Amusement Park Savings June 23, 2008

Some friends from my church and I thought it would be nice to take our children to the amusement park together.  With the economy burning holes in pockets we thought it would be wise to contact the group sales to see what the price differential would be if we were to gather everyone as a group and go.  Let me tell you there was a great difference in price.  If we were to pay at the gate and meetup at the park the price would’ve been $32.99 + tax for adults and $26.99+ tax for children and 2 and under are free.  With the group rates we have to mail the group payment in two weeks prior to going to the park.  That might seems like a hassle but it was well worth it.  The group rate was $19.95+ tax per person and two and under are free.  That’s a savings of $13.04 per adults and $7.04 per child!  Worth the trouble, right!  Below are some other money saving tips for amusement parks

 

Visit on weekdays

Saturdays are parks’ busiest days, so many offer discounts for weekday attendees. AAA triples its regular $4 discount on Six Flags theme parks tickets to $12 on Wednesdays, while Wet ‘n Wild knocks $30 off the price of its season pass (regularly $80) if you want weekday access only.

 

 

Buy online

Ticket prices are often 35% cheaper, plus you’ll save time waiting in line. Online-only promotions are also more plentiful this year — because the date-specific tickets let parks estimate headcount, they can cut overhead on slow days, says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Cedar Fair’sflagship Cedar Park launched an online specials section this year, with bargains like an “Amusement Stimulus Package” of four adult tickets for $132 (a $40 discount off the gate price) and a “Pay Once, Visit Twice” deal that gets you an additional day in the park this season for just $10 (a $32 discount). Both offers are available through June 15.

 

 

Scale back

With lots to see and do — and long lines for everything — aiming to visit multiple parks in one day is overly ambitious for many people, says Danielle Courtnay, a spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Save with a single park pass for short visits. At Walt Disney World, it’s $45 cheaper than a one-day Park Hopper, while Universal Studios charges $8 less.

 

 

Pay with plastic

Discounted theme park admission is a common credit-card perk. Check with both your card brand and issuing bank for specials. Through Aug. 31, for example, American Expressoffers $10 off at SeaWorld, Aquatica or Busch Gardens, plus a $10 rebate when you buy through its Going Once site.

 

 

Go late

Arrive at the park once the afternoon rush has dispersed, and you can easily save 20% or more with so-called twilight entry passes, says Mandt. Knott’s Berry Farm cuts its $50 ticket price in half after 4 p.m., which gives you four to seven hours in the park. Disneyland charges $43 instead of $56 starting at 4 p.m. or six hours before closing, whichever is earlier.

 

 

Watch what you eat

Look for coupons on the groceries you buy, and at the restaurants you frequent, urges Ruben. McDonald’sstores in Tennessee, for example, hand out coupons for $1 Wednesday admittance to Chattanooga’s Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park (regularly $5). Or bring any Pepsiproduct to Kennywood Amusement Park in Pittsburgh to save $5 on adult admission ($32).

 

 

Consider a season pass

Passes typically pay for themselves in just two visits, and offer additional value through freebies and special access, says Niles. Six Flags Great Adventure’s $100 season pass includes free passes for a friend on 32 specific dates, free access to 15 other Six Flags parks nationwide and $300 of in-park coupons. The $100 VIP season pass at King’s Dominion provides first-in-line ride access, early entry to the attached water park, half-price deals for friends and free, specially-designated parking.

 

 

Check your wallet

Employers, banks, professional organizations and clubs may offer discounts or specially-priced tickets. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers employees $34 tickets to Carowinds (regularly $45), and a $20 discount at Six Flags Over Georgia ($40). Even your driver’s license may be helpful in securing a deal. Walt Disney World offers Florida residents discounts on both daily tickets and annual passes. A three-day park hopper would be about $148 — $100 cheaper than out-of-state visitors pay.

20 Tips to Save Money on Gas June 16, 2008

With the astronomical prices of fuel these days, many people have had to tighten their budgets to make room for more spending on gas. However, with the application of some gas -saving tips, you can keep your spending to within a reasonable range, and help save the environment at the same time.

