Disney on a Budget 2016 - Part 2

Welcome back!  As I've said before, there's nothing I love talking about more than travel.  Particularly Disney travel!  Started Part 1 of this post with tips on accommodations and rental cars.  Missed that post?  Check it out here: http://www.overtiredmama.com/2016/02/disney-on-budget-2016-part-1.html

In today's post, I'm going to discuss airline tickets.

My daughter on the airplane.

Airfare is always a challenge.   Not everyone likes to hunt for good airfare prices, but I actually do!  So the tips I'm going to share are from my own experience.  You may have a different experience or different tips, so please feel free to share your comments!

I'm a "plan ahead" kind of person.  With airfare, there is such a thing as booking too soon.  Generally, with my accommodations, I have booked as far out as a year.  It's not always necessary to book that far in advance, depending on the property you're planning on staying at.  With the first rental property we stayed at, a rental in a quiet neighbourhood (check it out here: http://www.overtiredmama.com/2014/11/planning-our-florida-vacation-part-1.html ), it was necessary to book that far in advance because the property is very popular and books early, but the property we stayed at this year, which I found on Vacation Rental by Owner, we booked about 4 months out.

For airfare, prices are pretty high a year out.  So unless the airline you plan to use has made some announcement about an increase in fares coming, I probably wouldn't book that far out.  There is an exception.  If you plan to travel during major holidays (ex - Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc), prices tend to stay high during these periods, and this is a busy travel time.  There are always exceptions, but it's best to book earlier for these types of travel dates.

The other thing I noticed, in my own experience, is that even if your travel dates are not during a holiday, if you are booking your travel just prior to a holiday, prices can be higher.  Just as an example, we were looking at flight prices just prior to American Thanksgiving, for travel in March, and when I checked again the week following the holiday, prices were almost $200 cheaper.

I found the "sweet spot" (meaning the prices being best) to be about 8 to 10 weeks out.  I also am big on subscribing to airline and travel site emails, as they will notify you if a particular promotion is happening.  The other thing I have found is that airlines tend to have the best prices on their own website.  While, again, there are some exceptions, I do find the airlines to have better prices than "discount travel" sites.   Also, pay attention to "price guarantees".  Sometimes airlines or other travel sites will guarantee you the best price, and if you find a better price they will refund you the difference.  Read the small print though, there is often a lot of proof required to claim the refund.

You may also want to consider discount airlines or alternate airports.  you have to decide what is a "must have" for you.

Discount airlines are often cheaper, but sometimes use "secondary" airports, and don't have a lot of "bells and whistles", so lack of in-flight entertainment or food are some examples.

When considering an alternate airport, there are a few things to consider.  How much further is this "alternate airport" from your "home airport"?  Will it require an overnight stay?  A lot more gas?  Will you have to pay for parking for the duration of your trip?  And how valuable is your time?  These are all costs of selecting an alternative airport.

Consider my own example.  Our home airport is Saint John, New Brunswick.  I looked at flying from Fredericton, New Brunswick (1 hour away), Moncton, New Brunswick (2 hours away), Halifax, Nova Scotia (4 hours away), Bangor, Maine (3 hours away), and Portland, Maine (6 hours away).

Flights out of Fredericton and Moncton were very similar to the price from Saint John, so they were ruled out right away.  The flight from Halifax was $50 cheaper, but considering the distance, we would have spent that in gas, and would have had to stay over the night before, so that was ruled out.

With the exchange rage, the flight from Bangor was the same price, so it was ruled out, and the flight from Portland, with exchange, was about 100 cheaper, but would have required a lengthy drive and hotel stays.  So we stayed with our home airport.

That being said, we have selected alternate airports before, prices will differ all the time.

You can also fly in to alternate airports.  In the case of Orlando, there are two airports, Orlando International and Sanford.  Not all airlines fly in to both, so be aware of where you are flying in to.  And if you are renting a car, be sure you're renting at the correct airport.

So those are my airfare tips.  Have some tips of your own?  Feel free to share in the comments!

