travel
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Tbilisi, the food, the market (Republic of Georgia part 2)
Welcome part to my series of post about our trip to the Republic of Georgia. Today I will share about the food (I could fly there right now just for some hachipuri or kinkali!) and my visit of the market. Fresh food One thing you will notice when you visit the Republic of Georgia is the fresh food. Meals are most often served with a tomato and cucumber salad, cheese and fresh bread. Ingredients come fresh from the market if possible and our experience at Hotel Gomi and our stays in the country proved that! The food is delicious! The market After our first visit, I knew that I wanted…
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Republic of Georgia family trip (Part 1)
I wanted to dedicate several post to our trip to Georgia last May because if you are like I was a couple years ago, you may not know where Georgia is on the map and may not know there is a country called Georgia. We actually have a number of Georgian friends and had already been introduced to the culture and food. Georgia borders Russia and Azerbaidjan as well as Armenia and Turkey. It is a beautiful country full of history, Orthodox churches and monasteries, and breathtaking scenery. This past trip was our second trip there. We are grateful to have friends there and each time my father in law…
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Find deals on international flights
As I have mentioned before, I grew up in France and have always loved to travel and discover new places. I lived 30 minutes from the Spanish border so that was always an easy destination and we visited Rome once as children. I also lived 2 years in Mexico City when I was a high schooler and have lived in several states in the US. While it is harder on your budget to travel as a family, it is still possible! Here are the steps I follow to find a good deal on airplane flights and have a reasonable budget for the trip. Choose your destination I typically choose a…
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New Orleans: Family fun on a budget
Last fall, our family decided to spend a long weekend in New Orleans. My husband travels there for work a few times a year and raves about the food and the architecture each time he comes back. So we decided to take advantage of a long weekend break in October to visit. We used our Hilton Honors points and treated ourselves to a fancy hotel, the Waldorf Astoria! We took advantage of the one sunny afternoon to enjoy some pool fun. As it turned out, our visit coincided with the beignet festival which made our trip even more fun. The event was free but you had to purchase the different…
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Choosing lodging on a budget
When choosing a destination for your vacation, take into account the length of your stay, the location and your budget! You have several options: Stay with friends Stay in a hotel Renting a house/condo on a site such as vrbo or Airbnb Camp/rv When staying with friends, make sure to bring your hosts a gift and if you have a large family like mine, help out with groceries! Saving money on hotels If you have a credit card associated with a hotel institution like IHG or Hilton Honors, redeem points for free hotel rooms. You may need to change your plans if you realize that your original idea is too…
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Saving money on food while traveling in the US
When we go on vacation to the beach, the grocery store options are limited or not in close proximity. We would rather spend money on a fun excursion than on paying twice the amount on our groceries for the week. Plan Plan most of your meals: what will you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which items are pricier and which items do you already have in your pantry http://passionatepennypincher.com/2017/03/free-editable-menu-plan-grocery-list/ Bring Bring your staples and more expensive items from home: I usually do a quick run at Aldi for items I know will be cheaper there and I also buy items so as steaks or what we plan to grill…
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Save money on food while traveling abroad
When we travel abroad, we often spend time with friends which really helps our food budget. We do try to help with groceries since we have a large family. Some thinking ahead does help with not blowing your vacation budget on food. breakfast Choose a hotel or a B & B that includes free breakfast. If renting a house or apartment or if your hotel does not include breakfast, go to a local bakery or grocery store and purchase some bread, jam fruit and pastries. Most hotels even abroad will have a small fridge lunch Limit restaurant visits. Instead buy local “fast food” or have a picnic lunch Dinner If…
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Saving for a trip
Whether you are planning a trip to Disney, New York, France or a road trip, you need to prepare yourself financially. Here are some things to take into consideration: Gas, car rental, highway tolls (if traveling to France for e.g.) Food (restaurants, grocery store) Plane tickets (if flying) Lodging (hotel, bed and breakfast, rentals like vrbo or Airbnb) Here are the steps that I follow. Estimate the cost/amount for each category. Depending on the overall cost of your trip, you may want to start saving 6 months, a year or even two years before your trip. For our family of 6, I typically start saving for a trip abroad 12…