Traveling has never seen such hard times. I know I have curtailed my traveling some. I am doing everything I can to reserve the funds for the "really big" places we want to go. I'm also doing my best to get the best deals on EVERYTHING-- this includes finding deals on admission tickets (there are vendors who will sell you tickets at discounted prices-- I know a place in Cooperstown that sells Howe Caverns tickets at 10% off, for example), not eating out unless we have coupons, and using credit cards that reward me for purchases. I "earned" close to $350 last year in rewards and cash back by using only the credit cards that give me reward points or cash back. That money came in very handy for gas purchases and more admission tickets!

There are specialized credit cards for just about everybody- students, travelers, people who stay at hotels, people who frequently fly to their destinations, etc. You can search for good deals on cards that offer gasoline credit for your purchases, or cards that reward you with frequent flyer miles for your purchases. Search by APR rate, by rating, by annual fee or no, by introductory purchase rate, and even by airline! It's extremely convenient, and best of all, you save a lot of money-- money that is better spent on more traveling and on greater purchasing power.



As always, I will be the first to say to be wise with your choices and your purchases. Get a good idea of what's affordable and what you can handle, and get a second opinion. Check your sources, and do comparison shopping. I do, and that's how I manage to stretch my dollar that little bit more.