Tag: beach

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Money Saving Tips

Beating the Winter Blues on a Budget

Are you already counting down the days until you can push those bulky sweaters to the back of your closet and pull out your flip flops and shorts? Well it’s too bad Mother Nature doesn’t feel the same. The short days are giving way to frigid nights and winter storms that blow through at blustery speeds. Each day your skin is probably feeling more and more like Frosty the Snowman’s—pale & flakey. Not to mention we started this work week on Blue Monday, which is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. To me, it sounds like the perfect time to plan a winter getaway for a big healthy dose of natural Vitamin D!

Snowy Upper East Side, New York, NY

For those of us trapped in below freezing weather, a sunny, warm beach is about the only thing that’ll make us voluntarily leave our comfy beds and cups of hot cocoa and tea. But maybe you think it’s not the best time to be spending money on a vacation after finally paying off the holidays? With a little time and creative research, you might be able to land on a beach for no more than the price of a weekend on the town. Here are a few tips for beating those winter blues on a sandy white beach, with minimal effects on your bank account.

Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands

1. Now is as good a time as ever to cash in on those free flights, airline miles, or credit card points you’ve been sitting on. Look into redeeming points for flights, hotels, rental cars, restaurants, or even just a Visa or MasterCard gift card.

2. For obvious reasons, December through late April is the high season (aka most expensive) in the Caribbean, but that doesn’t mean you’re totally screwed if you’re on a budget. If you have the flexibility and you’re willing to wait, book something just a couple days outside of the high season. It’ll still give you something to look forward to all winter, and maybe a reason to get off the couch and into the gym for some post-holiday fat busting (double bonus!). The extra exercise will not only help you to look great when the trip rolls around, but the endorphins will help you to beat those winter blues in the meantime.

3. Unless you’re a 19 year old college student, stay away from Spring Break season (late February to early March). You might be able to land a good all-inclusive deal through a student travel site if you’re under 26, but depending on the location, you’ll no doubt be paying a pretty penny to be surrounded by hundreds of underage college kids partying 24/7.

4. Flying on Super Bowl Sunday can give way to much cheaper deals on airfare and significantly less crowded airports since most of America is glued in front of a TV.

5. If you’re going to the Caribbean, try to fly out of a main port on the Eastern or Southeastern coasts. Many places like New York, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale can see a huge price difference from the next town over.

The Bahamas

6. Check out the websites of small airline carriers for deals. Sign up for their email lists, check out their Twitter page, and keep your eye out for a deal for at least a few days before booking. Usually, airlines such as Spirit Air will run a promotion every couple of days, offering up to $50 off of a roundtrip flight. The cheap no-frills plane ride to paradise will be completely worth it once you’re basking in the sun instead of shoveling yourself out of 3 feet of snow.

7. Go with a bunch of friends, look for group rates, and bunk together. Though it’s nowhere near a budget hotel, places like the Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas offer Buy One Get One Free roundtrip airfare (but you’ll likely pay for it with the price of a room).

8. Reach out through your social networks to see if anyone knows someone who’s willing to rent you their time share or vacation home.

9. Consider packages, but don’t rely on them. I’ve always been told that buying in a package is a great way to save money on a hotel + airfare trip, but I’ve almost always had better luck saving a few hundred dollars by booking separately.

10. Consider all-inclusive hotels in destinations like Cancun, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Many of these beachfront hotels cost around $110-$160 a night, and are much cheaper than one in the Virgin Islands, Aruba, or Barbados, AND that includes the price of food, alcohol, and all tips and gratuities. Not to mention a lot of budget airlines offer much more frequent and cheaper flights to those islands as well.

11. On the contrary, get the facts before purchasing an all-inclusive package. Personally I wouldn’t bother with an “all inclusive (see fine print)” package, or the “all you can eat at _____ restaurant.” The one time I purchased an unlimited food and alcohol package at the now closed Nassau Beach Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas (through a travel organization, not the hotel itself), it turned out the “unlimited alcohol” only included three premixed drinks available at the bars in the hotel, which were closed half the time I was there. One can only take some many sugary frozen drinks with minimal alcohol before busting out their wallets and paying for some hard liquor or beer. And the “unlimited food” was limited to a small cafe and a Sbarro’s pizza. If I wanted pizza or a bagel for every meal I would have stayed in Times Square.

Sunset Beach All-Inclusive Resort and Spa, Montego Bay, Jamaica

12. Take a cruise. Check out last minute cruise sites like cruisesonly.com for some great savings on ships to the Caribbean and Mexico. If you can limit binge drinking, you’re basically looking at an all-inclusive trip for as little as $199. Cruises have great food too. I’m talking steak and lobster every single night for no extra charge.

