Peru 6-Night Tour with Airfare and Sightseeing from $899; Ecuador 6-Night Package from $1089

If you want to travel someplace different and South America intrigues you, Gate 1 Travel has a couple of packages that might tempt you.

They are offering a 7-day/6-night Peru Inca which includes airfare, three nights hotel in Lima and three nights in Cuzco, flights between Lima and Cuzco, breakfasts and one dinner/show, and city tours of both cities with an English speaking tour manager and guides. For vacations until October 2008, the package starts at $969 based on a flight out of Miami. Between November 2008 and March 2009 the package starts at $869.

To get the lowest package prices you must mention/use promo code BBSA100 at the time of booking, and the code is valid if you book your trip by June 26th.

They also have an Ecuador Explorer Tour, also 7-day/6-night for $1,149 up until October or $1,089 from November to March. You fly into Quito, and take an air-conditioned bus tour that includes city tours of Quito, Riobamba, Cuenca & Guayaquil along the Pan-American highway. Also included is a visit to the Inca fortress-temple ruins of Ingapirca. Hotels are included along the way, as are six breakfasts and two lunches.

Since airfare is involved in these packages, the pricesdon't include the airport/security fees that always get tacked onto airline tickets.

The promo code must be used to get the lowest price.

Each of these packages also has optional sightseeing additions available at extra cost. Peru's options include various train trips to visit Machu Picchu, or a trip to the Urubamba valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to visit the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo. Ecuador's options include the Equatorial Monument which marks the exact Middle of the World at a latitude of 0º. You can take time to stand in both hemispheres at once, or to stand on top of the equator!

To see more details about these packages click here for Peru until October, here for Peru November to March, here for Ecuador till October and here for Ecuador between November and March.

Remember, the promo code is needed to get the extra $100 off the tour package, and it's valid only if used by June 26th.

If South America is an idea that intrigues you, one of these packages might be right for you.

Astro Arch Inflatable Water Toy with Foot Pump for $5.97

Here's another water toy to keep the kids cooled off on those hot summer days. Improvements Catalog is selling an inflatable arch that sprinkles water as kids run underneath. The price had been $39.99 but they are selling them out at $4.99 right now. And you can order it in combination with a foot-pump for $5.97.

Ground shipping for the Arch or the Arch and Foot-Pump Combo is $4.99.

The Astro Arch "showers" water down for of wet and wild fun! It connects to any standard garden hose, and the water-filled "anchors" keep it stable.The Arch may be used alone (like running underneath a sprinkler) or sit over the bottom of a backyard slide for extra fun. The Astro Arch is 75" wide, 84" tall.

If you prefer an automatic pump rather than a foot pump, they also have one available for $11.99. (Shipping would be $2.00 extra since this would bring the order over $15.00.)

To take a look at the Arch and maybe buy one for your kids on those hot summer days that are coming, click this link. The combination Arch and Pump is the last item shown on the page.

Xact Two-Way Radio for $10

When I saw two-way radios for sale, I wasn't sure how they would be useful except maybe in a camping environment. But then I saw my sister and husband use them on outings with their two kids at shopping or at zoos and such. And by having two-way radios, the parties could split up and then stay in touch when they wanted to meet back up or check in with each other.

Right now buy.com is offering an Xact Two-Way radio with up to two-mile range for just $10, on sale from the retail price of $39.99. It also comes in with a built-in digital watch for extra convenience.

Features include:
- 22 channels
- channel scan automatically checks channels for activity
- range of up to 2 miles (max. range only over water or open areas)
- backlit LCD screen
- voice-operated transmitter (VOX) for hands-free conversations
- automatic squelch function to cut down on background noise
- built-in digital clock
- integrated belt clip and lanyard
- operates on three "AAA" batteries (not included)
- warranty: 1 year

These are sold individually, so you would need to buy at least two, but depending on the number of people in your family, this might be a way to make that outing a bit more stress-free.

To take a look at this model, click on the picture below.

Free Ryobi Tool Rebate with Purchase of a Ryobi Combo Tool Set

If you are looking for some power tools, Home Depot has an free-tool offer for buyers of some different Ryobi combination tool sets. If you purchase one of these combos by June 18th, you can choose from one of 27 power tools that you can receive free after rebate.

This is an on-line offer for buying the tools at homedepot.com, not in the store. According to the website, stores have some different instant rebate on Ryobi tools.

