Not only good for the  wallet, it’s good for the earth too

Summer is the always the best time to take your family on a holiday, but unfortunately thanks to rising travel costs and economic concerns — taking an expensive trip might not be in the family budget this year. On the other hand, if you’re an Australian planning an overseas holiday, now is a good time to book one — the strength of the Australian dollar going a long way in the United States and other holiday destinations.

One fun and cost effective alternative is “stay-cationing” or vacationing at home. Vacationing locally also helps to save fuel, reduce traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and summertime smog.

“Aside from being environmentally and economically beneficial, stay-cations enable families to enjoy their principle investments – their homes, their gardens and landscaping,” said Tito, a city councillor and father of two young daughters. “Stay-cations can also be much more relaxing then hauling the whole family around on three or four hour road trips through traffic-jammed highways.”

Aprile, an office administrator with two school-aged kids, agrees.

“Our backyard is like our own little resort. Once summer hits, we love to enjoy our pool with family, friends and neighbours. With some good tunes on the radio and the barbecue fired up, why leave home?” she says. “When night falls, we light the torches and gaze up at the stars or take a nighttime swim.”

If you want to venture beyond your own backyard, or if you don’t have one to enjoy, Linda, a sculptor and empty-nester, has a few suggestions:

“Find the river that is closest to your home, rent or borrow a canoe and paddle away the afternoon,” said Linda, who recently took a trip with her husband to celebrate her birthday.

“We saw otters, baby loons, turtles, bullfrogs, fish and beautiful water lilies,” she says. “We were even surprised with the slap of a bossy beaver tail only inches from the front of the canoe.”

You can also explore city parks and trails, which are often hidden gems.

“Take a camera on a butterfly hunt around local gardens,” said Linda. “It’s great fun for small children and helps to teach them to appreciate nature.”

Be Prepared!

Stay-cations (like vacations) should help you recharge your batteries and de-stress your life. Here are a few pointers to help you maximize your time off:

-If you don’t already have one, invest in an answering machine – as well as call display.
-Let close friends and family know that unless it’s an emergency, you’re officially unreachable.
- Use some of the money that you’ll be saving and hire a cleaning service before you begin your holiday. You won’t be tempted to spend your time off catching up on household chores.
-Make a list of the activities and outings that interest you and your family members.
-Plan your meals. Decide what days you want to eat out and make reservations. If you’re eating at home, have everyone take a turn at preparing a meal.
- Allow each member of your family to have one day when they get to choose an activity. This will help to minimize arguments and ensure that everyone has a special day.

At Home

Not sure how to unwind at home? Try some of these ideas:

Unplug. Have one full day where everyone in your household agrees not to answer the phone, check their PDAs or connect to the Internet.

Laugh until in hurts. Rent, buy or borrow your favorite comedy shows or movies and have a laugh-a-thon. Make sure you have plenty of popcorn and other movie style treats to enjoy.  If the weather is clear, consider moving your television outside for the evening and laugh under the stars.

Have a jammie day! Remember Ferris Bueller? Before stress actually makes you sick, spend an entire day in your PJs. Take the time to do the morning crossword (or two) and have breakfast for dinner (pancakes, eggs and bacon). Spending the day in your jammies can help give you a more relaxed outlook on the world.

Create a home spa. Soak in the tub, give yourself a manicure or pedicure or indulge in a facial treatment. Purchase an inexpensive face mask, or make your own out of natural ingredients. Combine a cup of cooked oatmeal (cool first), a pureed ripe peach and two tablespoons of plain yogurt. Blend and apply to your face for five minutes.

In your City

No matter how long you’ve lived there, you might be surprised at how many interesting places there are to see in your own community.

Be a Hometown Tourist. Buy a travel guide or map of your town or city or visit your local tourist information center to find out about local tours.

Ride public transit. Most cities offer low-cost transit day passes for families. Plan a day around using as many transportation options as possible, including subway, bus, streetcars, light rail and commuter trains.

Rediscover the joy of riding a bicycle. It’s amazing how much ground you can cover on a bike without too much effort. Plan a day trip with your kids and tour your local community.

Have a picnic in the park. Pack up a picnic lunch and enjoy a neighborhood park. Take along Frisbees and games for the kids to enjoy.

Take a hike. Visit your local conservation area or park. Invest in an expensive field guide to help identify local flora and fauna.

Check into a local hotel. if you don’t have your own pool, check into a local hotel and play tourist for the day. Enjoy the little luxuries like room service, free toiletries and having someone else make the bed.

Be a stargazer. The summer is a great time study the stars, especially in August during the Perseid Meteor Shower (August 12 and 13). Find a location that has a minimum of artificial light to steal the heavens, lie back on a blanket and watch the night sky.

Go camping in your own backyard. Forget about fighting traffic. Set up a tent in your backyard and enjoy a night under the stars.

