Did you know you can use Groupon credit anywhere?!

Are you on Groupon yet?  I HIGHLY endorse these online one day coupon companies, I really think you should follow every one!

Groupon is of course one of the oldest and largest of these companies and you can purchase a Groupon for MANY different States.  They have a great referral program where you get $10 for the first Groupon purchase made by a friend you referred!  (See why I plug them every week? - I'm hoping you will check it out & if you enjoy it please sign up under me! It really makes my day when I see someone has signed up that week =))

We are using our Groupon referral credits to keep costs down on our family trip to San Francisco this fall.  You can keep this in mind for your future trips or even just use Groupon credits for a family activity or date night right here in San Diego.

Enjoy!
Kate

I need your hot tips for a family trip to San Francisco!

So I am actually asking for your help!  My family will be taking a trip this fall to San Francisco.  We would LOVE all your vacation tips - especially those that are good for the family and inexpensive.  We will be traveling with two preschoolers so kid friendly is key.

I would LOVE for you to post a comment here or email me at SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com


Thanks!
Kate

Travelzoo.com is rad

I just wanted to plug one of my favorite sites.  Travel Zoo has great info on travel deals.  It is a bit cheesier than Priceline, Orbits, etc - but their deals are the BEST - I have compared them side by side & they are consistently better.

My favorite page is 'last minute deals' - they have several tabs based on several popular cities.  You can find lots of last minute deals from hotels to cruises, to airfare on Los Angeles/So California.  Click Here for their last minute deals!

An example (this was a couple years back - dont look for it now =)) - we booked a suite at La Costa Resort & Spa for $70 a night (normally $350!!) - it was amazing - the best part of it was we passed a Motel 6 on the way & their sign advertised their nightly rate was $72.99 for 1 person - we felt sorry for everyone staying in Motel 6 that night knowing we had spent less and stayed in such a beautiful place. 

Check out Travel Zoo today!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Save money on a trip (or staycation) in San Diego NEW STUFF ADDED

I thought I should put together a list of some great money saving options for anyone who is planning on vacationing or staycationing in San Diego!  I will attempt to make this brief...

* Start off with an Entertainment book - but wait! FIRST go through Ebates to get an additional 25% off!  These books are so deeply discounted by the time summer comes around - you could use it one time and it will more than pay for itself! everything from amusement parks to dinner to dry cleaning to mail in rebates for your hotel! too late! SD edition is sold out! hopefully you already purchased yours!

* Go San Diego Card from Smart Destinations can save you LOTS if you plan on going to several different locations in San Diego - check them out first!

*So Cal City Pass - if you want to hit all the major themeparks in So Cal - this is a great way to do it *side note* see my previous blog post on city pass - if you live here you may want to upgrade some of those already  one day admissions to year passes for little or NO cost!

*FREE museum days! Check and see if the museums you are interested have FREE days - the following do...Active Military? - you are in luck - you and your family can attend several museums all over the US (TONS here in San Diego) for free until Labor day!
       SD Botanical Gardens is free every 1st Tuesday
       California Surf Museum is free every Thursday
       Balboa Park has several free museums EVERY Tuesday!
       The Escondido Performing Arts Center hosts a free concert every 1st Wednesday
       The New Children's Museum is FREE every second Sunday
       *special note* check your local library to see if they have added free museum passes - ours in San Marcos just did - yay! if you are a SD resident you can take advantage of 'borrowing' a ticket to see several museums and aquariums for free!

* SD Movies in the Park lists TONS of free outdoor movies you can enjoy - our weather is one of our greatest attractions - who says you have to spend a bunch of money to enjoy SD??

*check back here at http://www.sandiegodealsandsteals.blogspot.com/ for TONS of outdoor concert series - most are completely free! just add your own picnic!

*check back here at http://www.sandiegodealsandsteals.blogspot.com/ for awesome free Street fairs & festivals - there seems to be at least one every weekend! These are great for locals and tourists alike!
*Sea World is offering a great summer promo - great discounted tickets and $2 of every sale goes to help Ronald McDonald House Charities.

*San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park Annual passes are tax deductible! If you are going to get the City Pass - I highly suggest you upgrade your pass - for just a few dollars more you can then see BOTH parks (the pass makes you choose just one) AND you will then get a write off as well as several other benefits to your membership (for example at the WAP you can ride the tram for FREE!)

*Summer Pops 2010 is an awesome evening of music on San Diego's Big Bay! Purchase tix online via link & enter the PROMOTIONAL CODE RSVP for $10 off each ticket (up to four discounted!)

* San Diego Padres games can be lots of fun - we have such a beautiful stadium! Purchase tix online via the link & enter the PROMOTIONAL CODE RSVP for 25% off! - nice deal!
*Planning a trip to Legoland? Make sure to swing by Carls Jr. first - you can get a 'buy an adult admission, get a child's admission free' voucher with any meal purchase!

