Consolidate Maxed Out Credit Cards Using Your Home – Post-Holiday Spending Tips
During the holiday season many families will turn to credit cards to finance Christmas expenses. This makes it less stressful to make ends meet, especially during the holidays. Sometimes we don’t even realize how much damage is done until the credit card bills start to arrive in January.
Credit cards are very convenient but have their pitfalls. Credit cards bear very high interest rates, often more than 20% interest and in the case of department store cards up to 30%. Interest is calculated monthly so if you get caught up in a pattern of only making minimum monthly payments, they can take years to pay off. Credit cards that have balances more than 75% of their limits will damage your credit rating/credit score.
The last thing you want to do is go into the next holiday season with credit cards that have balances from the spending you did the past holiday season. The best thing to do if you have accumulated balances on credit cards from holiday spending is to consolidate maxed out credit cards using your home.
There are many reasons why it is a great idea to consolidate maxed out credit cards using your home. Here are just a few:
1.Using your home to consolidate maxed out credit cards will enable you to start the New Year on a fresh foot and with a single monthly payment.
2.Using your home to consolidate maxed out credit cards will increase cash flow because a home equity loan or line of credit will bear a much lesser payment than what you are paying to your credit cards on a monthly basis.
3.Using your home to consolidate maxed out credit cards will reduce the overall interest that you are paying to loans and credit cards. Home equity loan and home equity line of credit interest rates are much less than what you are paying to your individual credit cards.
4.Using your home to consolidate debt will improve your credit because all of your credit card balances will be reduced to zero and the less debt reporting to your credit report, the higher your credit score will be. Also, as we mentioned when credit card balances exceed 75% of your limits, it reduces your credit score and will trigger a message to appear on your credit report that indicates that your credit card balances are too high in proportion to your credit limits.
It is important that if you consolidate your maxed out credit cards using your home equity that you don’t continue to use your credit cards. Put them away and only use a single card and make sure to use the card in denominations that you can afford to pay off in full each month. This will ensure that you don’t find yourself in the future with a new payment on a consolidation loan and paying credit card balances.
Start your New Year off with your finances in order and without the stress of having to pay a windfall of credit bills.
Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Family Adventure Holiday this Year
Planning a holiday with the family is always an adventure in itself and can be a lot of fun if planned methodologically. Perhaps the most important decision you can make for an interesting and exciting break is choosing the right holiday plan that keeps everyone suitably entertained and relaxed.
As seen in travel brochures or on the Internet, there are heaps of options available for one. Many tour companies today offer special adventure holidays for families; typically where small groups can enjoy outdoor activities like rafting, bungee jumping, cycling and climbing, etc., while others can focus on cultural interests.
Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities offered in activity holidays. In this feature, we have shared with you the top 5 reasons to choose a family adventure holiday this year:
1.Cost and Quality: With Family adventure holidays you get what you pay for. Tour companies offer quality holidays with minimal time wasted or organisational hassles. They will do the groundwork for you and find out the best spots to visit. Your holiday will be fun with no hassle and no worries. A family adventure holiday is sure to provide a memorable trip and can be done at budget and time to suit your needs.
2.No Brainstorming for Planning is Involved: When you opt for a family adventure holiday, the burden of planning every last detail is put on the shoulders of the professionals because the itinerary of such trips is set prior to the departure. You can enjoy your holiday with your family without any stress of mapping out every intricate detail and can immerse yourself completely in the joy of boating, kayaking, climbing, rafting or hiking as you see fit.
3.Enjoy Adventure without Stress or Danger: Many atimes, when you are on holiday, the activities that are the part of your trip might involve danger with it. Though the danger that is involved is lifted and the professionals have accounted for every circumstance to let you experience a stress free and danger-free holiday. The most exciting thing to takeaway is the huge number of incredible memories that you can keep with you forever, while others can only dream about it.
4.Kids Get to Learn: In a family adventure holiday, many activities are meant for adults as well as kids. Allowing children to participate in the activity together with their parents. In other holiday packages, kids are sent to the kids group and are only confined to the activities that are meant purely for them. While in a family adventure holiday, they spend time with the family and get an opportunity to learn and strengthen bonding with their parents.
