Thriftism

Located one block north of the Malecon on Venezuela, this quaint restaurant will blow you away. Enjoy outdoor seating to watch the passersby or step inside and watch the bartender at work on your drinks. The location is very convenient, nearby several attractions, but offers more budget friendly options than places located on the Malecon. A variety of options are available for lunch and supper ranging from snack style food to a full plate of fajitas. Our favorite was the shrimp ceviche which we would highly recommend. Be careful of the extra spicy hot sauce - it is in fact EXTRA SPICY!  $1 drink specials are available every day, but it will be well worth while to spring for the margaritas at $2.50 or 45 pesos. We have stopped quite a few places during our travels to Mexico and have yet to find a place to rival these margaritas.  Plus the margaritas are muy grande and well worth your $2.50 by sheer size alone, not to mention the flavor.  ...

Heading to Germany? Check out this fun, free attraction in the heart of Munich. Watch for updated posts coming soon for a quick travel guide to Munich.

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...

If you're heading to Cancun, Isla Mujeres is a must visit. The island, a short ferry ride from Cancun, has something for everyone. It's an easy day trip from your Cancun resort and can be a great way to experience local cuisine off the resort. Plus for those looking for souvenirs, you'll have practically limitless possibilities on Isla. Getting There Taking a ferry is the most common form of travel, though it is possible to rent boats and we did see one man kayaking across, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you are very fit and have experience kayaking on the ocean. The ferry ride is between 15-45 minutes depending on which port your leave from and which service you choose. Ferry Terminals Gran Puerto ($16) - Leave every 30 minutes 5am - Midnight, ~15 minutes Puerto Juarez ($16) - Leave every 30 minutes 5am - Midnight, ~15 minutes Punta Sam ($4) - Leave every ~2 hours from 7:15am - 8:15pm, Car ferry , Takes ~ 45 minutes Hotel Zone ($19)  - Leave every ...

The first time we went to Mexico I was very hesitant to take the bus. I don't know about your experience, but where I live, the bus is not convenient. You have to switch a few times and it'll take you an hour to get anywhere, not to mention the bus only comes by once an hour. Basically, I'll take the bus if it's my only option. Plus, public transport used to seem a bit daunting to me. For those of you in larger cities, laugh away, but again, I was hesitant to take on the bus in a foreign country.  Contrary to my first opinion, in most counties, public transportation is THE way to travel. Cancun doesn't have an underground system (at least not that I'm aware of), but they do have plenty of buses and taxis. Taxis are great if you need to get to a specific location and you're in a huge hurry and don't mind paying for your convenience. Otherwise, buses are still pretty quick and much more affordable.  If you watched the video, you can see that...

Whether it's your first time to Mexico or you've been countless times, exchanging money can still be confusing when you're visiting a new location. In order to skip the learning curve we are giving a brief run down of places you can exchange dollars for pesos from worst to best as well as a few places you can use dollars while you're there.  Why exchange money?? I heard everywhere takes dollars... While many places do accept dollars, there are still many that do not. These include local stores and vendors. Plan on buying souvenirs? Be sure to have some pesos on hand, especially if you plan on visiting Isla Mujeres. Some vendors and restaurants will take dollars, but the exchange rate will be quite bad. Keep in mind they will have to exchange the money you give them. Currently the exchange rate is hovering between 20-22 pesos for every dollar. As of January 2017, a few convenience stores were willing to offer 15 pesos to a dollar. That means by having peso...

Cancun is beautiful coastal town in the Yucatan peninsula. With miles of white sandy beaches and year-round warm temps, it has become a favorite tourist destination. However, it has much more to offer than just beaches. From fishing to relaxing at the spa, from horse riding to a yoga, there is sure to be something for everyone. We will further explore things to do in Cancun in a future post. For now we want give you a quick tip on how to save money when booking your Cancun vacation. To start with, you probably don't need to stay at the 5 star resort if you're looking to save a lot of money. There are countless resorts that are cheaper that also offer a great experience. We have heard wonderful things about sandals, sands, secrets, and those types of resorts. However, they are typically trips which only allow you to vacation every 3-5 years. While they would be great to get to at some point, picking a less expensive option will allow you to experience Mexico now a...

When you think Black Hills, SD, you probably think of Mount Rushmore, but there is so much more to the area than this iconic landmark. One of our favorites is hiking on the countless trails in the area. This free activity will take you down the path less traveled (quite literally sometimes) and might help tire out the kiddos (or make you feel better about having some of the amazing fudge produced in the area. As a bonus, there is a good chance you'll see some wildlife ranging from birds and deer, to bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Did I mention this was FREE?  While it is a free activity, I recommend coming prepared for the hike you are about to embark on. Also try to choose accordingly to your or your child's skill level. Do you really want to carry a 2-year old on the 4-mile hike back to the car? Maybe try a shorter, flatter hike with small children and work your way up to the more challenging paths. A few must-haves for longer hikes include water, snacks, comf...

Dreaming of a beach getaway? Oceanside resorts can get fairly expensive depending on where you are looking. In the United States, beachfront hotels can be over $300/night and this doesn't include food, drinks, or entertainment. Also, in the winter, the weather is not always warm enough to lay out on a beach in the USA. This is why we started traveling internationally. There are many amazing countries and cities to visit that offer budget-friendly beach front options, however, today we are going to focus on Mexico. More specifically, Puerto Vallarta. While there are still more expensive resorts available in Puerto Vallarta, there are many, MANY places that are very affordable. If you are willing to stay at a non all-inclusive, your price will drop even further. In January of this year we stayed at an all-inclusive for 8 days. For airfare and the hotel (which included food, drinks, and had entertainment) it was $600/person. To put this in perspective, we live in the northern M...