10 Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Expenses

As the holiday season ramps up, I'm trying to follow the advice of experts like Suze Orman, who helped me come up with 10 ways to spend less during the holidays. I especially appreciated Suze's cautionary advice that sometimes gifts can become burdens -- for example, if you're spending beyond your means, that $50 sweater can end up costing a lot more if you're not able to pay the credit card balance in full. Frightening, but true if your finances aren't in order.

And though it's easier said than done, it may be worth reminding ourselves why we're giving gifts in the first place. For ideas on how to stay within your budget this year, check out this GoodHousekeeping.com slideshow featuring 10 ways to cut costs on gifts, food (entertaining isn't cheap!), and yes, even decorations.

Photo by Amy Chen

How to Weatherize Your Home: 7 Busted Myths

After living in a newly-constructed Brooklyn apartment with radiant flooring to help me get through the (dreadful) New York winters, I'm now renting a two-bedroom house in Berkeley that was built in 1926. Though the Craftsman-style bungalow has been renovated, the insulation isn't great. So what's a renter to do?

I talked to several energy experts for this Bankrate.com piece about the myths of winterizing your home -- and learned a thing or two. From getting the scoop on air vent deflectors to discovering that ceiling fans have a "winter mode," I'm relieved that to find that there are blessedly inexpensive strategies to keep my energy bills from going through the roof. No construction required.

Post-Labor Day Travel Savings

When Kelli Grant of SmartMoney.com asked me for destinations that cost less after Labor Day but still feel like summer, I felt a slight tinge of regret for blowing several vacation days earlier this summer. If I waited just a few months, I could've saved hundreds of dollars.

Read the article here on SmartMoney.com.

My first money-saving suggestion was Cape Cod. A few summers ago, I visited in August and sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Saturday. After chatting with the bartender at the Bramble Inn in Brewster, I learned that Saturday is the absolute worst day to travel for a weekend getaway since many weekly rentals "change over" on Saturday. Lesson learned.

My other suggestion was Hilton Head Island, which apparently has a lower risk of being affected by hurricanes than, say, the Outer Banks. As much as I love the idea of traveling to the Mexico or Caribbean during hurricane season (cheap hotels!), sometimes the uncertainty cancels out the relaxation. For example, just this week, Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ernesto swept through coastal Mexico and many tourists at Cancun resorts were evacuated, according to this Associated Press article.

Depending on your flexibility or travel needs, I probably would try to pick a vacation destination with slightly less risk. Then again, I was in Seattle last weekend and my return flight was oversold (thanks, United!). I ended up at the airport Holiday Inn eating some pretty terrible food, showering in my flip-flops, and taking the first flight out, which meant waking up at 4:45 a.m. Monday and heading straight from SFO to the office. When is it worth adding something like the potential of a hurricane to your travel stress? Only you can decide.

By the way, I second the suggestion of Hawaii, which was recommended by Courtney Scott of Travelocity. A few years ago, I spent Labor Day weekend on the Big Island with my mom. We tacked on a few days after the holiday weekend (the long weekend typically overlaps with my birthday, yet another perfect excuse to travel).

Photo Caption: A small beach facing one of the ponds in Cape Cod
Photo by Amy Chen

Smart Tips for Budget Travelers

I could talk forever about budget travel, so I was happy to oblige when the Chicago Tribune's Josh Noel contacted me for some quick tips. (Yes, I'm that person who was annoyed to see that a tourist shop in Venice charged me €2 for a bottle of water when I could get it for under €0.50 at a grocery store a few minutes away.)

Read the article here.

What can I say? It's flattering to have my money-saving tips included next to smart strategies from George Hobica (founder of Airfarewatchdog.com) and Marc Peyser (editor of Budget Travel magazine).

Photo by Amy Chen

How to Keep Your Credit Cards Safe While Traveling

Traveling internationally is not the time to run into problems with your credit card. Yes, you already called your bank to add a travel note so your account isn't shut down, but what if you encounter any travel delays on the way home?

On a recent trip to Europe, my bank suggested that I tack on an extra day in case a canceled flight left me stranded overseas. Brilliant tip.

Read more smart ways to keep your credit cards safe in this piece by Dana Dratch, featuring advice from Peter Greenberg and yours truly.

Last-Minute Travel: How to Get to London for the Olympics

It's not too late to visit London for the Olympics — if you're willing to pay gold-medal prices. These travel experts reveal how you can still save a little money if you're London-bound.

Read the story on CNN.com. (UPDATE: After CNN and Money mag parted ways in 2014, the online story is now lost in cyberspace... You can see a version of the story here).

Thanks to these experts for their money-saving tips:

George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com
Ruthanne Terrero, editorial director of Travel Agent magazine
Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel in New York City
Adam Dailey of Ludus Sports
VisitLondon.com
Kayak.com

Photo by Amy Chen