Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/media/feedlogo.gif Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Savings Experiment: Cats Vs. Dogshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/07/13/savings-experiment-cats-vs-dogs/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/07/13/savings-experiment-cats-vs-dogs/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/07/13/savings-experiment-cats-vs-dogs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Although the companionship of an animal is priceless, their upkeep costs money, and too many people get involved with pets before realizing they can't actually afford to take proper care of one. Our pounds are overflowing with creatures who were evicted by owners who found themselves in over their financial heads.

But the cold financial facts shouldn't keep you from sharing your love with a four-legged, furry friend. You just have to know how much you should expect to spend. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimated that in 2007, 37.2% of our households kept at least one dog, and 32.4% of us kept at least one cat, making the two animals the most popular domestic pets by far.

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Savings Experiment: Cats Vs. Dogs originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cats vs dogsCatsVsDogscosts of petsCostsOfPetsSavingsExperimentJason CochranWed, 13 Jul 2011 22:00:00 ESTLonely Planet's Best Value Destinations of 2011http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/12/23/lonely-planets-best-value-destinations-of-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/12/23/lonely-planets-best-value-destinations-of-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/12/23/lonely-planets-best-value-destinations-of-2011/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The world's an ever-changing place, and that change affects how far your dollar will go on vacation. Lonely Planet's U.S. editor, Robert Reid, contributed to the publisher's newly-released Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011. He visited WalletPop to count down his picks for the places that have developed into the best-value travel destinations for 2011.

The world's an ever-changing place, and that change affects how far your dollar will go on vacation. Lonely Planet's U.S. editor, Robert Reid, contributed to the publisher's newly-released Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011. He visited WalletPop to count down his picks for the places that have developed into the best-value travel destinations for 2011.


10. Guatemala
One of its principal draws: in-home language schools that cost just $125/week. You stay with a family who teaches you about the country, supplies room and board, and facilitates your Spanish lessons for a few hours a day. All for a mere $20 a night.

9. Japan
Contrary to popular belief, Japan can be done inexpensively. Guesthouses cost just $40 (find some using Robert's tip at this website). For more advice, click here for our "Go for Less" video podcast about Tokyo with his colleague, the author of Lonely Planet Tokyo. The clip playing behind Reid can be watched in full here.


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Lonely Planet's Best Value Destinations of 2011 originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cheap travel destinationsCheapTravelDestinationstravel bargains 2011TravelBargains2011Jason CochranThu, 23 Dec 2010 13:00:00 ESTBlack Friday Explainedhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/17/black-friday-explained/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/17/black-friday-explained/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/17/black-friday-explained/#commentsFiled under: , ,

By Alia McMullen

Forget Black Friday. This year's sales are turning into Black November as big-name U.S. retailers slash prices early to win over consumers. The crazy low-price promotions combined with a Canadian dollar trading near parity with the greenback has made November a great month to secure a cross-border bargain before Christmas.

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Black Friday Explained originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranWed, 17 Nov 2010 06:36:00 ESTJeff Schroeder Finishes Going 'Around The World for Free' and Visits WalletPop Firsthttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/06/jeff-schroeder-finishes-going-around-the-world-for-free-and-vi/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/06/jeff-schroeder-finishes-going-around-the-world-for-free-and-vi/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/11/06/jeff-schroeder-finishes-going-around-the-world-for-free-and-vi/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jeff Schroeder, a popular alum of CBS mainstays The Amazing Race and Big Brother, has just arrived back in America after completing an inspiring challenge to travel all the way Around the World for Free and document it online through videos and photos for a legion of fans who followed his every move. Schroeder left the starting line in New York City in early July, and after 105 days, 13 countries, countless snafus, and indelible connections, he arrived back in Manhattan this week. Schroeder made a beeline for WalletPop.com, where I asked the budget Ulysses how on earth he saw Earth without spending any cash:








Schroeder (wearing the vest his girlfriend, Big Brother 11 winner Jordan Lloyd, bought him when he passed through in Italy) was accompanied by his producer, videographer, and editor Zsolt Luka, or "Z." He accomplished the same journey, except with the added pressure of having to shoot, edit, and upload video segments as they went. While Schroeder worked to figure out the onward path, often graciously accepting hospitality from strangers who soon became friends, Luka and a third production companion, Josh Bolton, uploaded photos and videos of their adventures daily.

