Travel Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

Why I Took A Year Long Blog + Social Media Semi-Sabbatical

December 11, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 47 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

This past year I decided to do something that I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time – I took a blog and social media break.

Taking a sabbatical from social media has changed my life. I feel like I am much more intentional with the actions I take, and I am able to focus on what I truly love.

Okay, so I've still been around working a little bit, but not nearly as much as usual.

But since I’ve taken a blog and social media break, I’ve received a lot of messages, comments, and emails asking me about what’s going on.

“Is everything all right?”

“Are you not having fun traveling anymore?”

“Is your business no longer making money?”

My social media break has really confused people, and it feels like nearly everything I've heard has assumed that something bad has happened. [Read more…]

Do you need travel medical insurance if you travel long-term?

December 2, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following is a sponsored partnership with SafetyWing travel medical insurance. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have been traveling full-time for several years now.

While before it was mainly in the US by RV, and due to laziness, I had never looked into travel medical insurance.

I just always thought that I was fine.

Almost invincible – like nothing bad would happen to me while traveling!

However, lately, I have been hearing horror stories from friends, of those who travel and have had accidents and/or medical emergencies while traveling. Due to that, I recently started looking into the best travel medical insurance.

We are about to leave the U.S. on our sailboat, and travel health insurance is something that we desperately need. [Read more…]

SiOnyx Aurora Night Vision Camera Review

November 27, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following is a sponsored partnership with SiOnyx. Please enjoy my SiOnyx Aurora review.

I'm often asked what my favorite tools are when it comes to traveling full-time. As you know, I travel full-time via sailboat, and have RVed in the past for several years.

When traveling with your home, you have to be pretty minimalist, so I am quite choosey when it comes to what I bring with me.

Recently, I had the opportunity to check out the new SiOnyx Aurora Night Vision Camera, and I can already say that it is amazing!

[Read more…]

How To Get Rid Of A Timeshare – Stop Wasting Your Money!

October 28, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 58 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Every once in a while I get a question from a reader about how to get rid of a timeshare. Sometimes the person is asking for themselves, but other times, they are trying to help a friend or family member.

The problem is that timeshares aren’t as amazing as the salesperson claims they are. They are expensive, you probably won’t use them as much as you think, timeshare resale values are incredibly low making them hard to sell, and more.

So, if you have been thinking about purchasing a timeshare or if you are wondering how to get rid of a timeshare, today's article is for you.

Many adults have attended a timeshare presentation, and even more have been asked to attend one. You are usually offered something if you stay the whole time, such as a free vacation, an iPad, a cruise, or something else that is quite enticing. And, that's how they get you interested.

All you have to do is listen to the presentation and get your free gift. Sounds simple enough, right? [Read more…]

Are Budget Airlines Worth It? Here Are 6 Of The Best Tips To Cut Your Costs

September 30, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 10 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Are you thinking about saving money on airfare by flying with budget airlines such as Allegiant, Frontier, or Spirit Airlines? Here are my tips to find cheap plane tickets and the best flight deals.

Recently, Wes (my husband) took a couple of last minute flights to visit family and we booked his flights on budget airlines. I had first started looking for flights like I normally do, with traditional airlines like American, Delta, and Southwest. But, everything was super expensive because we were booking last minute.

Then, I got the idea to look at some of the budget airlines, such as Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit so that we could save some money.

I found a super affordable flight on Allegiant, AND it was direct. Whereas all of the expensive flights had multiple stops and would take all day.

My first thought was that something had to be wrong since the price was so low, so I asked around to see if these discount flights were the real deal.

I had numerous people tell me not to do it, but I had more people tell me that these cheap plane tickets were too good to pass up.

Well, I bought the Allegiant flights, and it went well. Then he flew again a few weeks later, and he used Allegiant again. [Read more…]

The Honest Truth About Van Dwelling: Answers To The Most Common Van Life Questions

September 24, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 15 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Van dwelling, or the lifestyle of living in a van, is becoming more and more popular as a way to travel full-time. Since we bought a van a few months ago to live in, I have received a lot of questions about van dwelling.

While they seem funny to us now, I know that we had some of these same questions before we started RVing.

Some of the questions we are asked are from those who think we are crazy for living in a van. Whereas, others are from people who are interested in van dwelling but are unsure about certain things. Either way, I hope to clear up a lot of the common questions we receive about living in a van.

You never know, maybe I'll convert some of you. 🙂

Below are questions that I've been asked by friends, family, readers, and even strangers. It's always interesting trying to explain RVing/van dwelling to strangers who stop me at the store after they've seen me get out of our van.

It's a lot of fun, though. I love answering questions about what it’s like living in a van full-time and getting others hooked on this lifestyle! [Read more…]

We’re Going To Start Living In A Van!

June 17, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 59 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

We bought a van last month! You’re probably wondering “You quit sailing and started living in a van?!”

No, we did not quit, and we are still sailing! We still have lots and lots of plans with the boat, and we enjoy having it. We are still on it right now, in fact, and couldn't be happier.

So then, why did we get a van?

Last hurricane season, we mainly stayed on our boat. We did several short sails, but we wanted to do something different this hurricane season.

We talked to so many sailors, and we have quickly realized that many take a few months away from their boat each year during hurricane season, and we completely get it.

To have the best of both worlds (in our minds), mountains and beaches, we quickly realized that having a 4×4 van along with the boat is exactly what we want. ⁣⁣ [Read more…]

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