Even though the economy is still lagging, travel demand has started to pick up, pushing airfare and hotel rates upward, so travelers on a budget this summer need to plan carefully. Scott Crawford, founder and CEO of DebtGoal, a do-it-yourself debt payoff solution that helps users organize, optimize and pay off their debts, has put together a list of tips for would-be vacationers who want a memorable summer vacation without going into debt. Scott is a self-described econ geek who worked at HSBC and the Congressional Budget Office before starting his own business to help people get out of debt faster.

Here are Scott’s top 10 tips to stretch your vacation dollar this summer.

Be spontaneous: One of my best vacations was a spur of the moment trip to Kentucky. After deciding not to attend a wedding, we were all packed up with time off work, and decided to make the drive. We saw a horse race at Churchill Downs, the biggest underground caves in the US, great golfing, and many things we never thought we’d see.

Drive, don’t fly: Getting there can be half the fun. My family took a couple of weeks to travel from Salt Lake City to Vancouver. It was a long drive, but we saw things along the way we never would have otherwise—like the salmon locks in The Dalles, Oregon.

Take the road less traveled: Popular destinations come at a premium, so look for adventure off the beaten path. Instead of Hawaii, try somewhere else. Arkansas, North Dakota, Georgia? I’ve always wanted to do a tour of the Great American Swamplands: Florida Everglades, Louisiana Bijou, Okefenokee.

Go camping: Hotel costs are a major cost of vacations, so cut them out. Regardless of where you go, you can usually find a campground—even near Disneyland.

Go during off-season: Consider a less-popular summer destination—like a town known for its skiing—for better prices on food, lodging and travel.

Pack light: You’ll save on luggage fees if you fly, and lower your gas mileage if you drive.

Bring your own snacks: Pack your own lunch and snacks to cut down on the number of times you’ll have to eat out.

Staycation: One of my best summer vacations was one where we simply spent a week as a family visiting all the local attractions that we tend to never make time to see. Skipping the hotel costs and packing your own lunches can save substantial cash while still giving you quality time with your family.

Book early: With prices going up, booking early can let you lock in the lowest prices possible.

Buy a package: Booking your vacation as a package deal on travel sites like Expedia or Travelocity can save hundreds of dollars per traveler. Just be sure to buy only what you need.

DebtGoal is the industry leader in online personal debt management. Targeting the do-it-yourselfer, DebtGoal is helping its members organize, optimize and pay off nearly $1B in debt with its proprietary SmartPay PlanTM, which calculates an optimal pay-down plan based on a member’s preferences and budget. With its low monthly price and focus on helping subscribers build credit by repaying what they owe, DebtGoal represents a dramatic departure from previous debt solutions that charge high fees or significantly harm credit.

Do you have any of your own tips to stretch your vacation dollars?

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A couple of weekends ago my family and I were invited out to SeaWorld San Antonio which is a short 3.5 hour trip from home. With all the potty stops and diaper changes I think it actually took us about 4.5 hours to get there though. Totally off topic but on our way there I couldn’t believe all the corn.  I had no idea that there was that much corn grown in Texas.  But back to my topic…there was a big sigh of relief from everyone when we pulled up to our hotel. Since we arrived in the evening and we were all tired from being in the car, we walked to dinner at Mama Margie’s which is conveniently located right next to the hotel.  If you’ve never been to Mama Margie’s…you must!  It was such a cool experience.

We arrived at SeaWorld at 9:30 on Saturday morning and we stayed until about 10:30 that night. It was a full day filled with so much fun. We rode some kiddie rides, watched half of a Pirate 4D film but had to leave in the middle because it terrified my 4 year old, got soak and wet on the water rides and enjoyed the company of new found friends.

One of the most amazing things about SeaWorld is all the live shows. It’s incredibly neat to see the animals interact with their trainers while performing for the audience.

Along with all the shows and entertainment, you can’t forget the thrill of the rides.  My children were too small to ride many of the rides, but my 7 year old daughter rode the Steel Eel with me and I don’t think either of us will forget that!  My 4 year old son loved the water rides and begged to ride them again and again…good thing for Quick Queue!

SeaWorld was so much fun and we enjoyed our time in beautiful San Antonio. If you are planning a trip to SeaWorld, I would highly recommend the All Day Dining plans and Quick Queue!  It truly makes your time at SeaWorld so much more enjoyable.

I wanted to leave you with a clip from the amazing Azul show.  I swear my husband should be in marketing because after we watched it he told me and the others there that “It’s like the ocean meets the circus” and he is totally spot on.  I think it’s time for my husband to consider a career change.  I took the recording with my Flip camera so my zoom capability wasn’t all that great but you can totally see that this is an awesome show and if you’re at SeaWorld you don’t want to miss this one.

