas prices? I'd like to see a story where someone is gushing over paying nearly $4 at the pump. I want to see Mom's on CNN talking about how they can't find enough ways to spend their money. I want to see Careerists talking about how they need to cut back their schedule so they can go out and spend their hoard of money on expensive clothes and food. I want to see them buy a lobster and steak dinner with a lobster martini and then throw it away when it's not buttered enough.

Sorry. I just love how every story across the news wires now starts with "Tired of rising gas prices? Are you suffering at the pump? The gas and mortgage and food inflation crisis got you down in the mouth?"

So if you're feeling it at the pump, this travel alert won't help too much. Unless you already live around Europe and Britain. Reading this does make me wonder if train travel in the US has a shot at coming back. Not that it was ever thriving. But we use to take the train from NYC to Philly all the time before the prices rose to nearly $40 each way, per person. Then we tried the Chinatown to Chinatown bus. Then we decided we weren't sadists, so we just stuck to driving the old-fashioned, expensive, jaw-droppingly expensive way. Recessions are fun!

We're all escaping the pump... (cue scary horror movie music)

LONDON, ENGLAND-- Planning to spend time traveling around Europe and Britain? The Eurail Pass is the time-honored way for young people to traipse the length and breadth of Europe, but it is not valid in Great Britain. ACP Rail and BritRail are offering Youths (aged 16-25) who purchase any Eurail Pass, a 50% discount off the adult price of a standard class BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail England Consecutive Pass or BritRail England FlexiPass.

The discount offer is valid throughout 2008. Once you have purchased your Eurail pass from an authorized agent, log onto www.BritRail.com and choose the "Eurail Pass" tab under "select BritRail Passes." The Eurail and BritRail Passes must both be in your possession at the time you travel in Britain and they must both be valid for travel, but you need not use a day of travel on your Eurail Pass to complete your journey in Britain.

BritRail Passes are available for as few as 4 days of travel through to a month, so the time you spend touring Britain is entirely up to you. 19,000 daily train departures to more than 2500 destinations make the BritRail Pass your passport to Britain's heritage cities, historic towns and quaint villages.

In addition to being comfortable and efficient, train travel is 'green': Trains emit 50% less Green House gases per passenger kilometer than cars; 25% of the gases compared to a plane traveling the same distance. The energy replaced by Regenerative Braking is enough to provide power to 11,825 homes for a year or to brew 2.6 billion cups of tea.

So traveling by train is definitely the best way to see Europe and Britain. It's quick, comfortable and environmentally friendly. With the Eurail Pass holder 50% discount for Youths, the 'all-access' standard class 4 Day BritRail Consecutive Pass costs EUR 92 / $145AU / Y15000 / $130US; the FlexiPass version is EUR 116 / $184AU / Y19000 / $165US. The discounted cost for a 4 Day BritRail England Consecutive Pass is just EUR 74 / $116AU / Y12000 / $105US; the FlexiPass version is EUR 93 / $147AU / Y15200 / $133US. This offer is not valid for residents of Britain or Europe. For more information or to purchase, please visit www.BritRail.com.

Jump on the Frugal Bandwagon

This morning I logged onto CNN for my morning news and was startled to realize headlines about families, single parents, and the country at large are all competing with headlines about war, celebutrash, and breaking news. Usually about the latest in sport scandals.

Although frugality and gas spikes and mortgage crisis all go hand in hand, it really just hit me this morning that the entire country is nervously waiting for their own private economy to implode on itself. While I understand frugality and worries are all very real, it's interesting how the news depicts it all. Ladies are skipping their monthly salon appointments, families are clipping coupons, and people are switching to cloth napkins!!! The news somehow wants to make it into a stunning and compelling news piece. Instead, I'm finding delight in learning new ways to be frugal.

I've always been frugal at heart, though some people confuse that with being cheap. I'm frugal and will find a way to save even $5 from my bills, but I'll also find a way to fund a European vacation. I make travel a priority (not above paying bills and eating), and I find ways to scrimp on both my travel bills and daily life to make that a reality. Frugality is also an outlet for creativity, in my opinion. I love figuring out what's free and cheap and take pride in knowing what a great value I've gotten in my chosen activity or purchase.

So with all this in mind, I was dreading lugging myself up to my favorite Brooklyn bodega and buying a $15 bottle of economy sized Tide just to lug back to the apartment along with our groceries. Perhaps it was out of sheer laziness, but I decided to find out how to make my own detergent. Surely it would be cheaper, and less heavy, than name brands like Tide.

