Archive for the ‘Money’ Category

You want to do your part for the environment, but is paying a little extra for an eco-friendly set of wheels worth it? While the price tag on these cars remains higher than their non-hybrid cousins, some provinces offer rebates for buying hybrid or electric vehicles.

But what we wanted to know was how they drove. This past fall, we took five green vehicles for a spin. Here’s what we thought of our rides.

2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V

Suggested price: $27,200 (base); $38,500 (premium)
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motors are powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and a 1.8 L four-cylinder engine. Note: premium gas required.
Fuel economy: 4.3 L/100 km city; 4.8 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: The climate-control system uses an electric compressor, meaning you don’t need the engine to run the air conditioning.
Review: "I fell hard for this car. The comfy interior has a surprising amount of legroom, even in the back. One huge bonus: the hatchback design and fold-flat seats let you cram in anything from suitcases to 2x4s. Running the car in Eco mode drained its pep, but Power mode allowed normal acceleration when zooming onto a busy highway. I loved watching the display to see how often I could get the electric motor to take over. It made me want to start hypermiling!"
– Tina Anson Mine, executive editor, Food & Books

2012 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID

Suggested price: $29,999 (base); $34,499 (premium)
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motor is powered by a lithium-polymer battery pack and 2.4 L four-cylinder gas engine. Note: regular gas required.
Fuel economy: 5.5 L/100 km city; 4.6 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: Designed for highway driving, the Sonata can reach up to 100 km/h in electric-only mode.
Review: "The zippiness of this car is a pleasant surprise. I expected a hybrid to need time to switch operating modes, but it reacted just like any other vehicle and, in some instances – like when I accelerated to merge on the highway – it performed better. I also enjoyed the extras. If you know where to look, the computer tells you how "green" you're driving. The one downside is the size of the trunk; since that’s where the battery is stored, space is limited."
– Erin Poetschke, managing editor

2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID

Suggested price: $34,499
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motor is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and a 1.4 L four-cylinder gas engine. Note: regular gas required.
Fuel economy: 4.6 L/100 km city; 5.4 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: The interior seating is made from 85 per cent post-industrial materials.
Review: "It’s a good thing the dashboard lit up when I turned the car on; otherwise, I never would’ve known it was ready to go – it’s that quiet! It rode just as smooth as a non-hybrid when I took it for a spin through the city streets and later on the highway. With the fun displays tracking my eco- status, I made it my mission to improve the car’s fuel economy from when I got it on Friday to when I turned it in on Monday. Mission accomplished! My only complaint: For vertically challenged drivers like myself, seeing out the rear-view mirror is a strain on the neck."
– Wendy Graves, senior editor, Life

2012 CHEVROLET VOLT

Suggested price: $41,500
What it is: electric with extended range – when the battery is depleted, a gas-powered generator kicks in. Note: premium gas required.
Range: between 40 km and 80 km on electric power (depending on driving style and conditions); up to 580 km total
Nice to know: If you only use the car for short trips and are diligent about charging it, you may never need to use the gas engine. Since this actually isn’t good for the vehicle, the Volt will occasionally ask for permission to turn on the engine to keep it fresh.
Review: "I was initially intimated after my how-to lesson on where to find power stations to plug the car in and how to “power up” at home. But after 10 minutes of driving, I realized this is one of the coolest vehicles I’ve ever driven: it’s electric first, gas second. I liked the centre-stack LCD screens that are touch-sensitive, highly interactive and easy to use. While the price tag is high, there are cash-back incentives through government programs. Combine that with your gas savings and suddenly the cost is a little more palatable."
– Susan Antonacci, editor-in-chief

2012 NISSAN LEAF

Suggested price: $38,395
What it is: full electric
Range: up to 160 km on a full charge (depending on driving style and conditions)
Nice to know: The “Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians” system gives a whole new meaning to safety. With no internal combustion engine, the car is quite quiet. At speeds slower than 26 km/h, the car will emit an “approaching sound” so pedestrians know your car is nearby. Once the car reaches at least 31 km/h, the car becomes “audible” on its own.
Review: "The first thing I noticed about the Leaf? No tailpipe. It felt good driving away and not leaving a trail of carbon dioxide in my wake. A quick switch over to Eco drive mode improved my mileage but made for a slightly bumpier ride. The eco display system not only showed me how much distance I had left with the charge, but also how much more I could have if I turned the air conditioner off."
– Wendy Graves, senior editor, Life

Do you drive an electric or hybrid vehicle? And if not, how would you rate your interest in trying one out?