After announcing the trip on WalletPop, I followed the team closely as they traveled over the summer and fall. Not everyone has a network TV fan base to draw upon in assembling affordable travels, but one of the lessons of his journey is that you don't have to be famous to make friends. After all, outside of America, Schroeder's an unknown.

Continue reading Jeff Schroeder Finishes Going 'Around The World for Free' and Visits WalletPop First

Jeff Schroeder Finishes Going 'Around The World for Free' and Visits WalletPop First originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>around the world for freeAroundTheWorldForFreecheap travel tipsCheapTravelTipsJason CochranSat, 06 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTProtect Your Money While Travellinghttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/19/protect-your-money-while-travelling/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/19/protect-your-money-while-travelling/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/19/protect-your-money-while-travelling/#commentsFiled under: ,

You put locks on your doors and codes on your bank account, so when you travel, you should be just as crafty in protecting your money. From "dummy wallets" to a secret weapon that comes with a key, keep your hard-earned cash safe on the road with these tips. Click to watch.


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Protect Your Money While Travelling originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranTue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 ESTThe World's Most Elegant Cruise Ship: Cunard's Queen Elizabethhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/13/the-worlds-most-elegant-cruise-ship-cunards-queen-elizabeth/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/13/the-worlds-most-elegant-cruise-ship-cunards-queen-elizabeth/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/13/the-worlds-most-elegant-cruise-ship-cunards-queen-elizabeth/#commentsQueen Elizabeth, was named by the actual Queen Elizabeth. Built for $634 million, it's the third QE to be named for her. I was invited to be one of just 1,600 people to attend the naming ceremony. Watch our first-look video of the lavish interior of this ship, the third in a lineage that goes back to the Great Depression.


Cunard President Peter Shanks introduced the ship by declaring that the new vessel would ease the economy "by easing dollars of out American pockets." Then 85-year-old Queen Elizabeth, wearing royal blue from hat to hem, pushed a button that smashed a bottle of white wine against the side of the ship, proclaiming her as her namesake. It turns out a little Anglophilia can go a long way -- it can even lure middle-class, British-obsessed Americans across an ocean at upscale prices. But could you afford to travel like this? Not long ago, more people could.

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The World's Most Elegant Cruise Ship: Cunard's Queen Elizabeth originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranWed, 13 Oct 2010 06:35:00 ESTHow to Find the Cheapest Airfareshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/07/how-to-find-the-cheapest-airfares/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/07/how-to-find-the-cheapest-airfares/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/10/07/how-to-find-the-cheapest-airfares/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I have covered the travel business for more than a decade, and one of the most common questions I'm asked is how to find cheap airline tickets. It's a great question.
There are lots of tricks, but I have narrowed down a few of my favorite websites that, if used step by step, should save you money on air travel. From Hipmunk to Yapta, Airfarewatchdog to Momondo, here are some of the best airfare sites you may not have known about.

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How to Find the Cheapest Airfares originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>best travel websitesBestTravelWebsitescheap airfaresCheapAirfaresJason CochranThu, 07 Oct 2010 15:00:00 ESTiPhone App Millionaires: How They Did Ithttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/09/03/iphone-app-millionaires-how-they-did-it/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/09/03/iphone-app-millionaires-how-they-did-it/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/09/03/iphone-app-millionaires-how-they-did-it/#commentsFiled under:

WalletPop editor-at-large Jason Cochran interviews a couple of entrepreneurs who've made millions, 99 cents at a time, by selling their unique iPhone apps. Don't be turned off by the names - iFart is one of the apps, for instance - these are true stories of how some, er, creative types are making a buck. Or lots of bucks. Like the $39,000 worth of iFart apps that were downloaded on Christmas Day as new iPhone owners decided they simply had to have it on their phones. Watch this video to find out what led to these extraordinary success stories.



