What you do on your vacation is up to your budget. Free always wins.
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We do not get any compensation from Turo nor are we associated with the company to provide the review.
Travel Tip #2 |
| Turo is a rent by owner company for cars all done through the app. We have used numerous car rental companies, and we have our preferences. Turo is a completely different experience. Everything is taken care of through the app before you arrive. You have to follow steps for rental agreements with Turo, as well as work out details with whomever you are renting from. However, once you arrive, the car is waiting with the key. That's it. No waiting in lines arguing with staff. No signing hours of paperwork at pick up. We easily found both cars. |  |
 | When picking up the car, you do have to take a number of pictures to send over for insurance/liability purposes. Note: There will be a check out policy sent 24 hours prior to drop off. That caught us off guard. While it was very simple to take the pictures and upload to the app at the end of the trip, some owners have extra steps. They weren't difficult, but you may need time to complete things like vacuuming or running it through the car wash. Be sure to ask about the check in policy prior too so you can plan your trip accordingly. |
We would like to note our cars were not perfect. There were some things that did not work, or were in slightly rougher shape. However, with the amount of money we saved renting through Turo, we overlooked small inconveniences. The cars were safe, dependable, clean, and got us to where we needed to go. You do rent at your own risk.
| Tips for renting a car in Hawaii (or anywhere):
Fun Tip! Screen shot your map location when in a dream destination! You made it! |  |
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You're flying to Hawaii! (or that other dream destination.) Want to know a secret? No one cares where you sleep!
(We do NOT make any compensation on recommended lodging. We are Amazon Affiliates and do may small compensation on designated links so that we may continue to travel and teach. Click HERE for our recommendations on items to purchase for travel.)
| We get it. You're in Hawaii. You dream of a beautiful villa with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean with a colorful drink that hosts an umbrella within reach. Ready? We going to need you to Let. It. Go. |  |
 | By all means, if you have the ability to book that type of vacation, please do. There are many amazing places in which you can hang out all day and take in amazing views. For the average traveler, it's just not a realistic vision if you want to be able to do more than one trip in your lifetime. And guess what? Not one person judges you if you don't. Because the reality is, you're at the dream destination. They want to know what you DID. Not where you slept and showered. |
| s#1 - Sign up for Reward Points immediately. We recommend Best Western. (no compensation or affiliation)For budget traveling, signing up for rewards really does matter. While we have a few different places we have signed up for, Best Western came through.
We stayed at the Best Western on Oahu. Located right outside the airport, it was not fancy. It was clean, had a great breakfast, and we were able to use the pool with palm trees overhead. The freeway went right by the front near the 7th floor. It's a trade off. We weren't using the hotel as our getaway. We needed an affordable place in a great location to access the different parts of the island. And it's affordable without points. |  |
 | Picking a hotel chain that you can afford on a quick trip can help you collect points quicker as well as use them for bigger destinations. When we traveled to Hawaii, we had to stay an extra night in Toronto to ensure we crossed the border. We used our points for a free night that did not cut into our budget. |
| #2 Learn how to book on a rental by owner site. We're going to be honest. Three of our nights on the island were spent with family, which helped our budget. That being said, we did a little digging on Airbnb and found affordable places. There are a few tips to make booking on these sites worthwhile. |  |
 | A) Don't book with scams. It's probably the most obvious, but requires a little bit of finesse.
B) Calculate the cost with the extra fees. A great price for a night can turn quickly when cleaning and booking fees cost over half of what you are paying for the rental. The cleaning fee may be lower on a slightly higher rate than a cheaper night, so you'll end up getting more for less money. C) Be open to anything You never know what you may find as a place to stay. Tiny homes, cabins, campers, or trailers are just as nice or nicer than a standard booking for a better deal. |
| D) Book big trips with others We were invited to see #thekauaipoolhouse in Princeville. It's a stunning accommodation that can save you big if you go with a group. Find it here: The Kauai Pool House. (We do NOT receive compensation.) For less than a week with the mouse, you can share the Hawaiian experience for a fraction of the cost in one of the most beautiful spots on the island. |  |
Here's your homework:
1) Find a hotel within your typical budget range and sign up for reward points. Take those small trips while building up your points.