The holidays are upon us. I bet your weekends are starting to book up.

Company's coming to spread good cheer and good wishes. And they are always welcome but as I look around my home, it looks like it's been neglected; even a little beat up.

It's hard to keep up with two small boys - and I try. Crayon markings and scuffs on the walls, baseboards chipped from spinning toys, stains on the rug from what I hope is apple juice.

It needs a little tender loving care but this holiday season, there aren't much extra funds to work with.

But, sometimes the smallest touches can make the biggest impact.

So, let's get started.

I think I can, I think I can....

1. Paint

Oh what a fresh coat of paint can do!  Even if it's the same colour (which makes it easier to paint).

Want to make it easier and cleaner? Try the RapidRoller from Black & Decker.

It has a handle that holds and dispenses paint with a three-position pivoting roller frame that allows you to paint up to the edges in those tough-to-reach corners.

Simply place the fill lid on a standard paint can, draw paint from the can directly into the handle and squeeze the ratcheting tigger to dispense paint to the roller and onto the wall.

There's no messy paint tray. And your paint job is done quicker, too!

2. Refresh

Hardware products like wall plates, knobs, pulls and/or hooks can transform any kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.

The STANLEY Home Designs line carries traditional, contemporary and transitional styles.

What's traditional? It's a classic look with elements from the 18th and 19th century.

And contemporary? Trend-setting and modern.

And transitional? Styling is casual and influenced by both traditional and contemporary decor, with touches of global and regional influences.

Whatever your choice, these simple replacements update your kitchen.

3. Clean

For me, nothing is better than coming home to a clean house.  The "clean home" period won't last long, so I appreciate it while it's here.

Rearrange your furniture, move some pieces to another room if possible.  It gives you a change, plus maybe a little more room to entertain your guests.

After all that cleaning, preserve your floors - Stanley also offers a complete line of floor protection products that not only reduces noise and dust, but also helps maintain your floors a little longer.  Stanley Flexi-Felt heavy-duty adhesive pads are made of 100% pure wool industrial felt so they won't compress and fold like some polyester felt products.

And now, for the hardest part. Finding the time.

May your home be filled with laughter of family and friends (-- with a few paint brushes )

From my home to yours, happy holidays!

September is like New Years for me.

The kids are back in school, fresh start, filled with hopes and new adventures.

Both my boys are in school for the first time this year.

Yeah! Junior Kindergarden and First Grade - here they come.

This time of the year I start thinking about their futures - and what early steps we can do now to ensure a better chance for them.

So, step one is considering a RESP -

Registered Education Savings Plan- a tax deferred investment. The federal government matches 20 per cent of your contributions up to a maximum of $500 per year.

Education can be expensive.

Benefits: A tax-sheltered education savings account.  Money earned isn't taxed until it is withdrawn by the beneficiary.  Since most students have limited income, they will likely pay very little tax..

Your Options.  If you child decides not to continue his/her education you can withdraw the earnings in cash.  Do note you will have to then pay the tax on that amount.  Or, your plan may allow you to transfer to another sibling.

1.  Do a little research online at  Human Resources and Skills Development. So you can ask the right questions, specific to your family's needs, to your financial institution when you're ready.

2. Apply for your child's Social Insurance Number at Service Canada There is no charge for the application.

3. Open an RESP account. Book an appointment with your financial institution to discuss what best suits your family.  Before you commit, please make sure you understand all your options.

