Credit: Flickr

Las Vegas tends to be a pretty popular place, when it comes to traveling and vacations.  If you’re thinking about going here in the near future, I wanted to give you some tips that I have used in the past, when I wanted to go here.    By following a few of these tips, you should be able to save money on your next vacation.

Tip #1 Don’t rent a car
There’s no need to rent a car if you’re going to stay on the strip the whole time.  You can get everywhere by taxi, or even walking.    By not renting a car, you’re going to be able to save a few bucks a day.  Don’t include this, when you want to get a vacation package.

Tip #2 Name your own price
If you want to stay on the strip, and you don’t care where you stay, I would highly recommend Priceline.  You’re going to find that you can pick the location of the hotel, as well as the star rating.  The cool thing about this is that you can then name your own price.  What Priceline does is send out that price, and if any hotel wants to accept the price, they will tell you that they will accept it.  I have saved $100s by doing this.

Tip #3 Use deal sites
Some of my favorite deal sites on the Internet today are Travelzoo, as well as BookIt.  These sites scour the Internet and you can find some great packages, as well as deals here.  Be sure to check out the Las Vegas section, as you can find some great deals there all the time.

Tip #4 Book direct with the h0tels
Let’s say that you know where you want to stay on the strip.  If you do, what you can do is go to the hotel website direct.  When you’re on this site, you’re going to be able to book your room right there.  You will find that 9 times out of 10, you’re going to be able to find the best deal possible on that particular hotel room.  If you want to learn about this hotel trick, find out how you can get upgrades for nothing.

Tip #5 Consider off season
If your whole idea is to save money, you’re going to find that going during the late summer months are going to be the best, when it comes to saving money.  You will find that July and August will be the best time to find cheap package deals.

Test out some of those vacation package tips, as well as follow some of those deal based sites.  You will find that you can get deals 90% of the time.  While Vegas is already cheap as it is, these tips should help you save even more.

Since a majority of us need to work to pay the bills, we all know that we don’t want to get into a job that you hate.  Instead, you may be researching some jobs right now that peak your interests.  One of the things that may enjoy is travel, and since there are literally millions  jobs out there, you may want to know what jobs require travel.

To get you a good idea on what requires travel, I came up with a simple list of some of the jobs that you may want to consider.  Granted, some of these jobs are going to require an extensive education, while others may require no form of training at all.

Jobs That Require Travel

Sales - Many sales job require that you travel a few miles, or even across the United States.  While this is a broad area, there are many opportunities.

Cruise Ship - Cruise ships are massive, and many of them easily employ 200+ employees, if not more depending on the size.  There are all types of jobs on these ships that will allow you to travel across the globe.

Flight Attendant - While this one is fairly obvious, it doesn’t require that much experience.  Fly across the globe helping people on planes.

Pilot - Like the flight attendant, you’re going to be up in the air.  The only difference here is that you’re going to need training.

Be a volunteer - While you won’t get paid, you can work with the Peace Corps or even the American Red Cross.

Promotions / Marketing – Many companies out there want to get their name out, and they need people to go to conventions, festivals, fairs and more.

Military - If you want to make a commitment, the Armed Forces may be a great opportunity.  This is a great way to experience just about every part of the world.

Journalism - Working in TV, Newspapers and more may require you to travel on occasions to cover an event.   This field generally requires a college degree.

The US State Department - The state department for the United States has many job openings that require travel.  To get more information, you can visit their site at careers.state.gov.

Truck Driver - Since goods have to get from point A to point B, this is a great job to consider.  While many of these positions don’t require a degree, you will find that you will travel a lot in your big rig.

Most of these are your common jobs that require travel.  The best way to find jobs in these categories is simply by looking for the major companies in each sector.  Look for their careers page, and see what you can find.

When traveling, we all need to carry some sort of bag around to get our items around.  While we don’t want to bring something bulky,  nor do we want to bring something too small, you’re going to find that you may want something that is rather lightweight.

If you’re looking for a lightweight backpack, I would recommend this for those that do a lot of traveling.  You’re going to find that not only is it easier to get it around in the airport, you will also find that you fit just as much stuff as you could in any other suitcase.

With that being said, here are some lightweight suitcases that you may want to consider, if you’re thinking about purchasing one:

The London Fog Oxford ($90 – $220) - Very durable, but not only fashionable, you will find with the padded front and sides, you will get more protection than any other bag on the market.  The bag also expands to give you 30% more space.  This bag in particular weighs less than 9 pounds.

Case Logic 29″ Lightweight Rolling Duffel ($100 – $150) - You wouldn’t think that a company such as Case Logic would create a suitcase that is highly rated, but they do.  This lightweight bag not only has rolling wheels at the bottom, it also comes equipped with a great 10 year warranty!

