Haystack Rock

Looking for a great deal to the Oregon Coast? Living Social has one right now.  You can get 2 nights, a big bottle of beer and breakfast one day in Pacific City for just $199.

We have never stayed in Pacific City, but we have visited and enjoyed some good eats and great sights.

Pacific City has the ever popular Haystack Rock. Also they have the highest sand dune around making for one great workout trying to get to the top. Best part is coming down.  You see, there are these "cliffs" on the sand dunes and you can run and jump down them. You can't get hurt because it is all sand. It's so much fun.

We have eaten at Pelican Pub once, but many years ago. What I love about them is they pair their food to their beers. Love that.

This is such a great deal at just $199 for 2 nights. Get it now before it's sold out.

It's back! If you are looking for discount tickets to Cedar Point or Coupons for Cedar Point, I have found them.

I am an avid couponer and I make my way to Coupons.com often.  Just today I noticed that you can click and print a $7 off coupon to Cedar Point.

All you will need to do is install a coupon printer on your computer. This will do nothing to harm your computer. Trust me, my husband is an IT guy and he has even allowed me to put it on his so I can print more coupons.  I am not sure how many people can use the coupon.  Just know that if you need more you can print 2 coupons per computer.

Enjoy the ride!!

This deal is back! Last time it sold out before time ran out, so if you want it you need to act quickly. I purchased mine last time. I have my gift certificate and I am waiting for my window of opportunity. Can't wait to use it.

World Resorts International is offering a 7 night stay for just $399.This is a $1500 value.

This is a great price for accommodations and you can choose U.S., Mexico or Canada.

Just go to the top of your Groupon page and change the city. The deal is listed under Las Vegas.

Here is what I learned from reading the Groupon site.

• There is a 7 night stay at any of the participating and available World Market International Resorts. There are over 500 locations that are listed on their website.
• You will not have to sit through a presentation as this is not a time share.
• Owners of World Resorts International will get first priority of the properties. World Market will then allow the Groupon users to purchase any that are available after that, so you will need to be flexible and have a few dates in mind.
• Purchases can only be made 60 days prior to travel. That does make planning ahead harder, but you are getting 7 nights for just $399.
• Some of the resorts do have the all inclusive option. You are not paying for that option, but it sounds like you can upgrade to that if you wish.
• Groupon covers all the taxes, fees and gratuities.
• There aren't many available, so grab one now if you want one. Last time Groupon did this they sold out quickly.

Even with certain restrictions and needing to be flexible and only planning 60 days ahead, I still purchased this and here is why.

• Groupon offers an awesome satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason you are not satisfied you can get a refund with no hassles.

• If you can't find a date that works and you end up not using it, you can get your money back.
• I also found that there are many within driving distance, making this a great last minute vacation package to have.

Want more information. Head on over to the Discussion board and more of your questions could be answered there.

Thanks Money4ThisNot4That for highlighting this great deal.

Looking for an international vacation destination? Many will choose well known locations like Paris or Rome. Have you even considered Tenerife, which is located in the Canary Islands? The Canary Islands are located just off the coast off the west coast of Africa. Tenerife is part of the Spanish territory and it is the largest of the all the Canary Islands, and they are just a 4 hour flight from the UK.

The best part is there are cheap holidays in Tenerife.  Prices include accommodations and airfare from London, Manchester and All Scotland Airports.

Tenerife is a great get away location for romantic couples and families. For those that like to visit clubs in the evenings, this place is for you too. It is known for the year round sunshine, great beaches and beautiful green countryside. The country offers tons of activities and amenities.

You will have your choice of hotels to stay in from 3 star to 5 star. All the hotels will have pools and in house restaurants. You can also choose to have a small but comfortable studio or something bigger that even contains a kitchenette. What ever best suits your needs. Come as a couple or bring the whole family. Tenerife will have what you need to accommodate you holiday.

By day you can relax on the beaches and by the pools. At the night the place comes to life with a great selection of bars and clubs.

There will never be a dull moment on this vacation, unless of course, that is just what you are looking for.

We are spending a day in Seattle. The whole trip is based around us taking our daughter and a friend on a college visit. Since we lived in Portland we thought we would ride the train.

Did you know that Amtrak offers discounts for college visits?  Yep, it's true. We got a Buy One get One 50% off. With the cost of gas going up, this will save us money, plus we can all take advantage of the 3+ hour drive from Portland to Seattle. I have never taken the train, so I am excited about this adventure.

I am always on the lookout for blogs that showcase cities that we plan to visit.

Seattle-Fun seems to have tons of information and good ideas.

I used Hotwire to book our hotel. I had found a 4 star for $99 in the general area we wanted. I think I narrowed down which hotel it was. I didn't book it at the time, even though it was a great deal. Instead I put a watch on it to see if it would come down.

A few days later I was looking again. I found a 4 star for $106 and saw that it was a boutique hotel (this information is clearly marked).  I began searching to see which one it was and my husband blurts out, "just book it!" Apparently he really likes boutique hotels. I haven't traveled enough to know.

Without further research I book it and ended up on the Puget Sound in the Edgewater Hotel.  Booking prices start at $248, although with more research and our time of year I did get it down to $175, which is still a huge savings.

Not only that, I booked through Ebates and earned 2% cash back. It's not a lot, but things like that add up over time.

Another Hotwire tip :: book just one night. It will show you what hotel you got and at that point you can choose to book additional nights.

I have been watching Groupon and Living Social hoping to score some cheap eats. I haven't scored any for Seattle, but I have scored 3 recently for Portland.

