Sixteen things about me …
Great Travel Deals
Image by The Gifted Photographer
I have agreed to join the current fad …

1) I like to do self portraits since I got a digital camera and discovered editing and deleting of images … up until then, no one was allowed to take my picture … so now it is actually fun for me and, at one point I allowed myself to post these to Flickr and be seen by others online.. it isn’t so scary after all …

2) I am a strong believer in education for women … I hold graduate degrees from three universities … my mother was one of the first women in this country to earn a law degree and pass the state bar in New York state in 1937 … my daughter holds three university degrees as well …

3) I have no idea of what my real hair color is … at 16, my mother encouraged me to try blond hair and my hair has been blond since that time …

4) I find something in common with almost every person I meet, and see every encounter as an opportunity to learn something new … about them and myself in the process …

5) I am a true optimist, some might say downright Pollyannish … I am trusting of others until, or if, they cause me problems … I always want to believe that people are, by nature, good inside … with good motives … sometimes I have been disappointed but then regain my momentum ….

6) I enjoy gourmet cooking .. probably because my mother did not cook much … I taught myself kitchen skills and became good enough to open a small catering business … when that was too much work for the remuneration, I went back to teaching where I got a nice paycheck and my own kitchen remained clean and neat!

7) I learned about the joys of both travel and photography from my father … because he was in the military, we traveled a lot as a family … we lived in Morocco for two years and learned a great deal about the local Arab culture … later in my life, I traveled to London three times, Paris twice, Israel twice, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, and Salzburg … that was an amazing trip!
8) I am addicted to Flickr, digital photography, writing, and classical art …

9) I enjoy the Atlanta Symphony concerts and buy a subscription every year to their concerts.

10) I love having a dog and almost always have had one .. the last two were a toy poodle and then a golden cocker spaniel … they both lived long lives and I am ready to buy another dog .. I always need something to love … dogs fill that bill nicely … they offer unconditional love …

11) I love warm, soft kisses and good deeply satisfying sex … as I got older, I learned that I was a "touchy feely" individual … it is hard to find those attributes in others sometimes …

12) I love shrimp made any way possible and I love Pepperidge Farm cookies … I make a crust out of the Butter Chessmen cookies for my cheesecakes …

13) I inherited money which allowed me to retire early from my career in education … for me, never worrying about money is something I cherish … security, I guess …

14) After biting my fingernails all of my life, I stopped completely when I began taking Prozac … that medication also left me without a lifelong fear of cockroaches … two selling points for the manufacturer …

15) I attract people who are narcissists … over and over again … I don’t recommend it …

16) I was, and still am, a fan of the late George Carlin .. I enjoyed his work with language … the "Seven Dirty Words" is one of my favorite pieces he performed and wrote … I use words like that easily and don’t have a problem with others using them … I really can’t stand judgemental people …

Guess this is a form of therapy … and lots cheaper than psychoanalysis ….

There are a massive amount of travel deals to sift through online so finding the best bargains can be an overwhelming task. Here are 5 tips that will help you make the most of the time you spend searching for deals online.

1. Be Flexible

It is essential to be flexible about your travel plans if you want to increase the odds of landing the best deals. Whether that means flying on a different airline, departing from a different airport than usual, or being open to changing your travel time or date, flexibility will make a big difference in savings. The cheapest airfares usually require a Saturday-night stay and many last-minute airfares are posted on the internet on Wednesdays. You can also save a lot more money if you travel early in the morning or late at night when airports are less congested.

2. Be Aware of Restrictions and Hidden Fees

If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Find out if there are any strings attached before you purchase a travel package or flight ticket. For example, many airfare deal listings do not include taxes, which could raise the price as much as 50%. Some important questions you may want to ask before purchasing flight tickets is whether taxes are include, how much the fees are, and if it would be possible to change your ticket if necessary. Many people don’t realize that it can cost to extra to purchase flight tickets online. E-tickets make it easier to check in because all you need to do is provide your confirmation number and picture ID. However, you have to pay a little extra for that convenience.

3. Travel During Shoulder Season

Shoulder season is the two to four week period before or after peak travel season. You can still enjoy the great weather and other perks that make a destination popular during peak season without dealing with the high prices and crowds that are associated with it. Hotel rates and car rental rates are substantially lower during shoulder season. By traveling during shoulder season, you can save 25% to 35% on travel.

4. Make Your Travel Plans Far in Advance

There are plenty of great last-minute bargains to be had but some people’s travel plans just aren’t flexible enough for them to just take whatever deals they manage to get at the last moment. If you are traveling during peak season, make sure to make your travel plans far in advance because waiting until the last moment can cost you a lot of money. Typically, domestic flight prices start going up 21 days prior to the date of departure so try to purchase your tickets before then. If you are traveling internationally, buy your tickets at least three to six months in advance.

5. Subscribe to Last-Minute Alerts on Travel Deals

You can be one of the first people to get access to great bargains if you subscribe to alerts on a website that publishes a steady flow of deals on travel. There are online travel portals that publish deals from a variety of different sources so you can comparison shop without having to visit many different websites.

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