Take Your Ad Out of the Yellowpages and Save a Bundle!

Take your ad out of the yellowpages and save a bundle. Actually, there’s a bit more to say, but most of my customers usually did just that before coming to see me. You see, I counsele 1000’s of clients during my years as a marketing consultant. So, during a recession, customers would ask to cut or remove their ads entirely. Hey, it made perfect sense to them. When business is good, advertise. When it’s bad, don’t. They also probably buy high and sell low in the stock market, too.

I understand that a slow cash flow is hard to cope with and the first inclination is to cut out the overhead. Unfortunately, they think of advertising as overhead. I considered it an extra salesperson that never slept, needed no health benefits, but always worked hard to bring in business. It was tough to convince my customers to stop dumping money in the yellowpages and start getting more for less.  Advertising should be the last thing to go especially if you can cut cost and get more leads in the process. Now doesn’t that sound like a win-win?

But invariably some businesses will still remove advertising and hope things would get better on their own. Amazingly, when I see them the following year, things weren’t any better and often, worse. They couldn’t comprehend what was happening, so I tried to explain the situation.

I would start with, “You just made your competitors very happy.” The business owner would look startled. “Why is that?” they might ask. “Because,” I reply, “you aren’t in the yellowpages anymore and that’s great but did you replace it with a lower cost and more effective alternative?  No. So when a consumer’s water heater dies and they go searching for a plumber, the other plumbers are there and you aren’t. They get to benefit from less competition. So, even though they pay for the ad, it works better when there are less ads. You did them a favor. I hoped they thanked you.”

Sure, the poor times might cause you to drop the color or reduce a size, but dropping the ad is not the way to help yourself when every customer becomes even more precious. There are other ways to beef up the results of your ad without spending more. In fact, I’ve had some clients spend less and still maintain a successful advertising program. It’s all about the little things and how they are handled. Haven’t you brought your car into the shop for a tune-up? Well, I bet it’s time to trade in that old and dusty yellowpages ad and 104inc.com is your neighborhood low cost and high impact advertising source. They will show you how to create a headline that works and create a slimmer and trimmer ad that can compete for more business. Also, 104inc.com will help you track the results of the ads so you know exactly how it’s doing.

Give your ad a makeover and take it out for a test run with a 45 Day FREE Trial. In a poor or good economy, your advertising can help you bring in customers, if it’s well thought out and created with your business in mind.

 

Best foods for weight loss: The 7 Best Foods for Weight Loss

Losing weight is not about starving yourself and subsisting on seltzer. Eat too little and the only place you’ll feel lighter is your head. Plus, research shows that any pounds you lose will likely come back–plus more. One of the healthiest ways to shed pounds for good is to eat power foods that are naturally filling, nutrient-packed and, yes, proven to help you peel off pounds. Pile your plate with these prize possessions!

Steak
Women on a diet that included red meat lost more weight than those eating equal calories but little beef, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. One reason: The protein in lean cuts of steak helps you keep muscle mass during weight loss, and muscle incinerates more calories than fat, so you will shed more stubborn pudge. Try it: Grill or broil a 4-ounce serving of top round or sirloin; slice thinly to top a salad, or mix with veggies for fajitas.

Eggs
The breakfast staple can trim off inches all over. Research from the Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge found that women on a low-calorie diet who ate an egg with toast and jelly each morning lost twice as many pounds as those who had a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories but no eggs. Turns out, egg protein is particularly satisfying, so you liikely eat less during the course of the day.
Try it: Enjoy a morning omelette or frittata, or top your lunchtime salad with hard-boiled eggs.

Lentils
These beans can help banish belly bloat and reduce your belt size. Chock full of protein and soluble fiber, lentils can stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area.
Try it: Toss lentils in soups, salads or pasta sauce. Or try this delicious Lentil Pilaf with Turkey Sausage.

Pomegranates
Low in calories, this fruit gets high marks for taste and nutritional content, thanks to a healthy dose of folate, fiber and disease-deterring antioxidants.
Try it: Skip the juice and snack on the seeds instead. Toss them into salad in place of nuts. Or try these Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellinis from Giada DeLaurentiis (one of her holiday faves).

