The attached article highlights 25 ways to lessen the amount of money that is traditionally spent on a vacation. Some areas that are included are: when to purchase airline and cruise ship tickets; the benefits of sacrificing a bit of luxury in accommodations; researching each part of the vacation beforehand to find lesser-known stops and local restaurants; and even how to butter up travel and rental car agents to increase your chance of freebies. Some of the areas that I particularly liked are:

Getting hotel rooms for less

The article mentions that you can book hotel rooms at reasonable rates. Towards that, one of the major ways that I have saved money is by using Priceline.com's "Express deals". You can quite often save at least 15% or more. In fact, I am currently in a fantastic hotel in Toronto where I saved 50%. I would also add that you can get great rates by traveling "off season", if you have the flexibility.

Avoiding additional hotel fees

The article also mentions "resort fees". These are fees that are added to the hotel's price - whether you use the resort amenities or not. The other factor to consider is state and local taxes, which can be as high as 17%! Before you book a room, research the hotel at Kayak.com. Just search for your hotel room by date and, in the resulting list of hotels window, select "nightly + local taxes + fees" (in the top right corner) to see the total price, including the resort fees.

Finding great tourist deals

As the article says, going to museums, art galleries, and national parks can give you a great experience for not much. And, if you are over 55, be sure to ask for any senior deals - it is at least one benefit of aging.

Traveling to small towns

The author also mentions visiting small towns, which is a fantastic suggestion. I work on the road, so don't have a lot of time to fight traffic and parking. In a small town, though, you are able to get across town - in minutes! And, the parking is most often free.