For more information call 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232)

One step at a time.

Do you already contribute to a RESP's or have your own savings plan in motion?

How patriotic of you, ladies! A recent Leger Marketing survey, for Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., reveals that Canadian women are much more likely than men to buy a red car (13.8 per cent vs. 8.9).

How important is colour when it comes to buying a new car?
According to Ford's internal research, 40 per cent of us would walk out of a car dealership if they didn't offer the car colour we wanted.

I can understand this logic. A car is no small purchase so why not get exactly what you want -- even if that means something as cosmetic as colour? Maybe the more money you spend on something, the more demands you attach to the buying process.

Regional differences in car colour
Leger's research reveals local trends in car colour.
Atlantic Canada is more likely than the rest of the nation to drive a gold or red car.
Quebec drivers are more likely to choose an uncommon colour (none of the eight most popular colours).
Ontarians are more likely to have a black car.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan drivers are most likely to have 'green'/ec0-friendlier cars. They ranker higher than average for white cars.
B.C.'s drivers have more green-coloured cars.

Can you guess what the most popular car colour in Canada is?

Red? Nope.

Black? Uh uh.

Silver? Bingo! You got it!

The most popular car colours in Canada are:
1. Silver/grey
2. Black
3. Blue
4. Red
5. White

Mine's black. Whether it's new or used: What colour is your car?

Sea Lions of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

Haida Gwaii (formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands) had long been on my travel bucket list. Mere mention of the mythical archipelago of 150 or so islands 75 kilometres off the coast of west coast of northern British Columbia always conjured up for me images of lofty old-growth trees,  faded totem poles, wind-swept  long-forgotten villages, tiny remote islands, abandoned logging camps, vast empty shorelines, endless azure lakes, piles of driftwood coated with salt-water sprays, and snow-capped mountains peeking through the clouds.

It was all that - plus a few surprises.

My visit started at Langara Island, the northern-most of the islands which for a few decades  has been a favourite fly-in destination for fans of saltwater fishing. Using the West Coast Fishing Lodge as home base for the first few days of our group's journey, I had to quickly develop my sea legs, because that's where we pretty much spent most of our time. And that's where I first encountered the sea lions, one of my biggest surprises of all.

The Northern Sea Lions, also known as Stellar Sea Lions, tend to stick close to shore but it's not unheard-of to spot these hefty creatures 130 kilometres out to sea. The male sea lions (take a gander at the big bossy-looking specimen in this photo) can weigh anywhere from 450 to 1,000 kilograms.

"I'm hefty and I like it this way."

Sea lions share the Haida Gwaii waters with humpbacks, orcas, minke and gray whales, porpoises and harbour seals, among other wildlife. (If whale-watching is your thing, Moresby Explorers puts together a humpback whale-photography excursion that takes you between Louise Island and Burnaby Island.) The rocks of Cape St. James, which is at the southern tip of Haida Gwaii, provides safe breeding grounds for the sea lions, making late May to early-March the best time to see them in large numbers. But, seriously folks, I was awe-struck with the smaller colonies we encountered who were out sunbathing on the rocks or splashing around in the frigid waters off Langara Island.

Did you know sea lions are thieves? Terry Cowan, general manager of the West Coast Fishing Club, provided a tip before heading out on our first morning of ocean fishing: "Watch the sea lions. They'll steal your lunch." Hans, our on-board guide and Zodiac operator, echoed this same advice: "When you feel a fish on the end of your line, try not to stand up right away. Just the sight of someone standing up with his line at the side of the boat is a signal to hungry sea lions to come out and steal the fish right from the line." I believe him. Just take a look at this video clip of a sea lion caught in the act of stealing a guy's fish..

Later the same day: Sunbathing Beauties

Stay tuned for my next "Haida Gwaii Diary" post which I'll devote to my ocean fishing adventure with the folks at the West Coast Fishing Club. I'll show you the one I caught - under the watchful eyes of hungry sea lions. And I'll even tell you about the one that got away, seriously, I mean it was sooo big.