Chiles
Some like it hot, and for good reason. Eating spicy numbers will spike your metabolism, courtesy of a compound in chiles called capsaicin, which helps the body burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat them. Bonus: It can be downright painful to inhale a plate of chiles, so you’ll eat slower, allowing your brain adequate time to register that it is full and prevent overeating.
Try it: Sample the savory entree that chef Nigella Lawson shared with SELF.

Quinoa
It might be hard to pronounce (it’s KEEN-wah), but eating quinoa offers a simple way to ward off the munchies. The grain is teeming with fiber (2.6 grams per 1/2 cup) and protein to keep you humming and hunger-free for hours.
Try it: Replace the rice in stir-fries with quinoa.

Parmesan
Say cheese! Women who had one serving of whole milk or cheese daily were less likely to gain weight over time, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Dieters who ate lowfat varieties of dairy did not experience the same benefit. Why? Whole dairy may contain more conjugated linoleic acid, which could assist in the fat-burning department. And since Parmesan is so flavorful, you only need a few sprinkles to gain maximum flavor without compromising its pound-shedding power.
Try it: Grate Parmesan over veggies such as broccoli or asparagus, or pair a 1-ounce portion with an apple.

For more recipes and fat-fighting foods, log on to Self.com and check out 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss. Then sign up for our Jump Start Diet plan to help you shed pounds the healthy way for good!

6 Strategies To Generate INSTANT Traffic For Your Website

1. 104Inc.com.  You can register for a FREE account with 104Inc and create a business profile.  Within this business profile you will be able to list your “website”.  The great part of 104Inc is their growing community of websites.  They currently have over 2000 + websites with the 104 branded domain names.  This means your ads will show up on all those sites like 104Service.com, 104Adz.com.  The more doors your customers have to find you, the more traffic you will have.  So make sure to register for your free account with 104inc.com

2. Yahoo Answers. Here’s the most excellent manner to create instant traffic to your website. If you have a Yahoo account, you’re good to go. If you don’t, well, it’ll take a minute or two to produce one. Log on to http://www.answers.yahoo.com and look for open questions regarding the subject that is the target of your website. You can utilize the built-in search function. Once you find free inquiry, reply the same to the best of your abilities and leave your website’s link in the field where your informant is demanded for. Do this with as many appropriate open inquiries that you can find. This technique will work in two means. First, it will create immediate traffic to your website because in a matter of 2 years, Yahoo Answers has become one of the web’s principal authority sites. Subsequently, you will be able to create indirect traffic because Yahoo Answers’ pages are picked up by search engines in a matter of hours, and if your URL’s there, your website will be indexed just as efficiently well.

3. Digg it! If you have published new {content|subject], forward the same to http://www.digg.com. If your piece is engaging and stimulating enough, the viewers of the aforementioned website can choose the same by appropriating Digg points. If your piece obtains enough Digg points, it will display prominently well in the website’s pages for millions of persons to perceive.

4. Commenting on blogs. Go to famous blogs connected to the topic of your site. Say something on recent blog entries and put your link. Make this in a way that won’t your statements seem as spam. This method will work in two means, as it will create both immediate and secondary traffic for your website similar to Yahoo Answers.

5. Snitching a location at Technorati. If you have published new content, present the same to http://www.technorati.com. Classify your entry under an appropriate label. Now here’s the stealer: you can make whatever label you want. It may be a well-known, well-searched label, or it may be a radical and new label that nobody has ever utilized before. Latest pieces always emerge at the pinnacle of the page relating to the said labels.

6. The intangible my Wikipedia link. Wikipedia has immediately become one of the web’s primary source websites. Search for the topic of your own site in the pages of Wikipedia. See if you can add anything that hasn’t been mentioned about the subject. If you do add anything, place your URL as link. There is no certainty that your link will remain there for quite some time, but it’s always worth the attempt given the incredible results you can have from this technique.

20 Worst Foods in America, 2009

Can an appetizer with the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme doughnuts be justified? No. The 2,710-calorie Awesome Blossom has been purged from Chili’s menu–maybe the fat-drenched appetizer couldn’t withstand the scrutiny of being named to the Eat This, Not That! list of the Worst Foods in America last year. No matter the reason, we applaud this waist-expanding starter’s retirement.

The deep-fried onion wasn’t the only thing to withdraw from last year’s race–more than 10 other items from 2008’s lineup have been removed from menus (or mysteriously had their calorie counts lowered). That’s a step in the right direction, and it’s good news for your waistline. 