2) Pick your dates and start searching. Compare hotels, multiple sites, and vacation rentals by owner.
3) STICK TO YOUR TYPICAL BUDGET RANGE. This one is the hardest. It's easy to convince yourself to book more on a beautiful place because you're going to a dream location. It backfires in the end. By spending more you find yourself doing less or regretting the booking. Typically because you really don't spend as much time as you think you will at the booking location. Dream destinations call you to explore! Sitting in a house is something you can do at home!
Lastly - don't rule out camping! You can do amazing things with the freedom of a tent. Click HERE for our camping gear!
1) Find a hotel within your typical budget range and sign up for reward points. Take those small trips while building up your points.
2) Pick your dates and start searching. Compare hotels, multiple sites, and vacation rentals by owner.
3) STICK TO YOUR TYPICAL BUDGET RANGE. This one is the hardest. It's easy to convince yourself to book more on a beautiful place because you're going to a dream location. It backfires in the end. By spending more you find yourself doing less or regretting the booking. Typically because you really don't spend as much time as you think you will at the booking location. Dream destinations call you to explore! Sitting in a house is something you can do at home!
Lastly - don't rule out camping! You can do amazing things with the freedom of a tent. Click HERE for our camping gear!
Small choices with Big Impacts.
 | Hawaii. The dream destination for many. A tropical paradise within the United States boasting of beautiful beaches and incredible scenery. We heard the same statement multiple times. "I would love to go, it's just so expensive." |
| You can do it. We're going to give you a series of Quick Tip posts for you to step by step put together your dream vacation. (And if it's not Hawaii, the steps will work for any trip you want to take.) |  |
Start With the Flight
 | Most dream destinations require airfare. Flying is freedom we have only known for a short time. The first flight was just over 100 years ago and went 17 miles. We've come a long way. |
| Flights can make or break a trip. We have two rules when booking flights: #1 - Flights are required to be somewhere in the $600 range or less for us. (This includes tax.) Pick your budget range and stick to it. |  |
 | This is a really important rule to stick to. If the flights aren't able to be found in your budget range, the trip itself doesn't become worth it. Spending over half of your budget on airfare not only limits what you can do on your trip, it also limits future trips you can take due to having to pay so much for just one. Driving to an airport within 4 - 5 hours saves big. |
Our tickets to Hawaii, nonstop flight to Honolulu, were in our $600 budget range.
| We flew out of Toronto. Being American, we needed a passport and we had to drive three hours to the airport. It saved us approximately $1800 dollars. |  |
 | #2 - Stop Checking luggage We really can't stress this enough. It saves an INCREDIBLE amount of money. We did three of us with carry-on only. When we were able to walk through the airport and skip most of the wait times. The over-packing teenager converted and loved it. Click HERE for our carry-on choices. We each have a different one to fit our needs. You also need compression bags for those that like to make sure you're covered for everything. (We are Amazon Affiliates and receive a small compensation from qualifying purchases.) |
Here's your homework to get started:
1) List your top 5 travel destinations and set your budget limit.
2) Pick your travel destination and date six or more months from now. (Flights are cheaper the earlier you book them.) Go BIG. Don't Hold Back. Put that dream in the search.
3) Search your destination from multiple airports from multiple sites. Orbitz, Google Flights, etc. Don't limit to one search engine or one airport. The general rule for airports is about 4-5 hours from home or less.
4) Not in your budget range or less range right now? That's ok. Go through your list.
5) Write down (or create an excel list) of your flights and searches.
6) Check back a month later. Check on different days of the week. Record your searches. Find your best flight.
7) Do a little digging to find the carry-on bag that meets your needs. (Airlines outside of the United States have smaller bag restrictions. Please make sure you plan for this when buying a bag so you can use the same bag both within the US and outside of the US.) Buy it now to save on added costs later.
1) List your top 5 travel destinations and set your budget limit.
2) Pick your travel destination and date six or more months from now. (Flights are cheaper the earlier you book them.) Go BIG. Don't Hold Back. Put that dream in the search.