The lowest priced of the three combos has an 18v Circular Saw (with carbide tipped blade and edge guide) and an 18v Cordless Drill (with 2 double ended screwdriver bits), with 1 rechargeable battery, charger and tool bag for $109.00.

The mid-level set of four tools appears out-of-stock online now, but if it comes back available, it's $159 and adds a reciprocating saw and flashlight to the other pair of tools from the first combo.

The third set features 18v Lithium powered tools for lighter weight and longer power performance. It also has a Circular Saw, Cordless Drill and Reciprocating Saw, as well as a swivel-head worklight. This set goes for $299.00.

The rebate offer includes an extensive choice of tools of all sorts (or extra batteries), so if you need that extra tool to do some of your home improvement work, this may be a nice chance to do it. Some choices include an Impact Driver which sells for $69, an Orbital Jigsaw (also regularly $69), or a Lithium Upgrade Kit (a battery and a charger) which would sell for $119.

Here's the link to the Ryobi offer. And here's a link to the rebate form.

Navigon 2100 GPS (with Text-to-Speech) $94.99 Today at Staples.com with Coupon Code (or Use Coupon for Other Items)

For those who saw my post about the Navigon yesterday with a $25 off coupon, there's a new coupon code valid June 12th.

Staples has a sale on the Navigon 2100 GPS, reduced from $199.99 to $119.99 this week. With a coupon giving you $25 off a $75+ purchase you can have a nice little GPS for $94.99. Shipping is free on this since it's over $50.

Today's coupon code is 60990, and it gets you $25 off a $75+ on-line or phone purchase -- but it's valid only today, so you need to hurry to use it.

The coupon code isn't just if you buy the GPS, it's for any purchase over $75 (so if you are looking for digital picture frames, external hard drives etc., this could be a nice offer as well -- in fact a 500GB Maxtor drive can be yours for $74.98 after coupon).

I have a Navigon GPS systems and have been quite pleased with it, particularly two features you don't see on the lowest-end GPS units: text-to-speech feature which speaks street names and makes it clear exactly where to turn; and the reality-view that shows road signs at major highway intersections so you are sure which lanes/exits to take. The GPS being sold doesn't include traffic report integration but you can purchase those from Navigon separately if you're so inclined.

At this price, I think the Navigon 2100 is a really good value.

Here's the link to the GPS. And hurry so you can take advantage of the coupon code.

Free Float Day at A&W Restaurants - June 16th from 2pm to 8pm

The food freebies continue! We've had donuts, coffee, ice cream, water ices... now how about Root Beer Floats? Or actually a Float made with any Pepsi beverage?

A&W Restaurants is celebrating National Float Day on June 16th by offering customers a free small float, between the hours of 2pm and 8pm. At participating locations, and no other purchase necessary. Here's a press release announcing the program.

To see if there's an A&W Restaurant near you, click this link.

Italy Five-Night Two-City Combos Including Airfare from $799 for Travel November to March

If you are looking for a trip to Italy and are willing to travel during the off-season, Alitalia Vacations has some very attractive pricing on five-night packages in Italy with rail connections between your choice of two wonderful cities, with prices starting at just $799. These package prices are for trips between November and March.

You could expect to pay that much for airfare alone, so getting five nights hotel, breakfasts and train travel between the cities is icing on the cake! (or is it icing on the tirami su?)

City pairs available include Rome and Florence, or Venice and Florence for $799; Rome and Venice for $899; or a three-city package of all three of these great Italian cities for $949. These prices are based on departures from New York.

Prices from Boston or Chicago are in the same price range; Miami is about $71 higher and Los Angeles departures are about $115 higher. The lowest prices would be on midweek travel.

They have a promo code AZTZ100 you enter to get $100 off and bring the packages down to as low as $799. The $799 does include fuel surcharges (a hefty amount nowadays) but airport/security fees are additional as with any published airfares.

These prices and the promo code are for bookings made by June 25th.

To get to Alitalia Vacations for more info and to search for packages/dates, click here.

Maybe this is a way to let your Italian dream come true despite how the dollar sits against the euro right now!

Navigon 2100 GPS (with Text-to-Speech) $119.99 at Staples (Can Be $94.99 with Coupon Code June 11th)

Staples has a sale on the Navigon 2100 GPS, reduced from $199.99 to $119.99 this week. If you get to this post quickly in time to take advantage of a special coupon code today, you can get another $25 off, making it $94.99.