I was provided with free park passes, dining plan and quick queue passes but that in no way alters my views or opinions.

We’re on the road as I type on our way to SeaWorld San Antonio.  The children are so excited and can’t wait to get there.  It’s about a 3.5 hour drive for us and we are about an hour into our trip.  We’ve already started hearing, “Are we there yet?” so I’m assuming it’s going to be a long couple of hours. I’m going to try to get some good pictures and videos while we are there, so hopefully I’ll have some good ones to share when we get back!  If I don’t post as much…you know why

School is officially out and if you have children, then I’m sure you’re searching for childcare options. I’m extremely lucky and have someone who comes to my house to watch my children, but I know that isn’t an option for everyone. I wanted to give you these 7 cost-effective summer childcare options by Candi Wingate. Here are her cost-effective child care options that won’t break the bank.

Hire a Babysitter or Nanny: Nannies are no longer exclusive to the wealthy. If you have two children in full time daycare you can afford a nanny, and sites like Nannies4Hire cut out the high-priced fee of nanny agency. Whether you need a full time nanny or part time babysitter, trusted online sources provide a massive database of local care providers at your fingertips. You can find candidates quickly based on your personal requirements and budget.

It Takes a Village: There are likely multiple families in your neighborhood with young children. Get with these other parents and arrange shared childcare, in which two or more households take turns attending to the children. Parents might need to take time off work during their turn, but it should be minimal as other households are rotating turns as well.

Go Back to College: College students on summer break are ideal candidates for child care. They can be recruited through the on-campus career centers or through a parent network in your community. Many will be looking for jobs as resume builders, so their pay expectations might be lower for that purpose, and their schedules are typically very flexible during the summer months.

It’s all Relative: Enlisting the help of a relative this summer can be a win-win for everyone. Whether it is a teenage cousin or beloved grandma, your children can enjoy some quality bonding time. Your relative may not accept payment, but you should certainly offer. Treat him/her as you would a hired care provider: Negotiate pay, respect their schedule, keep lines of communication open, and be direct in your expectations.

Summer School: It’s true that kids deserve a break from the intense learning schedules of the school year, but there is no reason the learning must stop completely. Half-day summer school can be a great option to keep your child mentally engaged. Summer schools may be available through your child’s regular school, an alternative school, civic organizations, or churches.

Summer Day Camp: Affordable day camps can range in activities from sports and science to fine arts. Local options might include science museums, arts centers, YMCA/YWCA, Boys & Girls Club, city parks & recreation, and nearby colleges where the Early Education students can gain experience working with children.

Volunteer: City recreational departments often offer a volunteer program for kids 13 and over. Volunteer opportunities can include office work, recreational centers, aquatics, senior citizens, and children’s summer programs. These volunteer programs are a unique way for kids to explore career opportunities, give back to the community, and receive school credit.

You might find that a combination of these options is most efficient and cost-effective. Take your time in selecting the option(s) that works best for your family and budget, and enjoy your summer!

Candi Wingate is an expert in the child care industry with over 20 years experience. She is the founder of Nannies4Hire.com and Care4Hire.com, and author of 100 Tips for Nannies & Families and mother of two.

If I’m not around as much, you know why.  I’m babying my little guy!

We arrived at the Polynesian at around 12:30 and then headed out on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.  Since we are here for a media event, we received a special Media Fast Pass that allows us to skip ahead in line.  I must say that it is totally cool not to have to wait in line.

After a few hours at the Magic Kingdom, we headed over to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for dinner. While we were there we got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy and some of the other characters.   I also learned about some of the new things Disney is implementing, including a new cruise ship - Disney Dream!  Here is a picture of the whole family, minus me at dinner. The boys did not want to cooperate with the camera tonight.

Here is Lorie and Pluto. She is a blogger who I had the pleasure of meeting here at Disney.

We had someone offer to take a picture of all of us, so you can see everyone, including me with Mickey!

We had a fabulous time tonight, the food and entertainment was fantastic and the cast members of High School Musical did a little performance that Taylor loved!

It’s been a long day and I’m tired.  Now if only the kids would fall asleep….

Share and Enjoy:

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Yep, you read that right!  I’m taking the whole family on a 15 hour journey to Orlando, Florida for the Social Media Moms Celebration! This event is the talk of the blogosphere and is already sold out.  A couple hours after I registered, I saw a tweet on Twitter that said it was sold out.  Talk about a deep sigh of relief.  If I had waited any longer, we wouldn’t have been able to attend.