Seems like everyone else on the Internet has the same idea, especially those with children and loads upon loads of weekly laundry. Here's the homemade laundry detergent recipe I selected:

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax

I wasn't sure what the hell Fels Naptha Soap was, but I got the idea I needed laundry bar soap. I settled instead on a body soap called Pure and Natural, hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, and $1.00 for three bars. Score. Worried I'd end up with a crazy suds-out batch of laundry, I again asked google if regular bath soap was okay. Google said it depended on who was writing about the laundry recipe. Some insisted on laundry bar soap, but I found plenty of novice laundry detergent makers out there that suggest the likes of Lever 2000. I figured I was safe.

Borax was surprisingly easy to find, as well as Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. Not much is easy to find in Brooklyn including the Kraft pasta kit my Mom always used, normal salad dressing, or brand names other than Utz. So I was wildly impressed I wouldn't have to hit up 3 or 4 stores to find what I needed. In any case, make sure you select the washing soda from the detergent aisle at your store and not regular baking soda. Otherwise you'll have a mess on your hands.

Next, I cleaned out an old bottle of Tide (with memories of lugging it down the street just a few months prior), ready to make my detergent with the suggested 2 to 5 gallons of hot water. But then I saw how goopy the online recipes looked, half-gel, half-powder, and completely like being slimed circa Ghostbusters. (But not Ghostbusters III, I really didn't care much for that one).

I then realized I could just opt for homemade powdered detergent instead, which seemed much less of a hassle and mess to me. So I got out my blender and threw in the bar of soap, which grated with ease. I then mixed in the Washing Soap and Borax, but by then the blender was so gooped up with shredded soap, it did nothing but buzzed angrily at me. Most recipes call for use of a real food processor, but I live in Brooklyn with limited counter space and I'm not up for spending money on a food processor to make my own laundry detergent.

I poured the mixture into a large zip lock bag and sort of jiggled it around so everything would mix together after my blender went dumb. I then had the foresight to write Laundry Detergent on it and 1 TBSP per Load. I know by the time I do laundry again, I'll have no idea what I'm doing. Either that or my hubster will dump in the whole bag and go to town on just one load, saving us nothing.

The verdict? Came out great. I really didn't notice much of a difference from the Tide I was using before. It didn't smell like anything at all, so next time I might drop in a touch of lavendar or lemon to the load to give it that Tide fresh scent we know and love. Next, I want to make my own fabric softener. That furry bear Snuggles is really getting on my nerves and a drain on my wallet.

The Breakdown:

Prep Time - 3 minutes, a marginal difference from just pouring a cup of Tide.

Use - 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled loads) for approximately 35 loads total.

Cost - Approximately $7 upfront, but I can easily make about 9 more batches with the Borax and Washing Powder and spend about $2 for more soap. Overall, a projected cost of $.03 a load compared to Tide's $.35 a load.

Will doing $.03 loads of laundry enable me to pay for my Scotland trip this fall? No, but it'll save me lugging economy sized Tide around for a 1/3 of the cost, all while saving the environment. I say that's a day well spent.

You too can make your own detergent... and go to Scotland!

Ship Your Luggage, Skip the Airport Hassles

Growing up as the daughter of an airline pilot, I grew accustomed to living out of exactly one suitcase while traveling. As a result of flying stand-by and never knowing if we would get on a flight, we were never allowed to check baggage. Nor did I ever want to. The thought of being separated from my Strawberry Shortcake suitcase, lost to the lords of baggage mishaps, was really just too much to bear.

These days, I rarely fly stand-by anymore since I got kicked out of the system of being a dependent of an employee. Now my stand-by status is the equivalent of winning the lottery when you're dead broke. Slim and stressful. And while I don't enjoy lugging my suitcase through airports and connections, I enjoy checking my bag even less. By the time I've reached my destination, the last thing I want to do is wait in line, praying my bag has arrived, hoping it's not damaged, and tacking on an extra 30 minutes to an hour on my journey.

Just looking for my boxers...

The rest of the world seems to feel the same way these days. Traveling with anything except a change of underwear is hardly worth the effort of TSA screenings, pat-downs, losing expensive luggage, airport extra-luggage fees, and those dreaded quart sized bags. The travel industry has taken notice and developed luggage shipping services including Luggage Free and Luggage Forward.

Customers pack up their gear and shipping labels are mailed to them and a two to four hour window for a pick-up time is scheduled. Bags being shipped to or from a hotel are easily arranged by the concierge service. Larger luxury items including skis, bicycles, and golf clubs can also be shipped.