The coupon code is 29100, and it gets you $25 off a $75+ purchase -- but it's valid only June 11th, so you need to hurry to use it.

I own one of these units and have been quite pleased with it, particularly two features you don't see on the lowest-end GPS units: text-to-speech feature which speaks street names and makes it clear exactly where to turn; and the reality-view that shows road signs at major highway intersections so you are sure which lanes/exits to take.

At this price, I think it's a really good value.

Here's the link to the GPS. And hurry if you can take advantage of the coupon code.

Spirit Airlines $16 Roundtrips for Booking June 11th

This deal expires real soon, but for those of you who get my blog posts quickly, who knows if this might work for you? Spirit Airlines has some $8 each-way airfares for specific dates and routes that are available for booking by midnight tonight, June 11th.

Among the potential $16 roundtrips are:
Atlantic City - Fort Lauderdale
Atlantic City - Myrtle Beach
New York - Detroit
Islip - Fort Lauderdale
Detroit - Myrtle Beach
San Antonio - Fort Lauderdale

Dates vary for every city pair with some in July, August and September.

But you need to hurry, this is expiring very soon! Go to this link for the dates and details.

Laser Cordless Mouse + Webcam Free After Rebate

Looking for some accessories for your PC? Right now, PC Connection is offering the Logitech V400 Laser Cordless Mouse for $30.00, and they have a $30 rebate available for purchases made by June 30th. Making it free... not a bad price for a laser cordless mouse.

They also have the Logitech QuickCam Deluxe on sale for $45.00, and that has a $45 rebate also valid for purchases until June 30th.

The site has free shipping for orders over $99, which these two items don't quite reach. So you have your choice of paying shipping to get these to your door, or maybe searching for another item of at least $24.01 and getting them all shipped free.

Here's a description of the mouse: Developed jointly by Logitech and Philips Laser Sensors, the V400 uses dual laser technology based on Philips Twin-Eye Laser technology. This delivers precision tracking on virtually any surface you encounter. Features 2.4GHz Digital Cordless technology for uninterrupted performance and superior range. The plug-and-play receiver slides right into the mouse for easy transport so you can take it when you travel. Simply push to eject the micro receiver and power on the mouse; stow it to power off. The V400 also features rubber panels for a comfortable, sure grip and a tilt wheel that adds side-to-side scrolling plus zoom - ideal for viewing large photos and web pages.

And about the webcam: The QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe offers crisp VGA video, perfect for video messaging and calling. Intelligent face tracking keeps you in the picture without the distracting image jumps that plague other cameras. Smart optics compensate for low light situations so you always look good. Also features an integrated microphone. Take 1.3 megapixel still pictures with the integrated snapshot button. Keep images sharp regardless of distance with the adjustable focus ring. Know when you´re “live” with the illuminated activity light. A Color VGA CMOS image sensor helps you achieve 24-bit true-color images. Plus, an included neoprene travel case keeps your camera safe and secure when you're on the go.

If you're interested in one or both, click the links below to see more and maybe order one.

Logitech V400 Laser Cordless Mouse
Logitech Webcam Deluxe

American Eagle Men's Jeans Up to 60% Off with Coupon - Bootcut Jeans as Low as $11.96

If you're looking for some jeans, American Eagle has a few of their styles on clearance at up to 50% off. And if you use coupon code 58248203 you can get 20% off your order total.

As an example, they are selling their AE Bootcut Jean, regularly $29.50, for just $14.95. And after you apply the 20% code, the price ends up at $11.96.

To see the variety of men's jeans they have on special, click this link.

Shipping starts at $5, but is free on orders of $100 or higher.

Nextar 5.6" Digital Picture Frame 29.99 After Rebate Till June 11th

Looking for a smaller digital picture frame, maybe in a size that would work on a desk? Buy.com is currently offering the Nextar N5-103 5.6" digital picture frame on sale for $41.99 (the list price is $79.99). And for purchases made by June 11th, there is a $12.00 mail-in rebate, making the net cost $29.99 (shipping is free on this).

The unit as shown is a black frame but it also includes a bonus wood-grain design frame and an AC adapter. It's compatible with many different types of memory cards to load your photos, including SD cards, memory sticks and USB drives.

These kinds of items seem to fly out stores when they're on sale, so if the idea appeals to you, I'd check it out quickly.