Here is a small tidbit about the event:

The Walt Disney World Resort near beautiful Orlando, Florida is the setting for this first ever, family-friendly social media conference for moms. You’ll experience special events, conference sessions and private parties taking place across the 40-square mile entertainment complex. You’ll have a chance to experience the fun and fantasy of Walt Disney World while hearing from captivating speakers such as Guy Kawasaki, Maxine Clark, MaryEllen Hooper, and more.

I’m so excited for so many reasons! Just a few days ago before I really knew anything about the event, I commented on Lorie’s blog about how I wanted to be able to take the children to Disney soon. I had no idea it would be this soon!  I’m so excited for Taylor to see all the princesses that she has adored for so many years.  Rylan is going to flip out when he is able to see Mickey Mouse.  He watches Mickey  Mouse Clubhouse and is such a huge fan of Mickey!  Since Peyton is pretty young I don’t think he will quite understand, but I still think he is going to have a blast.

I’m also excited to meet some of the mommy bloggers and their families that I’ve met online over the past 10 months!  There are so  many women that I talk to online and it will be really awesome to actually see them and talk face-to-face.  If you are going to the event, I would love to meet up. In addition, I’m super excited to learn more about social media.  I can’t wait to hear all the wonderful speakers that are lined up.

I want to the thank everyone involved for making this a family-friendly event!  I can’t wait for February!

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

The focus of this trip is to grow my knowledge of social media to make me more effective as a blogger and to enjoy the experience of Disney with my entire family! If you have a product that is related to family travel, please contact me for sponsorship opportunities.

Share and Enjoy:

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Thanks to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment my family was able to experience the magic and excitement of Disney On Ice. This is the first year that we have been able to experience it and I don’t think my children will forget about it anytime soon.

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been trying to build the excitement with the children because they had no idea what Disney On Ice was. We’ve been reminding them every couple of days and they were really excited when show day came!

The show started out with Aladdin and the Genie. The excitement on the children’s faces was absolutely priceless. My oldest was amazed that the characters could skate on the ice and not fall down.

The characters from Finding Nemo were the next to come out. The audience went absolutely crazy when little Nemo swam his way out on the ice. My personal favorite was Beauty and the Beast. It brought back such great memories of being young and watching Beauty and the Beast on VHS over and over again.

At the end of that scene all the Disney princesses did an awesome scene with Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine and Pocahontas. My daughter immediately noticed that Sleeping Beauty was missing though. I just told her she was sleeping. Ha!

The show continues on with Toy Story, Its a Small World After All, Pinnochio and Mulan. There was more to the show but we had to get home. It was past the children’s bedtime and we still had to drive home.  If I could change one thing, it would be the starting time of the show.  With 3 small children it makes it very difficult to stay for the whole show.

I can not express how much we ALL loved Disney On Ice. It was absolutely amazing and they did an awesome job of making it entertaining for the whole family. The costumes looked so real and the skaters brought the characters to life. This is definitely something I highly recommend for any family.

If you would like to experience the magic of Disney on Ice you can use code “MOM” for a special deal. With this code you can get four tickets for only $44.00 for Monday-Friday matinee shows or receive $4.00 off Friday night and weekend shows. Any additional weekday tickets are still priced at $11.00.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

With Halloween just a few days away, I wanted to post some tips for a healthier Halloween.

• Give your child a nutritious meal before he goes trick-or-treating. A meal with nutrient rich foods and beverages like a peanut butter sandwich with a cup of 100% OJ will fill him up and make it less likely that he’ll be eating the candy before he even gets home.
• Reduce sugar. Although you should serve a full meal on Halloween night, try to avoid all unnecessary sugar that day. That way, if they do have a few treats later, they won’t run the risk of overdosing on sweet stuff.
• Let your child indulge a bit. Not allowing your child to eat her Halloween candy will just drive her to want it more. Although a low-fat diet is important for children, allowing the occasional indulgence, especially on a fun-oriented holiday like Halloween, is also important.
• Set limits on how much candy can be eaten at once. When your child returns home from trick-or-treating, ask her to pick the 10 pieces of candy that she wants to keep. Take the rest away and use them as substitutes for lunch treats or desserts.
• Have your child brush and floss his teeth thoroughly before going to bed. Although this should be done every night, it’s especially important that your child’s teeth be free of the Halloween sugar.
• Donate your leftover candy to charity. Not only will this prevent your child from continuing to eat candy for months to come, it will help teach her the value of helping others.
• Try nonedible options. Instead of giving out candy to local ghosts and goblins, consider small toys, such as temporary tattoos, stickers, crayons, small novelties, miniature magnifying glasses, plastic jewelry/decoder rings, necklaces, and fake money.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!

Information provided by Florida Department of Citrus