World Cancer Day

I had originally planned to write a post today about saving money on travel, but given that it's World Cancer Day, and cancer is a cause close to my heart, I thought I would share my experience in hopes of raising some awareness.

As a young adult, still pretty fresh from my university studies, I took a job with the Canadian Cancer Society.  My dad had worked in non-profit my whole life, and that was an area of interest for me, so it seemed meant to be.  Little did I know how much this work would affect me.

Growing up, I knew that my dad's parents had both succumbed to cancer before I was born.  And I knew of other family friends, acquaintances and members of my own extended family that had their own cancer experiences.  I knew, even at  a young age, that cancer affects many.

When I began working at the Canadian Cancer Society, I knew that 2 out of 5 people would be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.  I knew that it also meant that each diagnosis was life changing for those diagnosed, as well as their friends and family.

I worked for the Canadian Cancer Society for just under 9 years, and in that time I met so many amazing people - cancer survivors, family members impacted by cancer, widows/widowers, and amazing volunteers passionate about the cause.   I also got to see the impact of the work we did:  children with cancer experiences that were able to attend summer camp, people who were able to receive emotional support from the one-on-one peer support program, people who received financial assistance with their travel costs for treatment, the years of advocacy work that resulted in things like the Smoke Free Public Places act and flavoured tobacco bans.... to name a few.

But nothing reminded me more of why I was working for this organization than when my own father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013.  This diagnosis came as a shock to all of us.  My dad lived for 18 months after his diagnosis.

The loss of my father was devastating, and I miss him every day.  

Unfortunately, my story is not unique.  Cancer affects many and will continue to affect many.  But in saying that, we have come a long way from where we were even 30 years ago.  Survival rates get better, treatments become more precise, and new discoveries are made.

This June I will participate, once again, in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  This uplifting event connects me with others and gives me hope for the future.

On this World Cancer Day, I encourage others to get involved in the cancer cause.  There are so many ways you can be involved, whether it be participating in your local cancer fundraiser, cutting your hair and donating it to have wigs made for people with cancer, contacting your government officials to encourage them to implement healthy public policies, or even just taking charge of your own health.  

Monitoring your own body and reporting any changes to your own health, participating in the screening programs available in your own area, being physically active, being a non-smoker (or quitting smoking), protecting your skin from harmful UV rays and maintaining a healthy diet are all some examples of ways you can take your health in to your own hands.

Let's work together to raise awareness!

Disney on a Budget 2016 - Part 1

Yes, I've written a post about heading to Disney on a budget before, but I thought I would post an updated version.  Why?  Because I love Disney!

We've traveled to Florida for the last few years.  When I told friends we were heading back to Florida this year, they asked how we could do it with the Canadian dollar being so low.  There are a few things to keep in mind: 1 - We save hard, we don't travel any other time of the year, we save for this trip the whole year.  2 - We limit gift giving (Christmas/birthdays, etc) in favour of this - I love the idea of giving "experiences" instead of "stuff".  We've embraced this concept wholeheartedly.

When we started our trip planning, we began by identifying a few different vacation destinations, and I kept a running spreadsheet, and compared prices between all of them.  

One piece of my planning that I found very helpful was signing up for travel alert emails.  Some people find this annoying because you get emails, a lot.  The advantage is that I often got emails about some great sales and promotions.  I wound up securing a flight for a great price because of one of these promotional emails - a week later the very same flight I booked was selling for double!

We have always stayed offsite when we travel to Disney.  The downside?  No Disney transportation, and it often means you have to rent a vehicle.  But there are many positives.

First advantage, price.  Depending on where you stay, the savings can be significant.  When deciding where to stay, there are a few things to consider - your group size, distance from the parks, and the types of facilities you're looking for in a property.

There are lots of hotels that offer shuttles, water parks, and other fun features.  There are condos/villas that have similar features.  Or you may even want to consider renting a house/villa that isn't attached to a resort.  We have done both resort and non-resort properties.  

If you like privacy, non-resort properties offer the most privacy - usually private pools/spas, but it also means that you're entirely on your own - no business center, staff to offer directions, etc.

Resort stays can still be pretty private, but usually mean sharing pools, etc.

We love both, but you need to decide what works best for you.

