Scouring for deals before you make your purchase is always smart, but you can save even more if you go the extra mile and get some money back after you've booked. Here are some savvy tips to get you more savings after you've forked up cash: Air Travel: You can save more money on air tickets if the price of the flight goes down. Get refunded the difference when you buy your ticket from airlines Read more

Will using a travel agent help you save money for your upcoming trip? LearnVest has the answer. Are travel agents back? This question, posed by The New York Times, got us thinking. According to the piece, nearly one in three leisure travel agencies is hiring, and in 2011 travel agencies experienced a second consecutive year of growth; in fact, their bookings accounted for a third of the $284 Read more

It's a good idea to start planning your trips for the year now, so you can keep your eye out for the best deals and you won't have to resort to paying expensive last-minute prices. If you already have several destinations in mind, check out travel flash sale sites, which can save you hundreds of dollars! Here are a couple to browse through: Groupon Getaways Groupon partnered up with Expedia to Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy! Flowers, dresses, friends, yummy food, cake, and dancing. What’s not to like about weddings? Well, just one little thing: its drain on our bank accounts. Getting married is a big deal, and you want to be there to celebrate with your friends. But that often entails shelling out for an engagement gift, a shower present, the Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy! We’ve always been a bit wary of cruises. At worst, we have visions of retirees playing bingo while a lounge singer croons early Michael Bolton. At best, we foresee David Foster Wallace style lobster-and-jacuzzi breakdowns on the high seas. But, you know we love a deal. And to travel. And we’re sensible if nothing Read more

Seems like we're a workaholic nation — although we're getting less PTO compared to other countries, we're also choosing to use less of them. The average worker gets about 18 days of PTO, but only took 14, according to a survey done last year by Expedia.com. Here's how much PTO the average person from other countries is getting and how the worker has been spending them: France: Received 37 PTO Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy! It is better to save, than it is to spend — that's usually a winning (and smart!) mantra to live by. But there are actually some things that are worth the extra dollars in cost. Here are 10 of them. Service. Consumers like to complain about the terrible service they get from certain companies — cell phone and cable TV Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy! The travel industry is recovering from the recession. And unfortunately, stronger business for it means fewer deals for you. But with our 20 tips, you can still save on airfare, lodging, vacation packages and cruises. Save on Airfare 1) Use Kayak.com to quickly scan hundreds of travel Web sites for the cheapest airfares. And Read more

Mired down in debt? Find inspiration here — Bundle 6 ways to benefit from your credit card — Wise Bread Expedia, Orbitz, or Kayak? Get cheap tickets with this guide — LearnVest Love, money and my 1040 form — DailyWorth Getting the most from your charitable deductions — Get Rich Slowly 10 things daily deal sites won't say — SmartMoney Three critical things you need to know about Read more