We have returned from a great week in Arizona, via two nights in Las Vegas. Our home base was Sedona, where we stayed in a beautiful, one-bedroom suite with an amazing view, a fully stocked kitchen, and a large bathroom with a huge tiled shower and a Jacuzzi tub. My DS and BIL traveled with us, and they slept on the sofa sleeper in the living room. We shared expenses for gas and food. The four of us agreed to sit through a 90-minute timeshare presentation in exchange for $200 worth of gift certificates that we used at local restaurants. The timeshare presentation was low-key and of course, we declined to purchase.

DH and I already own two timeshares that we’ve had for years. Some people feel that timeshares are not a good investment, but for us, they work because I have learned to leverage them to our best advantage. However, it does take time to plan in advance. We bought our timeshares at a very low price and the maintenance fees are reasonable. Our suite in Sedona would rent for $499 a night if we had not paid with points. I have calculated that we pay under $100 per night, including reservation fees and annual maintenance fees. Not bad for being able to stay in such luxurious accommodations.

Here is the view from our suite in Sedona.


We took a day trip to the Grand Canyon because my DS and BIL had never been there. Typical of those who see it for the first time, they were awe-struck by the beautiful expanse of the canyon. As you look out onto the canyon, it does seem as if the sky and the canyon are actually painted on a backdrop. It is so exquisite.



It normally costs $25 to get into the Grand Canyon, but since DH is 62, we were able to buy a $10 lifetime senior pass to all the national parks. What a great deal!

We are back from a week in NYC and what a great week it was. For the first five nights we stayed at a very nice hotel that connected to Grand Central Terminal, so it was very convenient to get anywhere in Manhattan. For the last two nights, we stayed in a “boutique” hotel with tiny rooms in the Murray Hill area on the east side. Manhattan is alive with an energy that resonates day and night. Although NYC is very expensive, it is an exciting, fast-paced city that has much to offer.

NYC attracts tourists from around the world, and we heard many different languages everywhere we went. New Yorkers were very friendly and I noticed that people walk everywhere…something very healthy. It also seemed that a lot of people smoke…not so healthy… but it could have been that some of these were visitors, although some were obviously New Yorkers. Since we have family in Manhattan, we had reliable information on good places to eat and interesting things to do.

The subway and buses were convenient, inexpensive, and almost always crowded. On a few occasions, we used taxis and we thought these were inexpensive compared to those in our home city. We packed in a lot of activities in one week and these are some of my favorites:
~ The Metropolitan Museum of Art
~ The Guggenheim Museum
~ The Museum of Modern Art
~ The Museum of Natural History
~ A two-hour cruise on the Hudson and East Rivers
~ The Empire State Building (we paid $15 extra to go to 102nd floor)
~ The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
~ Central Park (Zoo, Lake, Boat House, free Philharmonic concert)
~ Grand Central Terminal
~ Rockefeller Plaza
~ Times Square at night
~ The hot pastrami sandwiches from Katz’s Deli on Houston
~ Cannoli from Veniero's in the East Village

Food and drink can be VERY expensive in NYC. For example, one glass of Cabernet and a beer cost us over $25 at the bar in our first hotel… we did that only once. However, we came in $80 under budget, not great but it still was under budget.

We saved money by buying:
~ a City Pass that paid for all the museums and the cruise, saving a bundle ($74 PP; thanks, scfr, for the tip)
~ Metro cards for the subway and buses
~ breakfast and lunch at small delis and groceries
~ our drinking water at Rite Aid or Whole Foods instead of the street vendors (59¢ vs. $3 per bottle)
~ salads from the Whole Foods salad bar for our picnic in Central Park
~ decent CA wine for $9 a bottle at a wine shop and enjoying in our hotel room
~ walking to places that were within 10-20 blocks

We also saved money by not shopping… DH and I just enjoyed the sites and being with our family. My DS, BIL, their children and grandchildren, my DD1, and several of our friends were with us, so we had even more fun.

Our $150 a day budget included:
~ City Passes/extra tour fees
~ Two lunches and three dinners at more “upscale” restaurants (expensive)
~ Breakfast, lunch, fruit, coffee, snacks at small places like the Metro Café
~ Meals at airport
~ Metro cards and taxis
~ Shuttles to and from the airport
~ Tips
~ One souvenir for me (a $25 scarf from the Met Museum)
~ Buying items forgotten @ hotel (e.g., sunscreen)

Our airfare was free with miles, the five days at first hotel were paid with points, and the two nights at second hotel were prepaid in March.

