Last summer vacation

The kids are going off to school soon, so now is the time to look for a last minute vacation before summer ends. How does a weekend in Las Vegas sound? Or how about a one week Alaskan cruise with Royal Caribbean? With the week economoy, there are many great deals on hotels, car rental, and airfare.

All you have to do is check online. We may be planning a quick vacation to Las Vegas. The Mandalay Hotel is offering a rate of $69 a night, with an all day buffet pass. This is a great deal considering their buffet is one of the pricier vacations on the Strip. All you have to do is stay at least 2 nights. To save money we may be taking our Camry instead of renting a car.

New Job

Now that we moved to Irvine, I may start really considering looking at the jobs
out here in this area. Don’t get me wrong I love working for my current company. The pay is good, and I have great benefits (telecommuting, pension, etc.). But the 45 mile drive is taking a toll. It normally takes me around an hour to get back home with the traffic on the 405.

There are a lot of companies out in the Orange County Irvine area. I pass by them everyday during my commute. The only problem with working out here is the pay and benefits. I will most likely have to take a pay cut, and I would not be able to work from anymore. Am I will to make that sacrifice? I still have to think about it.

I will definitely wait until our old homes sells before making the move. We need every penny now paying 2 mortgages.

Mattress shopping

When you are looking to purchase a new mattress, you immediate think of going to one of those big chain mattress stores like Sit N’ Sleep. But not many people think about going to their local membership store like Sam’s Club or Costco. We were shopping for a twin size mattress for our son. We looked at many of the big chain stores, and most decent size mattresses were over $100. We were able to get a Serta mattress at Sam’s for less than $100. Grant it they do not offer delivery service, but you can easily borrow a friends truck to carry it back to your house.

They do not have the biggest selections. Often it is only Serta (or another top brand), and one model each of the different sizes. But if you are not too picky and on a tight budget, this is a good option for you. So the next time you are mattress shopping, check out Sam’s and Costco.

Patio furniture sales

We stopped by Target earlier this week to see if their patio furniture is on sale yet. We saw a majority of them were marked down 30% off. It is not quite what I am looking for. I want something in the range of 75% off before I really consider buying it.r

The side yard for our new house is really bare. We would like to purchase some patio chairs
, a table, rug, and a BBQ grill for it. We did rehab the old fountain that was left by the previous owner. We also started doing some landscaping with some of the plants and trees there.

The sales should start picking up because the summer season is about to end. Hopefully by the end of the summer or beginning of fall we will have everything.

Toilet bowl reviews

One of the things we wanted to change in our new house is the toilet. Let me tell you, it is one of the hardest things to decide on. There are so many brands and styles out there with prices ranging from $70-$400. Your best bet is to just go to Home Depot and pick the one you like. I think they have the best choices and the best prices. Another option is Lowes.

We originally went to the low flow Toto model. We purchased it from Pacific Sales for $300 each. We like this model because their are 2 different flush options. But the installation was really complicated. It involved drilling into the cement, so we decided to return it. We then purchased the low flow Kohler Wellworth model. This ran for $158 at HD. Installation was a snap. We like this model because of the oval shape and the height (at about 14 inches). They also have a round opening for less $. I like this model because it had everything included with the bowl: the seat cover, wax ring, so you do not have to buy anything else.

The best part was that the Be Water Wise website was offering a rebate for this. You have to be in a certain city, and our city qualified. They offerred $150 cash back each for these, so we ended up paying about $43 (tax included) for 2 new bowls. This is a great deal. With the money saved we can now afford to get some nice Elkay sinks. Check out their website to see if your city and water company qualifies for this.

With a low flow toilet, you are saving water. It uses about 1.2 gallons of water per flush (compared to 1.6 on a standard toilet). I have had no problems with the flushing on ours. It flushed everything on the first try. Many cities also have programs where they will give you a free toilet in exchange for your old one. From what I heard these are the cheaper low flows and may have problems flushing. It is better to buy one you like and get a rebate for it.

Saving money on car insurance.

I was opening up the mail the other day, and to my surprise my car insurance company sent me back a check. It was because I had moved to Irvine, and the rates there are cheaper (probably because there is less crime there). That was nice of them. They could of just kept the money and put it toward their profit, but they refunded the money back to me. That is why I like this insurance company, if I did not then I would most likely be looking for other car insurance quotes.

But the bad thing about living in Irvine is with all the additional police, there are also additional fines and tickets. My handyman received a stop sign ticket the other day, and the total cost of the ticket was $380. I guess they have to pay their salaries some way.

Digital camera shopping

Recently my wife purchased a new Canon digital camera for our trip to Orlando Florida. We were hesitant on bring our DSLR camera with us because of its buld. We looked at many digital camera reviews before picking this one. Your bust bet to buy a good camera is the reviews online. There are so many sites out there dedicated on helping you find the perfect camera for you.

Even for camera equipment and supplies, these sites can get the one perfect for you. There are also forum sites out there like Slickdeals or TechBargain that can help you find the best price for your purchase. The internet is a great thing, and you have to take full advantage of it. It can save you a lot of money on purchases.

Bad eating habits

Currently I have not been eating as healthy as I would like. I have been eating more burgers, tacos, and other fried foods. I just have cravings for these every once I a while. But I really have to watch what I eat because of my weight and cholesterol problems. When I do gain the weight, I have thought about purchase exercise equipment like a stationary bike or pull up bar
, but most of the time just plan running more will usually do the trick for me.