6 Easy Ways to Save on Vacation Expenses

• Book your airline ticket after midnight on Wednesday in the time zone where the airport's hub is located. This is the time when budget fares hit the market.

• Use alternative airports. Big city airports aren't always the cheapest. Compare surrounding areas.

• Check out "Driveaway Deals." Car companies often have too many cars in certain locations, so you can get great deals on renting these cars and driving them to different destinations.

• Skip car rental insurance. Your car insurance on your personal vehicle usually covers you driving a rental car. Check with your insurance company for details.

• Book hotel rooms with kitchenettes. That way, you don't have to eat all of your meals out.

• Negotiate. Many hotels, resorts, and other vacation destinations offer freebies, such as the 3rd night free. Work them. Ask for a better rate, an extra free day, and the like. You'll be surprised on the deals you can get!

Solar Radio

Powered by the sun's rays, this portable AM/FM radio will play for seven hours when fully charged. On rainy days, use the hand crank to play your favorite tunes and programming. One minute of hand cranking will give you thirty minutes of play back time. The Solar Radio measures just 3.25" x 3" x 2.25", which makes it easy to store in windowsills, garages, workshops, vehicles, and even camping boxes.

Solar Radio from Useful Things.

What's the Most Eco-Friendly Way to Travel?

How should you get to your destination? Via car, train, plane, bus? A lot will depend on road conditions, the type of car, how far you're traveling, and how many passengers are involved.

Airplanes emit more CO2 than buses, trains, or cars, but they carry more passengers and make traveling longer distances feasible.

Trains pollute more than cars, but they too carry more passengers.

On the other hand, the materials that go into road construction aren't green at all, so even if you're traveling via fuel efficient car, there are other variables to consider. Likewise with buses.

So, what's the most eco-friendly way to travel? Sadly, there is no right answer. The best we can do is continue to improve our technology, so that green travel will one day be a reality.

Herbs that Ease Travel Ailments

Traveling is often stressful and hard on the body. If you experience motion sickness, anxiety, nausea, headaches, or any other ailment from traveling, try the following hears to ease your troubles.

Peppermint
Peppermint's calming effects will soothe your nerves and help your stomach digest. As a bonus, it freshens your breath.





Ginger
Ginger is well-known for its ability to curb nausea and upset stomachs. Ginger is also a natural anti-inflammatory, so it's effective for muscle aches and headaches.





Chamomile
A great all-around relaxant, chamomile is sure to put you at ease if you have any anxiety about your upcoming trip.





Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm contains mild sedative properties. Use it for anxiety, restlessness, and irritability. It can also help still a racing heart.

How-to Combat Jet Lag

Drink plenty of water during the days before you leave, and during the flight itself.

Don't caffeinate, especially at night.

Get plenty of sleep the week before you leave.

Sleep on the plane, if you can. If you're sensitive to light, an eye shade will help. If sound is the problem, pack ear plugs.

Try to schedule your arrival during the afternoon or early evening, so you're not faced with an entire day of activity.

Exercise helps combat fatigue. Set an exercise schedule for the week's before you leave, if you don't have one already.

Relax, and try not to think about it too much!

Point It: Traveller's Language Kit

Point It: Traveller's Language Kit by Dieter Graf enables you to travel anywhere in the world and communicate what you need and want without misunderstandings. With 1200photos generated from the author's own travels, this picture dictionary allows you to simply point to what you're after instead of trying to cross-reference the word and pronounce it. It's compact, light-weight, and full color.

Point It: Traveler's Language Kit from Useful Things.

Track Flights with Flight Arrivals

Flight Arrivals, one of the oldest flight arrival status sites on the web, updates information every four minutes, so you will always be able to find current information on arrivals, departures, delays, and schedule changes at 71 major airports all over the world. Search by flight number, city, airport code, airline, or time-frame to find the flight you're looking for. Flight Arrivals new Airport status also allows you to check the weather at an airport, and any delays associated with weather conditions.