1. Maintain your vehicle. A vehicle that runs smoothly uses less gas than one that is poorly maintained. Regular oil changes, air filter and other recommended maintenance will all help to give you a fuel-efficient vehicle.

2. Keep your tires inflated. Actually, studies have shown that the savings on gas isn’t huge, but it does make a small difference to keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure. And more importantly, this is also safer and makes your tires last longer.

3. Don’t drive during rush hour. Go to work, and come home from work, either earlier or later if possible, to avoid the rush hour. Getting stuck in a traffic jam, and stop-and-go driving, is one of the worst ways to waste gas.

4. Telecommute. Working from home can save tons in gas, not to mention giving you more time, productivity, and happiness. If you can telecommute even one or two days a week, this can be a substantial savings.

5. Remove weight. Driving with more people, and more stuff in your car, drags the car and requires more fuel. Lighten your load by removing excess cargo.

6. Minimize idling. One of the worst offenders in lowering your gas mileage, idling gets you zero miles per gallon. If you are going to idle for a minute or less, leave your car on, but if it’s going to be much longer than a minute, you should turn off your car.

7. Drive slower. Driving the speed limit is more fuel efficient than speeding.

8. Accelerate and brake easier. Driving too agressively, especially starting fast and braking fast, is bad for fuel economy. Accelerate gently, and try to minimize use of your brakes, if possible.

9. Use higher gears. Driving fast in low gears is bad for fuel economy as well. Drive in as high a gear as possible, unless you’re down-shifting in order to slow down or control speed.

10. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Actually, this is the most important tip on this list. A heavier car wastes gas. Get a lighter car, especially one with a fuel-efficient engine and design. See the federal government’s article on choosing a more efficient vehicle.

11. Roll up windows on highway. While many people think they’re saving money by turning off the air-conditioner, it actually creates a strong drag if you are driving fast with the windows down, and is worse for your fuel economy. If you are driving slow, around town, turn off the air-conditioner and roll down the windows. Roll them up on the highway.

12. Don’t top off. Topping off while you are filling up your tank is a waste of gas, as any gas that you top off will spill or otherwise be wasted.

13. Park in shade. A hot car evaporates gas. If it’s a hot day, park in the shade, and use your garage.

14. Walk. Driving less is a great way to save gas. If you have to make a trip of only a few blocks, try walking instead. You will burn fat instead of gas.

15. Cycle. Many people live close enough to work that they can commute by bike. It’s not hard, and you get exercise while saving money.

16. Live closer to work. Of course, you probably won’t be able to implement this tip today, but the next time you’re considering where to live, try to find a place close to your workplace, or try to find a job closer to your house. It will save a lot of driving.

17. Group errands. Instead of doing one or two errands a day, try to group them all on one day, and plan an efficient route to cut back on driving.

18. Carpool. It’s not usually hard to find friends, family, or neighbors who live in your area and work near you. Take turns driving each other to save gas for all of you.

19. Use cruise control. This method has actually been proven to save a lot of gas, as it reduces heavy acceleration and heavy use of the brake. A steady driving speed will improve fuel economy.

20. Don’t buy hot gas. Buy gas during the morning or evening hours, when it’s cool, or you will be buying gas at a time when it’s expanded (and thus getting less).

Posting Schedule May 30, 2008

Since I am a scatter-brain I thought it would be wise to come up with a blogging schedule to help guide me as well as my readers.  Now please don’t hold me to this schedule if I decide to sway a little.  I will try to stick with the schedule the best I can:)  So here it is:

MONDAYS- Money Saving Mondays (Financial Tips)

TUESDAYS-Tell It Like It Is Tuesdays (My Thoughts On Anything and Everything)

WEDNESDAYS-What’s Cooking Wednesdays (Recipe)

THURSDAYS- This and That Thursdays (Product findings, resources, information)

FRIDAYS- Health & Fitness Fridays (These Posts will consists of information about things that could help us live more healthy, organically, etc)

SATURDAYS- Saturday Spirituals (Share some devotionals)

SUNDAYS- Supper Sundays (Give you an idea of the things I plan to cook for supper throughout the week and possibly some recipes to go with that)