]]> http://www.travelinaustralia.crookedincanada.com/2012/01/09/holiday-at-home/feed/ 2 http://www.travelinaustralia.crookedincanada.com/2010/07/31/i-am-ozzy-news/ http://www.travelinaustralia.crookedincanada.com/2010/07/31/i-am-ozzy-news/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:52:03 +0000 Canadian Gypsy http://www.travelinaustralia.crookedincanada.com/?p=370 It seems the heavy metal legend’s biography “I Am Ozzy”  is being made into a movie.

F**k me man. You just know that film will rake in the dough at the box office.

OZZY Osbourne wants to play his mother in the film of his life.
courtesy of Bang Showbiz at the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin

The heavy metal legend’s biography I Am Ozzy is being adapted for the big screen, and although he is reluctant to appear in it himself he would like to have an unusual cameo.

He told Germany’s FHM magazine: “I don’t really want to be in it. At least I’m hoping I won’t. Although I wouldn’t mind a cameo – that would be fun. I could play my mother or Lemmy from Motorhead!”

Ozzy has previously revealed who he wants to play him in the biopic – Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp.

The 61-year-old music star – who is from Birmingham, England – said: “Johnny Depp is much better looking than me, but he was all set to be me in the film. That would be good. But I’d also like an unknown guy from Birmingham to get the part.”

Just as Ozzy has definite ideas about the movie, his wife Sharon knows who she wants to portray her – Carey Mulligan.

Referring to Carey’s film An Education, the America’s Got Talent judge said: “That lady from An Education could play me – she’s fabulous!”

How to Plan a Summer Vacation without breaking the bank
courtesy of Mary Ellen  Egan, Forbes.com

Mounting bills and hidden fees can add stress to a vacation before it’s even begun. Here’s how to avoid it.

A few months ago my boyfriend, Harold, and I took a road trip in California. We spent weeks planning our route, finding hotels, searching for the cheapest airfares and figuring out what we wanted to see. And since it’s California, we booked a rental car for our trip.

When we arrived at the car rental agency to pick up the car, and while the attendant brought the car around, I was handed the final bill. I looked at it, and turned to Harold and said, “This can’t be right. This wasn’t what it said online when we booked it.”

asked the agent to run the bill again, and the same number came up. It was hundreds more than what we were originally quoted. Turns out, California, which is in bad economic shape, has added a 29% tax to rental cars.

I pulled out of the lot, fuming that we hadn’t been told this in advance. Luckily for us, we could afford the difference. But what if it had been a family with limited means? It would have ruined their entire vacation.

“Vacations are like houses–their budget can grow much larger than you anticipated,” explains Manisha Thakor, a personal finance expert who advises women making between $25,000 and $125,000 and is the author of Get Financially Naked. Thakor has some useful advice about how to plan a summer vacation without breaking the bank. Given how surprised I was by my own ballooning budget, I decided to take some notes so that I wouldn’t be caught short next time.

First, says Thakor, set limits on your spending and be very open with your family about what you can and can’t afford. “For parents this is a wonderful opportunity to teach your children how to stick to a budget. Let your kids know, ‘We can’t afford that’ or ‘Here’s how much money we have, so let’s decide together on how to split it up,’” suggests Thakor.

Once you’ve come up with a firm budget, you’ll need to do a bit of sleuthing to avoid the kinds of hidden fees we got hit with at Enterprise. “States are really hurting now, and to make up for lost revenue, they’re adding fees onto all kinds of things,” she explains. Thakor recommends calling hotels and rental car companies and asking them to break down the bill, including taxes and fees, before you book.

It’s also worth noting that some rental companies like Hertz and Budget are offering a 10% discount if you pay in full when you book your car. One caveat: You can’t make changes to your reservation such as upgrading the car or extending or shortening the rental period.

There are ways to trim fat off your restaurant bills. Forgo bottled water and stick to plain old tap water. And when the server rattles off the list of the day’s specials, make sure to ask what they cost. Instead of ordering one entrée per person–which are usually ridiculously and unhealthily huge–split one with your spouse or another family member. And if you all can’t decide on what to share, order appetizers instead. Appetizers are the right size, portion-wise, and your wallet and your hips will thank you.

Vacations are the perfect time to escape the demands of the everyday world, but if you miss a bill payment, your creditors don’t care if you’re in the office or on the beach. Thakor recommends that consumers take advantage of online banking, and not only for vacations. “Think of it as a control tower. You can track and manage all of your e-bills from one location,” she says.

Whether or not you’re on vacation, you can set up automatic payments for bills such as your mortgage, utilities and car payments so you’ll never have to worry about losing or forgetting to pay a bill and incurring frustrating late fees that can really add up.

Finally, remember that you don’t have to take your summer vacation at the height of the season. Instead, stay home and book your travel for the off-season.

Harold and I did that with our California road trip (we went in April), and we stayed in lovely hotels that we wouldn’t have been able to afford in the high season.

Our room at the Hotel Pacific in Monterey–which had an in-room fireplace, a dining area and a balcony–was less than $100 a night. In July that same room goes for $229 a night. And there was an unexpected bonus: The hotel was pretty empty, so we got the outdoor Jacuzzi to ourselves.

Mary Ellen Egan is the managing editor of ForbesWoman.