Markus Rodder/flickr

Tired of the usual Thanksgiving traditions? Want to put the giving back in Thanksgiving? Try these 10 ideas.

1. Volunteer on an organic farm in Italy in exchange for room, board, education and culture. I’m sure there would be a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on an organic farm. There are farms willing to take volunteers all over the world.
2. Help out at a food bank.

   Get involved with your local shelter and work on preparing and serving food to families that don’t have a home go to for the holidays. I know of a young couple with no children and limited family who have been doing this for years. It IS their Thanksgiving tradition.

3. Spend the day creating a home garden. Depending on what area of the country you are in, what you can do will be different. Make your goal to have a meal of homegrown foods next Thanksgiving.
4. Create or attend a food swap followed by a homemade potluck meal.
5. Make seed bombs and walk around your area seed bombing vacant lots that need more loving. Next Spring you will see the beauty of your efforts.
6. Adopt a family for the holidays. Give a needy family a basket of food so that they can have a special holiday with their family.
7. Gather needed winter supplies for the homeless. Spend the time and money you would spend on a big dinner making hygiene kits and handing them out.
8. Offer your services to a local volunteer group to help out on the latest international disaster. Don’t count yourself out just because you don’t have special skills (EMT, RN, teacher, or minister.) As long as you can be caring and calm while living in horrible conditions, you will be welcome.
9. Invite someone you do not know to stay at your house during Thanksgiving or vica versa. You can find free places to stay and people who need free places to stay at CouchSurfing or Servas. It goes without saying that one has to be smart about such arrangements, but there are truly lots of wonderful people out in the world just waiting to be met.
10. Spend the holiday truly giving thanks. Call your loved ones and thank them sincerely. Buy a dozen flowers and hand them out one at a time to your neighbors, the grocery clerk, the babysitter, the postal person, your teacher, hair dresser or random person on the street. Pay it forward. Hand out the love and it WILL come back to you. Make sure to remember to keep it stress free.

That’s my 10. Do you have any ideas to add?

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By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.

Vectorportal/Flickr

I had a bad experience at a hotel recently, and didn’t keep quiet about it. Neither should you.

A couple of weeks ago, I went “glamping” (glamorous camping) with my daughter. A bunch of families camped out on the beach, but sleeping on the ground wasn’t doing it for me. I booked a hotel near the camp site so could spend time with my friends camping, but sleep on a good mattress. I snagged a good rate using the online special and my AAA discount.

When bedtime came, I went into the hotel to get my pre-confirmed room. It was between the pool entrance and the gym. I could hear the thump thump thump of

someone on the treadmill. I returned to the front desk to let them know that that room wasn’t acceptable. I was told that he could only give me rooms that the computer assigned. He showed me a room chart that I could take rooms facing the highway, next to the gym, or under the restaurant. Under the restaurant seemed to be the best bet. I was told by the night clerk that it wasn’t really a problem for anyone and that the bar closed at midnight.

We got to our room. The fan in the bathroom didn’t work. I had to get service to come and get the air conditioner to work. There were only four bad channels on the small TV and the bed was hard as a rock. OK, I was exhausted. It was all fine. I could deal with it.

6:30 AM. It sounds like a bowling alley over our heads. WHAT? I could hear every footstep and it sounded like they were dragging all the tables and chairs across the room. I was UP!

So, we pack up our bags and get ready to go. As I am checking out, I ask to talk to the manager. I tell the manager what occurred. I said that I felt that because I got a lower rate, I was only offered bad rooms. I said that I felt that the room that I was in was not a room that could be rented out unless the person was expressly told that they would need to get up very early to beat the noise.

Instead of apologizing, the manager said she would talk to the night clerk. I told the manager,  “So that’s it? That’s what you want to say before I put my rating on the internet?” She asked me, “What is it that you want?” I said that I felt that Best Western should offer me another night at another time. She told me that she couldn’t do that and she would call corporate and have them call me.

After 24 hours of no call, I called corporate and told them what happened. They apologized but said that they would have to contact the hotel. Sigh.

The next day, I received an email from the manager telling me that they were crediting my bill back to my credit card.

So, here is the moral to the story: If you pay for a service and it isn’t right, tell someone. If that someone doesn’t give you satisfaction, go higher. Keep a record of everything: everyone you talked to, all receipts, any paperwork. Keep going until you get satisfaction – whatever that means to you.