Here's a great guest post from consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch.

More Canadians are shopping online than ever before, despite perceived shipping problems from e-commerce companies.

We research products online but buy them in-store
According to a 2010 study by the JC Williams Group, more than 55 per cent of Canadians initiate purchases via the Internet, yet the lack of free-shipping offers led them to complete their purchase at a brick-and-mortar store.

That's a trend that's rapidly reversing, as retailers realize they can catch more flies with free-shipping honey.

Free shipping is changing how we shop
In another 2010 study -- this one from the NDP Group -- 75 percent of Canadian online shoppers say free shipping offers are the number-one factor when considering a purchase. This may be why U.S. based L.L. Bean is now permanently offering free shipping to Canada with no minimum purchase required.

So long, Zappos
That doesn't mean every merchant is following suit. As of April 1, Zappos.com is no longer serving Canadian audiences because of difficulties related to customs. Perhaps part of the problem, however, may have been related to the improved shipping service offered by home-country merchants.

For example, Chapters has dropped their minimum purchase for free shipping from $39 to $25; Forever 21 from $75 to $60; and Future Shop from $39 to $20. It's a trend that's steadily improving every year.

Competition means deals
We also have a good deal going for electronics' purchases. Thanks to intense competition between electronics stores in Canada, the majors are duking it out in an effort to land consumers.

Free shipping for electronics
The best free shipping offers on electronics in Canada courtesy of FreeShipping.ca:

• BestBuy.ca - Free shipping on orders over $20 to anywhere in Canada.
• FutureShop.ca - Free shipping on orders over $20.
• TheSource.ca - Free 3-5 day direct shipping to any of 720 The Source stores in Canada.

These healthy Canadian offers appear to be having an impact, as indicated by the NDP Group survey. Last August, only 6 percent of respondents had purchased personal computers online in the last six months, but 25 per cent said they would do so in the near future.

Buying clothes online
Electronics isn't the only ecommerce area exploding in Canada; the same study also found respondents planned on increasing their online clothing purchases by 15 per cent.

Such increased interest has spurred Canadian online sales to a 90-per cent increase between 2005 and 2009, at which time the industry claimed more than $15 billion in sales. In 2009 alone, consumers placed more than 95 billion online orders.

Which are you more likely to buy online: clothes or electronics?

La Vita Bella - but when?

Reader question: "When is the best time of year to travel to Italy? What is the best central location for traveling around?"
-Wanda Ball, New Brunswick

Dear Wanda,

Italy should be on everyone's bucket list. You'll have an amazing time.

There are more ways to answer your question than there are varieties of gelato in Cortona. But I'll do my best. The best time to travel to Italy can depend on a number of things:
• Is weather the most important factor for you?
• Are you looking for the least costly time to travel? (The hotter the weather, the higher the rates)
• Will be you spending most of your time in museums and historical sites?
• Or will you be heading to the beautiful beaches.

Here goes:

My own experience, bolstered by the Italian Tourist Board's advice, is that spring (April, May) and fall (September, October) are among the best times to visit Italy - when the weather at its mildest and the crowds are manageable.

July and August are very hot, which is good if you're looking for a beach holiday, but it will be crowded and the prices tend to go up. You'll be competing with many North American tourists - not to mention the student
travellers.

A special consideration for August in some parts of Italy: Parts of Italy are like France in that many residents take their vacations in August which means two things for you: (a) popular destinations in Italy could be a little more crowded but also (b) in certain places, you'll find some shops and restaurants closed for business.

Easter and Christmas: regardless of weather conditions, prices and crowds tend to jump at those times. Many hotels and B&Bs ratchet up their prices.

The Cost Factor:
If budget is on your mind, you should bear in mind that the less expensive months are during the November-to-March period. You'll have easy access to major tourist sites but you'll take your chances with the weather, which may not be significant if you're indoors all day. The most expensive times are July, August, Christmas and Easter.