All in all, it was a great trip and I look forward to going back some day soon. Here is a view from the Empire State Building.


Central Park is lovely, safe, and well-cared for.


Here is one reason why mass transit is so popular. It can be very costly to park your car in NYC.

LN has been my pet-sitter for about 8 years and without her help, traveling would be more complicated. It’s important to me that my pets are able to remain in their familiar environment and do not have to suffer the stress of being placed in a kennel cage. The first time any of my pets have met LN, they've warmed right up to her, showing me she is a genuine "animal person." LN really seems to enjoy her job and has always been trustworthy and reliable.

Currently, LN charges $22 to come to our home once a day to take care of our two cats (now it’s just TC since MC passed away). She feeds, provides clean water, cleans the kitty commode, takes in the mail, waters the plants/patio, and plays with the cats. Her fee is just $4 more than the boarding facility (vet clinic). Actually, to board would cost $18 per cat, so we saved money when we had two cats. LN leaves detailed notes that I enjoy reading and sends regular email updates on the pets. I’ve referred LN to several other people and they agree she is the best.

DH and I are off to NYC in early July for a family wedding and are excited to be visiting for the first time. Our challenge will be to stick to a vacation budget for the entire week. The budget does not include air fare and hotels as these are already paid for. We are spending 5 nights in Hotel 1, and then changing to another hotel because Hotel 1 would cost more than $400 a night if we had to actually pay for it. (We paid w/points but only had enough for 5 nights.) Hotel 2 is a smaller boutique hotel that is “only” about $215 a night but includes a free breakfast and like Hotel 1, is in the heart of Manhattan. We know NYC is expensive, so I’ve tried to plan accordingly.

Expenses so far:
Air Fare - Paid with “miles” (saved $1000+)
Hotel 1 - Paid with “points” (saved $2100+)
Hotel 2 - Paid from vacation “reserve fund” (cost $439.58+)

Daily Spending Budget (average):
Meals for 2 - $80
Taxis, subway, entrance fees, etc. - $70

Budget for entire week: $1,500

My questions:
Any recommendations for “must see” sites in NYC?
Is our “daily spending budget” realistic?
Any frugal travel tips?

All feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

DH is in Central America with a group of graduate students and has been keeping me updated via email. This morning, I was able to have a nice long chat with him via Skype. Even though DH is thousands of miles away, it was great to see him “in person.” (It sure is fun to have web cams on our computers!) So far, the trip has been uneventful, except for one student who exceeded the baggage weight limit, so she had to pay an extra $50 (ouch!) for her suitcase. DH says his 15 students are now fully immersed in teaching elementary students in the hosting bilingual school.

The posada (inn) where they are staying is Spartan, but clean and affordable. Most of the rooms cost about $25 per night, have a small private bathroom, but no phone or TV. It does, however, have wireless internet available free to all guests. DH’s group has access to a communal kitchen where they will prepare and share some meals together.

About Skype: With Skype, you can make free calls over the internet to other people on Skype for as long as you like, to wherever you like. It is free to download.

I’ve been using Skype to call relatives in England, Switzerland, and Central America for more than two years. My laptop always goes with me, so I use Skype to call the US when I travel out of the country. This is a great way to make free international calls. If the computers of both Skye users have web cams, you can see each other while you are speaking. Otherwise, you will just hear each other… and it sounds as if you are on “speaker phone.”

If you want to learn more, here is the link:

www.skype.com/getconnected

Early tomorrow morning DH leaves for a three-week trip to Central America where he will be supervising 15 graduate students from his university as they complete their student teaching in a bilingual primary school. This international program allows students to immerse themselves in another culture to broaden their skills working with diverse populations. The group will stay in a “posada” with a communal kitchen and DH will be cooking many of his own meals. Since DH is diabetic, I went to Trader Joe’s today to buy him a few of his favorites things to take along: low-carb dark chocolate bars to satisfy his sweet tooth, unsalted dry roasted almonds, a bottle of Environné Fruit & Vegetable Wash, a small bottle of pesto to serve over low-carb pasta, and some Airborne. I spent just under $25 for items that cost about $19 just a few months ago. Food is definitely getting more and more expensive! Now, if only we can keep his two check-in bags under 50 pounds. This will be a challenge since he’s taking school supplies and a small HP printer to donate to the hosting school which has very meager resources.