My only regret to this story is that the hotel will continue to rent out those rooms. But… that is what Yelp is for.

By the way, if someone does a good or outstanding job, I also talk to the manager and call corporate.

Have you had a similar experience?

A fancy Vegas hotel room. (Not where our reader stayed). Credit: prayitno/Flickr

The Unethical Man wrote in with another money morality dilemma (he seems to run into them often):

Sorry, I got one more question for you. As you may already know, I go to Vegas quite a bit. I try to take advantage of as many free room night offers as I can. Why? Because when traveling out of town, one of the incidental expenses is the room. My question is whether you think it is unethical to accept an offer of free rooms from a property but not gamble there or eat there? You hardly spend any time at the property except for showering and sleeping. At checkout time, the bill reads $0.00 on the TV screen.
Ethical or unethical?

I think you are in the clear as long as part of the agreement for the free hotel room does not include a promise to spend time at the hotel eating or gambling. I’m sure that’s what the hotel wants, but it can’t force you to gamble any more than it can force you to starve.

More money morality posts:
Freebie tacos a deal or a steal?

Is BB a good Samaritan or greedy stranger?

Dilemma: Neighbors gave us cash we don’t want

Do you ever use the hotel safe in your room? If so, do you know about the default combination code that can make your valuables “less safe” than you thought? If the answer is “No,” then you must check out a video that was posted on YouTube on Sept. 6th by skyrangerpro.

Here is the video Glenn mentioned. It’s been viewed more than a million times!

Glenn continues:

Basically, the guy that posted the video said that they used their in-room safe. They first created a pass code, and secured their things. Then they forgot their pass code, and asked hotel management for assistance. Someone came up and punched in 000000 which was a default code that would bypass anything a guest came up on their own. This means that anyone that knows this little industry secret is capable of gaining access to your most valuable and private things (passports, money, wallet, ID, laptop, etc). He did go on to say that this may not be true of all hotel chains. But to be on the safe side, guests should check with management of the hotel they’re staying at just to be sure what their procedures are when someone forgets the pass code.

Good advice, indeed. Thanks, Glenn! Got a hot tip or deal you scored? Email me!

Work a little, play a little. Credit: vastateparkstaff/Flickr

The Sunday New York Times Travel section had a good article on volunteer vacations, which is when you put in time for a good cause while on vacation. A major upside is reduced cost. Here’s my take on the story, with specific cheap volunteer vacations listed below.

Pros

Cost reduced by as much as 50%!

Unusual activities and trips built into your vacation.

Burn extra calories on the trip, making up for indulgent eating and drinking.

You can feel good about visiting third world countries, or wherever your trip takes you.

Cons

Some of the trips require 6 hours of work a day.

Not all the work is light labor. You’re going to break a sweat!

Specific trips (prices do not include airfare)

Appalachian Mountain Club

Help clean up trails from New Hampshire to St. John for about $220 a week

. The price includes meals and lodging, but don’t expect luxury. You’ll be sleeping in tents or cabins. The workload is 4-6 hours daily. You’ll be ready for an afternoon mai tai.

Cross-Cultural Solutions

A one-week trip to Brazil, Costa Rica, or Ghana will run you about $1,990 through the Insight Abroad program. Work includes painting, planting gardens, and working at day care centers. Major bonus is 100% of the cost is tax deductible! Accommodations are “modest” and you only have “some afternoons, most evenings, and every weekend free.”

Marco Island Marriot Resort, Golf Club & Spa

In exchangeg for helping out at the local YMCA in this South Florida town, you’ll get 15% off room rates through Sept. 30. The article was unclear if you have to help out two hours per day or per trip. This trip sounded the most luxurious of all five mentioned in the article, but the discount was also one of the smallest.

Sierra Club

Trips range from $325 to $1,975 for a week or longer, though 70% of Sierra Club trips cost $700 or less. By working to restore/maintain state and federal land, you’ll get access to areas of parks that are not usually open to the public. Expect cabin or tent lodging (i.e. rustic).

Vail Resorts Give and Getaway

Get 20% off 13 different resorts from Aspen, CO. to St. Lucia in the Caribbean when you help local farmers, plant trees, and clear trails.

Would you consider going on a volunteer vacation?

HostelBookers has properties in 3,500 destinations, charges absolutely no booking fee and offers a lowest price guarantee. Their dedicated Group Travel Team can help make arrangements for larger parties such as school or university groups, sports clubs or stag and hen dos.

