Win some City Passes to Tampa Bay!

You know me, always on the look out for a good deal! We had the good opportunity to use CityPass on our recent visit to San Francisco. Wow, what a way to see all the sights in SanFran and save some major money too!

Now they are running a contest for Tampa Bay. Check it out here!!

http://www.citypass.com/tampa#giveaway

Let me know if you win!
Till next time....

And we're Back....

Well the plane touched down and we're back at the "rat race" again. I have to say that this was actually a relaxing (although extreme ly busy) vacation. It was good to get away, but we did miss the "girls" and they were sure to let us know about it when we returned. Look for my next post to reveal some money saving tips when traveling.

CALIFORNIA!

Haven't posted in awhile, because we have been traveling the state of California (via Las Vegas). Lots to share in a future post, but I can definitely tell you that mass transit is the way to go out here. I will be sure to share some tips, but right now we are heading to the California Academy of Sciences.

Being frugal doesn't mean you have to skimp.

I started this blog to focus on budget minded items and travel ideas, but have found that sometimes quality is worth paying for. Case in point--tuna. I managed to get some Wild Planet Tuna on sale at our local grocery store and WOW what a difference!! Now I know how my dogs feel when faced with kibble or homemade dog food. Sorry, but even the dolphin safe mainstream tuna doesnt cut it once you've had wild caught, sustainable seafood.

So, I did some research on canned tuna. Here's what I found. There are two recommended companies on the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch list for canned tuna: Wild Planet and American Tuna. Only one of them is truly American owned and made and that's American Tuna. But wait there's more! Not only do you get more product, but the tuna is pole caught, certified dolphin and turtle safe and canned in BPA free cans in the USA! It's also certified low mercury tuna. Awesome! Every so often American Tuna runs specials. I bought a case on their Fourth of July sale and got free shipping too! When you price it per ounce, it really is a great deal for what you get. So this budget friendly consumer won't be buying anything else from now on.

American Tuna you had me at Turtle and Dolphin Safe.

Renter...beware!

So, looking to book a rental car for a trip to San Francisco at the end of the month. After doing much searching on the various sites (Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline), I decided to go with Avis directly which is the company I normally use anyway. I like that they have the Pay Now option to save up to 30% and it was a much better deal than the other travel sites were coming in at (and that was with a different drop-off location).

So I get my car (opted for a compact as it got the best gas mileage), get to the checkout screen and go to add my Frontier Frequent Flyer number in...and guess what?! They charge you $3.75 just to give you Frequent Flyer miles? I don't think so. The extra $3.75 is NOT worth the 100 miles I would get, so I decided to pass.

Just wanted to pass that along so you don't get charged extra for trying to earn frequent flyer miles.

Butter Cake...part 2

So, I promised you some info about Butter Cake. We had the opportunity to go to Beaufort with the girls for a mini-vacation. Beaufort, North Carolina is one of America's favorite little seaside towns. The main reason we come over to Beaufort is to take the girls swimming. The Crystal Coast is very dog-friendly, especially Beaufort.

Highlights from Beaufort:
Radio Island
Old Salt - Best. Butter Cake. Ever.
Dock House
Sunsets
Backstreet Pub
Time with the "girls"

You are also a short drive to Atlantic Beach (ABC as it's known), Emerald Isle, and North Carolina Aquarium - Pine Knoll Shores - highly recommended!

Be sure to check out the Old Cemetary and just enjoy time strolling around town and enjoying the view.

Arthur..

Just a quick post tonight. Arthur is barreling down on our favorite little seaside town. Here's hoping everyone stays safe in the OBX!

A post tomorrow about our Beaufort highlights.

Kai has cancer. Right now we are going with an oral chemo drug that we will know in a month if she is responding to it. I am glad we finally know what's up with our "girl".