5.Lets You do Something that You Love: As there are several activity holidays options available with various adventure activities are a part of it, people usually choose an adventure holiday based on these activities. If you are an adventurous and active sort of person, choose a holiday package that involves the activities of your preference. Kayaking, climbing, rafting and mountain-biking in new lands are all examples of popular adventure holidays that you will love.
When taking your family on an adventure holiday, you can widen your horizons quite a bit as planning such types of holidays can be a journey in itself. All that discussing, researching, packing, getting ready and hard work will however be paid off many times over and make for the most memorable life experiences.
[Top]Grand Canyon National Park Chopper Travels for Thanksgiving Holiday Vacationers
Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means it is time to get a little bit of relaxation, hang out with family, or even go on a sightseeing adventure. This time of the year is the perfect one to visit the Grand Canyon, and with air tours you can visit either the West Rim or the South Rim of the Canyon.
Don’t Miss Out
One advantage to touring the canyon this time of year is the cooler weather. The cooler air temperatures actually improves visibility, so you’ll have fantastic views. Because of the ideal touring conditions and the fact that holidays are busy at the canyon, you’ll want to book your tour early.
It’s a good idea to book seats on your tour at the same time you book your hotel room so you don’t forget. If you leave things too late, you will end up paying the highest prices, or even worse, you might miss out on seats.
I also recommend that you book your tickets online, and pay using your credit card. This process confirms your transaction, so you can be sure your seats will be waiting for you. Another good reason to buy your tour online is the good deal you’ll get by using the discounted Internet rate.
The West Rim
You will fly to the West Rim if you take Grand Canyon helicopter flight from Las Vegas. A lot of people prefer the West Rim because it has a lot of fun things to do and interesting things to see. You’ll even get to fly over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam on your way there. One other advantage of going to the West Rim is that it’s the only place in the canyon where helicopters can fly below the rim and land on the canyon floor.
The landing tours are great fun. You can land at the bottom of the canyon, where you could enjoy a Champagne picnic and a Colorado River tour. If you land at the top instead, you can visit the Skywalk. Walking on the Skywalk is an exhilarating experience because it is made of glass and you can look down to the canyon floor that’s 4000 feet below you.
You can even book a combination tour that lets you land on top of the rim and on the canyon floor so you can experience the Skywalk and a boat ride on the river on the same tour.
Helicopter Tours Of The South Rim
The Grand Canyon is so big, it is also a convenient tour if you’ll be staying in Arizona rather than Nevada. Arizona travelers tour the South Rim, and all the tours depart from the airport in Tusayan where you can fly to the North Rim and back. The tour that goes over to the North Rim and back takes about 30 minutes, but you can also opt to take a longer, 50 minute tour that goes to the North Rim as well as the eastern border of the park. In that extra 20 minutes you will have the opportunity to see more of the National Park, totaling up to 75% of the total area. You’ll see a lot of sights on the longer flight, and it doesn’t cost that much more, so the extra expense is worth it.
While your helicopter won’t be able to land at the South Rim, you can still see the canyon up close if you add on a Jeep tour. The Jeep tour is a great addition to the helicopter tour because it gives you the chance to see the canyon from different perspectives.
To Wrap Up
Grand Canyon helicopter tours are among the most popular tours in the US, and it’s easy to see why. With so many options, you’ll be able to create a tour package that’s filled with fun and scenic views while not busting your budget. If you want to fly for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to book early, and book online. With a little bit of planning you will be set up for a trip that you will remember for the rest of your lifetime, and you will ensure that you can experience it all for the best available price.
[Top]Grand Canyon National Park – Helicopter Specials Throughout Memorial Day Holiday
The Memorial Day holiday is right around the corner. Bookings for air tours on Grand Canyon helicopters are skyrocketing.
Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26th this year. Since it is a three-day weekend, many people head for the Grand Canyon. So don’t wait until the last minute to book your trip. It is always a good idea to book your hotel and Grand Canyon tour at least one or two weeks ahead of time.
Tours of the canyon originate in Las Vegas, Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Scottsdale, and Williams.
Las Vegas Tours To The West Rim
First, it’s important to know that choppers flying from Vegas only do the West Rim. The South Rim is just too far for them.
However, that is certainly no problem, because the West Rim is a lot of fun. You can fly to the floor of the canyon at the West Rim, and that is the only place it is permitted in the National Park. The descent is a thrilling experience.
