Thriftism

Located only 10 minutes from the Austrian border, Oberstdorf is a wonderful base point for travels around Southern Germany and the Western portion of Austria. The town itself is surrounded by three major mountains: Nebelhorn, Söllereck, and Fellhorn. This means you'll have amazing views on clear days and the option of in-town attractions or the more remote mountain hikes and gondolas. Keep reading for more information on things to do in the area!  How to Get Here Hohenems/Dornbirn Airport Car Public Transportation Book Bus Tickets  ~€33.40, 2 hr 50 minutes Munich Airport Car Public Transportation Book Train Tickets  ~€20, 2 hr 20 minutes Innsbruck Airport Car Public Transportation Book Train Tickets  ~€59.90, 5 hr Things to Do Hiking /Skiing - The same mountains that are great for hiking have skiing available during winter months. Click the link for interactive hiking trail map seen below. Interacti...

Located on the Rhine River, Strasbourg is only a short walk or drive away from Kehl, Germany. It's proximity to the border makes this town a great stop on your trip to Germany. Strasbourg is also the official seat of European Parliament and may be best know for it's historic Le Petite France section featuring canals and medieval style buildings. How to Get Here Stuttgart Airport Car Public Transportation Book Bus Tickets  ~€20, 2 hr 30 minutes Paris Airport Car Public Transportation Book Train Tickets  ~€30, 1 hr 50 minutes Things to Do Batorama Boat Tours - For only €13, enjoy a 70 minute boat tour of Strasbourg. Discounts available for children. Le Petite France - This picturesque area is what Strasbourg is best known for. Be sure to bring a camera as you cross over bridges from the modern world into history. Enjoy the old architecture and surrounding parks. The best part of all, is this attraction is f...

You've heard it all before-- "turn down your thermostat and save a bunch of money", but typically the person telling you this lives in an ice box and you're just not prepared to give up comfort to save a few bucks. There are some bloggers who will tell you to wear a hat and coat in your house to capitalize on savings... I am not one of them. You don't need to freeze to save money, but you should be turning your thermostat down. Still don't believe me? Keep reading to see how much you can save this year. The Data Depending on the climate you live in, your savings can range from 1.5-5% per degree you turn down your thermostat. Obviously, the colder your climate, the more you will save by keeping the temperature lower. Energy.gov states that you can save as much as 10% on your energy bill by turning down the thermostat as little as 7 degrees for 8 hours a day. Meanwhile, the Agricultural Engineering Department from Purdue University has put the figure ...

Baden-Baden is a staple town of the Black Forest region. It is located 165 km southwest of Frankfurt and around 100 km west of Stuttgart. While it may be lesser known that Stuttgart, there is plenty to see and do. There are numerous benefits to sticking to smaller towns vs the large, well known cities. While you may want to stop into the large cities to catch landmarks such as the Porsche Museum or the large Cathedrals, you'll want to stray further away to get the most culture, ease of movement, and often times better food. Fewer crowds and fewer tourists means easier parking and a better walking around experience. If you don't know Baden-Baden, keep reading for travel tips! How to Get Here Stuttgart Airport Car Public Transportation Book Bus Tickets  ~€7, 1 hr 45 minutes Frankfurt Airport Car Public Transportation Book Train Tickets  ~€19.90, 2 hr 45 minutes Things to Do Hiking- There are more trails than we can possible write about here, b...

Time for our monthly goal check-in! Here's where we at Thriftism stand: Take 6 Courses Online A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment on Coursera (6/27/17) You and Your Money (7/15/17) Spanish Vocabulary Project (Began 7/31/17) Beginners German: Food and Drink (Began 7/30/17) Install Bathroom Heater DONE!! So nice to have a warm bathroom. Stain/Finish Captains Bedframe No progress here, this one seems to be a challenge for us.  Read 12 Books Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Summons by John Grisham Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen  Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Mansfield Park by Jane Austen A Convenient Marriage By Georgette Heyer Emma by Jane Austen (~75%) Persuasion by Jane Austen The Magregors, Grant (~25%) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (75%) Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (Just Starting) Take 2 Trips (Mexico & Germany)   Trip 1✔ We went to Cancun in January. This is always a favorite of o...