Of course every service has its price and Luggage Free runs about $4.15 per pound with delivery by 3:00pm for 1 day service. With a little advanced planning, 5-day service runs as little as $1.65 a pound with delivery by 7pm. Thus a 30 pound suitcase will run about $49.50 to ship for one-way, 5 day service.

But mailing luggage isn't a new idea. Back in my video editing days, my boss frequently FedExed his clothes and toiletries on business trips right to the hotel. He would write it off as a business expense and enjoy the airport without the hassle of luggage. But unlike going straight to FedEx or UPS yourself, services like Luggage Free do all the prepping of your bag, wrapping it, delivering it to the vendor, provide door to door service and are insured for up to $1,000, with unlimited additional coverage available.

So just how often do travelers lose their luggage and suffer checked-bag mishaps? In 2007, the Department of Transportation discovered that the airline industry misplaced 7 bags for every 1,000 passengers. And all those millions of bags often end up in a sea of lost items at the Unclaimed Luggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama....


Watch a fideo on frustrated travelers look for lost luggage in Wisconsin...

The TSA Is Looking At You Naked

Just what I've always been looking for in the latest annoyances and lack of basic human privacy in air travel. Now airports in New York and Los Angeles are equipped with fancy body scanners, allowing security screeners to take a peek beneath passengers' clothing. The $120,000 machines are described to be the size of a revolving door and utilize low-energy electromagnetic waves to generate computerized image of a passenger's body. Hot.

The TSA claims stepping into the scan takes about a minute and is less intrusive than a pat-down or frisk for concealed weapons. While the scans are considered pretty benign and don't offer much detail, it can generate an image of the "intimate curves" of the human form. So what does that mean? That they're seeing the shape of our genitalia and mammary glands? Further, the images are allegedly neither recorded nor stored, and faces are blurred. I somehow don't believe it. I'm fully anticipating seeing Cameron Diaz's "intimate curves" on the next installment of Inside Edition after she innocently tried to fly to Hawaii for a weekend. Entire gossip monger celebutrash websites will do nothing but offer 'intimate scans' of innocent B-celebrity bystanders just trying to get to their next shoot.

I can't wait for everyone to see my "intimate curves" during my TSA screening!

Right now, the scans are voluntary and can have the option of the scanner or pat-down. Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's program on technology, is concerned. "The images that I've seen are quite revealing," he said. "I guarantee you that as this gets more commonly used, you'll be seeing these images on the Internet." See! Barry agrees with me.

I've generally always held the attitude that travel takes sacrifice and passengers need to be prepared to follow the rules, no matter how stupid or ineffective the system may seem. Overall, everyone wants to be safe and that's all that should matter. Whether you like it not, following the rules are part of the purchase price of your airline ticket. You really can't fight the right to reject being randomly selected for a pat-down, nor getting the business from the TSA, nor have your bags lost. That's why I always say, "Pack light, cooperate, don't buy overly expensive luggage, don't have high expectations."

But this whole scanner situation makes me weary. How much more will we have to put up with just to take a flight to see our loved ones, explore, relax, enjoy our lives? While we could jump in the car to travel domestically, how do we get overseas and long distances? When will the actual process and logistics of traveling diminish our quality of life?

I'm not a fan of this. But given the option to be felt-up by the TSA during a physical frisk or let them see your "intimate curves", what would you chose?

Watch a TSA Tester Slip Through Security...

Barrow, Alaska and the Monster Films that Bring Us There...

When I first met my husband, I thought he was a kind, gentle soul who had a quirky sense of humor and eclectic interests. Then I found out about his vast knowledge of zombies, zombie movies, zombie history, and zombie culture. For example, zombies originated from the island of Haiti. Zombie Island if you will. Apparently they practice so much voodoo down there, it's probable they really are reanimating the dead three or four times a week, selling T-shirts about it, and otherwise holding meetings on what to do with these so-called zombie pests. I envision it much like our rat problem here in New York.

Haiti... Zombie Lovin' Since 1492.

While I was never comfortable with the apocalyptic nature of zombie films, I slowly came around thanks to the likes of Shawn of the Dead and Dead Next Door. And then we saw 28 Days Later, where the psuedo-zombies sprint, jump, run, and otherwise scare the crap out of everyone with their sheer speed. I'm not sure how I feel about zombies not keeping in their conventions of slow walking, muttering, and being completely oblivious.

And so of course my husband started introducing me to other monster-esque films and culture as well including vampires, warewolves, and Italian horror movies. When we heard about 30 Days of Night, we decided to catch it on Movies on Demand, and pretend that Josh Hartnett wasn't in it. Turned out, he wasn't so bad.

