I'm sure the numbers have changed since I last looked in early 2010. I had read a report that of all activities done online, 80 percent of expected travelers did some investigating and shopping online for their trips. Eighty percent! That was a phenomenal number to me. But then again, I do ALL my travel planning online. Oh, I may call a hotel directly or make a reservation through telephone, but I always do all my research online, and I always look for reviews. Most of all, i always check for any promotions.

Finding promotions, however, is a little more difficult than booking an accommodation reservation. Some companies seem to bury their promotions. I have no idea why they do this-- these businesses may save a few bucks by charging full price, but more people would flock to the business if they knew there was a sale. I know, because I am one of them. I often base my travel plans on discounts and sales.

Well, if you are like me and are always looking to save money, check out the travelocity.com specials at FrugalDad.com. Have you heard of this site? It's been mentioned by The New Yorker, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Kiplingers and others. The site is touted as a great place for financial tips and other advice. I love it! But there's also a special part of the site set aside for coupons and deals. FrugalDad.com has a HUGE list of retailers where you can find discounts, deals, coupons, and more. It's definitely worth looking into BEFORE you make that big hotel reservation or airline ticket.

I have not yet tried Travelocity, though. They are one of the best "budget" travel planner sites I know. Travelocity is something akin to a travel search engine. You "input" exactly what you are looking for and Travelocity searches all the possible vendors and displays all the options, highlighting the best deals. Some of my pals say they have saved quite a bit of money, using Travelocity. I had no idea Travelocity offered coupons and deals from time to time. That must be a deal on top of a deal, right?!

So why pay more than you have to? Why not take a few extra minutes and look for discounts and deals online? It costs you absolutely nothing to use the services and you can very easily save a bundle of money. And, like me, you may decide to take an unexpected holiday simply because the prices are irresistible. :)