A few weeks back I wrote about the star rating system for hotels. Today, I want to look at the star rating system of restaurants.
The reason why I am writing about the rating system for restaurant’s is I want to know and I want you to know what to expect when you walk into a restaurant. Are you getting your monies worth in terms of food and service?
My friend Ray and I were sitting around and talking about the rating systems for hotels. The question was brought up, “Is there a standard as to what I can expect from a 3 star as opposed to a 4 star hotel?”
We agreed that it would be a good post for The Shopping Nazi. How else would you know if you are getting good value for your money. A couple of days later I received an email with five links that describe the rating system of hotels. They are Hotels.org, How Stuff Works, Forbes Travel Guide, Super Pages, and Go Europe at About.com.
We just got back from our get-a-way. Everyone needs to take a few days as a family and get a way from the pressure of life. This year, in quite a few years we took a vacation. It was largely because of the money we were able to save through practicing and writing about it in The Shopping Nazi.
Now for the numbers as to what it did cost us for our little vacation.
Lodging – First night was in a Holiday Inn, which cost us $109. The next two nights were a little motel in Sumpter Oregon. That was $120 for the two nights.
It is summer time. Most of us has already booked our summer vacation. Some have gone through a travel agent. Then there are those who have listen commercial William Scanter and used PriceLine.com to get the lowest rate. But does PriceLine.com really give the lowest rate?
In a effort to look a where to go for the best deal I took the major online booking websites and gave them a task. A couple that is 40 years want to spend 2 nights in San Francisco leaving Boise ID. They are going to book their room for August 14th, 15th. A mid August weekend. Now let us see who has the best rate!
It was like last week we bought our daughter her first a MP3 player for $39.99. It was not what it cost us. After sales tax, carrying case, and mp3 our cost was well over $50 and still going up.
That is why I want to take today and look at hidden or unexpected costs. We have chosen only the 5 most common hidden cost over and above the price tag. Some are expected. Some are hidden and unexpected. All are over and above the price tag.
Yesterday, I shared, with you, some of the great benefits I have experienced since I moved to Idaho 15 years ago. Today, I want to share with you the top 7 businesses that impress me the most when I went to the state capitol building as part of annual Buy Idaho event.
Idaho Candy Company has been around since 1901. They are not a world player that competes with Nestle or Mars candies, but they do offer some tasty treats. The Cherry Cocktail and Idaho Spud are two of my favorites.
Dream Chocolate is another candy company. Well not just another candy company. They specialize in great chocolate bar with a custom label. Can you think of a better way to impress a future employer than by attaching a candy bar with your picture on it to your resume.
My dad always said, “Charity begins at home”. I believe this also holds true when it comes to any form of economic recovery. It is not the large corporations that will create jobs and make the United States a world economic leader again. It will be the small individuals and the business that is started in spare bedrooms and garages which will have the biggest affect on our economy.
When I was originally offered work in Idaho, all I knew about Idaho was that it was where potatoes were grown. Since then I learned that Idaho was much much more.
The first thing I noticed about Idaho was the drivers on the road were so polite. In the general people talked slower. Not as slow as people south of the Mason Dixon Line, but definitely slower than California. In addition to many other great factors, living in Idaho lowered my stress level and cost of living.
If I need to take a quick business trip from Boise, Idaho to San Francisco to meet with Leo Laporte, I could easily spend a $1,000. Now if I did some research and planning, I could cut that cost in half.
A flight to San Francisco from Boise Idaho starts at $216, with one stop in Salt Lake City. Most of the discount airline booking website average around $260 to $300 for a round trip ticket, for the same trip.
Now there is a few things that you can or can not do that will raise that cost.
Pre-Ship Luggage - If you have a lot of luggage you may want to pre-ship it UPS. Airlines are watching how much up check as well as what you carry on the plane. Many of the airline are charging $25 to $50 extra per piece. This is where shipping an extra bag of cloths to your hotel may just be cheaper
Summer is almost over. Our daughter starts school next week. We need some time together before we are drawn apart with work and school.
Because of the economy, we opted for a stay a home vacation this year. The Western Idaho Fair is in full swing. Since the fairgrounds is less than 5 miles and 12 minute drive from our house, the fair tops the list as something to do on our stay at home vacation, or Staycation, as some would like to call it.
Monday was Kids Day. For $20 each we could get into the fair and have unlimited rides from noon to 5 pm. If you haven’t price the rides at your local fair lately, they could run you $1 to $2.50 per ride.
Fair admissions was $7 dollars for adults and $4 for our daughter. That would make admission and rides a great deal. I guarantee you that we all rode on more than 10 rides.
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There is nothing like bumped by friends and strangers with the Bumper cars. Watching my wife overcome her fear of heights on the smallest of 3 Ferris wheels was worth the whole day’s experience. I must mention the Wip, the ride my dad took me on at 10, now I am riding on with my wife and daughters.
The biggest revelation to me, which should not of have been a revelation, is how much our family enjoys the exhibits. My wife would sign up all the drawing for a big gas BBQ. My daughter was looking at all the jewelry. Then I was looking at cookware, and internet provider.
When the day was over, after all the rides, exhibits, and eating our favorite fair food, we went home and crashed in our favorite spots.
The bottom-line is we spent just under a $100 for a once a year event that will carry memories for the rest of our life.
Sale Alert: New Balance Tennis Shoes 24 hour sale.
One more week before the kids are back in school. Camping trips, get away time is going to be harder. Weather is going to start to get colder. So a short day trip along with getting wet brings a smile to my face. Now those who live in Southern Idaho, floating down the Boise River is concerned on such getaway.
You can not call it a raft trip. There are a few shallow rapids, and a 12 inch waterfall, in a float that is just over 5 miles.
The City of Boise makes it easy for the whole family to have a fun time. They provide free air to blow up your raft or intern tubes. They have a rental place to rent a raft. They even provide a ride back to Barber Park to where the float down the river starts.
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For the residents if Boise Idaho, this is a great way without having to drive miles, for a little fun on a hot summer Saturday.
A ride down the Boise River will run you just under $75 for a family of 4. However, you save money like many of the locals do by having their own raft. That reduces the cost to $35. Carpooling with another family and having one families car at the beginning and the other families car at the end can reduce the cost to around $26. Of course you will have to have a joint family BBQ at the end of the rafting journey.
Now going to most any other family outing will run you about the same. We will explore them as the summer winds down.
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