The premise is pretty amazing. 30 days of darkness in the northernmost town in North America, Barrow, Alaska, brings a feeding frenzy of vampires. While I'm aware it was based on a comic book, I still didn't like that they used axes to cut off the vampire heads as opposed to good old fashioned stakes. The vampires were also not very hospitable, bursting into people's homes without even being invited first. And then of course the rancid gore and speed at which they fed. What's up with all the fast monsters these days in cinema?

Of course the moment the credits rolled, we both jumped on our laptops to look up Barrow. I'm embarrassed to say I wasn't even sure if it was an actual town. But in fact, it's a thriving little town 340 miles North of the Arctic Circle with nearly 4,500 residents who experience upwards of 324 days below freezing, and 65 days of night. Apparently there's a few hours of dusk each day, but the sun never really rises from November 18th through January 24th. But that means from May 10th to August 2nd, the sun never really sets. While 30 Days of Night paints a bleak, dark, ominous, isolating picture of Alaska, the film Insomnia depicts an even scarier version where the sun never sets all during a murder investigation that brings about paranoid delusions.

Chillin' in Barrow...

So the films aren't accurate, even by a long shot, but I wonder how many people started looking to Barrow and Northern Alaska as a destination vacation after watching blood thirsty vampires ravage the town. To find out, hop a plane to Anchorage, then Fairbanks, and then Barrow. Because there are no roads leading into Barrow, locals drive their cars (I assume to stay warm) around the small town, but must fly or dog sled themselves out.

Tourists come for birding, hunting, whale watching, Inuit culture, cross country skiing, and winter sports. While bumping around online, I found a New Yorker (of course) who was complaining about how bad the food and restaurants were in Barrow. Only a New Yorker could complain about the food in an Arctic town, despite all supplies being shipped in from across the country and being exposed to intense cold, arctic desert winter temperatures. Don't go to Barrow for fine dining.

Tourism is surprisingly alive and well in Barrow with an Inupiat Heritage Center, Wiley Post Will Rogers Monument, Arctic Ocean, Point Barrow, Cape Smythe Whaling Station, archaeological sites, whaling festival, kiviq dance, and Spring festival. A handful of restaurants, hotels, tours, public bus, and taxis can help your winter vacation along. Arctic Tours or Point Barrow Tours for help planning your Arctic adventure.

How do I feel about discovering a town based on an inaccurate story about fictional monsters? I don't see how it's that much different than most of the films depicting NYC as bohemian and/or dangerous, with 20-something year olds living in Soho lofts, Friends living in a West Village apartment the size of a suburban house, and financial dudes in suits running the world.


See more about Barrow, Alaska....

Success!

The Innovative Traveler is on kayak.com!

"Link Love - Blogs We Want for Best Pals"

I was semi-shocked, semi-wracked with guilt and utterly delighted at reading this. Especially considering I freelance for a family website that's been around and popular for about 10 years. And yet I somehow registered under a 'Family/Vacation' category and they didn't! Well, after that reaction, the guilt set in. I've been so busy balancing freelance work and a new website project that I've barely touched my blog in nearly a month. I hang my head in deep shame.

Then I got over it and thought, hey! How did I get so lucky? Who at kayak adores me? No idea how it happened, but thanks to my friends at kayak and people who enjoy stopping in and seeing what I'm blogging about. If this was an Oscar speech (which it pretty much is) I'd also thank the people, the producers, the money people (I need some of those), other travel bloggers, kayak.com, and of course God. And if I was Hilary Swank I'd also forget to thank my husband and then talk about it the next several years until winning another one. I don't want to chance waiting that long, so "Thanks hubster!"

I accept this award (aka kayak.com blurb) for bloggers everywhere. Except the ones that involve pyramid schemes, pretentious luxury travel, and daily pictures of puppies.

Lake Tahoe

I'm dying to get back to Tahoe this summer after learning to ski (sort-of) and snowboard (kind-of) back in January. Now I'd like to see what it has to offer for the summer months - Shakespeare festival, boating, swimming, kayaking through downtown Reno?

The tourism board has been flooding me with press releases and I like this one, good info on the last of lift tickets, children discounts, Earth Day festival, Spring events, and more...


North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update - April 2008

Big, bold, blue skies dominate North Lake Tahoe this week, perfect for spring skiing and snowboarding. Plan to dress in layers as you’ll be shedding outerwear and soaking up the sunshine Thursday and Friday when highs reach up to 55 degrees.