To find a hostel, cheap hotel, B&B, apartment or campsite to really suit you and your trip, you can read reviews and ratings from previous guests. If you are looking for a party hostel, search by atmosphere. If you are planning a family trip, search by safety and cleanliness. Our website also clearly displays properties with private rooms, dormitories or both!

The HostelBookers Blog

From advice on how to pack your backpack to finding the best clubs in London, the HostelBookers blog is a treasure trove of city guides, places to visit off the beaten track and local know-how.

HostelBookers on Facebook

A great place for posting your travel queries, keeping up to date with the latest offers and sharing your experiences with the travel community. Go on, like us!

This is a sponsored post. Interested in an ad? Read my blog adverting page.

1. Choose the right transportation method: If you take your car, don’t forget to take car insurance before you travel. It can be really helpful if you happen to be unlucky. You never know what can happen while you’re abroad! If you take the train, remember to book early and be aware of discounts train companies might offer. If you take flights, book early as well and be careful not to overload your luggage, otherwise you will have to pay fees if you happen to travel with low-cost companies.

2. Prioritize your destination choices by price, and don’t accept what the travel agency is offering you first! Their offers might sound attractive, but take the time to look into the details. You might find some nasty surprises!

3. If comfort is not one of your highest priorities, backpacker’s hostels or camping can be a cheap alternative to hotels. This will give you the opportunity not only to save money but also to be more flexible and to meet new people!

4. If you really want to save money, avoid booking organized tours – even though they seem cheap and you don’t need to organize your holiday, they might turn out to be boring and expensive. In fact, it’s often cheaper to organize your holiday by yourself, and you will have the freedom to decide what you want to do.

5. Budgeting is the key if you don’t want to come home and don’t have a penny in your bank account. While you’re on a holiday, you might easily forget how much you’re spending on drinks, food, and little shopping tours. Try to organize your budget before you travel and set yourself a limit. I’m sure you will enjoy that cocktail when you know you can afford it, but you will regret that little summer dress you bought once you’re back if it wasn’t in your budget.

6. Finally, don’t forget to take a travel insurance, which you can find on LV life insurance for instance. It will help you save a lot of money if something happens while you’re on your journey!

This is paid content. Interested in an ad? Read my blog advertising page.

A free airfare offer I received: scam?

We received a postcard for an offer that was so obviously fake, we had to laugh. This is my second brush with fraud in two weeks! Here is what it said:

We have identified you and you are now on record. We are happy to contact you directly at your residence to inform you that you have been confirmed to receive this notice for our complimentary* airfare certificate. This offer is real and is no mistake. Please respond promptly so that we may process you.

As soon as we receive your call, we will process your validation number and tell you all about your 2 round trip airfares to many exciting destinations in the Continental U.S.!

Ben Miller, Disbursement Manager

*Some restrictions apply

The postcard, shown above, was troublesome for a few reasons.

1. It’s simply too good to be true. No one gives out free airfares unless you have given them something in return (like your credit card number to join an expensive club). For example, one legit free airfare offer is from Southwest, which requires you to sign up for their credit card.

2. The asterix caveat (“some restrictions apply”) is a huge red flag. Is the restriction that I have to pay for something else to get the “free” airfare? I’m guessing yes.

3. Grammatical errors. The awkward run on sentences were a dead giveaway. Legit companies hire copy writers to weed out mistakes, though I do see a lot of errors in press releases.

4. Lack of company name or logo. The postcard is only signed as what appears to be “Ben Miller.” What company does Ben Miller work for? No idea. Legit companies proudly identify themselves, often to the point of saturation.

5. No existing relationship. Not only do I have no idea what company is sending me this offer, but I’ve never purchased something from them. There’s no legit reason why they would offer free airfare out of the blue.

6. Flimsy reason for gift. The back of the postcard says I’m receiving the free airfare offer in celebration of the mystery company’s anniversary. Puh-leeze. Free donuts, maybe. But free airfares? Get real.

I’m tempted to call the phone number and tell them off but I’m worried they will track the call and sell my number to telemarketers. No thank you!

Have you ever received a postcard for something “free”?

Rennett Stowe/FLickr

Going somewhere? You better be getting a cash back rebate when you book flight, hotels, or car rentals! One of my favorite cash back sites, Shortcuts, has a page dedicated to cash back travel deals. New to this? Here’s my guide to how cash back rebates work.