My Own Experience:
I've been to Italy twice. Once, as a cash-challenged back-packer, I landed in Rome at the end of June and it was busy. On another occasion I went for a quick visit in the month of October and I found it was easier to interact with the locals and not feel rushed.

Where in Italy:

Wanda, you asked what would be the best central location for travelling around. That depends on how much time you have, how much of the country you wish to visit, and what your main interests are. Of course, everyone wants to see Rome. You can definitely tour that beautiful, historically and architecturally-rich city ANY time of year. But do be careful not to take on too much. Choose a region or two. If you've got two weeks, I'd suggest starting in Rome and then heading up to Tuscany. It's an easy train ride. Rome is one of those cities which is enjoyable any time of the year. The Colosseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, St. Peter's...a dose of bad weather won't stop you from enjoying these sites.

And since Rome is a major airline hub, you'll have no problem getting airflights - and possibly some good deals. Be sure to check www.kayak.com and www.momondo.com.

My preference:
If you've got, say, two weeks, I'd go in either (a) October or (b) May. After you've spent a few days in Rome, hop the train and head up to Tuscany region. You can easily base yourself in Florence (Firenze) and take day trips by bus or car rental, to smaller, quieter places such as Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano. And I did find Florence cheaper than Rome. This kind of itinerary will enable you to spend time in the must-see city of Rome, the less busier but fascinating city of Florence (just think: no high-rises in the city centre) and pass a few languid afternoons in rolling wine country of Tuscany with day trips to the smaller historical towns. Rome wasn't built in the day, nor was Italy - and you won't see everything in one visit.

Helpful web site
If weather is your primary consideration, here's a good web site called "Best Time To Go. Just note that it doesn't necessarily take into consideration things such as costs, crowds etc.

I hope this helps. Buone vacanze!

If you have a travel-related question, please email me at DougCanLiving@canadianliving.com. If I can't answer, I'll find someone who will.

1. Dealuxe
Finally! A place to shop for (or "window shop" for) fancy clothes here in Canada. This recently-launched shopping destination offers contemporary luxury clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories and cosmetics from swish brands. Watch for exclusive deals every Thursday. Returns are free! And: Invite your friends to Dealuxe and earn $10 every time someone you invite makes their first purchase. It's a Dealight!

2. Canadian Tire
Your go-to site for tools, electronics, kitchen & bath fixtures, backyard necessities, home decor (love the Debbie Travis line), sports equipment and more.

3. Urban Barn
Many people don't realize this retailer is Canadian, but they actually first opened their doors in B.C. in 1990. You can't currently order their contemporary furniture and home accents from the site, but you can noodle around with their very cool Room Planner tool and drool over their handsome patio furniture.

4. Chapters Indigo
You'll find bestsellers and bargains at Chapters Indigo, Canada's biggest bookstore.  The new Kobo e-book reader will be out in June, but you can pre-order it here today.

5. Grocery Gateway
This online grocery shopping and home delivery service currently delivers to the greater Toronto area, including Hamilton. And it is absolutely magical. Giant boxes of Tide, cases and cases of club soda, all your heavy, bulky groceries delivered to your door. Perfect, especially for new moms.

6. Roots
Roots has quality leather goods handcrafted in Canada but most importantly, it has sweatpants. Lots and lots of comfy sweatpants, with sweatshirts to match.  Coziness, delivered from online to your door.

What's your favourite online Canadian store?

Hitting the road in yours 20s could be your smartest career move!

Katy Rockett pretty much slays the popular George Bernard Shaw quote that "Youth is wasted on the young." You could argue that it was in her youth that Katy, who now works in the marketing department for Intrepid Travel, kick-started her career.

