Canadian Dollar Shopping

Everybody has their own ideas about how to save money. Some of these ideas are probably pretty reasonable, such as cutting down on eating out in restaurants or purchasing things that you use all the time in bulk. However, there are plenty of silly or downright stupid ways to save money that people swear by. Here is some bad money saving advice that will have you either laughing or crying due to the humour or sheer stupidity of the advice.

There are actually people that advise friends never to pay more than the credit card minimum. The reasoning behind this is because you don’t want to give the credit card company more money than you have to. Clearly, these people are uneducated and don’t know about a little thing called “interest,” you know, the kind that adds up every month? In light of interest, it’s almost like you save money every time you pay your bill on time! In the same line of thinking, there are the people who advise never to pay off your home completely so you won’t lose your mortgage interest deduction. It’s difficult to imagine where someone could come up with this kind of advice, but somehow they manage.

Food is a major expense for people and there’s plenty of bad advice regarding how to save money on food out there. Apparently some people sincerely believe that eating out is cheaper than cooking. Well, if you are a terrible shopper who doesn’t know how to budget to save your life, then that might be true – only if you eat out day and night at cheap fast food restaurants. Even if these people find themselves “saving” money this way, what they’re not taking into account is what years and years of unhealthy eating does to your body. Save money now so you can spend it on your medical bills later! Or how about spending money to eat out constantly because it’s too expensive to fix a fridge that doesn’t work? If you’re really frugal, you can also look into stealing people’s leftover drinks in bars. Hey, why not – it’s alcohol, so it kills at the germs and you don’t need to spend money to get toasted!

If you want to save money on an old car that works perfectly fine and is completely paid off, definitely consider trading it in for a new car that requires you to make monthly payments. Also, make sure to take the five or ten year loan plan because the monthly payments will be cheaper that way. If you want a really nice home but can’t afford to buy one, some people think a great way to get around this is just to buy any home you can get your hands on whether you can afford it or not. According to them, real estate prices always go up several percentage points every year, so if you just sit tight a couple of years, you’ll have enough equity so you can borrow against the house and use the money to upgrade it to the house you’ve always wanted and save the money you would’ve had to spend upfront!

About the writer: Ryan Embly is from the car rental website Car Rental Express (CRX). If you need a rental car in San Francisco or any other major city in the United States then try CRX. Here is his great article:

Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare come true. It can happen so quickly – you take your eyes off your child for one second and the next thing you know they’ve disappeared. Losing a kid is scary enough when you’re close to home, but at least if you’re at the local grocery store you know your way around so you can look for your kid. It’s even more terrifying when you’re traveling in a strange place and you have no idea where you are or where your kid could have gone. Here are some tips that will help you keep track of your kids while traveling or in a worst case scenario, will help you track them down.

Make your kids identification cards. You can either make it yourself by printing out a card and laminating it, or by finding a company that makes identification cards. Make sure each kid has one at all times, and make sure that they know where it is – the card is of little use if your kid forgot that you put it in their backpack!

If you’re going to a place like an amusement park or an airport, or just about anywhere where it’s easy for your kid to get lost, make sure you know what they’re wearing so if they do disappear, you can describe what they’re wearing to a police or security officer. It would be even better if you could get your kid to wear a colorful and distinctive shirt so they would stand out of the crowd, but older kids may balk at such a display. Also, as a parent you too should wear bright colored clothing so your kids can find you easily in a crowd.

When at a hotel, don’t let your kids run off by themselves, even if they’re just going down the hall to the vending machine. Who knows what creep is staying in the room next door. Don’t count on the hotel employees to keep an eye on your kids – they are not your babysitters. Make sure your kids understand that they are not to sneak out of the room at night while you are sleeping to explore the hotel – this is not home where they are free to roam around as they please.

For young children who are particularly prone to running off, you may want to look into purchasing a leash. That way, the child is allowed to wander around and explore but you can’t lose track of them. If they are heading in a direction that looks dangerous, just give them a tug and they’ll have to come back to you. There are two types of leashes – one that you can strap around the wrist and another that goes around their torso like a backpack. The wrist leash is less conspicuous, but if your child is about to jump into traffic, the backpack leash will allow you to jerk their entire body back. Some people feel that leashes for children are offensive since they are similar to leashes for animals, but what’s more important – looking good or keeping your children safe?

If you love freedom, adventure and flexibility, a road trip is one of the best ways to explore any country. With its vast highways crisscrossing of Canada and the United States, you can easily choose a road trip that is cheap and best for you and your family. Scenic drives, exotic views and a flexible mode of transportation at your holiday destination are all great advantages of road trips. Road trips are also the most economical and cost effective mode of transport if you know how to use it to your advantage.

Saving money on Accommodation

A road trip gives you the option of camping. The fun, thrill and adventure of camping at national parks and woods definitely overshadow rooming options. Ensure your travel kit has a sleeping bag. Find an ideal spot on the way and enjoy your nap under the stars or you could simply opt to crash out in your vehicle. A check on the weather is advisable when heading for camping. Make sure you stock up on other necessities like mosquito repellants, flash lights etc.. If camping is not your style, you can plan your trip such that you can spend nights at friend’s places that fall on the way. You could also opt for budget rooms. If all else fails, “Couchsurfing” with its vast list of like minded individuals is there to help you out with members located in over 8,000 cities. Join up as a member and ensure free halts during vacations even in the remotest places.

Stock up bottled water, soft drinks, energy bars and chips

Instead of hitting the usual restaurants dotting the usual tourist spots, go for the off beat track. Small eateries and food stalls lining village roads are wise decisions. Stock up on snacks and bites to help quench your hunger and defray eating expenses. Chocolate bars are also great energy boosters. Fresh fruits also grant you a cheaper alternative to eating out, however cheap the meal may be. They are also the healthy alternative to costly and nutrition-zero snacks of a supermarket which should anyway be carried along for emergency reserves. Restaurant coupons are another great money saver. Carry water coolers to avoid expenditures on drinks on the way.

Gas savings

Servicing your car before a road trip will work wonders in fuel conservation. Drive at a moderate speed and never keep the vehicle engaged unnecessarily. Speeding on roads will also speedily deplete your fuel. As far as possible try avoiding rush hour traffic. Try finding a website to help you compare car rental prices. Websites like Car Rental New York can save you a lot of time and money. Practice fuel conserving tips like slowing down to a halt at traffic signals and stops, turning off air conditioners, inflating tires to maximum allowed capacity etc. These simple tricks will grant you longer lasting fuel. Comparing and collecting information on gas prices and locations of gas stations at each stop will also save you money. Check out the lucrative deals that are available. Make sure you have the necessary maps and directions so that you do not lose your way incurring unnecessary fuel expense.