Any tips for cheap entertainment or good cheap eats in the downtown area?

Read on to find out about our Hotel and where we ate.

You trip is coming together. You are so excited to get out of town, but you still have to book that car rental. Unfortunately it will take some time, but don't kill yourself looking for the killer deal. Here are quick tips to make sure you got it right.

1. Shop Around. Check the different companies and look at local car dealerships that might also offer car rentals.
2. Look for Discounts. The usual sites like Hotwire, Priceline and Kayak. But also check with your insurance company, Entertainment book and online.
3. Go Straight to the Companies Website. They run their own deals, that often time match up with coupons.
4. Don't get the gas package. When you do this you have to use as much as the gas as possible. You lose money if you bring it back with 2-3 gallons left in it. Especially with todays prices. Don't choose the option where they gas it up for you either. Gas it up yourself right before you return it.
5. Don't get the insurance. They will try and make you all nervous about not having and you will begin to second guess your decision. Call your insurance agent, chances are your current insurance covers rental cars. Not only that but make a call to your credit card companies and see if they have any coverage for rental cars.
6. Ask about additional fees. Can you drop it off early without a fee. What are the late fees? Can you drop it off at another location.
7. Watch for fees, everywhere. You will get charged a fee if you pick it up at the airport, but you probably won't be charged if you return it to the airport. So pick it up off site if you can.  Check your receipt for any additional fees you did not know about.  MSNBC warns about getting a ticket and not coming forward about it. Companies make you pay it and tack on a hefty fee. Same goes for electronic toll booths. Make sure you make the 20¢ payment so you are stuck with a $25 fine later.

BUT…

Make sure you don't worry yourself to death trying to get the absolute cheapest deal you can find.

WHAT?

I know. Don't kill yourself trying to save $2.  Go with a company you have used and like. Find a coupon and book it and move on.

Today I went straight to Hertz. After looking through Hotwire and Priceline I ended up getting a better price by just going to the site and grabbing one of their deals.

I didn't spend a ton of time after I realized that they all were about the same price. I just chose a company I liked and went with it.

photo courtesy of Mellicious at flickr

Looking for a coupon for the Oregon Coast Aquarium? Well, Groupon can hook you up through tomorrow.

This is a great place to visit will on vacation at the Oregon Coast. If you are headed this way or are in the area and have guests coming, you will want to jump on this deal.

To find this deal select Portland, OR as your city and find the deal there.

They are offering 2 Groupon deals or this ::

• $15 for 2 Adult Tickets
• $25 for 2 Adult Tickets and 2 Kid Tickets or Young Adult Tickets

I do live fairly close to this, and have to admit that I have never been. I might just need to grab this Groupon myself and head on down.

Not from Portland and not visiting anytime soon? That's fine, just choose a city that is nearest to you and watch the deals roll in.

Better yet, select your summer vacation destination and watch for spa deals, food deals, entertainment and more.

Enjoy!!

Here are 6 Steps to Planning the Perfect Roller Coaster Vacation

Use Hotwire to save you money. Here's how to figure out what hotel you might be booking.

Do you really need to purchase that FlashPass?

Make sure you get the most out of your park.

Groupon is a great way to find good deals. Not only on food, but hotels, entertainment and spa. Just to name a few things. Make sure you add the city you will be vacationing to and watch it for deals.

Take the time to research the park you are going to, and make sure it will meet all the needs of your family. Our family does like Disneyland, but since we tend to be more of the thrill seeker type family, we have to head to places like Cedar Point. But for those that don't like thrill, Cedar point is not the best place for you.

My favorite money saving tip of all when going to amusement parks to ask for cups of water at the restaurants. Both Cedar Fair parks and Six Flags will give you cups upon request for FREE. Which is a whole lot cheaper than $4 for a small bottle.

Forced to buy the bottled water, then buy it from a vending machine so you don't have to pay sales tax. Every little bit counts, right?

Need a few more ideas, check out Frugal Dad.

If any of you are flying in or out of the Portland International Airport before August 25, 2011 you might be interested in today's Portland, Oregon Groupon.

For just $119 you can get a One night stay at Embassy Suites, including made to order breakfast, evening reception and seven days worth of parking. This deal will last through tomorrow, so if you are interested grab it now. Sometimes hotels have limits and once the limit is reached they stop the sale even if there is time remaining.

Remember anytime you travel watch Groupon for local stays, fare and entertainment. You just might save yourself a few bucks.

For those of you familiar with Groupon you will be excited to see that there is a Travel group buying site that just went live, called Trip Alertz.

Group buying sites are offering coupons or discounts because they get a large number of people to participate.  In order to make this work, invite your friends.

Groupon does daily deals while Trip Alertz will have deals that will last for 2 weeks.  For instance You can get a 50% discount on Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles, FL.  You will have up to 12 days left to make this purchase.   Also today Trip Alertz has a San Francisco deal at the Wyndham and Hotel El Cid in Cancun for 35% off.  But the prices will continue to go down…

Here is how it works:

• On the side you will see upcoming deals.  You vote on those, the ones that get the most votes become the next travel deal.
• The new deals will go live every TUESDAY and last for 2 weeks.
• The most you will pay is the already low Member Price.
• Once a certain number of people book the same deal, everyone will get the EPIC DEAL.

All you need to do is head over to Trip Alertz and sign up and you will start receiving travels deals as well, get your friends to sign up as well.  Even if you friends sign up you won't need to travel together.

Make sure you are also signed up with Groupon.  I like to also receive deals from destinations that I plan on vacationing too.

I like to travel, but I like to do it on a budget.  This seems to work of me.