The bad news? There are plenty of frightening foods still at large across the country. After another year of menu investigation, we’ve come up with this year’s list of the most calorie-laden, fat-riddled, sodium-swaddled, sugar-spiked dishes in America. Eat at your own risk.

Worst “Healthy” Sandwich
Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12″)
1,106 calories
56 g fat (33 g saturated fat)
2,831 mg sodium
96 g carbohydrates

Sure, a Veggie Supreme sandwich sounds healthy, but this foot-long comes with three different kinds of cheese, and it’s drenched in oil. After Blimpie gets done with this vegetarian nightmare, you’d be better off consuming two Big Macs than sitting down with this sandwich.

Don’t be fooled by “healthy” foods—replace these 14 imposters with delicious alternatives that satisfy without expanding your waistline.

Worst Kids’ Meal
Chili’s Pepper Pals Country-Fried Chicken Crispers with Ranch Dressing and Homestyle Fries
1,110 calories
82 g fat (15 g saturated)
1,980 mg sodium
56 g carbohydrates

Most kids, if given the choice, would live on chicken fingers for the duration of their adolescent lives. If those chicken fingers happened to come from Chili’s, it might be a shorter one. A moderately active 8-year-old boy should eat around 1,600 calories a day. This single meal plows through 75 percent of that allotment. So unless he plans to eat carrots and celery sticks for the rest of the day (and we know he doesn’t), find a healthier chicken alternative.

See our rankings of kids’ restaurants so you can help your children pick the best options every time.

Worst Dessert
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Dessert Ravioli
1,630 calories
74 g fat
33 g saturated fat
1,150 mg sodium
223 g carbohydrates

Would you eat a Quarter Pounder for dessert? How about four? That’s how many it takes to match the calorie-load of this decadent dish. It’s the quickest way to ruin what may have been a sensible dinner. (Then again, if dinner was at Macaroni Grill, chances are it was anything but sensible.)

Worst Burger
Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple-The-Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
2,040 calories
150 g fat (53 g saturated)
110 g protein
4,900 mg sodium
 
You know this burger’s in trouble when it takes more than 20 syllables just to identify it. If you think the name’s a mouthful, just wait until the burger hits the table. You’ll be face-to-face with two-and-a-half days’ worth of fat—a full third of which is saturated. To do that much damage with roasted sirloin, you’d have to eat about eight 6-ounce steaks. (It’s nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat.)

Not all burgers are created equal. See if your favorite is a healthy indulgence or a grease slab on a bun.

Worst Starter
Uno Chicago Grill Pizza Skins (full order)
2,400 calories
155 g fat (50 g saturated)
3,600 mg sodium
 
This appetizer is like eating a Large Domino’s Hand-Tossed Sausage Pizza! Would you ever think of saying to a waiter: “Why don’t you start me off with a large meat pizza?” If you’re ordering for a party of more than five, it might be OK, but for smaller groups, it’s tilting toward gluttony gone wild. Order the Thai Vegetable Pot Stickers instead—the only item carrying fewer than 800 calories.

If you want to eat a little something before your meal, be sure to avoid the worst appetizers in America.

The Worst Food of 2009
Baskin Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake
2,600 calories
135 g fat (59 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
263 g sugars
1,700 mg sodium

We didn’t think anything could be worse than Baskin Robbins’ 2008 bombshell, the Heath Bar Shake. After all, it had more sugar (266 grams) than 20 bowls of Froot Loops, more calories (2,310) than 11 actual Heath Bars, and more ingredients (73) than you’ll find in most chemist labs. Rather than coming to their senses and removing it from the menu, they did themselves one worse and introduced this caloric catastrophe. It’s soiled with more than a day’s worth of calories and three days worth of saturated fat, and, worst of all, usually takes less than 10 minutes to sip through a straw.

For the complete list of the 20 Worst Foods in America 2009, check out these rankings and the best options to eat instead of the gut bombs!

Liquid calories add up quickly—especially if you’re sipping any of the 20 unhealthiest drinks in America.

Credit Repair is More Than a Right, It’s Your Responsibility

The majority of Americans have errors and other unverifiable information on their credit reports that could be dragging down their credit score. Odds are good that your credit score is lower than it should be. The unfortunate thing is that odds are you will be yet another one of the millions of Americans who will continue to suffer with an unfair credit score because you will do nothing to repair your credit.

Most Americans want to believe the credit reporting system works; that people earn their bad credit and there is nothing they can do about it but wait for seven years. But study after study shows the credit reporting system frequently does not work. This is why the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection legislation give you the right to do something about it – the right to make sure your credit score is as good as it can be.

So why is it that, though everyone has the right to dispute the negative items in their credit reports, very few people do? It certainly can’t be because they don’t understand the importance of a high credit score. After all, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the benefits of a good credit score when it can be the difference between paying $2,500/month and $2,000/month for the exact same house.

More likely, the reason people do not repair their credit is a mix of apathy and lack of understanding of the credit reporting system. Too many people assume the credit reporting system is some official government bureaucracy with an extensive system of checks and balances designed to ensure the safekeeping of their credit history. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

The credit bureaus at the center of the credit reporting system are not official organizations. Instead, they are massive, for-profit corporations that collect personal information from your creditors and make money by selling this information in the form of your credit reports.

So now you are asking yourself, how do they ensure this information is correct? If a creditor reports something that is wrong, how do the credit bureaus make sure it doesn’t end up on your credit reports?

The answer to both of these questions is: they don’t. Your creditors report information, the credit bureaus record it, and for most people, the story ends there.

Nobody at the credit bureaus or in the government is going to make sure your credit reports are accurate. The way the credit reporting system is set up, there is only one person who will ever bother to check up on your credit reports – and that person is you. You are the missing, and ultimately the most important, piece of the credit reporting puzzle.

Making sure your credit score is where it should be is your responsibility and repairing your credit reports is a task you will have to initiate because no one out there will do it for you.

It is your right and your responsibility to dispute the questionable negative items in your credit reports and the sooner you start, the better. You can work to repair your credit on your own or you can enlist the help of a credit repair law firm like Lexington Law.

Whether you attempt to repair your credit on your own or with the help of a credit repair expert, by taking an active role in the credit reporting system, you can ensure your credit score is as good as it can be and that you have the advantage over the millions of people out there with bad credit who haven’t taken action to do anything about it.

TAKING A RISK IS OFTEN YOUR FIRST STEP TOWARD SUCCESS

If you don’t take some risks, you won’t get the chance to succeed. While you are trying, you are winning. The law of averages is on your side. The more you try, the greater your chance of succeeding. Never get discouraged. Every wrong attempt is another step forward. People that make no mistakes usually don’t make anything. Make up your mind not merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand defeats. Your mistakes are stepping stones to success and your installment payments to victory. You can’t be a winner and be afraid to lose.

FOLLOW THE PATH OF OTHERS TO SUCCESS

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.  Tommy Lasorda

You can learn from other people to make up for your lack of experience in any area of life.

Take advantage of the people that have made the journey ahead of you.  Be open and receptive to the people around you.  They have things to teach you. Try to pick the right role models.  Don’t look for people that make you  feel good or entertain you.  Look for people that can help you.  Role models are more than people you like and admire.  The key is to look for people that will help you to be more successful.  You can learn from the mistakes of others.  You can learn different approaches to overcoming challenges.  Learning “what not to do”is as important as learning “what to do.”

Free Online Advertising: New Challenges Need New Answers

New challenges need new answers; If there’s one truth I’ve learned these past years serving growing companies and helping them explode their business, that’s GOT to be it. And in today’s “slow” economy, the old ways of recruiting new people into your business, the ways we found working in an “easy” economy… well, they just won’t cut it.
 
Like it or not:  You can’t stand still in business. You’re either growing or you’re shrinking. And like a yacht without a rudder, if you’re not putting things to work for you to get your direction clearly set, you’re at the mercy of wind and wave.  But it’s not bad news. In fact, because so many people in your business have just “given up”, this so-called “crunch” could be the best thing for you and your family.
 
Surprised? I bet you are.
 
And in a moment, I’ll share with you how you can prove this to yourself for just FREE… with 0% risk to you. But before I get into that, it seems hard to believe how much things have changed: Years ago when I started sharing with growing companies like yours the secrets to explosive business growth, the Internet was a FRACTION of its size today.  But now there are an estimated 1.133 BILLION people using the Internet regularly: Can you even IMAGINE a larger pool of potential prospects for your business, no matter WHAT it is?  And just as the Internet has grown, the opportunities have grown right along with it.
 
Fact: everyone today seems to be desperately looking for new ways to make those few extra bucks to make ends meet… so could there be a BETTER time for you to be there as their “lucky rabbit’s foot”, with your opportunity?  No.
 
Approach it in the right way, and this could be the best time of all!  And that’s why I created the NEW “Endless Free Online Business Link and Advertising” for you, new thinking, new solutions for a new economy.  These new services are nothing you have ever seen before.   It might seem like a dream right now but I promise and I actually GUARANTEE with my own money — I’ll share with you the “new secrets” to adding a minimum of five new people to your business, each and every week… for a lifetime to come!  And I want YOU to join me, at 104Inc.com for FREE; sounds too good to be true?  I guess it might. But it IS true: I want you to give 104inc a try for free and you can START TODAY.
 
No strings.  They are sharing the secrets that “Pay Per Click” companies like Google don’t want you to know.  I know how tough it seems right now, so I’m sharing my success and good fortune with you and bringing it within EVERYONE’S reach: Register for free and you’re set to go: 104Inc allows you to find what you desire through multiple websites while still being part of our innovative network. With unlimited doors for users to “walk” through to locate your business, everyone within 104Inc automatically promotes for one another.
 
I’m not joking.  See, I KNOW how powerful this is, so I don’t have to worry about it not giving you the results I promise…  and YOU don’t have to decide now, because you can just give it a try for just free.  And, you know, when all this blows over, when the dust settles and things “pick up” again, there will be two groups of people in your organization:
 
  1. Those who made things happen; 
 
  2. And those who just had things
     happen to them.
 
I ask you now: which group do you want to be in? Visit 104inc.com right now and register.  You have nothing to lose and only business to gain.

free advertising

THERE IS NO SUCCESS WITHOUT HARDSHIP

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.   Roger Staubach 

The world is so constructed that if you wish to enjoy its pleasures,
you must also endure its pains.
Like it or not, you cannot have one without the other.

Success is not measured by what you accomplish.
It’s measured by the opposition you encounter,
and the courage with which you maintain your struggle against the odds.

You’ll find all things are difficult before they are easy.
The greater your obstacles, the more glory in overcoming them.
So, make up your mind before you start that sacrifice is part of the package.

No pain, no gain;
No thorns, no throne;
No cross, no crown.

You’ve got to go through the negative before you get to the positive. 

Successfully navigating the negatives prepare you for much Better Things.

While you’re unlikely to get an all-expenses-paid trip unless you win a game show, you can still get portions your trip for free if you book certain promotions or take advantage of some alternative modes of travel. Here are my picks for top limited-time and long-term “free” travel deals worth checking out.

1. Kids Fly Free to French Polynesia

Never considered French Polynesia for family vacation? Maybe Air Tahiti Nui’s kids-fly-free deal will persuade you. When you book two adult Air Tahiti Nui fares from Los Angeles to French Polynesia from January 12 to May 31, 2009, you’ll get two free fares for kids ages 11 or younger. The deal is valid for flights to Papeete, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Manihi, Tikehau, and Fakarava. Adult fares start at $1,428, including all taxes. You’ll still be responsible for paying taxes on the free children’s fares.

2. Organize a Group Tour, Travel for Free

If you organize a group of people to book a package tour together, many tour companies will allow you, the group leader, to travel for free. You can choose to accept the freebie or spread some savings out to everyone in your group. Either way, it’s a good deal. Each tour operator’s group tour policy varies a bit, but most require you to put together a group with at least 10 paying individuals before you’ll get a free spot.

For example, Grand Circle Tours, a company that runs trips geared towards mature travelers on six continents, lets a group leader travel for free with 10 paid travelers on river cruises or 16 paid travelers on land tours. Go Ahead Tours, a similar operator, gives two free spots for every group of 12 or more paying guests. Be sure to ask your tour company if they offer similar deals.

3. Pay for Three Nights, Get Seven at Club Med

Club Med’s recurring “Seven-Day Weekend” package is back, promising seven nights for the price of three at eight of its all-inclusive resorts. The deal is valid at family-friendly Club Meds in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Cancun and Ixtapa, Mexico; Sandpiper, Fla.; Caravelle, Guadeloupe; and Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique; as well as adult-only Clubs Meds on Columbus Isle, Bahamas, and on Turks and Caicos. You must book by December 15 and travel by February 13 to take advantage of the promotion. Seven-Day Weekend prices range from $793 per person (normally $1,190) at the Sandpiper, Florida Club Med to $1,065 per person (normally $1,610) at the Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinque Club Med.

