Month: March 2022

Early spring is the perfect time to begin planning your summer vacation. With the costs of many things rising, you may want to find ways to save money on your trip. Gas costs are up, and that leads to many other prices increasing, which can mean you might have to pay significantly more for your vacation this year. But if you plan ahead, and carefully consider your location and the activities you want to do, you can save money and still enjoy your family vacation.

Travel closer to home

With the cost of gas continuing to rise, you may benefit from choosing a travel destination closer to home if you plan on driving. Think of touristy areas that are less than 2-3 hours from your home. If you can’t think of anything, ask friends and family for nearby recommendations, or look online at travel websites to find attractions closer to home.

Ask for discounts

When you decide on a destination, you can benefit from booking your lodging early. Many hotels and rental agencies will offer discounts if you book early, though you may have to agree to certain restrictions like no cancellations. Also, be sure to ask if they offer discount tickets to local attractions. You can also sign up for discounts from restaurants and popular tourist destinations in the area, and they will often email you discount codes, especially if you buy tickets early.

Don’t overlook outdoor fun

Amusement parks and other expensive attractions can be fun but visiting them may take up most of your travel budget. State and national parks offer budget-friendly travel locations, and many provide plenty to do so you never have to leave the park. Camping onsite can also save money and you may be able to choose from tent camping or staying in a park cabin.

Family vacations make for lifetime memories, but as things get more expensive, you may be looking for ways to travel on a tighter budget. Planning is always important if you want to spend less on vacation. Book your lodging early and deal directly with the hotel or rental agency to find discounts on local attractions and to get the best price. Consider vacationing closer to home and look at parks and other outdoor attractions to save on your entire trip.

Recent events have led many people to think more about where their food comes from. Supply chain issues can create shortages in stores and may cause prices to rise. One of the best ways to feel more confident in your food supply is to grow some things on your own. Plus, it’s fun to grow fruits and vegetables, and you don’t have to have acreage to do it.

Go vertical

If you have a small yard or even just a small patio, think vertical when you’re planning what to grow. Many plants grow easily up a trellis or vertical growing structure. You can also plant strawberries, lettuces and tomatoes in hanging baskets. If you have a patio with a rail, there are even pots that are designed to fit over the rail, which is a great option for herbs and other smaller plants.

Prolific plants

When you’re gardening in a small space, you want plants that produce a lot in little time. Tomatoes and peppers tend to do well in containers, and they even come in patio varieties. You can use a large bucket or bin to grow potatoes, and in the right conditions, you can harvest pounds of them from one or two plants. If you’re unsure of which plants will work best for your area, consult your local garden center.

Create a strategy

When growing plants in small spaces, you may need to get creative. First and foremost, choose a sunny spot that’s easy to access so you can water your plants as needed. Succession planting works well with limited space since you can harvest different varieties of fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season. Understand your grow zone and research which plants grow best in your area.

Growing your own vegetables doesn’t require a lot of space. Know your growing zone and think about what vegetables you like to eat fresh during the growing season. Many plants do well in containers, and if you use all your available space, you can plant vertically to maximize your harvest. It’s very rewarding to grow your own produce, and it can give you peace of mind knowing you have more control over sourcing your own food.

A good laptop can last for years if you take care of it. But technology is not designed to hold up forever. Even with frequent updates, your laptop will eventually slow down and the systems on it will become obsolete. Depending on how you use your laptop, you may spend hours a day on it. Whether it’s for work or for everyday use, laptops will start to be inefficient, and they can crash frequently as they age. Even the highest quality laptops need to be upgraded at some point.

When to upgrade

You may notice that your laptop takes more time to boot up and the system may load slower than before. Other signs of an outdated device include frequent crashes, programs failing to load, and problems connecting to the internet or other devices on your network. In some cases, you can clean up your laptop to remove problematic programs and applications that you don’t use. This may extend the life of your laptop. But if you find that your laptop is no longer performing the functions you need in a timely manner, it’s probably time to get a new one.

Choosing a new model

You may feel comfortable with a particular style or brand of laptop, which can make you hesitant to upgrade to a new one. Learning the ins and outs of a new computer can take some time and can be frustrating, especially if you use your computer for work purposes and you need it to work efficiently straight out of the box. Read reviews and compare features when choosing your new device to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. If you enjoy your current laptop, it may be as simple as upgrading to the latest version from that brand.

When you use your laptop daily, as many people do, you can easily notice when it starts to slow down, glitch or not load properly. Sometimes these issues can be fixed. But in many cases, you may need to upgrade to a new one. Using a new computer can come with a learning curve, and buying a new laptop can be expensive. But if your current one isn’t working and doesn’t meet your needs, it’s better to upgrade to one with the latest technology that is adequate for you.

With the busyness of everyday life, getting a healthy meal on the table can be a challenge. Some people don’t really know how to cook, and some people just don’t like doing it every day. Takeout can be a good option sometimes, but it can get expensive, and many takeout foods aren’t very healthy. Meal planning can take a lot of time and effort. That’s one of the main reasons that meal kit services have gotten so popular. But are they right for everyone?

Benefits of using meal kits

Meal kits provide almost everything you need to cook an entire meal. Most of these services have options that allow you to choose from various types of meals, including some meat-free or gluten-free options. They come with detailed instructions to help you understand how to prepare the recipes and most are designed to be ready in little time. With a meal kit, you don’t have to figure out what to cook, which is often one of the most challenging parts of being in the kitchen.

The downsides

Meal kits can be quite pricey, especially when compared to the amount you would pay if you bought the same ingredients at your local grocery store. Another downside is that most meal kits don’t include enough to feed more than 2-4 people, which wouldn’t work for those with a larger family and won’t provide leftovers. Some meal kits contain more exotic ingredients, which can cause picky eaters to turn up their noses at the food on their plate.

Meal kits are convenient, but they can be pricey when compared to what you would pay when buying the ingredients yourself. For some people, the ease of having a complete meal kit ready outweighs the extra cost. But for frugally minded people or those who are feeding a larger group, the expense of a meal kit service is just not worth it.