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" &amp;#039;Tis the season to be stressed. Use these budget-friendly travel tips to put the happy back into your holidays. 1. Do your airfare homework. Everyone knows that airfares go sky high during the holidays. Bring the fares back down to Earth and consider flying on off-peak dates, like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or during the slow weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Remember to compare alternative airports in a 50- to 100-mile radius around your home or destination. That means that if you&amp;#039;re flying to San Francisco, price out Oakland&amp;#039;s airport, as well. If you can, avoid airline hubs, such as Houston and Cincinnati, because they are often more expensive. 2. Put a budget-friendly roof over your head. The cheapest option is to stay with friends or family, but if sharing a bathroom with six cousins is not your speed, then be sure to use discounts like AAA and AARP when you book a hotel. Select a hotel that lets you utilize your travel rewards programs and earn points toward free stays and gives you other perks. Use a service like Manilla.com to manage and track all of your travel rewards programs in one place to maximize your points. The Manilla mobile apps will let you pull up your account numbers at check-in to eliminate the need to carry around multiple rewards cards. Save money on food by booking a room that has a kitchen or refrigerator, and try to negotiate breakfast into your rate. If you are OK with leaving things to the last minute, use Hotel Tonight to get deep discounts (up to 70 percent) on unsold hotel rooms when you book the night of, says Carley Knobloch, digital lifestyle expert and host of Digitwirl. You can even book directly from your iPhone. 3. Stretch your dollars when you fly. Always check for travel deals and discounts to ensure that you are getting the best fares. Following airlines on social media can help you snag offers. Kayak.com allows you to compare hundreds of travel sites, shows you a calendar with the best fares around your dates and gives you the option to set email price alerts. Don&amp;#039;t check your luggage. Instead, ship your lightweight gifts to your destination. You can also shop online and have your gifts shipped directly to where you&amp;#039;re going. For the best deals, use Hukkster.com to track the gifts you want to purchase and receive email notifications when they go on sale to buy online at a lower price. 4. Consider ground transportation alternatives. Instead of flying, compare the prices of taking a bus or train to your destination. Greyhound has bus service across the country, and regional bus lines, such as the East Coast&amp;#039;s Bolt Bus, oftentimes offer wireless and low fares. Amtrak is an easy way to travel by train, and it can even be fun for kids. Look into regional trains; even though they are slower they are more affordable. If you are driving to your destination, travel and parenting expert Samantha Feuss advises to get your car checked before your trip and bring snacks and drinks to save money on the road. 5. Go against the crowds. If you are planning a vacation instead of visiting family, try to travel against the crowds. Instead of going to a ski town or beach resort, consider great urban locations with cold weather. Chicago and Montreal are in their off seasons, and both have great cultural and food options. Wherever you end up and no matter how you get there, be safe and have a happy holiday. More Great Advice From Manilla.com:  Your Holiday Travel Checklist Get Rid of Fees! 15 Things You&amp;#039;ll Never Have to Pay For Again Save Money With Homemade Treats  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/advice/a13897/budget-friendly-holiday-travel-tips/>