A sampling of the travel savings available:

Hotels

3.5% of your purchase back from Hotels.com on Ebates

2.5% of your purchase back from Best Western on Ebates

5% of your purchase back from Choice Hotels on Ebates or Shortcuts

1% back Marriott Hotels & Resorts on Ebates

5% back at BedandBreakfast.com on Shortcuts

5% back at Quality Inn on Shortcuts

1.5% back at Ramada on Shortcuts

2.5% from Best Western on Shortcuts

4.5% from Crowne Plaza on Shortcuts

5% back from Econo Lodge on Shortcuts

4.5% back at Holiday Inn on Shortcuts

2.5% back at Motel 6 on Shortcuts

Travel sites

1-3.5% back from Travelocity on Ebates and Shortcuts

2% back from Hotwire on Ebates

1-4.5% back on Priceline on Shortcuts

Airlines

3% back from Southwest Airlines Vacations on Ebates (the vacation bookings are slightly different than regular, flight-only bookings)

2% back on American Airlines Vacations on Ebates

1% back from Air France on Ebates

1% back from CheapOair on Ebates

1.5% back from Virgin Atlantic on Shortcuts

Car rental

3.5% back at Thrifty or Dollar Rent a Car on Shortcuts

3% back at Avis, Budget, CarRentals.com,  on Shortcuts

Resorts

2% back at ClubMed on Shortcuts

Hotel freebies for me!

My first thought yesterday when I saw the huge spread of toiletries on my Radisson hotel room vanity was, “I’m totally going to take this stuff!” Somehow, the spectacular display of toiletries made me feel as if the hotel wanted me to take it all. A hotel that parts with an essential bar of soap, shampoo and conditioner has a stingy glow, while a hotel that displays no fewer than 23 items clearly has riches to share.

Which of course reminded me of a guest post from a reader who takes toilet paper from hotels to save money. I draw the line at tp and tissues, but confess my plans to stash away these goodies, which I estimate are worth about $25. It’s the biggest assortment of hotel goodies I’ve ever seen:

• toothbrush and toothpaste
• small comb
• mouthwash
• body wash
• razor and shave cream
• shower cap
• two bars of soap
• shampoo, conditioner, and lotion
• sewing kit
• cotton balls and cotton swabs
• shoe mitt
• shoe polishing kit including black polish, a buffing pad, a small brush, and a shoe horn, all in a cute carrying case!
• finally, a loofah clinched the deal. Who has ever seen a loofah in a hotel?

Do you take hotel swag home?

Is getting off a flight partway to save money ethical? Credit: stevendamron/Flickr

One solution to finding cheap flights is to get off the plane early, suggestions a story in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. So-called “hidden-city ticketing” is when you book a cheap flight to Vegas, for example, but deplane during a connection at your true destination of Salt Lake City.

What’s going on here? Flying to smaller airports with fewer flights is more expensive than flying to a major airport like NYC, Vegas, Miami, or Boston.

Obviously, this doesn’t work for non-stop flights. But for connecting flights, the New York Times Magazine reporter found four instances where buying a ticket directly to a big city, but then getting off at the connecting city, was less than 50% of the cost of buying a ticket to the connecting city. Examples:

San Antonio –> Salt Lake City = $391

San Antonio –> Salt Lake City –> Las Vegas = $186

Buy the ticket to Vegas, get off in Salt Lake City, and save $205. More examples:

Fargo –> Chicago = $528

Fargo –> Chicago –> New York = $213

Des Moines –> Dallas = $375

Des Moines –> Dallas –> Los Angeles = $186

Louisville –> Charlotte = $405

Louisville –> Charlotte –> Orlando = $188

So is hidden-city ticketing it legal? Or ethical?

The reporter argues that it is legal and that savvy travelers can pull it off in three steps.

1. Book your ticket as two one-ways because airlines will cancel your return flight if you do not complete the outbound portion.

2. Don’t check bags because there is no access to them when you deplane partway.

3. Don’t lie if you get caught, or you could face fraud charges.

I’m not an expert on the legality of hidden-city ticketing and I certainly don’t agree that it is ethical. If you plan to return a TV after the Superbowl, it’s not ethical to buy it to show off at your football party. If you intend to get off the airplane partway, you shouldn’t buy a ticket for another leg. What do you think?