When searching for properties, we've used Vacation Rental By Owner, but you can also take your chances doing just a general internet search.  You can also find some properties on sites like Expedia.

My tips for finding a good property?  READ THE REVIEWS!  I can't stress that enough.  Pay attention to what people complain about - paint colour?  Not a big deal.  Mold or bugs?  Bigger issue.  If there are no reviews, you're taking a gamble.

As for rental cars, book as close to your trip as possible - the closer you get to your trip, generally, the cheaper the rental price.  However, if you are renting during a busy season - like Christmas - and if you need a specific type of vehicle, book earlier.  A simple internet search can usually help you find some good coupon codes for major rental companies too.  Beware of the small print!  If you and your spouse plan to share driving duties, look for the fine print - additional driver charges can be substantial.  Some companies, like Budget (at the time of publication) do not charge for spouses as an additional driver.  Also be sure that you know your insurance options - do you have insurance through your credit card?  Does your regular car insurance have a provision for additional coverage for a rental?  All things to consider beforehand.

I have many more tips to share, so I will post Part 2 soon, but in the meantime, have your own tips to share?  Post them in the comments!  I may share some of your suggestions in my upcoming post!

Weather and School

So... once again, I was on a very long hiatus.  And instead of coming back thankful, rested with new perspectives on life, I have decided to open things back up with a "ranting ramble".  What's a ranting ramble you ask?  It's when someone rants to the point of making little sense... usually due to lack of sleep... like me.  So here we go....

I notice the same Facebook posts every year for the first few snow storms of the year

*Note* This picture is not from today.  I was just looking for a picture that had snow in it. :)

1- "Is there school today?"

2 - "The radio said no school in [Community #1], so is there school in [Community #2]?"

3 - (My personal favourite) "Why isn't school cancelled?  The roads are hazardous."

4 - (The opposite of the previous)  "Why IS school cancelled?  It's not even doing anything!  This is just teachers/administration/bus drivers trying to get a day off."

Here are my suggestions for some simple solutions:

1- You are on the internet - it's probably just as simple to look up the district website to see if school is cancelled.  

2 - Do you live in [Community #1]?  No?  You live in [Community #2]?   Then,  schools are open in your community.

3 - You feel your child has the risk of incurring injury due to road conditions?  You are your child's advocate.  Keep them home.

4 - This one is just ridiculous.  Do you think teachers or bus drivers actually have any say as to whether school is closed?  And even if they did, it's a matter of public safety.  Those who make these decisions make them based on the best information they have at that given moment.  When they had to make the call, the weather report may have said a foot of snow was expected.... we got rain instead?  Unfortunately, nobody has the power to see in the future.

So there you have it.  My "ranting ramble" today.  Please note that I have not had my coffee yet.  Probably another reason for this rant.

My Blogging Break

You may or may not have noticed that it has been rather silent on this blog lately.  Save for a few apologies that I posted, I did not generate a lot of content this summer.  Although I do this blog out of pure interest, I do find that I periodically need a "break" from posting.  That may sound funny considering this is an enjoyable pastime for me, but hear me out.  You may have seen people take "technology breaks" or breaks from Facebook, this was my version.  Also, I'm not strong enough to take a complete technology break yet.

I always said that this blog would be about posting for fun and other therapeutic ranting I wanted to do, and I always told myself that if it ever felt like a struggle to come up with content, I would stop.  I decided to take a break when I found I was struggling to find time to write and it was stressing me out.  That was my sign that I needed a break.

Now, I'm back on the blogging train.  I feel refreshed and ready to post again.  So I hope you're ready for some random rambling, travel tips, reality tv and celebrity talk, and other random nonsense from an "overtired mama".

Product Review: Clairol(R) Nice 'N Easy Root Touch Up

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I colour my hair freqently.   I always colour my hair all over when I re-colour, even if I'm staying the same colour.  I was given the opportunity to try Clairol's Root Touch-Up.  The beauty of Root Touch-Up is that you focus on your roots, and don't need to colour your whole head.  The products claimed a quick colour (10 minutes) so I decided to put that claim to the test.  Here is my experience.