Northstar-at-Tahoe – Celebrate 35 years of Northstar Resort with $35 lift tickets now through closing day. Children (ages 5-12) and Super Seniors (70+) pay only $15. A special $15 tax relief ticket is offered for tax day Tuesday, April 15, which must be pre-purchased online (first-come, first-served basis). On Earth Day (April 20), guests driving hybrids get to park in the preferred parking for FREE. Projected closing date is April 27.

Squaw Valley USA – Squaw Valley hosts its Ski Sail Regatta, where participants boat race on Lake Tahoe (Saturday, April 19), party at the Tahoe Yacht Club that night, and then ski race at Squaw (Sunday, April 20). Projected closing date is May 11 (a week later than last year).

Boreal Mountain Resort – Boreal closed for the season April 13.

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort – Throughout the month of April, Sugarbowl offers free lessons and rentals seven days a week with the purchase of an all-day lift ticket (ages 13 to 69 years). Projected closing date is April 27.

Diamond Peak – Diamond Peak closed for the season April 13.

Homewood Mountain Resort – Homewood closed for the season April 6.

Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe – Take advantage of Mt. Rose’s daily specials, including 2 For Tuesday (two full-day lift tickets for the price of one), Student $29 Wednesdays, Ladies Day Thursdays (full-day tickets are $19 for ladies) and Runs ‘n Roses ($124 family package that includes full-day lift tickets for two adults and two children). Projected closing date is April 20.


Alpine Meadows – Alpine Meadows’ Spring Concert Series celebrates live musical talent and style, along with great skiing and riding. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 19 with Monophonics (soul and funk) and Saturday, April 26 with Absynth, a San Francisco band known for their hypnotic beats. Projected closing date is May 4.

Neighborhood Secrets: Got kids? Then get art! Children visiting North Lake Tahoe can take part in the Tahoe City-based North Tahoe Arts’ YourthArt program. This two-week enrichment camp offers a hands-on art experience to elementary and middle school age youth and is taught by professional artists who excel at teaching kids the joy of
ceramics, printmaking, painting, fiber art, earth art, book/journal making, jewelry, pastels, wire sculpture and batik. Registration begins May 1 and sessions begin in July. Click to:
www.northtahoearts.com/youth_art.php.

In celebration of spring, the Village at Northstar hosts Spring It On Saturday, April 19 with mountain activities, such as pond skimming, and village festivities to include live music, BBQ on Overlook Deck, drink specials and roller skating.

North Lake Tahoe visitors can hit the slopes while taking part in the region’s largest environmental event of the year, the North Lake Tahoe Truckee Earth Day Festival, scheduled for April 25 and 26 at the Village at Squaw Valley. Also scheduled is a live musical lineup, Haute Trash Fashion Show with styles made from society’s trash, Patagonia Wild & Scenic Film Festival and the Push, Pull or Pedal Eco Parade, where non-motorized crafts made from recycled materials are judged.

The North Lake Tahoe Express daily airport shuttle service is available to and from North Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The shuttle runs from 3:30 a.m. until 12 midnight. Fees are $35 per person, one-way, and $60 round trip. Discounts available for groups of two or more. Reservations are
required and can be made four hours in advance. Click to www.northlaketahoeexpress.com.

For a snapshot of upcoming special events, as well as recreational activities of recent scenes, go to www.GoTahoeNorth.com and click on the web video for the North Tahoe Minute.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, two hours from the Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from the San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3286 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline
Village.

The North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update is part of a partnership between the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. The combined efforts of both entities are aimed to further promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.

Innovative Brides on a Budget

So recently I've been getting some requests regarding an ebook I use to sell called Innovative Brides on a Budget. I thought I'd put it back up for all those brides out there looking for a creative way to finance a wedding without going into rock bottom debt. I drew from ideas I used myself at my own wedding, from friends' weddings, and lots of research. Here's what the book covers:

A lifetime of love doesn't have to mean a lifetime of debt...

*Planning a Wedding on a Budget

*Discount Ideas on Travel and Honeymoon

*Get a Free Destination Wedding... and actually make money doing it

*Get More Cake for Less Money

*Discount or Free Flowers

*Tax Deductible Wedding Favors

*Negotiating a Discount on a Dream Dress

*Getting Money as Gifts from Your Guests... without having to ask

*Worksheets

*Money Saving Tips

*And more...


Feel free to check it out and if you don't like it, I'll refund your money. Email me at theinnovativetraveler@yahoo.com for info or questions. (Please note I can't refund any paypal fees you incur)

$9.95