You are here: Home / Archives for Travel

7 Tips To Avoid A Speeding Fine

July 3, 2016 by

If only we could charm all police officers into letting us off a speeding ticket. Unfortunately, not all of us are so charismatic…or attractive. If you’re breaking the legal speed barrier, it’s best to see the cops before they see you. Otherwise, you could be in for a painful court appearance and a hefty fine. Here are a few ways you can avoid getting caught red-handed:

Abide By the Law and Don’t Speed

Well, it works.

Spot Undercover Police Cars

There are a few tell-tale signs that you’re about to overtake a police car. If you can see something on top of the vehicle that looks even remotely like it could be lighting, be suspicious. Police officers are unlikely to have a handicapped sticker in their car or a ‘baby on board’ card. Is the centre rear brake light massive? Probably a police vehicle.

Don’t ever speed in residential areas and near school zones – you’re likely to get caught. Be aware of any police hotspots in your region.

Look Inside The Vehicle

If you’re window-to-window, check that there isn’t a cage in the car and that the driver isn’t wearing a police uniform.

The Speed Train

Safety in numbers. Surround yourself with speeding cars, where possible. They can protect you and act as scapegoats for any speed radars, waiting to catch out motor offenders. If one car in your speed train brakes, respond accordingly. It’s possible that they have seen a police officer or an accident that you should be aware of.

Notice The Signs

Be sensitive to any indication that speed detection devices are roaming. Are any cars pulled over at the side of the road? Are there signs indicating the area is checked by speed cameras? Are there strips on the road that could be electric speed traps?

How to Behave If You Get Pulled Over

Be sincerely apologetic and humble. Be friendly and accept your ticket with grace. If you decide to plead innocent later, you’ll want the officer to have a positive impression of you. Cops don’t like cocky drivers, so be as unthreatening as possible. Keep your hands on the steering wheel, unless asked to do otherwise, and if it’s night time, switch on the interior lights in your car. Don’t exit the vehicle.

Furthermore, don’t use the excuse that your speedometer is broken – that will just get you an extra fine for driving with a kaput dashboard.

Avoid a Speeding Fine

Don’t Draw Attention to Yourself

If you’re rallying around in a sports car, police will immediately target you. Choose an unassuming car that doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, keep it in good condition and don’t drive recklessly. If you must speed, do so with skill and as much caution as possible.

Some SatNavs can tell you where speed radar is operating, so use this to stay out of trouble. If you can, limit yourself to a minor speed infringement, as you are less likely to get caught and will receive a more moderate conviction.

For more information on speeding fines, visit the following page for helpful and friendly advice from these speeding solicitors – http://www.drivingoffence.com

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With:

How to Vacation on a Budget and Actually Have Fun

September 24, 2012 by

vacation on a budgetIn our culture of work a lot, then work some more,❠it can be nearly impossible to find some time off.   But taking a break, even just for a weekend, can be critical to our mental and physical health, not to mention our day-to-day productivity.   Time off allows us to relax, recharge, and come back to our regular commitments with a fresh perspective.

Even if we’re determined to take that break, though, feeling like we can afford to is another matter.   The costs of going away for just a weekend can add up pretty quickly, and financial stress can undo all the benefit your vacation might give you.   So how do you make it all work?

1. Pick your location that’s easy to get to

The cost of flights, or even train tickets, can really drive up the price of a vacation.     If you want to get away from cities, pick somewhere you can drive on a single tank of gas.   If you’d rather head downtown, consider leaving your car behind.   Try a discount bus line, like MegaBus or Bolt Bus, and get friendly with the public transportation once you arrive.   If you’re going to fly, book your flights in advance to get a lower price and use sites like Expedia or Kayak to compare airfare.

2. Use the internet to get a deal.

Discount sites like LivingSocial, Groupon, or Travel Zoo offer inexpensive travel packages that can give you over 50% off at pricey hotel and b&bs.   These will often have a certain number of meals or admission to local activities included in the cost, which makes them even more affordable.

3. Ask for a discount.

If it’s getting close to the date of your vacation, try calling local hotels and asking for a discount on room rates.   Often they’d rather book a room at a lower price than not make any money from it at all.

4. Stay with family or friends.

If you’ll only be there for one or two nights, ask people you know if you can stay with them.   You might even get a great local guide into the bargain.

5. Try camping.

Ditch the cost of hotels by camping.   Most national parks have free campgrounds; commercial venues will usually run under $20 a night.   If you have kids, setting up and exploring a campsite will keep them busy for hours, and many campgrounds have additional features like swimming pools or mini-golf for just a few dollars extra.

6. Use cash instead of credit.                      

It’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending when it’s just being charged.   To keep track of what you’re spending on gas, meals out, and entertainment, have a set amount of cash with you and set a limit for what can be spent each day.

7. Eat out less.

If you’re going to be in the car, fill a cooler with sandwich fixings and bottled drinks.   Buy breakfast foods and keep them in your hotel.   Not every meal has to happen at a restaurant, even on vacation.

8.   Look for entertainment off the beaten path.

Museums, art galleries, national parks, historical sites, and beaches all provide low-to-no cost entertainment.   Ask at your hotel for ideas on places most tourists don’t go.   Take the family bowling or to play tennis; sporty activities last a long time and get everyone involved, but usually don’t cost very much.

9. Build in some time to relax.

Trying to fill every minute of a vacation is not only expensive, it can defeat the purpose of taking the vacation in the first place!   Instead, set aside time to relax with a good book, go for a walk around town, or take a nap in the afternoon.   It won’t cost anything, and the downtime will leave you feeling refreshed, even when it’s time to pack up and go home.

Traveling can be pricey, but if you plan carefully and, you can have a great trip that’s still easy on your bank account.