Many of you, or perhaps your college-age off-spring, have pondered the question: Do I travel now? Or should I focus on my career and travel later? There are pros and cons to both. I did the career thing until my early 30s, and toured Europe (visited 12 countries) and studied French in Paris (I lived with the entertaining famille LeLeu) when I was 34. Do I wish I had done it sooner? To be honest, at times I wished I had pulled up stakes when I was 22. But then again, would my career have taken off? Who's to know? But I will say this: I have no regrets about the year I took off to galavant throughout Europe. It's NEVER too late to travel.

For Katy, travelling after graduating from university fueled a fascinating career. Some years later, she quit her job to travel again and study in Paris. So it's no surprise she ended up working in the Toronto office of Intrepid Travel, a successful small-group adventure company, founded in 1989, that prides itself on escorting travellers "off the beaten path."

Q: What did you gain by travelling in your 20s?
A: That's easy to answer.

1. A sense of independence
2. A sense of self
3. Learning that the best experiences often come from letting yourself get completely lost
4. Learning the value of living in the moment
5. A love for travel

Question: "Why made you take a leap of faith and travel at that age?
A: "I guess I got a small taste of travel during family vacations to the cottage and to the Caribbean, but it was after a high school trip to Spain that I knew I really needed to start exploring the world and Europe seemed to be an excellent place to start as it's fairly easy to navigate for a first-time traveller. Most people speak English, and most cities have a great mix of culture and nightlife, which is ideal for someone in their 20s.

I travelled immediately after I completed university and this was really because it was the first time in my life (and last!) where I had no commitments, no job and, fortunately for me, money to burn."

Q:  Any regrets?
A: "At the risk of sounding completely clichéd, I don't believe in regrets. The concept of spending a significant amount of money on something that, at the end of the day, didn't offer me anything tangible was a difficult sell to some, but you truly can't put a price on that kind of experience offered by travelling. I have been extremely lucky because having that experience is what led me to a job in the travel industry."

Q: What was biggest challenge?
A: "I travelled with one other friend and, while we spent a full two months travelling in Europe, we only stayed in any one city for a few days at a time so we were constantly on the move. It was fantastic, but difficult to sustain that momentum for a full two months and by the end we were both pretty drained and probably not taking full advantage of what each city had to offer."

Q: Do you have any tips for young women travellers?
A: "You always have to be on guard. While travelling you meet a lot of people from all over the world - be they locals or fellow travellers. And while you really do want to trust that people have the best of intentions, the reality is that you truly don't know and can't place your faith on that. Not to say I didn’t get myself into a hairy situation or two. Fortunately I came out completely unscathed and I recognize how lucky I am for that. Realistically, Europe is a bit easier as a young woman. However, I have travelled in other  parts of the world where women are viewed quite differently and this did prove to be quite difficult to get used to."

"When I travelled to Egypt with my sister, we chose to take on this part of the world by travelling in a small group with Intrepid. This was ideal because we enjoyed the benefits of travelling like backpackers, but with the security of our group and local leader. It really allowed us to enjoy the experience so much more and truly gave us peace of mind when we were in areas that weren't frequented by many tourists, and enabled us to get off the beaten path."

Q: What  did you learn?
A: "I really learned the most about myself. I had been lost in a sea of education and trying to sort out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life for the better part of 20 years. For the first time I was able to step back and really evaluate what inspired me, what motivated me and what made me tick. It is so difficult to do this when you're immersed in your regular environment where you can be so easily influenced by your friends and family. I honestly feel that it isn't until you can remove yourself from such a situation that you can actually get a sense of what you want in life."

Q:  How did it change the way you travel  the way you approach career, life...?
A: "Aside from gaining a strong sense of self, this trip really pushed me to appreciate what can be gained when you push your personal boundaries and take chances. Whether it was scurrying to the top of St. Arthur's Seat on a
whim for a spectacular view of Edinburgh, jumping off cliffs into the Ionian Sea in Greecee, or following locals like herded sheep into the depths of the woods in Berlin to watch the most exciting soccer game I've seen in my life.