N1NJ4/Flickr

Reader Meital wrote in with a common summer vacation problem:

I would like to go camping this summer with my boyfriend and our friends. I know that on your website you always mention that parks have free admission during certain times of the year. Can you recommend a few parks that are beautiful and cheap/ reasonable in california (probably about a few hours out of the san fernando valley or LA)?

Meital, here are five places you can camp for free or park an RV for $10 a night. There are many places near Los Angeles on the list. Camping is my favorite cheap summer vacation, among others.

Where do you like to camp in California or another state?

Got a question or savings tip? Email me and you could be featured on BargainBabe.com!

Jetblue flights are $9 each way!

Fly from Boston to Newark for just $9 on Jetblue when you book your flight today, Apr. 28, 2011 by 11:59 p.m. EST or local time. Prices are good for travel between May 4-June 15, 2011 when you fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday. Fees and taxes apply, see below for details. THIS DEAL WILL GO SUPER FAST!

Caveats: Offer subject to availability; may change without notice; nonrefundable, nontransferable; oneway. $15 fee applies for fares purchased by phone or JetBlue ticket office. Offer does not include Passenger Facility Charges up to $9 each way; Sept.11th Security Fees up to $5 each way; Federal Segment Tax of $3.70 per domestic segment. Taxes/fees must be paid at time of purchase. Previously purchased tickets may not be exchanged for these special fare tickets. Cancellations/changes must be made prior to scheduled departure (otherwise all money for fare is forfeited) $100 fee p/p and applicable fare adjustment apply, at jetblue.com or 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530. Cancellations receive JetBlue travel credit, valid for one year. Proper documentation required for boarding. Second bag fee $35.

Hawaii on $70/day. Credit: Glenn

Hawaii can be frugal – longtime reader Glenn proves it with his 10-day jaunt for $1,501.61 – including hotel and airfare! Without hotel, he spent $83 per day. Here is how he did it:

I flew with Hawaiian Airlines using all my air miles to book the round trip. According to their web site, the value of each flight was $402, so I saved $804 plus taxes and government fees. I accumulated my miles using the Hawaiian Visa Air Miles card since 2005. The annual fee was $25, so from 2006 through 2010, it cost me $125 by the time I was able to redeem my miles. I was able to cancel my card before the 2011 annual fee was due. Overall, not bad I would say. I did have to pay $25 for my one checked suitcase each way which I think is a total rip. And I did pay $40 for shuttle service to-and-from my house to LAX and back. And $27.50 for shuttle service to-and-from Honolulu International Airport to my hotel.

I booked my hotels through Hotels.com. My original plan was to use Priceline so I could enter my own price.  However, after several failures to get what I wanted, it became clear that I wasn’t going to succeed because there was too much time between my bids and my actual travel date.  The site says that you could get up to 60% off, but I think that’ll only happen if you’re leaving last minute.  I needed to book something solid, so I checked out the other sites.  Ultimately, I chose Hotels.com over the other travel sites because in the fine print they said that they do not charge a cancellation fee as long as it’s prior to 72hrs before the check-in date.  The other sites said that there would be a cancellation fee, but didn’t specify how much.

For the first 4-nights, I got the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel in Waikiki for $67.50 per night + $35.04 taxes & fees for a total of $305.04.  For the last 5-nights, I got the Ambassador Hotel a couple of streets over for $65 per night + $37.45 taxes & fees for a total of $362.45.  Grand total for all 9-nights was $667.49.  Would you consider that good, average or a rip off?

I did quite a lot during my trip.  I toured Pearl Harbor, saw Sea Life Park, went to Paradise Cove for an authentic luau, two comedy shows, went to the swap meet at Aloha Stadium, went on a 2hr ATV excursion at Kualoa Ranch, went snorkeling at the famed Hanauma Bay, went go-kart racing and saw Battle: Los Angeles on my off day.  In all, my island activities cost me $423.07 including three Groupons for a snorkeling catamaran cruise, a city ghost tour, and $20 food value at a local diner.  I even purchased the 2011 Hawaii Entertainment Book online for $17.49..  I also did a little shopping which cost me $55.53.

Getting around the island, I was contemplating renting a car.  But when I researched their bus system and how efficient it was, I decided that traveling by bus was the way to go.  It only cost $25 for an unlimited 4-day pass. Two passes was all I needed to get to all points of interest and all around the island even all the way out to the north side far away from Waikiki.  Plus, I learned that all the hotels in the Waikiki area charge their guests a minimum of $20 per night just for the privilege of parking their rental cars over night.  What a rip.

