Loudoun County Limbo is Back in Action

I am back after 10 days in the beautiful Flathead Valley area of northwest Montana with my family! I hope to get started posting deals in Loudoun County again soon.  


Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park

 In the meantime, I just wanted to share with you how I saved $5000 on the cost of our vacation:

- We used frequent flier miles with Delta to book our flights from Dulles International Airport for free. If anyone in your family flies often, I highly recommend signing up for airline customer loyalty programs. The programs are free, and not only can you use the points for airline tickets but also for merchandise, gift cards, and rental cars.

- I used my (free) AARP membership to get a $200 discount on an SUV from Budget Rental Car, then paid the balance of $700 with gift certificates that I earned with points from my credit card.

- I also used points from my credit card to get $500 worth of prepaid Visa debit cards, which we used to eat out.

- I rented our accommodations through VRBO.com. VRBO, which stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner, is a website where you can browse through rentals in the area you want to visit according to the size of your group, whether or not smoking or pets are allowed, or what kind of amenities you want. I have found it to be a more comfortable and affordable option for our family than booking 2 hotel rooms. Our condo (above) was beautiful and had all the comforts of home - plus a hot tub and sauna!

- I also purchased certificates for restaurants in the area from Restaurant.com. This is something you can use in Loudoun County!  I wait until the gift certificates go "on sale" for 90 percent off, then pay $1 or $2 for a certificate worth $25.00 or $35.00!