What’s your best tip for traveling on a budget?

photo by a2k

 

Filed Under: Budgeting, Family Finances, Frugal Living, General Finance, Travel

Let Savings Fall Onto Your Lap

September 23, 2011 by

savingsI’ve always believed that as long as your vacation is ahead of you, summer is clearly not over. It’s not unusual for me to wait until the fall, September or even October to make my yearly escape from the everyday grind. After all, I live in New York, so jaunting off during the summer months simply to lie on a beach is no enticement to me; we are frankly surrounded by beaches.

In fact, many New Yorkers save their vacation time for the winter months; that’s about when we start to get homesick for our beach-lying days. As a massive money-saver, I really enjoy the fact that my off-season vacationing can lead to a lot of savings, but most of all I appreciate dealing with a lot less crowds! Does anyone feel like Disney?

Vacation when no else is

The Travel Industry Association estimates that 23% of people report taking their vacation in the fall, which is a sharp drop from the 38% who reported a preference for vacationing during the summer months; fortunately, as the masses reduce, so do the prices. In resort areas known for their postcard-worthy beaches, the price drop is particularly noticeable. The Caribbean and Florida are two prime examples of this; hotel rates alone can see their rates drop almost 40% compared to peak season.

There are some places where tourism never seems to cease, big cities like New York and Chicago never seem to offer a prolonged period of off-season rates. But I live in New York and assume Chicago is pretty similar. Why would I want to go there?

Utilize credit cards to your advantage

I also fill out a lot of credit card applications throughout the year, simply to enhance my vacation savings when the time comes. Like many, I only associated the frequent flyer miles on my credit card with vacation savings, over the years I have expanded my repertoire, using different credit cards for everything from gas to hotel stays, each with their own built-in savings. Of course the flyer miles are probably still the best savings there is, but even with that, I no longer settle for just the typical 20,000 miles or so. Why would I when there are offers out there of up to 100,000 miles. They are not as easy to come by, but they do exist.

Do your research first

A lot of cards offer hotel programs:   these can lead to major savings, but it does take a little more work to do a proper comparison shopping on these cards. Often they will have a lot of blackout dates and capacity limitations. The ones that claim there are no blackout dates will instead have some strong capacity restrictions. Do your homework on these and you can save some serious cash. For local trips I, of course, have a gas card credit card that I use. Of course, with the high price of gasoline over the past several years, I often think it would be cheaper just to fly. Sometimes taking the scenic route can end up being the best part of your vacation. If it makes you feel any better, think of it this way:  using a gas card which earns money back means the more that you spend, the more you are actually saving. OK, so it’s a bit of a justification, but it is true nonetheless.

One other tip I learned the hard way: it you are going overseas on your vacation, make sure you use a card that at doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. Most do and you will end up paying more for every purchase that you make â“ a real vacation killer for me!

Filed Under: Budgeting, Credit, Debt, Life Experience, Travel, World Finance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Survive Vegas Without Going Broke

July 22, 2011 by

save money in vegas

 

Las Vegas is an amazing vacation destination that has something for everybody: casinos, live shows, pools, buffets and much more. Whether you travel with family or friends, you will be able to have a great time. In order to get more bang out of your buck, here are 3 great tips to save money at Sin City.

Save Money by Staying at Older Hotels

While the bigger and more attractive hotels such as the MGM Grand and the Cosmopolitan are in the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard (also known as The Strip❠by locals), there is no need for you to stay in these hotels to enjoy all of their amenities. You can trim the biggest expense of your budget, lodging, by staying at older hotels such as Circus Circus on 2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South and Riviera on 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South. Such older hotels have to provide deep discounts to attract clientele and often include free perks such as coupons for free meals at the hotel buffet restaurant and discounts at local attractions. All major casinos are within walking distance from each other or just a short ride on the monorail.

Save Money by Getting Comps at Casinos

Even though you won’t be staying at the major hotels, you will most likely spend a lot of time at their casinos. While being at the casino may not sound as a way to save money, it isâ¦when done right. First, you need to contact the Players Club office at the casino that you are planning to spend most of your time at. Try to pick a program that doesn’t limit to just one casino such as the M Life Players Club, which will allow you to gain points at the ARIA, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, New York New York, Luxor and Excalibur.

After receiving your Players Club card, it is important that you present it to the dealer every time that you sit at game table and insert the card every time that you play a slot machine. By accumulating points, you will qualify for free meals, accommodations and tickets (also known as comps❠at participating hotels from the rewards program. All casinos will offer comps to their players but they will not let them know about these comps unless they ask for them. Don’t be shy and ask for your rewards and remember to present your card at all locations that accept it.

Also, when playing long enough you will be able to receive free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from waitresses walking by. Make sure to always tip them and they will take good care of you. Furthermore, by signing up for a rewards program you will be kept in the loop about special discounts throughout the year.

Save Money by Traveling Smart

If you decide to rent a car in Las Vegas, it is important that you make smart use of it. First, you can save gas by using the valet parking service from any hotel instead of driving around in the self-parking. All hotels, even the Bellagio, offer free valet parking to their guests. Second, keep in mind that when heading to a hotel to watch a live show, there is a good chance that both the self-park and the valet parking lot will be full. Save time and gas by parking at the nearest hotel instead. Third, you can save money when pumping gas by driving as far away from Las Vegas Boulevard as possible. The gas pumps at The Strip charge a premium.

Finally, avoid using your car whenever possible. Walk to nearby hotels and ride the monorail or bus. Only ride the local cabs when you’re heading to a place to which the driver receives a commission for bringing clients. That way you will be able to either get a free ride or negotiate a discounted rate.

(By Damian Davila, business and marketing blogger at http://idaconcpts.com. Follow him on Twitter at @idaconcpts.)

photo by http2007

Filed Under: Travel