10 Holiday Travel Tips

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We are entering the busiest travel season of the year. If you don’t plan ahead you might pay an exorbitant amount of money to get from point A to point B for the holidays. But you don’t have to if you check out this money-saving list. Teri Gault, CEO and founder of TheGroceryGame.com, has shared tips in the past on how to save on Halloween decorations and how to cut back on your grocery food bill.

Top 10 Holiday Travel Tips

by Teri Gault, CEO

As CEO of www.TheGroceryGame.com, I fly over 150,000 miles a year, and stay in hotels, and rent cars all over the map! I also have a family and have enjoyed many family holiday trips and vacations without breaking the bank. Here’s my top 10 holiday travel tips for saving money when we need to most!

1. Compare alternative airports – Flights are higher during the holidays, but you’ve got lots of options to compare. Check to see if it’s cheaper to drive a few hours to a connection, than to take a second flight. Or, it may be cheaper to fly into Fort Lauderdale than Miami, for example. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars per ticket, and only had to drive 30 minutes further. I like Orbitz.com for comparing flight prices. Also, different airlines have different rates, as they have different hub and origination cities. Just note that Jetblue and Southwest do not participate on Orbitz. So, be sure to compare their rates on their websites as well. Read more

Trimming Your Holiday Gift List

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We’re back from our refreshing vacation — the weather was warm, the cocktails were cool and we had a great time.  It was just what we needed to relax and recharge. While we laid by the pool though, holiday music was piping throughout the resort! It was very strange to be basking in the 85 degree sunshine and hearing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer playing in the background.

But it just reminds me that everyone will soon join me in their holiday shopping efforts.  If you remember — I started my shopping in August.  I do it every year and sometimes I’m even done by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.  I’m halfway through with the buying and mostly done with the brainstorming now.  Now that I know what my plan of attack will be — it will be easy to get all the shopping done.

One reason I start my shopping early is to stretch out the spending throughout the year so we don’t get one huge credit card bill in December or January. But what do you do if you want to scale back on your holiday gift list but don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings?  I was recently quoted in this BankRate.com article, “How to Trim Your Holiday Gift List With Class.”  Check out some of my tips about list making, of course, and some other secrets too.

What is Your Biggest Productivity Killer?

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We all fall victim to distractions that kill our productivity.  You know — phone calls or people walking into your office that pull you away from what you were working on.  But what about the time eaters that we do all on our own?  I’ve compiled some of the most frequent time killers using a list maker from List.ly.  Which ones do you spend the most time on?

 

List of Ingredients to Spice Up Your Cocktails

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It’s almost the weekend and I’m always looking for new drinks and spritzers to try. Entertaining guru Mindy Kobrin has been great in the past with giving me some ideas for ways to throw a fabulous outdoor party. Now she’s helping me again — with some ingredients to turn up the heat in the kitchen for a little romance.

Pantry Potions List

by Mindy Kobrin

Foods and ingredients that make you feel and look good might just be the treasured secret to kitchen romance! So hurry up and don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to feel tempted with some of my full-proof ingredients and pantry potions.

CHAMPAGNE

The bubbly is perfect for setting the mood with its happy carbonation that helps keep your arteries open and blood flowing. Practice safe sipping as noted in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “It provoketh desire, but takes away the performance.”

POMEGRANATES

In ancient times, foods that resembled seeds or eggs were often thought to be aphrodisiacs and promote fertility. Pomegranates, full of seeds and loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, are in abundance from October to January. Here are just a few of this fruit’s magical benefits: Read more

These Lists are Shortcuts for Life

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I’m all for shortcuts — that’s why I make so many lists about whatever task I’m working on.  Whether it be looking for an apartment or finding a new restaurant I like to work things out on paper and give myself a cheat sheet.  I’ve written about my new favorite source for cheat sheets called SkinnyScoop.com.  It’s a great website that gives visitors the “skinny” on all sorts of topics to make life easier.

I’ve compiled a couple of lists for the site about how to be more productive and the best websites for planning a vacation.  It’s great fun to make lists using their software and to read some of the others on the site.  You can comment on and add to any list you like. It’s a nice way to interact and find shortcuts for just about anything.  You’ll find ways to declutter, the best subscription websites, amazing dessert recipes, etc.

I’m honored to be named as one of the SkinnyScoop Tastemakers.  That means that I’m part of a group of 9 women who will actively contribute to the site and offer our expertise in our various fields.  So I’ll be making lists about making lists! Perfect — I can do that!  I hope you’ll check out the site, upload your own lists and read through some of mine and the other Tastemaker’s lists.