13. Tone down your travel experience. Maybe you’re the adventurous type who loves to buy into every possible activity everywhere you go. Cut the length of your trip down this time around, and use those few days just to relax on the beach and you’ll save money in the process. Don’t add on all of those extras like parasailing, off-roading, or swimming with dolphins (or just limit it to one excursion). Not to mention you’ll come back completely relaxed, not in need of a vacation from your vacation.

14. Consider camping. Many camp sites in the Caribbean are decently equipped with plumbing, water, and even electricity. In fact, a lot of the cottages are almost no different than a nice budget hotel. You’ll save a fortune on lodging and see a different side of the Caribbean islands that resorts just can’t offer. Check out Caribbean Inspired for a few recommended camp sites in the Virgin Islands.

15. Can’t afford to island hop in the Caribbean? Stay in the states and visit Florida or the West Coast. If Miami is too expensive, try Panama or Tampa. Though not exactly beachy, Las Vegas usually has pretty good deals on airfare and hotels any time of year.

16. Remember, it’s tax season. If you’re entitled to a tax refund then this time of year can be a great bonus financially. If you can afford it, use part of your refund to pay for your hotel and airfare up front. Setting yourself up with a predetermined budget will keep you from charging a Ritz Carlton on your Mastercard to pay off next tax season.

17. As always, my biggest tip no matter when you plan to go anywhere: research! I always spend as much time as possible doing research here and there so that I know what to expect when it comes time to book. Sometimes the best experience won’t be at that uptight $300/night beachfront resort, but at the $90/night bed & breakfast across the street that usually doesn’t show up in the hotel search engines. Just knowing about it could save you a fortune.

I’ll be using these tips myself to plan a 2-person getaway the first week in May. Do you have any other tips for your fellow budget-minded travelers?

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All You Can Jet

Day 20: A Rainy Start to Hurricane Season in Jamaica

I arrived in Montego Bay for the most unexpectedly hectic four days of this trip so far. I took a 15 minute cab ride from the airport to the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa. The cab fare was [inexplanably] thirty US dollars. I only had a 20 so I had to stop at an ATM. Shame on me for not planning ahead. We pulled up to an abandoned ATM that locked when you stepped into the private booth. I felt a little uneasy since three people were waiting behind me outside, and all of my luggage was sitting in the cab. I tried to withdraw $20 when I got the error message “you must withdraw in multiples of $100.” I wasn’t even sure if I had $100 in the bank, but I went ahead and withdrew it anyway. When it came out, duh, it was 100 Jamaican dollars. I had no idea how much that was in US dollars, so I got back in the cab and down the road we went.

I thought for sure the driver would try and pull a fast one on me, but I asked him anyway “is 100 Jamaican dollars enough?” He slammed on the brakes, turned back towards the ATM, and tried explaining the conversion rate to me, which ended with “$30 is equal to $2400 Jamaican dollars.” I didn’t know what to do! It sounded like such a huge difference. So I went back to the ATM and checked out my balance. The amount had hardly changed since I pulled out 100 Jamaican dollars, so I figured he must be telling the truth. When I got back to the car, he showed me a sheet of paper with conversion rates on it and to my relief, he was telling the truth.

I was immediately greeted with a tropical drink upon checkin. I told the staff about my travel blog, and asked for a possible upgrade to an ocean view room- which I got, on the 7th floor.

I was sharing a room with another All You Can Jet-ter, and since it was raining outside we headed down to explore the property and have a few drinks. What else are you supposed to do with access to an unlimited open bar on a rainy day? Then we had a four course dinner at a Jamaican restaurant on the resort, and I had my first taste of Jamaican jerk chicken. Overall, it was okay but not really for my taste buds.

The resort had a great live band performing, followed by a couple hours of dancing.

I’ve embarrassed myself many times attempting to dance in public, but this was one of the worst. I wasn’t really drunk, so I was still a little shy and completely lacking rhythm as usual. One of the workers brought me up on stage and challenged me to a dance off. When I showed him a few of my white girl moves, he realized he’d have to teach me a thing or two. Bottom line, I am probably the worst dancer in the world. But I kind of wish someone would have gotten it on video.

After many more drinks, the party moved out to a beachfront bar and dance floor adjacent to a jacuzzi and two pools with a swim up bar in the middle. It wasn’t too happening for a Sunday night, so we bounced back and forth between the jacuzzi and the ocean before calling it a night.