Continue reading iPhone App Millionaires: How They Did It

iPhone App Millionaires: How They Did It originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ipod appsIpodAppsJason CochranFri, 03 Sep 2010 17:00:00 ESTHow to Make Money By Travelling Around the Worldhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/27/how-to-make-money-travelling-around-the-world/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/27/how-to-make-money-travelling-around-the-world/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/27/how-to-make-money-travelling-around-the-world/#commentsNomadic Matt, turned a vacation into a job that can bring in up to $9,000 a month.

How does he do it? In our quick interview, he gives tips for making money that can be applied to your own journey through life.






In addition to his main NomadicMatt.com web site, which hosts his blog, Kepnes also runs How to Teach English Overseas and How to Travel and Backpack the World. Does a guy who runs all those sites from the road really have time to enjoy being a tourist? Then again, without a set endpoint to his travels, does it matter how much time it takes to make enough money to keep going for a while?

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How to Make Money By Travelling Around the World originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranFri, 27 Aug 2010 08:25:00 ESTThe World's Longest Yard Salehttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/24/the-worlds-longest-yard-sale/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/24/the-worlds-longest-yard-sale/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/24/the-worlds-longest-yard-sale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The World's Longest Yard Sale is the flea market of your fantasies. For four days in August, Highway 127, running through six states, is converted into one 675-mile rummage opportunity. The game: Drive 30 seconds, pull over, browse, buy, get back in car. Repeat until exhausted. Jason Cochran went to rural Tennessee, where the sale was born and where it's still headquartered, to show you what a marathon of bargains looks like.






The idea for the World's Longest Yard Sale started small, in Jamestown, Tenn. It came about in the 1980's as a way of pulling tourists off Interstate 40, which beelines between Nashville and Knoxville, so that they'd spend a little money in the countryside.

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The World's Longest Yard Sale originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>yard saleYardSaleJason CochranTue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 ESTGeorge Washington the Whiskey Baronhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/11/george-washington-the-whiskey-baron/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/11/george-washington-the-whiskey-baron/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/08/11/george-washington-the-whiskey-baron/#commentsFiled under:

Two hundred and 11 years after his death, George Washington still surprises. The custodians of his old estate at Mount Vernon, Virginia have just begun distilling and bottling whiskey using Washington's own recipe. Bet you didn't know that our First President was also one of America's biggest whiskey producers. But there's more to the story that that. I went to Mount Vernon to see the rebuilt distillery, check out the whiskey, and find out what George Washington has to say about his choice of business venture.





You see, George was one of the guys who helped institute the first big federal tax upon Americans. In the early 1790s, our toddler government decided prove its power to the population in one swoop by creating and enforcing the collection of a tax on whiskey.

It wasn't popular. We were a country of mostly farmers back then, and most of us didn't have much money. The tax also favored the big whiskey producers and was tough on the folks who just made it for their families and their communities.

Some of the men who made whiskey in Pennsylvania, many of them straight off the boat from the champion distilleries of Scotland, decided they would fight to stop the American government from -- gasp! -- reaching into their pockets to fish out a tax.

They tarred and feathered some unfortunate tax collectors, which was an extremely painful fate, and burned down some of their houses. The government, embarrassed, decided that being flouted like that would set a bad precedent, so they they sent some 13,000 troops -- more than in most battles of the Revolutionary War -- to the Pittsburgh area to quell the violence and force the new Americans to cough up their money.

The guy who led those troops and aimed his guns at the anti-tax rebellion was, by the end of the decade, himself one of the country's biggest whiskey producers: George Washington. He helped crush the mom-and-pop American whiskey industry -- and then he learned to dominate it.

Say it ain't so, Georgie!


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George Washington the Whiskey Baron originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>american historyAmericanHistorywhisky toursWhiskyToursJason CochranWed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:00 ESTHow to Visit Venice on $50 a Day or Lesshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/07/08/how-to-visit-venice-on-50-a-day-or-less/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/07/08/how-to-visit-venice-on-50-a-day-or-less/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/07/08/how-to-visit-venice-on-50-a-day-or-less/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In a first for our Go for Less series of budget travel videos and stories, WalletPop takes you abroad. It's our mission to show you how to use your money wisely to enrich your life, and that includes making dream vacations come true. So I visited Venice, Italy, to show you how you can see this fantasy tourism city for as little as possible. It can be done!