Las Vegas tours come in two types, one is air-only and the other lands at the canyon. Both of these tour types give you aerial views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, the Skywalk, and the Grand Canyon. The landing tours, though, also touch down at the top or at the bottom of the gorge (the latter is way more popular). Once the canyon floor, you can enjoy a relaxing lunch or add on a boat ride along the smooth waters of the Colorado River.
The Vegas chopper tours depart from an airfield in Boulder City, Nevada or from the Vegas Strip.
Strip flights are better for several reasons. It is certainly more convenient to your hotel and the tours even pick you up at your hotel and take you back. If you take a tour out of Boulder City, you will ride a van shuttle to the airfield. If you depart from the Strip instead, the tour operator picks you up in a limo. How cool is that? You also get to see the Strip as part of the tour.
South Rim Flights
South Rim helicopter tours are ideal when you depart from a city in Arizona. Just keep in mind, none of those tours can land at the bottom of the canyon.
The South Rim has its own claim to fame though, and that is its natural beauty because of the wilderness area it encompasses.
There are two tours available here too, one of them is thirty minutes long and the other one lasts fifty minutes. The longer tour is best because it flies you over about 3/4 of the entire National Park area.
Combo tours are also available at this Rim. Right now, the two most popular combo trips are the ones that include a ride on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the ones that include a sunset Jeep ride (it’s not overly rough).
Look for a deluxe option when you book your flight. Why do that? These tours use the EcoStar 130 choppers and they offer an exceptional experience. These helicopters have huge windshields that wrap around the cabin so you have great views, plus you have lots of personal space and stadium-style seating for unobstructed sightseeing. EcoStars are really the only way to go.
To Summarize
The Grand Canyon will be much busier than normal during Memorial Day weekend. The date is fast approaching, so book your tour as soon as possible. If you plan to depart from Vegas, choose a tour that takes off from the Strip. Both rims offer tours on EcoStar choppers, so try to snag a seat on one of them for the best flight possible.
[Top]Holiday Villages A European Delight
Holiday villages are growing in popularity with families who are looking for a laid back holiday where they can completely relax, but yet have the all the facilities of a large resort at their fingertips. In the UK villages are open year round, and are as popular for a winter getaway as for a summer holiday.
One of the largest brands of holiday villages in Europe is Center Parcs. Apart from their centres in the UK they have sites in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. In the late 1960s a Dutch entrepreneur bought some woodland in the south of the country and started the first holiday village using tents. He soon changed these for bungalows and the Center Parcs brand as we know it today had started.
Center Parcs now have four holiday villages in the UK in Cumbria, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Wiltshire, plus one more under development in Bedfordshire. Each village is located in woodland sites of up to 400 acres, and are particularly marketed to appeal to families with young children. The main ethos of the villages is to provide a relaxing forest holiday for visitors. Cars are not allowed on site and visitors leave their vehicles in large car parks by the exit after unloading their suitcases. Bikes are the encouraged form of transport around the site, and there are hire facilities for people who have not bought their own bikes with them. The villas are grouped in small clusters and are all low-rise so as to blend in perfectly with the forest environment.
The main attraction at a Center Parcs holiday village is the huge swimming area, marketed as a sub tropical paradise. The swimming area is housed in a massive glass roofed area, and there are separate areas for toddlers, children and adults. They have high adrenaline slides and flumes as well as smaller slides and wave machines for younger guests. There is plenty to keep guests occupied for several hours, and numerous places to sit and relax. All visitors to the holiday village get free access to the swimming facilities throughout their stay.
Apart from the swimming, there are dozens of other activities on offer. These can include pony trekking, archery, tennis, abseiling, kayaking, and windsurfing. Guests will be charged extra to participate in these activities, which can soon mount up to a considerable sum for a family wanting to be busy every day. Most sites also have a spa offering the full range of beauty treatments and the opportunity to relax completely and be pampered. As the site itself is so large, there are also free bike and nature trails through the forest or guided tours with one of the ranger staff.
The main area of the holiday village is packed with restaurants, cafes and bars, providing plenty of options for dining. There is also a supermarket on site, and as all villas have full cooking facilities many visitors take their own food and self cater. A selection of gift and craft shops also offers the chance to pick up a souvenir of your stay.
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