How much does a weekend away cost?

Not as much as the editors at Real Simple magazine think. Hey, it's one of my favorite magazines, but this is another case where I think they miss (big) when talking about travel on a budget.

In the current issue, they've done a cost comparison of 24 hours in different U.S. cities (click on my pic here to see a bigger, readable version). They choose top-rated hotels and restaurants, but judging by the amounts listed, it appears that they're showing full fares, and no discounts. And that, as you can see for yourself, is a bit pricey.

Does that mean you have to stay in a fleabag motel on the edge of town to enjoy those cities in order to avoid dipping into whatever's left of your 401k? Absolutely not.

The first thing you need to do is acquaint yourself with a couple of websites, if you don't frequent them already: Hotwire.com and Hotels.com. Both offer deeply--and I do mean deeply--discounted rates to hotels all over the world. The prices on Hotwire will sometimes be a little better than Hotels.com, but the catch is that you have to pay up front for the hotel, and you also have to choose (mostly) blindly. It'll give you plenty of generic info about a hotel--whether it's a four-star, where in the city it's located, what the amenities are--but you won't be completely sure which hotel you're booking until you actually purchase the stay. If you study both sites closely after you've entered your search parameters, you can make a fairly educated guess which hotel (or three) you're getting, but if you don't care to live on the edge, then stick with Hotels.com so you know exactly what you're getting.

So, how big is the difference in rates? Try this on for size: for the Washington, DC outing, Real Simple shows a hotel rate of $479 per night at the Marriott at Metro Center. The same room bought through Hotels.com is just $228 per night--and that's the weekend rate; expect it to go down even more if you make the trip during the week. And if you browse through the offerings for our fine Capitol city, you'll find equally highly rated hotels for even less.

You get the idea. Never, ever pay what's called "rack rate" for a hotel room. A few minutes of internet searching will always turn up a better rate for you.

Okay, so we've got a sweet hotel room to crash in after a day of sight-seeing, but what about food? Oh, the options are almost endless--and don't think you have to drop $100 and up for a great meal. As long as you're online anyway doing your trip planning, check out the two best websites for restaurant recommendations and REALLY in-depth reviews: Yelp.com and Chowhound.com. Yelp is great for been-there-ate-that reviews; Chowhound is a hardcore foodie site, and will put you in touch with a community of people who know their restaurants. Try searching by city first, narrow it down by type of cuisine if you want, and if you don't find exactly the information you're looking for, post a thread with specific questions. Legions of foodies will come to your aid, and you'll have more insider restaurant info than you'll know what to do with.

Some general tips to keep in mind to keep costs down while dining out (and dining well):

• Check around to find out which restaurants offer a prix fixe menu--that's a fixed-price menu, usually three or more courses, where you'll have your pick of a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts, and it's usually a bargain compared to ordering a la carte.
• Don't be afraid to go the appetizers-in-lieu-of-entrees route; unless you're completely famished, you can probably fill up quite nicely on appetizers and a bread basket, and save a fortune on your tab.
• If you want wine with dinner, call ahead to find out if the restaurant will allow you to bring your own wine, and if so, stop by a wine shop before heading to the restaurant and choose something nice (and within your budget). Wines at restaurants are generally marked up 100 percent (and sometimes more) over retail, per bottle, so you'll almost certainly save by buying your own bottle and then paying the corkage fee at the restaurant (usually $15-20).

And finally, don't feel that you have to have a white tablecloth under your plate to have a great meal. Use Chowhound to scout out the great ethnic restaurants wherever you're going. If that happens to be DC, you'll find just about anything your palate desires--neighborhoods in the Virginia suburbs known for their incredible Vietnamese cuisine, Chinatown, Ethiopian restaurants near Georgetown--and almost all of them are less expensive (sometimes greatly so) than the trendy, high-priced joints.

If you've scraped together even a tiny travel fund for the summer, you can still eat and sleep in style--just do a little homework first, and make sure you're getting the most for those precious travel dollars.

Let's play get the look for (a LOT) less again--this time, the preppy look

Let's play around again with InStyle magazine's Shop It! feature for summer, this time taking a look at their weekend-out lineup for a preppy look.

The pieces are all fun, casual and feature soft peach and aqua colors. But the price tag for everything on the page? Hope you're sitting down: it'll cost you $2,337.

Can we do better than that? Without bringing back too many election flashbacks--Yes, we can!