To see more, click the photo below.

Microsoft Impact Laptop Bag (Up to 17" Screens) $19.95 After Rebate

If you're looking for a laptop carrying case, particularly if you have a larger screen laptop, buy.com is offering the Microsoft Impact Messenger Bag for $34.95 (it lists for $49.95). For purchases by June 22nd, they also have a rebate of $15.00 bringing the cost down to $19.95.

Finding good prices on laptop bags in the 15.4" screen range is a bit easier, so this deal on a larger bag is a little harder to come by.

Free budget shipping is included, so other than the cost of a stamp to mail in your rebate, that's the bottom line cost.

The Microsoft Impact Messenger Bag is accented with trendy orange accents inside and out. Constructed of 1680D poly with accents of rubberized vinyl, it's designed with a place for all your digital accessories. The padded notebook sleeve holds laptops with up to 17" screens and features an adjustable divider to secure smaller sizes. Also includes a digital accessory panel, MP3 pocket with headphone port, cell phone case, hidden water bottle holder, padded shoulder strap, and lots of room inside for books and files.

Features:
- Protective padded sleeve holds laptop up to 17"
- Adjustable divider to secure smaller laptops.
- Adjustable Velcro divider for cord and battery storage.
- Accessory panel for digital accessories, cards, pens, keys.
- Two interior file pockets
- 15.5" x 1.75" x 9.75"

Microsoft brand bags and accessories are manufactured by Samsill Corporation, Fort Worth, TX, under license from Microsoft Corporation.

To take a look at this bag and see if it fits your style, click the photo below.

Nextar X3i Portable GPS with MP3 Down to $89.99 After Rebate (Valid till June 10th)

Having a portable GPS can really come in handy when you're on the road, and for the next two days you can get the Nextar X3i 3.5" Portable GPS with MP3 and three interchangeable face plates for just $89.99 after rebate. I haven't seen a GPS system priced lower.

The price on the site is $109.99 and the $20.00 rebate is valid for purchases until tomorrow, June 10th.

I haven't used this brand myself, but the reviews on buy.com are running pretty positive on this unit.

In addition to finding destinations by address, the unit has 1.6 million points of interest such as the nearest gas station or restaurant. It has a 3.5” touch screen to input your information, with turn-by-turn prompts to guide you to the destination. It doesn't have text-to-voice, so it won't tell you the name of the street, just where/when to turn.

It also has a built-in address book so you can pre-load up to 300 addresses for quick access. The unit can also give you a speed alert if desired.

You can also have the unit working as an MP3 player to entertain you with your favorite tunes en route. You just load your MP3 files via its SD card slot.

To make the unit more attractive inside your car, it also comes with three interchangeable face plates, white, pink or black.

To check out more details and see if this one is for you, click the picture below.

Rebate Offer at Sears: Buy $100 of Dockers, Get Back a $75 Shell Gas Gift Card, and a $10 Sears Card -- Valid for Up to Two Persons per Household

I wrote about this a few days ago before the deal was active to give some advance notice, especially with Father's Day approaching. For those of you who might want to take advantage, the offer is now active for the next week, till June 15th.

If you buy $100 worth of Dockers items (except shoes) at Sears, they will send you a rebate consisting of a $75 gas card at Shell. Also, according to the press release, if you include your sales receipt when you send in your entry form, you would also receive a $10 gift card from Sears.

For one lucky person, an entry will also win them a 2008 Toyota Prius. But getting back $85 value on a $100 purchase makes everyone a winner of some sort if they like Dockers.

Even better, there's a limit of one per person but two per household, so you can really score bigger savings if you can have two people make purchases.

Here is a link to the press release, and here is a link to the rebate form.

Free Carabineer Sports Watch - Great for Outdoor/Camping/Climbing

Penn Racquet, makers of tennis rackets and tennis balls, has a nice giveaway going on right now: a free Carabineer Sports Watch just for the asking! You go onto their website and enter the promo code PENN, and it takes you to a page where you enter your address and e-mail.

Once entered, and submitted, they indicate you should receive your watch in two weeks.

It looks like it would be great for climbing, camping and other outdoor activities.

To enter your code and request your watch, click this link.

The watch is free, the shipping is free... what a world!

Teva Men's and Women's Camping/Casual Shoe $14.99 with Free Shipping Codes

If you like shoes for outdoors, Teva is a nice name brand, and right now, there are sales on their Estio (men's) and Estia (women's) shoes. These normally go for $55.00 but right now Teva is selling them for $14.99.