3) Search your destination from multiple airports from multiple sites. Orbitz, Google Flights, etc. Don't limit to one search engine or one airport. The general rule for airports is about 4-5 hours from home or less.
4) Not in your budget range or less range right now? That's ok. Go through your list.
5) Write down (or create an excel list) of your flights and searches.
6) Check back a month later. Check on different days of the week. Record your searches. Find your best flight.
7) Do a little digging to find the carry-on bag that meets your needs. (Airlines outside of the United States have smaller bag restrictions. Please make sure you plan for this when buying a bag so you can use the same bag both within the US and outside of the US.) Buy it now to save on added costs later.
Traveling with teens can be a challenge. Challenge Accepted!
| When the 13-year-old asked for a trip to Hawaii, it made sense we'd plan our next adventure for Spring Break. We have so much to share. But first, let's set the stage for traveling with an additional, teenage, traveler. |  |
 | Traveling with a third party has its advantages as well as it's challenges. In the world of technology, a long-distance trip with a lot of hiking can be very new to them. Thinking ahead can make all the difference. The cost can add up quickly if you don't plan accordingly, affecting the budget as well as the happiness of everyone on the trip. |
| Start with clothing. Specifically shoes. We do a lot of hiking, and the right shoes can make or break a child's experience. Sore, wet feet are not fun for any adult. For a younger human with less coping skills, it can make a day hike completely miserable. So another pair of Merril hiking shoes was purchased and it was well worth the buy. We hiked four seriously hard miles in Hawaii. She wore them directly out of the box. No blisters, no pain. NOT ONE COMPLAINT ABOUT HER FEET. They are incredibly affordable and we cannot recommend them enough. (HERE is our Teen Travel List - we are amazon affiliates and make a small compensation. Read on for more and the link is also below) |  |
 | Teenagers, girls especially, can be picky about their clothing. How it looks, how it feels. Not to mention they outgrow everything quickly. Buying a whole new wardrobe was out of the question. Compromise! Find one or two items that aren't "cringe" and affordable and purchase them. Then: DO NOT LET THEM WEAR IT UNTIL THE TRIP. That's the important part for the rest of this. If you purchase things for a trip but give them ahead of time, you've wasted your time and money. The excitement of having something new with a trip helps sustain the trips value. |
| Keeping with the theme of buying only for a trip, start putting together a travel kit only a teenager would love. Inexpensive travel items they can only use while traveling. Let them pick the colors and designs. Having ownership over their belongings they need allows them to feel a little bit of control in a time of their life when everything feels off. |  |
 | Lastly, it's time to allow for a little fun. Find items that are budget friendly, and teen approved. You'll find our entire list in HERE on our Amazon Storefront. (We are Amazon affiliates and make a small compensation to be able to continue to travel and teach.) Must haves: Card Games: We love Uno and Skip-bo Headphones: Buy plane jack headphones prior to save money and elevate cool. The phone ones will not work. Airpods: There is a converter you can purchase to hook airpods to the plane. We do not have them, but they'd be worth it if your teen doesn't want to give up their airpods Cool charging cords: Trust us. Purchase charging cords to take with you. Losing a charging cord on vacation is less frustrating. New Books and a Journal: They will get sick of the device and get bored. Promise. Have an old school backup plan. Luggage: CARRY ON. We converted her. She was able to pack for a week in a carry on bag and decided she never wanted a big suitcase again. |
| Here's the real advice: Buy items weeks to months in advance and then PUT THEM AWAY. Build the excitement as you put together the trip in small pieces. It saves you a lot of money to buy over time instead of last minute, and they build their excitement. Save items like games, phone cords, and journals to give when you are on the trip as the need arises. They become mini surprises that help combat travel fatigue for humans with less coping skills. |  |
 | Above all, take the trip. Teenagers have a very small window of time left before they become adults. They don't want to be around you (that was made very clear at times). But you get moments and memories when they are completely involved and enjoying the moment. Those are the moments they will take with them when they become an adult. You hope one day they look back and realize how much they did and how the time spent was worth it. You'll never regret spending those moments together. You may regret the time change when returning. |
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