First stop, Target. Let's replace the $475 gold designer tote with another gold designer tote--try this one from Felix Rey for Target, on sale for $31.48. You'll find an almost identical coral-colored polo by Mossimo, on sale for $6.99 (it'll go back to $9.99 when the sale ends). The v-neck sweater? Mossimo/Black has one for $17.99 in more than 10 colors (including pink, like the one in the magazine feature).

Target recently began carrying an expanded selection of scarves, which are a super-hot accessory right now--try this floral scarf for $13.49, or find another one you like better, all within a $12-15 range.

So what about that sweet white eyelet dress? Strapless, with an oh-so-flattering empire waist--think that's a one-of-a-kind that you'll never find for less? Oh, ye of little faith. Alloy has one that's almost identical--white eyelet, strapless, empire waist--for $42.50.

In place of the pricy designer jean, Newport News has a colored jean in a range of colors, in a very slimming classic cut and just a touch of Lycra, for $19.00. They also have a shirred bikini similar to the InStyle choice; it's from their figure-flattering ShapeFX line, and on sale for $49.00. If you want to cut down even more on that price and go with a slightly different style, both Newport News and Target have their mix-and-match swim separates on sale right now, so you can build your own bikini for even less than the budget choice I've linked to.

And finally, the jewelry. Let's head back to my new favorite source for accessories, Sam Moon. You'll find a very similar gold chain and beaded necklace there for $9.95--oh, and it comes with matching earrings, too, included in the price. They also have a sculpted gold bangle that's almost indistinguishable from the designer offering, just $3.50 each.

That covers everything, so let's add it all up. If you were to buy the budget versions of everything in the preppy lineup, including three each of the sculpted gold bangles, the total comes to $200.90--and just like our last time around, that comes in at less than 10 percent of what the designer pieces would cost.

Plan on doing any entertaining this summer? Check out Pier 1's sale.

Pier 1 Imports is having a big 50 percent off sale right now, and includes a lot of seasonal and outdoor items such as votive lanterns and chandeliers, glazed ceramic pots, and stone garden decor.

In addition to the big clearance sale, they have great specials on all their outdoor entertaining supplies, as seen in this promotional flyer, and you'll find everything from melamine serveware in bright summer patterns to poolside supplies and patio decor.

If you're opting for a "stay-cation" this year to save funds, you can still brighten up your yard or patio and engage in a little budget-minded party time. You can check in at Target, IKEA and Cost Plus World Market for inexpensive summertime gear, too--and, as I suggested a few days ago, don't forget your local 99 Cent store, because they're also a good place to find inexpensive seasonal entertaining goodies such as colorful plastic plates and glasses.

Great freebie at EyesLipsFace.com

If you get tired of dragging all your makeup around on trips (or just get tired of sorting out the essentials into your travel bag), you'll definitely want to check this out.

With a $15 minimum purchase, you can get EyesLipsFace.com's mini makeup kit, a $15 value, free. I happen to have this little gem, and it's a great all-in-one, grab-and-go kit perfect for travel.

It folds up to a tiny 4 inches square (and one inch deep), but when you open it up and fold out the little trays, this is what you'll find:

• 9 eyeshadow shades
• 1 cream eyeshadow shade
• 1 blush
• 1 bronzer
• 10 lip gloss shades
• 1 brow powder
• 1 eye liner pencil
• 1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush
• 1 face brush
• 1 lip brush
• 1 mirror

Pretty nifty, huh? Toss in a tube of mascara, and you're all set. Just use the coupon code FREEMINI at checkout, and remember--if your purchase is $20 or more, you'll also get a free magazine subscription; the current offer is for Health magazine.

Why good skincare is important, even in a recession--part 2

So consider this my attempt to freak you out (a little) about why it's so important to take good care of your skin, even when economic times are tough. TotalBeauty.com just published a list of the 13 worst-skin cities, and it isn't pretty.

Every part of the country has at least one metropolitan area that makes the list, and the negatives that add up to a bad rating include everything from smoking statistics to stress to pollution to overly humid and overly arid locales.

It's just another reminder that the environmental conditions no matter where we live probably take a negative toll on our skin unless we take steps to protect it. So, while the list may be scary, all those negative factors can be mitigated by good skincare habit.

Take a look at yesterday's post, and take the time to keep up at least a minimal skincare regimen to take good care of you.

Have you recession-proofed your skincare routine?

As people begin cutting back on non-essentials to survive the recession, some of the first things to go are high-ticket non-essentials, and for a lot of us that includes the skincare products we all love so much. The to-die-for facial cream or super-moisturizing masque might be much-loved, but when it comes to wondering if you'll have enough extra cash to buy groceries, plunking down $50 or $75 or more for a tiny jar of cream suddenly seems the height of folly.