There are even some coupon codes that can get you free shipping, or even further discounts if you buy more than $50 or $100.

To make you feel even better about doing things for the environment, these shoes are part of their new Curbside collection, shoes incorporating post consumer recycled materials. The Estia and Estio feature post-consumer recycled PET canvas upper, lining and sockliner cover and 50% post-consumer recycled rubber outsoles.

The women's Estia is available in the following colors: chili pepper, major brown or taupe gray. The men's Estio is in black, dark brown or plaza taupe. Some colors aren't available in all sizes though, so the sooner you shop the better the selection will probably be. Right now they have men's in some colors from size 8 to size 12. Women's are between size 5 and 11.

Here are some coupon codes that can get you free shipping and additional discounts:
TevaDads08 - free shipping (valid until 6/15/08)
TSummerShip - free shipping on $30+ (valid till 6/30)
TEVAAdventure08 - $10 off $50 + free shipping (till 6/30)
TevaSummer08 - $15 off $100 + free shipping (till 6/30)

To take a look and maybe purchase some Tevas, click here for the men's Estio or here for the woman's Estia.

Have Your Gas Card? It Won't Make Gas Cheap, But at Least It'll Be Cheaper!

Well, we've all been watching the price of gas climb precipitously and we keep being told to brace for more. We can each have our own little strategies to try and minimize their impact, including bunching errands into single trips, not idling the car when we stop into the local shop for just a few minutes, stepping off the gas pedal nearing the crest of a hill so we can coast a bit on the downhill side...

One other step you can take is using a gasoline credit card. I wrote about this before, but in a conversation I had today I realized many people still don't realize the potential savings.

There are two kinds of card that give back on gas purchases -- first is the gasoline credit card, which is issued by that company and gives rebates for purchases at their stations. Those can be very handy if you have particular stations near your home/business where you would frequently stop for a fill-up. The other kind of card is a standard credit card with a rewards program that offers some larger savings for gas purchases.

I have two gasoline branded credit cards, Hess and Sunoco, which give percentage rebates when I purchase my gas at their stations. I have a bunch of Sunoco and Hess stations where I travel, so those two cards are usually all I need. And the savings aren't bad. The Hess card which gives me back 5% on all gas purchases at Hess stations (they even had an introductory period of a few months when the rebate was 10%). The 5% was nice enough a couple of years back when gas was around $2.00 a barrel and I was saving 10¢ a gallon -- at today's prices around $4.00 a gallon, I get back 20¢. Now that's not enough to make gas a bargain, but saving about $2.50 every fill-up takes at least a slight edge off.

The Sunoco card gives back 4%, which is also a pretty nice rebate back when I buy gas there(their intro offer was a $20 rebate).

The way these work is a rebate credited onto your credit card statement, which then gets applied against the following month's balance. So if you keep buying gas there, the rebates from prior purchase get applied against the new purchases you make.

My reason for Sunoco and Hess is that the stations are convenient at my location. Other companies also have similar branded cards, each with their own percentages and offers. To get the best savings would probably depend on the stations most convenient near you. After all, an extra percent savings wouldn't be worth it if you had to drive an extra 20 miles to get to a different company's pumps... you'd spend more in gas than the savings would be worth.

The number of cards you apply for is also a matter of personal preference, as far as how many different cards you want to carry while you drive. And it's important to pay off the balances of these cards every month so you don't pay any interest charges that would offset the savings. But certainly having a card that gets you back 4% or 5% of your gas purchases make it worth considering as an option.

Another way of saving which doesn't limit you to a particular brand of gas is a general credit card which offers a heightened rewards level for gasoline purchases. A general card with rewards gives you added flexibility of choice of gas station. The providers of these kinds of cards can vary, and their rewards programs would have different features. Usually the rewards are annual rather than rebates applied against the next month's bill as is done with the branded gasoline card.

Some providers offer special high rewards for gas/supermarket purchases for a short while but then scale them back to 1% later. But there are cards offered by both Discover and American Express Business which give you rewards of 5% of your gasoline purchases. To read more, check out this link at credit card forum.

So if you get one of these cards to use at gas stations and pay your bill in full every month (to avoid finance charges), you can get an effective 4%-5% reduction in how much gasoline hits your budget. And that's not an amount to sneeze at.