"Every time I took a chance, be it big or small, the result was always an incredible experience. I have since taken this lesson and applied it to my career (leaving my job at a marketing agency to live in Paris and learn  French - which resulted in my job at Intrepid), my life in general (I took on the challenge of a 100-km walk in 48 hours last year and managed to complete it and raise money for a great cause!) or my travels (I reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in January 2011).

Q:  If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently?
A: "As two 20-somethings, we planned our trip fairly meticulously and had every mode of transportation and every hostel booked from the get-go. While it was very settling (more so for my Mom) arriving in a city knowing we had a safe place to stay, learning what I did about taking chances and throwing caution to the wind, I think it would have been very freeing to have the ability to hop on a train on a whim or take advantage of some of the great last-minute deals and see where we landed."

Q:  What advice do you have for parents whose 20-something kids wants to head out like you did?
A: "First and foremost, do what you can to support them. My parents didn't help me financially or tell me where to go or what to see, and even though it was a bit difficult for them at times to let their daughter venture abroad. They always supported my decision to take the time for myself to travel. Knowing this gave me a great deal of confidence to take on the challenge of travelling alone and I really appreciated having that. This worked in their favour as well because knowing I had their support resulted in me making a much greater effort to stay in touch with them during my travels so they always knew I was safe."

"If your 20-something is completely new to travel and wants to head to an area of the world that may be a bit more difficult to navigate, a group tour really is a great opportunity. There are a lot of very affordable options and, as I mentioned with respect to my Egypt trip, it's effectively organized backpacking (with a few extra bonuses - such as travelling with a group of people from around the world to share the experience and a local leader who can take you to remote areas which would be really difficult to discover on your own). Even if they do want to travel solo, group travel is a great way to start out. It's a means of getting oriented in a new part of the world and getting your feet wet in the world of travel before venturing off even further on your own."

Q:  Can you recall one particularly memorable moment? One that you perhaps wouldn’t have experienced had you had waited another 10 years before travelling?
A: "It's hard to choose just one memorable moment, but on the whole I really appreciated getting to meet so many people from all over the world in my travels. We always stayed in hostels and, while this level of accommodation really isn't the most high-class of options (sharing a room with ten other people, eight of whom snore), it does provide a fantastic hub for travellers to meet. Not to say there's an age limit on hostels, but they do tend to attract a younger demographic so it's a lot easier to meet and connect with people no matter where in the world they call home.

Here's a terrific guest post from consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch.

With the start of TLC's latest "Extreme Couponing" season, it's a good time to review some basic tricks that these coupon pros use. Read on for six ways you can save like an extreme couponer.

1. Start small
Don't try to go extreme all at once. Take it step by step, rather than show up at a checkout with 50 coupons and little idea what you're doing.

2. Never pay for coupons
There are some things in this life you just shouldn't pay for, and a coupon is one of them. Paying someone to clip or organize your coupons defeats the purpose of living frugally.

(Editor's note: Check out DealStreet.ca for the largest collection of deals, flyers, coupons and shopping advice and tips in Canada.)

3. Get organized
A little organization can go a long way. Always create a shopping list and have your coupons and shopping strategy organized before you even enter the store.

Use an expandable coupon binder to sort coupon inserts by date, categories and expiration dates. Transfer to a small couponizer only those you'll need for a specific shopping trip.

4. Location, location, location
Where you shop is a key factor in making the best use of your time and coupons. Only shop at locations that allow coupon stacking and combining coupons with in-store offers.

Don't be afraid to call and ask about policies before you show up. You don't want to wind up embarrassed at the checkout line with a handful of useless coupons.

5. Loyalty rewards
Always take advantage of club membership rewards. These programs are usually free and have many savings perks, like rewards points, cash back programs, and double points for every certain amount you spend.

6. Don't be greedy
This is often where extreme couponers cross over into the world of hoarding.

Only shop for items you actually need, products you can stock up on that aren't perishable, and those you can donate.

Remember, a bargain is only a bargain if you can actually use the purchase. If your pantry has expanded into your living room and the kids are sleeping on rolls of toilet paper, you've probably reached hoarder status.