The Deal Mommy

I love it when new readers stumble across The Deal Mommy. (Welcome, by the way!) I thought it would be useful to share not only what my blog is about, but what it ISN’T. Volume 1 takes on the “Frugal” blogs and some of the crazy advice they pitch. Volume 2 will take on the my pet peeves in our beloved points community.

Things you will NEVER hear me say, Volume 1!

“Staying with relatives can be a great way to have an affordable vacation.”
Nope, nyet, nada. Visiting relatives is great, but it’s a family visit, not a vacation. Sleeping in the basement and sharing the bathroom do not a vacation make!

“Enjoying nature with your family is a great way to spend quality time without spending a lot of money.” Ok, fine. I’m all about the outdoors. “Campgrounds charge minimal fees…” Uh, WHAT? Hold it right there. Camping, again? I’m sure it’s great for some, but you will NEVER hear me suggest it. I love nature, but you can rent a cabin in most State Parks for just a little more than camping, so sleeping on the ground is a total no-no for me.

““Dude, Check out this gnarly hostel!” I love Lonely Planet, and can’t say I’ve never done it, but I’m SO past the hostel stage of my life, especially with Deal Dad and the two Deal Kids in tow.  Why would I when I can rent a condo in Tenerife for $35 a night or earn 88 points per dollar at the Radisson Martinique.

“Check out travel websites” . Seriously. I’ve seen whole posts with gems such as “Surf the net for specials”. If I have to tell you about the internet, I’m surprised you made it this far!

“Explore your own backyard” Again, great. I highly recommend getting out and exploring both the free and discounted stuff in your own town. But any day that involves you returning home at the end of it is NOT a vacation!

“Frequent flier programs are a scam”This one is the most dangerous of all, and was put out there by none other than travel ombudsman Chris Elliot. I know Chris is famous for click-bait, but had to include it as one of the all time worst pieces of advice given to budget travelers! Even with all of the recent devaluations, free money is free money. Loyalty programs are no different than your Giant or Safeway card: if you’re buying groceries there anyway, you might as well get the points. I will concede that changing your behavior in drastic ways for a program may not be smart, but to chuck them entirely? Bone-headed!

So, you might be asking, what would you say? Glad you asked! Browse the archives to get some idea of what I have to say. You can also easily keep up with The Deal Mommy via Email, RSS, Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook…just look up!

Please let me know if you have any specific travel questions you would like addressed, and stay tuned for our next installment of “Things you will never hear me say!”

What’s the most inane budget travel advice you’ve heard lately?