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All You Can Jet

Day 12: Surfers and Kamikaze Pelicans at Ocean Beach

Saturday was my first time ever at a Southern California beach. I was easily engulfed into the SoCal beach culture— except for the fact that I still reek of the East coast. I was rocking the Sublime, RHCP and Deftones playlist, wandering along the shore checking out all the surfers for a few hours.

I took a bus from North Park to Ocean Beach. It took a little over an hour, and an uncomfortable conversation or two with some seedy individuals. After living in New York for four years, you learn to deal with strange people. We definitely have our share of crazies in the city. But the difference between New York’s nut jobs and San Diego’s: New York’s nut jobs tend to keep to themselves- for the most part. Sure, they’ll shout weird obscenities at you, or maybe even spit on you, but they don’t open up  and tell you their life stories to try and become friends. This guy on the bus yesterday pulled out a knife and started waving it around to the guy next to me. After showing off a plethora of weapons, he saw that I had my headphones on and proceeded to wave at me until I took them off. Then he said “that’s a great shirt. My girl would love it, where’d you get it?” Apparently my poser SoCal-style tank top was fitting right in. But when I told him I got it in New York, he asked me if he could buy it from me. Then he continued to tell me about how he was in jail in New Orleans, how he’d been shot twice (and showed me the scars to prove it), and then showed me a few more weapons. At this point a fellow Southerner had joined in the conversation as I kept trying to ignore him. Apparently these two had been in the same jail at the same time. Then he tried to offer me some socks with peace signs on them, and some “welcome to San Diego” weed. After I refused about 15 times, I finally had to tell him that I don’t wear socks ever, I only wear flip flops. For a second I thought he’d realized I was lying as he questioned me, “even in the winter? That’s awesome dude, I wish I could do that but my feet are too soft.” Thankfully, on that note, it was my stop. I wanted to snap a picture of him but I was a little scared of what sort of suggestive pose he might try out, so I just got this shot of his socks.

As soon as I saw the jaw-dropping sight of those humungous Pacific Ocean waves, it literally took my breath away. I caught myself talking out loud a few times, saying “wow, now that’s a beach!” I think I’ve become pretty spoiled when it comes to beaches. After seeing the crystal-clear water and pure white sands of the Caribbean, and the enormous waves of the Pacific, east coast beaches just don’t do it for me anymore. Any time I visit an east coast beach I can’t help but think, “that’s it?” But Ocean Beach was definitely a real beach in my book. This was my first time ever seeing surfers too. As I sat on the pier listening to 40 oz to Freedom, I was so tempted to walk over and buy a surfboard and a wetsuit and give it a shot. I probably would have if I had health insurance.

I took a walk out on the pier where a ton of people were fishing, but not catching much.

I think the Pelicans had better luck fishing. Or should I say kamikaze dive-bombing for fish.

I started to get a little chilly, so I enjoyed a late lunch at a place called Shades, where I ordered an orange spice tea, grilled cheese and french fries. Grilled cheese is always my go-to meal when I’m on a budget, because it’s usually no more than $2 or $3, as opposed to a $9 burger or sandwich. And that usually includes fries. Tea is almost always a cheaper option than any other drink also. I was a little confused as to why they served me with 5 tea bags of different flavors when I specifically ordered the orange, but I threw them in my purse and was on my way. Probably shouldn’t have done that. But, not bad for a $6 meal.

I climbed up on some rocks and sat and watched the waves splashing around me.

Finally when the marine clouds started rolling in around 6 I decided to head over to a friend of a friend’s house who lives on the beach and wait for JJ to pick me up. I sat there for a bit while their band practiced, and eventually made my way back to JJ’s. By the time people showed up at his house to pregame before heading out on the town, I was exhausted. I laid down for “only an hour,” which turned into me staying in all night while they went out partying. I spent some time updating the blog while watching Wedding Crashers. What a way to spend my last night in San Diego, eh?

As if that weren’t awesome enough, I received a text message at 130a. It was JJ. It said “call Mike for a ride to the Greyhound station tomorrow. I’m in jail for trying to break up a fight.” And that was it. Apparently both of the guys I was staying with, JJ and Sam, got in some trouble for being drunk and disorderly. Maybe it was for the best that I didn’t go out with them last night. They didn’t get released until I was already in LA.

You can check out all of my pictures and videos from San Diego on Flickr.

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All You Can Jet

Day 8: Relaxing in Montauk

Tuesday I woke up ready to hit the beach with Mike’s family. Too bad the weather was just a tad bit chilly. It wasn’t too bad on the beach, but the ocean was ice cold. It was a nice, lazy day of taking pictures for me. And even better to sleep in a real bed at night, without having to pay for a hotel.

As always, you can check out more pictures on my Flickr.