7/5 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the day:  Other ways to save money while traveling.  I noticed more people are bringing snacks and food on the plane.  The lady in front of my husband (aisle) brought veggies and a strong smelling dip (limburger? blue cheese?) - the lady in front of my daughter (window) covered her head with her jacket and made all kinds of gestures to indicate that she was not happy with the smell - including pointing her vent toward the lady in the aisle sheet.  To be honest - it was quite smelly - but I don't think I would have made such a big deal.  So, bring healthy food - but skip any malodorous things?  I have noticed most prices for food item are high in the airport - and a sandwich and a bag of chips in flight is $10 - American Airlines doesn't take cash - you must use a credit or debit card.  Of course we don't have cable - so, we watched a bit of trash tv.  My husband mostly watched HLN - the "crime of the century" case - while I watched a few episodes of a Canadian reality show - finance related - really :)  I forget the name of the show - but the host is a tough Cookie - she even used colorful language.  But, the shows I watched mostly included women heavily into debt.  She called them "princesses".  Anyway, she gave them challenges - and of course took their credit and debit cards - and depending on how they did on their 6 weeks challenge - she would reward them with $0, $3K or $5K.  She said their attitude counted too.  Of course, if the subject did really well - she threw in an extra reward.  I was just facinated by the show - I think I would be a great host - minus the colorful language.  She taught people to budget, shop sensibly, and she brought them back to reality by letting them know if they continued on their path - how much in debt (and how much in interest) they would be paying - I saw some outrageous interest rates (19.XX, 20.XX) on some of the credit card debt.  She always asked them to put something (minimum of $50 per month) for savings and emergencies each - ala Dave Ramsey?  She also let them know how long it would take to pay off their current debt - and if they continued to save the amount they used to pay-off their debts and stuck it into savings - how much they could potentially retire with.   I thnk the US would have some contenders for contestants too.  I don't know how many people would air their "dirty laundry" for $5K - but you'd think with this economy - people would be interested in this type of show - I know I was :)  Other things we did to save money - we walked, used the bus/train system, and rode the freebie bike.  We took the cab to and from the airport at a cost of $35 Canadian each way - which included our tip.  What I did notice is - many small stores do not have air conditioning - and I would say we would have browsed longer if they did have it.  Of course, we may be a bit on the spoiled side - and maybe a bit out of shape for walking.  Our splurge was to attend a concert.  It was walking distance from the hotel. Believe me - we researched prices.  The lowest price we could find on line (free wi-fi at the hotel) was $80.  We went to the front desk and asked for the cheapest price and they quoted $120 from their local favorite to buy tickets from.  My husband walked to Rogers Stadium and paid $6X per ticket.  So, while not dirt cheap - we saved $ with a bit of effort. The only freebie I got that I did not enjoy is my cold :(