Vacations: Before You Leave Home

It's vacation time again and you are planning on taking a trip out of state. The first thing you do when you cross the state line is stop and get a road map. BAM! There goes two or three dollars, sometimes more. You can save this expense with a little planning ahead.

Every state has a visitors bureau that sends out literature describing the attractions in their state, and they always include a free map. All you have to do is call them up and ask for their free travel package. (They usually have an 800 toll free number for you to call.) You don't know the number? That's easy. Just go to your local library and look through the travel magazines they have there. Copy down the numbers of any state or area you are interested in visiting, and go home and start calling.

The information you get from the state will normally have the visitors bureaus of the larger cities listed so you can contact them for further information and a map of the city. Another advantage of doing this is that you may find some interesting areas to visit that you didn't know about before.

John is a retiree who writes short articles on money management. If you would like his article "Earning money with your credit card," you can send him an e-mail at: jmjwwatson1@juno.com or write him direct at: 1400 FM 2135, Cleburne, TX 76031. Just mention The Dollar Stretcher for your free copy.

Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips@stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!

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