The June issue of Marie Claire magazine features a cover story on "budget" skincare; their grand total for recommended budget products for a woman in her 30s is $278.21. That's for enough product to last you about six weeks.

I'm not sure the editors of the magazine truly understand what "recession-proof skincare" means for those of us struggling through the bad economy, because $278.21 so entirely exceeds my budget that the magazine's total is just laughable. What chagrins me most about articles like this, however, is knowing that women out there will read it, see the outrageous "budget" price tag, and resign themselves to abandoning their skincare routine because they think good products are still beyond their fiscal reach.

But just because the magazine editors don't get it, and just because you've had to cut back, do not resign yourself to abandoning your skincare regimen.

I've previously shared my recipe for homemade makeup remover, and raved about my favorite inexpensive skincare line, Boots No. 7. Those are a good start. I'll write about other bargain products in the future, and I'm on the hunt for more skincare recipes that'll put you in league with the most prestigious spas, many of whom make their fabulous creams, scrubs and masques from items you'll find in your own pantry.

Don't forget, however, that there's more you can do to care for your skin from the inside out--and these reminders are important no matter what the condition of the economy.

• Drink plenty of water. Dehydrated skin will make fine lines and wrinkles appear more prominent.
• Get plenty of sleep. It'll reduce the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
• Eat a few servings a week of cold-water fish like salmon. The Omega-3 oils in the fish are vital for skin to renew itself (plus, it's good for your heart). If you're concerned about mercury levels in farm-raised salmon, then check the freezer case at the supermarket for wild-caught Alaskan salmon--it'll probably be cheaper than you think, too.
• Always cleanse your face before bedtime, even if you just use a quick option such as a makeup remover wipe. The dirt and grime that accumulate over the course of a day can clog pores and cause breakouts.
  
• Always wear sunscreen, and make sure your foundation contains a sunscreen. I use mineral makeup, which has a 15 SPF sunscreen, and has protected me against many unexpected extended sun sessions--walks at the farmers' market, etc. EyesLipsFace.com carries a mineral line with a $5 mineral foundation--and it contains a 15 SPF sunscreen. That should fit into anyone's budget.
  

As long as times are tough, daily budget struggles take a toll on the psyche, and neglecting your skincare regimen will only make it worse. Remember to take care of yourself, inside and out--and be aware that there are very, very inexpensive options out there that'll allow you to maintain a soul-boosting personal care routine. You'll feel better, and your skin will thank you.

You do frequent your local 99 Cent Store, don't you?

Well, you should. If you do patronize yours--whether it's the western 99 Cent Only chain or some derivation in another region of the country--then I'm not about to tell you anything you don't know.

But for those of you who previously wrote it off as a repository of cheap plastic crap nobody wants and packaged foods of dubious date and origin, you might want to give it another look.

When you do, you'll find an impressive array of kitchen gadgets, a huge selection of (mostly desirable) canned foods, frozen foods, spices and--believe it or not--tons of fresh produce, eggs and breads. And, as this is the 99 Cent Only store, you can load up your fridge and cabinets without dropping too much coin. See the pic here? That's $25 of randomly selected food that we picked up on an impromptu stop there this week. As you can see, in with the canned food is fresh celery, green onion, romaine lettuce, low-fat Breyer's ice cream, tortillas, sparkling mineral water, low-cal frozen dinners--quite a haul. And a nutritious haul, at that.

You'll even find gourmet goodies there--jars of marinated artichoke hearts, tins of oysters, imported crackers, sun-dried tomatoes--so it's not a bad place to check when you're stocking up to entertain. So promising are their offerings these days, that it's spawned a 99 Cent Only Store Cookbook, filled with recipes using--you guessed it--nutritious meals using ingredients easily found at the store. And the cookbook, in turn, has spawned a blog, where you can get a heads-up on new shipments of especially good stuff, along with occasional recipes.

Still think the 99 Cent Only Store is beneath you? Hey, even NPR covered the only-a-dollar awesomeness recently, and you can listen to it here.

And while the edible goodies at the 99 cent store should be enough to get you in the door, don't forget to check the personal care aisles, too. Toothpaste, shampoo, lotions--all those things that add up so quickly at the drugstore--won't wipe out your pocketbook here, and you may be surprised at the brand names you find on the shelves. With most of us cutting back and watching what we spend a lot more closely these days, it's a relief to be able to walk into a store like this, stock up on everything we need--including fresh, nutritious produce--and spend no more than $20.