Practical Travel Tips to Save Money on the Road
You being on the road equates to you spending money. Of course, you can always hitchhike but that can be downright dangerous; you can paw through trash for food but that is uber unhealthy; you can bed down on any available bench but that can lead to vagrancy. There are other imaginative ways to save money on the road short of begging and stealing. Hold on to your leather money clip!
Beware of Gourmet
True gourmet food is usually expensive, not just because of the ingredients but also because of the care of preparation, not to mention the ambience you pay for. But on the road, gourmet can mean a totally different experience.
Often, you will be served frozen TV dinner that has been nuked in the microwave. It is then placed on porcelain plates, served on your table with complete dinner settings, and a glass of house wine and voila! You have “gourmet” food taxing your humble leather money clip.
It is to your best interest, both your digestive system and your leather money clip, to order take out and eat inside your car or your motel room. You will save money.
Room Security
When stuck in a dubious motel, you can turn on the TV on a respectable volume, place a “Do not disturb” sign outside your door, lock the door and take your dinner outside (if you can find a restaurant with no “gourmet” on it). Hopefully, the maid and her boyfriend will take the hint and keep away from stealing your suit and the leather money clip hidden in its front pocket. And hurry back!
Be Specific with Your Food Orders
You have to specify your order to the waitress. Your failure to do so would result in wasted food, and consequently wasted money. Let her repeat your order and correct her if necessary, but ever politely so.
When paying, do not brandish your wallet about. Just discreetly get your leather money clip out (yes, the one with money just enough for a meal) and pay the bill from it. This way, you will not be tempted to tip your waitress more than you wanted to.
Stock up on Quarters
The modern saying about a traveler setting out in America without a pocketful of quarters is like a soldier with ammunition is very, very true. You have to pay with coins at toll booths, newspaper boxes, and vending machines, among other quarter-hungry contraptions.
Always pay in paper money as much as possible. If the cashier is friendly enough, you can request him to trade your paper money into quarters. Obviously, you will need a coin purse since your leather money clip is useless in this area.
How can this save you money? Well, when you eat your food from vending machines you usually only settle for chips and a soda, mainly because you are presented with very little choice. If you compare that to shopping at a goodies-laden grocery store where you will be tempted to splurge, you will get a better idea of how this method can save you money.
These tips are meant to help you save money. In the end, your miserly ways will save you from arriving at your destination as poor as the church rat.
Tips On Money Clips
The modern businessman has to have something to hold all the money he is slaving away for. Sometimes, a bulky wallet is not really the most fashionable or elegant solution. Instead, money clips are the way to go. They are simple, compact, and good at keeping all your paper money in order.
Form and Function
Money clips are essential. They are not just decoration. They reflect a businessman’s character and habits. Obviously, these small items can give an indication of how much he earns simply because they hold all his cash on hand. But the actual arrangement of the money in the clip also talks about how meticulous or careless its owner is.
Money clips also make great gifts. Friends, superiors, and colleagues alike would be more than happy to receive an elegant money clip as a gesture of your friendship. What is even better is that they are so practical and such a great gift for anybody. It is a particularly safe choice when you do not really know the recipient of the gift. A money clip a is universal gift across any industry or any culture.
Variety
There are different types of money clips. They can vary depending on the material that is used. Most metallic clips are made of gold, silver, or platinum. They can also be covered with alloys of different metals. In terms of shape, they can be oval, round, square, rectangular, etc. There are even clips that integrate leather into their designs for a more masculine effect. The perfect, unique money clip is just a shopping trip away. You just have to look hard enough to find it.
Costs vary between these different types of money clips. Most money clips are poorly made with cheap material. They can run for as low as ten bucks. Students and other young people purchase these mainly for their utility. They do not really need a flashy and ostentatious money clip for the meager cash that they have. These can usually be bought at any regular store or supermarket.
In contrast, most high end money clips can run from about twenty to a hundred bucks. For designer units, expect to pay anywhere from eighty up to three hundred bucks. The most prestigious brands can actually start at three hundred. These types of clips are status symbols. They let the people know that the owner wants his cash well taken care of. The most successful of businessmen are the ones who purchase these clips.
As you can see, money clips are not only for keeping your money per se. They can be gifts and status symbols as well. Think of it as a fashionable and elegant way to keep all your paper bills in order. It will show that you are an ordered and organized individual. At the same, time, its sleek form factor will show that you are not behind the times when it comes to matters of apparel. The best of both worlds, money clips are the perfect combination of elegance and luxury.