Samsonite DKX 21 ($100 – $120) – This Samsonite bag is not only great for carry on, it also expands to give you even more space.  It comes equipped with zip top bag for toiletries,  patented spinner wheels, as well as protectors to keep it looking new all the time.

Eagle Creek Cloudstream Upright ($200) - This luggage created by Eagle Creek not only has a great look to it, it’s lightweight.  Weighs around 6 pounds, has an expansion zipper section, as well as a large compartment section that comes with 2-way lockable zippers.

XCASE World’s Lightest Carry On (around $70) – While I’m not a fan of the design, you may be.  You’re going to find that they claim that this is the lightest carry on luggage on the market today.  For less than $100, you can choose from many various colors.  Not only are you going to get a great quality carry on bag, you’re going to get something that weighs less than 6 pounds!

As you can see, there are a few of them to choose from.  You will find that if your bag is under 6-7 pounds, this is going to be probably the lightest that it’s going to get.  If they went too light, you may find that the quality may suffer, where it will rip easier.

Take a glance at some of the ones mentioned above, and see if one works for you!

Traveling can be a pain in the butt.  You generally have to bring everything with you that you need on a daily basis at home.  From your clothing, to your toothbrush, there’s a good chance that you’re going to forget something.  Trust me, I forget things all the time.  You’re going to find that you will want to more than likely invest into a toiletry bag.

What is usually in a toiletry bag?

These bags are designated for travel only.  You’re going to be able to purchase a kit that already has everything that you need right inside of it.  This is great for those that don’t want to worry about gathering up items.  You’re going to get toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and so much more.  Each and every bag is different, so you will want to make sure that you’re getting one that suits your needs.

I went ahead, and worked out a list of the top 5 toiletry bags that are on the market today.  I scoured a few e-commerce sites such as Amazon, and came up with this list:

#1 The American Tourister Travel Kit ($10) - This is a very reasonably priced kit that comes with just about everything that you need.  It comes with 3 zippered sections, as well as stores any full sized bottles and more.  Throw all your items in here, and you don’t have to worry about things spilling out.

#2 LL Trading Company Leather Travel Kit ($15) - Created by LL Trading Company, it has a large inside, with many compartments.  It also comes equipped with a carrying handle.  Great bag to store hairspray, shampoo and more.

#3 Household Essentials Storage Bag ($20) – This is one of my favorite bags on the market today.  The thing I like about it is that it comes pre-equipped with the items itself.  You’re going to get everything from tweezers to many little compartments.  It’s a great buy for less than $20!

#4 Travelon Travel Accessory Bag ($8) - Another reasonably priced package that is great for carry on luggage.  While you’re not going to get all of the shampoos, and more, you will find that you can get empty containers that allow you to fill them up.

#5 Navy Travel Kit ($5) - This one is designed for those that go to the gym, but I’ve found that it works great for travel as well.  A great bag that you throw any bathroom related items in with a nice fold down flap.

Toiletry bags won’t cost you no more than a few bucks.  Look at a few above, and see if any best suit you.  Whether you want to carry them on, or you want to put them in your luggage, these are all great options.

Credit: Flickr

Many of us like to travel just about anywhere, but what we have found out is that not only is it fun, but it takes a big damper on our wallet!  Did you know that there are ways to travel abroad for free?  By following a few tips listed below, you should be able to find some ways to not only save money, but see the world for next to nothing.

Volunteer your services

Did you know that there are organizations out there that you can join, and in exchange you can get free rent, and more?  For example, the program called the Caretaker’s Gazette allows you to search for people looking for caretakers.  In exchange, you’re going to be able to get everything from free rent and more.

Surf couches

Well, not literally but what you can do here is that you can search out places all across the globe in the United States.  They will offer their homes up for free.  Why do they do it?  It’s a great way to meet people from across the world, as well as give people a great way to connect, and make friends.  Many couch surfers hope that you do the same for others.  You can find some on the site, CouchSurfing.com.

Join the Peace Corps

What you’re going to find with many of these programs is that you’re going to have to stay, and work for quite some time.  With the Peace Corps, you’re going to be able to work in many countries such as Africa, Asia and more.  Open to all ages, you can learn a lot about their program at PeaceCorps.gov.

Join the United Nations

Like the Peace Corps, the United Nations volunteer program is always looking for people to join the program.  You get everything from your airfare to living expenses.  In exchange, you will help people around the world.  You can get more information on their site located at UNV.org.

Try out organic farming

Known as WWOOF, the world of organic farms allows you to go to other farms across the country.  In exchange of helping people on the farms, you will get everything from living expenses to food and more.  You can find more information on WWOOF.org.

Just be simple

While travel is going to cost you some money to an extent, find people that are traveling on Craigslist.  Some people will take you to a place in exchange for help unloading items and more.  Be creative, and think of ways to travel.  If you have to, start biking and camp out as you go.  There are so many opportunities that you can take advantage of to save money.

Do you have a way to travel for free?  If so, let’s hear about it!