Shawn Wilson

Now that things have been getting worse in the economic sector, people automatically assume that their holidays and vacations are gone with it. Not necessarily so. You can easily plan ahead and still manage to get in a really good vacation.

Take for example; budgeting every month, even putting away $20 to $40 per month can help contribute towards a little vacation at the end of the year of even at the end of 6 months.

With the economy in decline and no end in sight, many people are seeing their bank accounts shrink and their travel options dry up. But tightening the belt isn't necessarily the same as not having any fun. Travel is one of the most enjoyable things of life; just because the economy is bad doesn't mean you should have to change your internet dating profile byline from "travel nut" to "too broke to leave home.

I'm in love with a place that very few people have ever visited. Parts of it are barren desert, at times there's not a tree in sight, and it's a place that has been very poor for a very long time-- that is, when it wasn't completely uninhabited. And that place is the island chain of Cape Verde, which is location off of the coast of Africa.

Why do I love this relatively barren and unexplored place? Because every island is bordered in endless expanses of crystal white beaches.

Traveling and seeing the world --or at least the country you live in-- is one of the greatest joys in life. As a passionate traveler, I make taking an annual trip a priority-- I simply need it for my sanity. But as a person with a budget to follow, I also have to consider how much I spend. One of my favorite ways to save money on vacation? To forego the hotel and stay in a self-catering apartment instead.

It's winter time in most of the USA and Canada, and with it come plummeting temperatures, and punishing ice and snow storms. We've certainly had our share where I live, and every time we get another dump of six or so inches I thank my lucky stars that I have a snow blower.

It's also around this time of year that a lot of people take a week and sometimes more to escape to a warmer climate.

Most people know that flying in an airplane is one of the safest ways to travel. No, it's not as safe as, say, sitting in your living room surfing internet dating sites or watching funny kitten videos on YouTube, but it's a heck of a lot safer than even driving your car down the street to the grocery store. We all know that flying is relatively safe, it's impossible to forget the times when flying doesn't go well.

There's something about being away from home that makes you loosen all of your usual standards. You don't worry do much about getting up early or being constructive with your time or even changing your clothes (yes, men, I'm talking about you). You're on vacation, it's time to relax and not worry about a thing.

But millions (maybe even billions) of people travel and go on vacations every year.