I had coloured my hair many weeks before I decided to try Root Touch-Up.  I had quite a bit of re-growth.  I typically lighten my hair in the summer from a light brown to a medium blonde.  So my full colour, done weeks before, was a medium blonde colour.  I was worried about whether Clairol's Root Touch-Up would match the rest of my hair colour.  I chose the "medium blonde" shade and got to work.

The instructions suggested leaving the colour on for 10 minutes, and I ended up leaving it on for 15, mostly because my daughter needed my attention after I had applied the colour.

The end result was perfectly blended, beautiful looking hair.  Here is a photo of me with my beautifully refreshed hair.

I will definitely use this product again, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a quick touch up of their roots instead of spending more time to colour your whole head!

Thank you to Clairol and BzzAgent for providing me with this product free for the purposes of reviewing!  #GotItFree

Give Your Car a Checkup

Summer is a busy time for your car.  Lots of family vacations and road trips.  Is your car in good condition?  You put some pretty precious cargo in your car, so it's pretty important to know what to look for in your car, and what to do if you do run in to a problem.

I was fortunate to be able to attend a Sailun Tire event at my local Coast Tire.  I learned some great tips that I would like to share with you.

Do you change your own oil?  If you do, that's awesome!  I usually take mine in to have the oil changed.  Many garages do an inspection of other elements like the filter of your car when they do an oil change - be sure to check with your garage to see what's included in your oil change.  It may not seem important, but a clean filter helps your car run better, so it's worth your while.

I also learned that inside the driver's side door of your car is a little plaque that has some pretty important information about your car.

A few years ago, I had the unfortunate opportunity to blow out a tire after driving over a pothole on a remote highway.  I had never changed a tire, so I had to learn on the spot.  Sailun tires shared some great information so you won't have to learn the way I did.  Did you know that your car has a specific spot where the car jack will attach so you can raise your car?  Have a look underneath and see what you can see.  Looks simple enough from above when someone else is doing it:

Sounds intimidating, but I've put my own car up on a jack, and as long as you put the jack where it needs to be (have a look under your car), it's not as difficult as you might think.

Does your car have a locknut?  Have a look at your tire, if there's a nut that looks different than others, that could be a locknut.  A locknut is one that needs a key to take it off.  Make sure you keep that key in your car, so you can get your tire off.  The tire below has a locknut - on the right hand side, near the bottom:

It's also important to pay attention to your treads and tire pressure, they help ensure your tires work properly and can stop when you need to, keep a grip on the road, and deal with any weather you may run in to.  I received two handy tools to help me monitor these two aspects.  First is a tire depth card to see whether your tires are too worn.  Have a look at the card below:

You put the corner of the card in your tire treat.  If your treat is in the green, it's in great condition for optimum performance.  If it is in the yellow zone, it performs less than optimally in the rain and snow.  And if it is in the red, it is unsafe.  There are other tire depth tools that you can find at many vendors, be sure to ask at your local garage where you can get one.

The other aspect I got to try was testing the tire pressure.  Here's a picture of me giving it a try:

And my friend Jill:

You take a little tire pressure tool like this:

Which can be found at various garages and stores.  You put it on the valve where you put air in your tire, and a small gauge on the end will pop out to tell you your tire pressure.  Remember the little plaque on your door I told you about earlier?  Information about your require tire pressure is on that plaque, and some cars actually have sensors that will alert you if your tire pressure is low.

Tires are essential pieces to your cars safety.  Make sure you check your car for the required size before you purchase.  Check the plaque on your drivers door to ensure you're buying the correct size, and make sure you're buying from a reputable dealer.  

Sailun tires offers great quality tires at a reasonable price.  They're offered at many great garages such as Coast Tire.  Check out their website for more information about their tires and find out where you can get your own Sailun Tires:  www.sailuntires.ca

I want to thank Sailun tires for putting on this information session as I got so much valuable information.  

Before you head on the road this summer for the perfect summer road trip, make sure you give your car a checkup!

And as a bonus - check out this awesome giveaway below - you could win some free tires!

Free Set of Sailun Tires