Airfare will be your single greatest cost, but spending it buys you sights and flavors you will remember for the rest of your life. You can knock the price of transatlantic transportation down a little by using frequent flier miles or snagging a sale. Sites such as FareCompare.com and Yapta.com help you get a handle on the cheapest times of year to fly. Flights go directly to Venice without stopping from a few major American cities such as New York. Once you've got that expense under control, it's up to you to trim costs while you're on the ground.

Some of the tips are outlined in my video, and I show you what to look for. Here are 10 priceless money-saving suggestions:


Continue reading How to Visit Venice on $50 a Day or Less

How to Visit Venice on $50 a Day or Less originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>venice bargainvenice for lessVeniceBargainVeniceForLessJason CochranThu, 08 Jul 2010 12:46:00 ESTSave Money: Don't Pay Baggage Fees This Summerhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/08/save-money-on-baggage-this-summer/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/08/save-money-on-baggage-this-summer/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/08/save-money-on-baggage-this-summer/#commentsFiled under:

Save Money: Don't Pay Baggage Fees This Summer originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranTue, 08 Jun 2010 17:29:00 ESTLos Angeles' Food Truck Phenomenonhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/02/los-angeles-food-truck-phenomenon/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/02/los-angeles-food-truck-phenomenon/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/06/02/los-angeles-food-truck-phenomenon/#commentsFiled under: ,



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Los Angeles' Food Truck Phenomenon originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>los angeles food trucksLosAngelesFoodTrucksJason CochranWed, 02 Jun 2010 15:00:00 ESTConfessions of a Shopping Addicthttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/05/26/confessions-of-a-shopping-addict/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/05/26/confessions-of-a-shopping-addict/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/05/26/confessions-of-a-shopping-addict/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Avis Cardella was a compulsive shopper. Yet it wasn't purchases she needed. It was the high she got making them. While her closet piled higher with clothing never worn and stuff never opened, her addiction ruined her finances and her relationships. In her new book, Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict, Cardella takes a look at the neglected problem of oniomania, otherwise known as shopping addiction.



Confessions of a Shopping Addict originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 26 May 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>oniomaniaShopaholicshopping addictShoppingAddictJason CochranWed, 26 May 2010 12:10:00 ESTCheap Thrills at the Musee Mechaniquehttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/04/08/cheap-thrills-at-the-musee-mechanique/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/04/08/cheap-thrills-at-the-musee-mechanique/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/04/08/cheap-thrills-at-the-musee-mechanique/#comments

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Cheap Thrills at the Musee Mechanique originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranThu, 08 Apr 2010 11:30:00 ESTVideo of the Day: Bachelorette Jillian Harris' Dirty Laundryhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/03/15/video-of-the-day-bachelorette-jillian-harris-dirty-laundry/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/03/15/video-of-the-day-bachelorette-jillian-harris-dirty-laundry/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/03/15/video-of-the-day-bachelorette-jillian-harris-dirty-laundry/#comments

If ABC was a theatrical repertory company, Harris would qualify for a leading player, having already done two dating series. This Sunday, she steps into yet another role. Few people know she's also an interior designer and she will bring her expertise -- in design, not dating -- to ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Harris called WalletPop from the Chicago home she shares with Swiderski for a sneak preview of the experience she had designing a bedroom for a home with a chronically-ill child. Charity aside, it turns out that Harris is a thrifty gal.

First of all, her gift to Jason and Molly wasn't something like china or flatware. It was a $120 laundry basket from Crate & Barrel. "People are going to call me cheap, but it was not a cheap present!" says Harris. But it was undeniably economical. And although she knows it won't endear her to executives at ABC, she tells Jason Cochran that she'd rather have a date by a campfire than the lavish ones that were staged by network producers. She also claims to want an intimate wedding of her own -- although she charmingly backs off that assertion when asked if that means she won't allow ABC cameras at her own nuptials.

Video of the Day: Bachelorette Jillian Harris' Dirty Laundry originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Jason CochranMon, 15 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST