Blog: The Frugal Vegan

This blog is for anyone but more geared for vegans and vegetarians


Showing 6 posts in the Travel category for this blog.
Rent a room for tourists with AirBNB!
Monday, March 09, 2009

I was reading the newsletter that i get from another frugal website, and the woman who wrote the article recommended a site called Air B&B: www.airbnb.com If you have a spare room or couch in your house, you can sign up and rent out your space to travellers! The company mails you a cheque a week after the stay has been completed! You can choose how much you want to charge. I am the only one in my area who has signed up, so let's hope I'll get some guests soon!

I am also on couchsurfing.com which hosts travellers for free. I do LOVE doing this, but in this economy I could use the extra money and I have decided to also host a few couchsurfing people too, though at this time I might have to put paying guests as a priority.

It's a fun site to look through, even if you don't want to rent a room. Would be great for small business travellers to use this service, you can get a bed in New York for as little as $15! :) Neat isn't it?
 

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Back from travelling & Spa Experiences
Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Phew...all this travelling has made me tired but the last trip (in Montreal) was very rejuvenating! On the downside, I spent WAY more money than I wanted to, but luckily everything I bought was heavily discounted apart from the products at Kiehl's.

My Montreal trips are usually filled with shopping trips, because where I live they are still pretty behind with a lot of things so I stock up on clothes (end of season), herbs and other new-agey stuff that is not available here.  Breakfast was included with our accommodations and my friend and I were frugal with other meals. We went out one night for a nice dinner which cost about $40Cdn for both of us. It was an indian restaurant and included lots of veggie dishes, rice, naan and dessert. It was worth the money! I also picked up an Eco-Green coupon book for $20 (Similar to the Entertainment Guides but a more new agey version) and included lots of 2/1 restaurant /cafe coupons. I only used 5 coupons during my trip and already got my money back. There are about 10 yoga coupons (free) which I will use when I go back in May.  Since I go there 4-5 times a year and the coupons expire in December, I'll definitely get my money's worth: www.conscienceverte.ca

I also booked two services at a holistic spa and was glad I did. I was still sick with a bad flu when I arrived and the massage I received really made me feel  better. I purchased my services here: www.spaandtravel.com which saved me about $50. I also had a coupon (code: wholelottalove). For example, I got a Warm Honey Jasmine Wrap which they list for $75 on their website. On Spaandtravel.com it's $60 and with my coupon code I saved another 15%. I saved about $30 on the service. If you rate your experience, you get another $5 coupon! Also try www.wayspa.com for more spas. Since I enjoyed my honey wrap so much, I am in the midst of creating a concoction similar to it and will post the recipe when I've perfected it. In the meantime, here is a nice Chocolate Body Scrub recipe:

Chocolate Body Scrub

Mix together:
1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white or cane sugar, 1/2 cup canola oil & 1/4 cup cocoa (organic if you have it on hand). Scrub  your body and rinse well. 

I got a free facial at Kiehl's (www.kielhs.com) (we all know they do this to sell products) but I was surprised that they didn't push me into buying anything. I loved the men's scrub, foaming face wash and some eye concentrate so much that I did splurge. Because they knew I had a limited budget and that I expressed interest in other products I couldn't afford, the woman threw in tons of samples for me, one which is an eye cream I liked. She told me to poke a hole in the sample pack, use a tiny bit and it should last me a year!! I wanted to get something for my friend's birthday but really all I could afford was the small tube of handcream...the woman again threw in tons of samples for my friend of other expensive products I was looking at for her and wrapped it all beautifully in a box. So for the $15 I spent on the handcream, she's getting tons of goodies! I was pleased :)

Since there are no fashionable men's clothes in my city, I shop for my sweetie too. I ended up at Mexx and they had 75% off  alot of their winter clothes. I purchased two pairs of pants and a shirt for him. I also ended up at Banana Republic and bought three things for $30!! A tie that had been marked down from $75 to $9.99 and two white t-shirts for $20. My sweetie keeps his clothes a long time so I always buy quality stuff that is heavily discounted. He was so thrilled and loved everything. I must admit, I prefer shopping for men's clothes than women's!

On a good note, I am now earning twice the money i used to make as my job hired me on separate from the temp agency till the end of July. So with all that money I spent, I should be able to pay off my credit card bill with one cheque, so things could be worse!

So being  back home, I am tightening my belt. My boss is gone for a week so I am getting extra hours as well. I purchased a transit pass so I don't have to limit my bus trips as well.

Stay tuned for more :)

Images:
  

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Back from Vacation
Thursday, February 19, 2009

I never thought I would be so happy to get home after a vacation. Flying standby is stressful too and sadly I got a bad flu which left me in bed the last two days of our 5 day trip.  I managed to save money while we were there because I didn't eat much as I was feeling rather ill most of the time there but mostly just the last two days where I couldn't leave the bed. I definitely don't need to lose weight but I think I lost 5lbs in a week's time. When I arrived home, my sweetie said I really needed to eat. I had tried to eat but wasn't happy with the food there (I'm not even really picky!). Being vegan there was next to impossible too, so my choices were limited and i mostly just went to the grocery store to get rolls and fruit to eat.

Got first class on the way back too which was very nice. Because I was ill, the flight attendant served me some hot tea and gave me a blanket; gotta love that first class service! I tried to eat some of the hot meal they served but couldn't get through it, so my friend ate it for me.

Since we arrived last night, I didn't get a chance to cook anything and I went straight to bed since I couldn't afford to miss work today even if I do have the flu. Lucky for me, th cold medication was on sale for $4 at the drugstore so that's keeping me going even though I am usually opposed to taking that kind of stuff. I'll have to venture out for a cheap healthy lunch and make sure I have food for tomorrow.

I never thought i'd say this either but it's nice to be back in the cold. I never really did like the heat! A few days of sun was enough, now I will be happy to cuddle in front of the fire with a nice cup of hot tea.

More travelling next week but luckily not standby! I won't have much cash for this other upcoming trip but luckily I have a free place to stay. Stay tuned!

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Off to Mexico, no blog for a week!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The day has finally come! I am off to Montreal this evening, then Mexico in the morning assuming we make it on the flight with our standby passes. *crossing fingers*

I will be mailing a letter & gift card to my sweetie so he can get a nice surprise while I am gone. I also made a sale on etsy.com and have to ship that out today as well.

After work, I will head down the street to pick up my paycheck and send the mail, then off to go home and finish up packing.

I will be making a nice sit down dinner tonight, probably a veggie sheppard's pie which is easy to prepare. No time for baking so there won't be dessert but I do have some dark organic chocolate on hand!

Hope everyone has a frugal week, I will try to report back with some good frugalt travel tips upon my return, assuming I stick to a strict budget while I am gone (still planning to cook in the communal kitchen where we are staying!)

If you're going anywhere in the world, try this website for cheap accommodations:
http://www.hostelbookers.com (I get a free $5 international phonecard when I book on there)

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Frugal February Mexico trip!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009

My Playa del Carmen (Mexico) trip was confirmed last night when I spoke to my friend. He will get us standby tickets for $250 return sitting in first class! I found a cheap hotel/hostel for $30/night which will will split (so just $75 for 6 nights for me), just some basic accommodation near the beach and attractions. Sadly my sweetie can not go due to a lot of restructuring at work but said he might be able to go at the last minute if things change! I'll be away Valentine's Day too, thank goodness he doesn't like this holiday or else he could have been sad about me not being around.

I am also purchasing travel medical insurance for $11. My provincial insurance does cover some things but for $11 I wouldn't mind the extra coverage just in case!!

We're going to be taking the bus from Cancun to Playa del Carmen which I understand is about 40 pesos. The hotel is walking distance from the bus station as well. I understand that food is cheap but since I need my beach bikini body (haha), i will try not to indulge too much. I'm planning on taking full advantage of fresh fruits and veggies! The hostel we are staying at has a full kitchen we can use upstairs so perhaps we'll cook something one night.

FOOD: Since we're travelling standby I can not pre-order a vegan meal for our 6 hour flight, so I will need to pack some food with me in case they do not have any veggie meals for me on board. A good mixture of nuts/dried fruit is always handy and a few pieces of fresh fruit! My friend says he just eats the other stuff that comes with the regular meal and doesn't eat the meat.

BAGGAGE:
We both agreed not to check our luggage. This makes it easy to go in and out of the plane without worrying. We've both worked for airlines and know better than to check it. LOL. I am also packing VERY light. Just basics, no jewelry nor will i bring my mini laptop. Just a small cheap digital camera and some basic clothing.

My friend will fly here first and stay a few days, then we will fly to Montreal and stay with my mom as she lives close to the airport. She will pick us up, then drive us to the airport in the morning to catch our flight!

I already printed a map of the area, some important local phone numbers and a list of vegetarian restaurants. I placed everything in an envelope so we're prepared when we arrive. Less than a month to go, i can't wait! :D

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Lots of travelling on a budget this year!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

My friend who works for an airline called me last night to ask if I wanted to go to Mexico for 5 days next month. I'm lucky that my job allows me to take time off easily. He has his days off and wants to go to Playa del Carmen. He told me we can get a hotel for $25 a night there and the flight would cost next to nothing because I'd be flying with him. My partner might also come along too! We'd fly to Cancun, then take a $15 bus to Playa del Carmen. Apparently these rooms have kitchens in them so we'd be able to cook our own food and eat for cheap if we decided to venture out. WOW! Because he lives in a different city, he'd fly here to come pick us up so we can take the Cancun flight from Montreal. I'll know more next week! Can't wait!! I could use a little sun right about now :D Boy I'm spoiled!!!
 

Two weeks after the tentative Mexico plan, i'll be heading back to Montreal for the weekend and will be flying on points which means I only need to pay the taxes. I will stay with my friend there, buy a 3 day tourist card to use the metro/buses and eat cheaply. My trips home to Montreal are never too pricy, as I know where everything is for cheap and I walk as much as possible instead of taking cabs. When we go out dancing, we always drink at home first, then go out so we don't have to buy drinks at the bar.

In May/June I am planning a trip to Toronto (tentative), which consists of staying at my friends place and mostly just walking around town and having a few drinks. My Toronto trips are always low key and really fun. He is on a tight budget too so we're always trying to save :). Not sure how I will get there yet, it's a two hour flight and I am hoping for seat sales! *crossing fingers*

Then, in October, I head to New York city for an event! I will fly to Toronto on points or hopefully a cheap seat sale, then take the bus with my friend to NYC for $30 return with Megabus! I'm still scoping out hostels and places to stay. I would couchsurf but given the fact that we're only there for a few days, I want to have the freedom to come and go as I please. Will check on www.hostelbookers.com for some accommodation! I hear there is a guide called "Cheap Bastards Guide to NYC". Might pick up a used copy if I can find one or email an acquaintance who lives in Manhattan for frugal tips :)

Next February, I head to San Francisco to celebrate my 40th birthday! My sweetie has enough points for both of us to fly there for free and my two close friends will join us there for a nice celebration. The hotel we stayed at last time was $50 a night including breakfast/coffee. GREAT location too, in The Mission District. I have an old friend who now lives there and will ask for more frugal tips!

2008 was a horrible year for me and it's looking like 2009 will be a lot more fun and I will do more travelling! I usually fly at least 3 times a year anyway! Last year we were in Holland/Spain and Morocco, I was in Montreal three times and Toronto twice. I must say, all my extra money goes to travelling. Thank goodness my sweetie allows me to take off leaving him behind. He isn't fond of flying unless we're going somewhere good....which is why he might tag along with us to Mexico! Can't wait! I'm a lucky woman!

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Author:
freya1970
Halifax, NS Canada
About Me:

I am a 39 year old woman living with my sweetie of 13 years and two cats. I love photography, yoga, indie film, vegan cooking and baking, making all kinds of things like zines, soap, candles... I love to create using recycled materials as well.

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