Food is a necessary expense no matter where you go.  It’s biology.  However, it did turn into a big expense for me considering where I went and where I stayed.  The Entertainment Book did help me to get a few cheap meals out there, but I definitely paid a lot more for food than if I were at home.  I purchased food at KFC, Taco Bell, Taco Del Mar, IHOP, Dennys and a few local businesses.  I spent a grand total of $162.53 (including tax, tips and coupons).  That’s works out to an average of $16.25 per day.

So with everything all set and done, my grand total for everything including service tips came out to $1,501.61.  I had given myself a budget of $2,000 for this trip, so I came in $498.39 under budget.  I also came home with 21 bottles of shampoo and 17 bars of soap.  I took a ton of digital pics and have included a few to share.  To save on money, I made sure to bring extra AAA and AA batteries with me.  I also took my own toothpaste, dental floss and sun block.  I tried to minimize extra expenses wherever I could.  I also made sure to bring my camera battery charger, electric shaver charger, cell phone charger and iPod charger.  And I was able to use my prepaid cell phone out there so I didn’t incur additional room charges.

Glenn, I’m amazed at your dedication and planning to save money. Way to go!

Breakdown of Glenn’s expenses on his 10-day Hawaiian vacation:

$125 in annual credit card fees to earn miles for ticket

$50 bag back RT

$40 bus service to and from airport and home

$27.50 shuttle service from airport to hotel

$305.04 hotel first four nights

$362.45 hotel last five nights

$37 snorkeling catamaran cruise

$17 city ghost tour

$10 local diner with value of $20

$17.49 2011 Hawaii Entertainment Book

$359 various activities including touring Pearl Harbor, Sea Life Park, luau at Paradise Cove, two comedy shows, swap meet at Aloha Stadium, 2hr ATV excursion at Kualoa Ranch, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, go-kart racing and saw Battle: Los Angeles.

$55.53 misc. shopping

$50 for two four-day bus passes

$162.53 food at KFC, Taco Bell, Taco Del Mar, IHOP, Dennys and a few local businesses

Note: My math adds up to $1,618.54. It’s possible Glenn did not include the $125 credit card fee as that was not a direct vacation expense.

Do you think you could go to Hawaii for less than $1,501? It would be a challenge!

Rubenstein//Flickr

Finding family activities that don’t break my budget and are stimulating is a challenge. As a homeschooler, I am always on the lookout for places to learn and have a good time. We are fortunate to have many wonderful institutions that allow for such activities. Depending on how often you go, membership may save you money. Here are five of my favorites:

1. Children’s Museums. Many major cities have invested in children’s museums. These museums are set up to withstand rigorous play and encourage “hands on” activities, as opposed to the normal look but don’t touch rule. A truly fabulous place to go with young children.
2. Science Museums. My favorite is the Boston Science Museum. With its proximity to M.I.T., it is hard to beat the interactive displays and state of the art technology. Our family membership to this museum was the best investment we ever made. Make sure that you see the Ball Sculpture. Another notable science museum is the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
3. Libraries. Budgets are getting tighter for libraries, but they are still my very favorite place. Most libraries have free programs of all sorts and you can’t beat the price of “free” for all the books and other media. Support your local library!
4. Zoos. You have an opportunity to learn about all sorts of animals at your local zoo. Perhaps your child has gone there on a field trip. But have YOU gone with them? It’s a chance to experience many new and exotic life forms. My favorite is the butterfly room.
5. Aquariums. Most major cities that are on the coasts have an aquarium, but even land-bound metropolises now have this great way to learn about our oceans and the inhabitants that live there. I’ll never forget the first time I got to watch real penguins.

An excellent way to get the most for your money is to join the Association of Science-Technology Centers Passport Program. Once you join your local science/technology center, you gain free entrance to more than 290 other centers. The only caveat is that the other centers must be more than 90 miles from your local center.

Many of the above five listed type of institutions have a free day at least once a month. Target sponsors 2,200 free events and discounted performances a year.

With the price of gas going up, sometimes it is hard to even get to such a place, but what is pretty cool is the fact that now many of the websites feature virtual tours. An interactive tour of the blown glass exhibition is available on the Indianapolis Children’s Museum website.

I hope that this list will inspire you to take advantage of the many wonderful museums and public facilities that have free and discounted days. What is your favorite frugal family outing?