Sometimes I think I have a split-personality. There's half of me that loves the nicer things in life. I yearn to indulge in fine dining, suites in hotels, exotic car rentals, brand names, etc. Then there's the more practical side that doesn't actually want to pay the high premium for these things. Where's the middle ground? Discounts! Join me in my high over my latest score.
My wedding anniversary is coming up. Last year hubby and I painted the town red without a second thought about money. And by "the town" I mean Vegas, baby! So when this year's anniversary started to roll around I, admittedly, got a little down that we didn't have any big trip planned. It's not that I really need a glam vacay to celebrate. Its more that I want his undivided attention and for us both to relax. We both work hectic jobs. When we're just home, even if our princesses are in their grandparents' care, we still feel the need to fire up the laptop, cook breakfast and other drags of daily life.
The other thing that's held me back from planning any trips this summer (Yes, we're so trendy. We're "staycating".) is the fear the media has planted firmly in me. We must conserve money. I've got a financial goal in mind and once we hit it, I'll feel better about loosening the reins a bit. Yet still...I want to go away with hubby.
I had been looking at shackin' up old school style in a local hotel for the night. But as luck has it, we live in a thriving vacation spot. Nightly hotel rates can be quite high. Plus, I find myself saying, "Why spend hundreds of dollars to stay in one when I can enjoy the beach on any given day anyway."
One particular hotel caught my eye as it's not on the beach, but has a beach club. It's quite upscale and basically sets us up to not really need to leave the property. Heck, there's even a shuttle to their beach club so I can enjoy cocktails pre- and during our beach time. :-) The problem, though is that it, too, is hundreds of dollars a night.
I finally conceded to just make a one-night reservation so I called to ask a few questions. My final question was...and here's the lesson, folks..."Do you offer a discount to locals?" I explained how we didn't have much time and didn't want to drive hours to another location. The customer service rep cheerfully reply, "We sure do!"
I was expecting the discount to be 10 - 20% off. I expected it to be closer to 10. Instead, the woman blew me away. It was a full 50%! Get out of town! "Done!" I exclaimed and we booked it immediately - for two nights. Happy Anniversary to us! But shhhhhh...hubby doesn't know. I just told him "I'm cookin' up something for that weekend." and his typically skeptical reply was "What if I don't like what you're cookin'?" LOL I think he'll come out of that weekend satisfied. ;-)
I must run. I'm off to the kitchen gadget store to replace the coffee press I just shattered on my hated tiled floor. It was one of hubby's prized possessions. So much for saving money!
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