*Who doesn't love surf brands?? I know we have friends that are SO excited to shop at surf shops when they are in Southern California - but here is my hot tip - DON'T go to the surf shops! Go to Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ross first! We often buy Hurley, Quicksilver, Roxy, Oneill, Billabong, and other great surf brands for nearly the same price as something from Target! 

*this might be a 'no brainer' - but remember our beaches are (for the most part) free! People fly thousands of miles to sit on our beautiful La Jolla shores (and other beautiful beaches too!) - so make sure to take a walk on the beach & build a sand castle! You could spend all day at the beach without spending a dime!

Enjoy ~
Kate

Guided Snorkeling in La Jolla (heaven) for only $29! Groupon deal of the day!

Groupon deal of the day is A Guided Snorkeling Tour in La Jolla!  San Diego Excellent Adventures offers a guided tour in protected waters - normally $70 - but you can purchase today for only $29 through Groupon!  Includes all equipment!

This is a GREAT deal! If you have friends traveling to San Diego or if you are planning a trip to San Diego later this summer you should really hop on this deal! Snorkeling in La Jolla is a must and this is a huge savings!!

Summer Airfare Surcharge - *sigh*

So one thing that really frustrates me about air travel is that a flight has a price of $X - but it inflates by about $100 once you add in all the different taxes & surcharges - ie baggage fees (remember there was a time when you could travel with two checked bags and one carry on & it was fine - now they charge for even ONE checked bag to come along - ugh!)

NOW they have the nerve to charge a $10 - $30 peek summer travel days surcharge - so frustrating - the rates of course are higher during that time, which is totally understandable - but then they tack on another $30 - boooo!

Well let the airlines here me when I say - that was the final nail in the coffin of our family's summer vacation plans (honestly we planned a 'stay cation' anyway - but if there was any doubt - it has been erased)

If you are planning a summer vacation you may want to know that Southwest and JetBlue have not (yet) jumped on the summer surcharge bandwagon - their rates tend to be less expensive anyway - so I would check them first!  Also Southwest & Jetblue do NOT charge for the 1st checked bag - between the summer surcharge & checked bag fees alone this could save your family A LOT!

Remember that going through Ebates.com to get to your website of choice will save you money too! Book directly through Southwest Airlines through ebates & you will get 3% back!  There are also links for Priceline, Travelocity and more! (Pick one that shows you there airline & make sure you get Southwest or Jetblue to avoid those surcharges!)

Enjoy ~
Kate

Travel Tip ' Bags Fly Free' on Southwest

Bags Fly Free on Southwest! Normally Southwest if very competative anyway - add in the fact that unlike several other Airlines they do not charge the $15 - $25 per bag (each way!!)...(PER PERSON!)  you can save quite a bit!

If you are planning a trip to or from San Diego I thought you might want to know. =)

Want to save another 3%? Book your Southwest flight through Ebates - you will get 3% cashback and make sure to check out the exclusive additional discounts through Ebates!  Remember you will get $5 when you sign up for ebates and you will get a quarterly 'big fat check' - totally free, no spam, no cost to sign up - you can get a rebate from thousands of online retailers! We deposit our 'big fat check' into our 'adoption fund' account - what would you do with yours?

Enjoy ~
Kate

Mousesavers ~ Save Money on your next trip to Disneyland

Mousesavers is a GREAT site that can help you save LOTS of money the next time you go to Disneyland (or any Disney Theme Park).  Information on discounted tickets, the best hotels, the best way to beat crowds, and very importantly what popular scams you should avoid. 

Meet one of my favorite Bloggers ~ Kristin at Couponing to Disney!

Can the average person afford a trip to Disney? Well Kristin at Couponing to Disney proves that they can. She started her blog to showcase how she is using money she has saved by being a smart shopper, by using rebates, by saving found money and by earning extra cash online to pay for her yearly trip to Disney World. Since June 1st, 2009, she has saved over $2950 and not one dime has come out of their paychecks! And she teaches that anyone can save for anything they previously thought was out of their budget. She has readers couponing to Germany, couponing to cheerleading camp and couponing to a new television! It doesn't matter what you want to save for, she shows you it can be achieved.

FREE Burt's Bees Toothpaste - Freebie by mail - while supplies last

Burt's Bees is offering an awesome freebie by mail ~ try out their new natural toothpaste for free! Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom for alerting me of this freebie!

I LOVE getting freebies by mail and one of our bathroom drawers is starting to look like I took advantage of an unmanned hotel housekeeping cart (I swear I didn't).  These little freebies by mail really add up and they only take a few seconds to sign up for.  I highly suggest getting a 'junk' email account (although most freebies I show do have an 'opt out' for future emails, but I suggest it either way).

Samples like these are GREAT for travel (I can't remember the last time I bought a travel sized anything). If you don't need it, maybe you could make a nice care package with freebies for a family member who is a college student? Or a friend in Afganistan or Iraq? Just a couple ideas! Enjoy ~ Kate