4. Free Weekend Rental Days From Hertz

Hertz knows the only the thing better than a weekend away is a three-day weekend away. The company makes it easier for renters to take longer weekend trips by offering the first day free when you rent a car for three or more weekend days, including a Saturday overnight. The deal applies to economy- through premium-class cars rented through March 31, 2009, in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Hawaii

5. Kids-Fly-and-Ski-Free Packages

For the past several winters, United and American Airlines have partnered with popular Western ski resorts to offer kids-fly-and-ski-free vacation packages. Generally, these promotions allow children 12 and under to fly and ski for free when an adult pays for an air-hotel-ski package at a participating resort. While not all fly-and-ski-free promotions have been announced yet for the 2008-2009 ski season, Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado is already advertising its package, which requires a two-night minimum stay at a ResortQuest Steamboat vacation rental. Valid travel dates and blackout periods apply. Be sure to check the American Vacations and United Vacations websites in the days to come to see if other resorts join the promotion.

6. Swap Homes, Stay Free

Why not swap your apartment in New York for a cottage in the English countryside? Or maybe my Utah ski condo for your second home in Costa Rica?

By participating in a home exchange, you can get free use of another person’s house if you’re willing to let them stay in yours. It’s a common practice for a certain segment of travelers who prefer staying in vacation homes over hotels and are a bit flexible with where and when they travel. Essentially, two home owners in different places agree to switch places for vacation, using one another’s homes for no charge. Home exchange websites make it easy to find and make arrangements with other home owners, with the website usually charging a membership fee in order for you to make contact with potential exchange partners. HomeExchange.com is one of the largest of such sites, including more than 24,000 listings in destinations across the globe. A one-year membership costs $100.

7. Free Universal Orlando Theme Park Passes

This coming fall and winter, Universal Orlando is giving kids ages 3 to 9 free Unlimited Admission theme park passes when parents book four or more nights at a participating hotel and buy adult Unlimited Admission tickets. Unlimited Admission passes grant the holder seven days of access to both Universal parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Passes cost $95 each for both kids and adults, so the free child’s ticket is a big savings.

To get the free passes, you must book a stay of four or more nights at one of six local hotels, including the onsite Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Valid travel dates and blackout periods vary by hotel, but all require bookings to be made by the end of December.

8. Free Airfare for Crystal Cruises Panama Canal Sailings

When you book one of three Crystal Cruises‘ Panama Canal sailings, you’ll receive free airfare between Los Angeles and Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or Palm Beach, Fla. The cruises, which range from 14 to 16 days, sail between Miami and Los Angeles, so Crystal is essentially promising a free flight home from the final port. Departures include January 6, February 16, and May 7, 2009. Cruise fares start at $3,595 per person, not including taxes and fees.

9. Skip the Hostel, Couch Surf for Free

For young budget travelers, sometimes hostels just aren’t cheap enough. In that case, why not crash for free with one of the nearly 800,000 members of the Couch Surfing Project, a worldwide network that helps travelers link up with hosts offering free accommodations. The mission of the network is to promote cultural exchange through free hosted overnight stays. Travelers can find and request stays with potential hosts on the CouchSurfing website. Hosts offer a free place to sleep and oftentimes show guests around or share advice on places to visit nearby. As a member, you can request places to stay and host guests as you please. The site has some checks in place to help ensure the safety and trustworthiness of hosts and surfers.

10. Free Meals and Attractions for Kids in Hawaii

Families staying at ResortQuest Hawaii hotels can take advantage of free meals and free attractions admissions for kids year round. There are 26 participating hotels and condo resorts located on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

 Upon checking into a ResortQuest property, children ages 12 and under receive a special ID card good for the length of your stay. With the ID, kids get free meals and admissions at dozens of island restaurants and attractions when accompanied by a paying adult. For example, on Oahu, kids get in free to the Polynesian Cultural Center and Honolulu Zoo with an adult admission. On Maui, children eat free with the purchase of an adult entree at the Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and the Beach Club Restaurant.