Page 22 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, June 14, 2019 Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good websites for finding cheaper travel accommodations? My husband and I love to travel but hotel costs eat up our budget so much that we can’t afford to go as often as we’d like. We’ve used Airbnb with some luck but are wondering if there are other options for budget-conscious retirees. Retired Travelers Dear Retired, Accommodations are typically one of the costliest travel expenses. But, if you’re willing to do a little research and preplanning, there are a number of ways you can lower (or eliminate) your lodging costs and live more like a local when you travel. Here are some different options to consider and some websites that can help you locate them. B&B Clubs If you like staying in bed and breakfasts and have a spare bedroom yourself, check out the Evergreen Club (EvergreenClub.com) and the Affordable Travel Club (AffordableTravelClub.net). These are B&B clubs for travelers over ages 50 or 40 that offer affordable lodging in the spare bedroom of other club members, or they may stay with you when they’re on the road. You pay a modest gratuity of around $20 per night, with breakfast. And the clubs charge membership fees of $65 to $75 per year. Lower Cost Rentals There are literally millions of privately-owned properties in the United States and abroad that are offered as short-term rentals. This has become a very popular alternative to hotels for retirees. Renting a fully furnished apartment or house is usually cheaper than hoThrifty Travel: How Retirees Can Find Cheap Travel Accommodations tel rooms of comparable quality, and they almost always offer more space, a homier feel and a kitchen, which can save you the expense eating out every meal. Short-term rentals are offered through the individual property owners or property-management companies. Some of the best sites for finding them include Airbnb.com, HomeAway.com and FlipKey.com. These sites are free to use for travelers. Another nifty site you should check out is The Freebird Club (FreebirdClub.com) that connects 50-plus travelers with 50-plus hosts. Unlike Airbnb and the other previously listed lodging rental sites, Freebird users pay a $31 fee to join and to have their identities verified. They then fill out a questionnaire asking where they’d like to travel and how much interaction they’d like to have with their hosts. On the other end, hosts are not offering rental properties and a key in a drop box, but their own homes, along with conversation and companionship, for much less than the price of a hotel. House Sitting If you have a flexible schedule and you don’t mind doing a few household chores when you travel, house sitting is another option that offers lodging for free. How it works is you live in someone else’s home while they’re away for a long weekend or even a few months. And in exchange for the free accommodations, you take care of certain responsibilities such as their pets, lawn, garden, mail, etc. To find these opportunities, try sites like Nomador.com, MindMyHouse. com, HouseCarers.com and TrustedHousesitters.com – they all charge a small membership fee. Home Swapping Another way to get free accommodations when you travel is by swapping homes with someone who’s interested in visiting the area where you live. To make a swap, you’ll need to join an online home exchange service where you can list your home and get access to thousands of other listings. Then you simply email the owners of houses or apartments you’re interested in – or they email you – and you make arrangements. Most home exchange sites like HomeExchange.com, HomeLink. org and Intervac-HomeExchange. com charge membership fees ranging from $50 to $150. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. BUYER1 REAL ESTATE TRANSAC TIONS SELLER1 BUYER2 Arispuro-Trevino, A Sifir, Daniel F Leal, Robert Bausch, Enivalda H Rajkarnikar, Sujana Seferi, Vasilika Tafese, Aster D Leal, Debby Mammola, Michela Laurenza, Robert SELLER2 Witkus, Stacie K Witkus, Stephen A Nguyen, Kevin DW Realty Group LLC DW Realty Group LLC ADDRESS CITY 68 Newton St Laurenza, Daniel 23 Mount Washington St 32 Paris St 184 Bell Rock St 112 Harvard St #112 118 Harvard St #118 Everett Everett Everett Everett Everett Everett DATE 28.05.2019 28.05.2019 24.05.2019 22.05.2019 22.05.2019 22.05.2019 PRICE $582 000,00 $409 000,00 $400 000,00 $460 000,00 $449 900,00 $440 000,00 Happy Father’s Day! SAUGUS - Gorgeous Single Desirable Ranch Style home offers 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, full bath, bright and sunny living rm with wood burning fireplace, spacious eat- in kitchen with plenty of cabinets and hutch area, three bdrms with lots of closet space.................$370,000 OPEN HOUSE - 4 Briggs Court, Saugus, Sat. & Sun. June 15-16. 10:00 am-12:00 pm - Esquisite Grand Foyer makes 4-5 Bdrm Colonial a home with loads of sunlight beaming throughout. Kitchen opens up to lge. family rm. along with pellet stove overlooking backyard..........................................................$499,000 Darlene Minincleri & Sue Palomba REVERE - 2 FAMILY, 4&7 w/2nd floor unit excellent space for a large family with 4 bdrms, liv/dining combo & Eat in Kit located on two levels. All bedrooms are decent size. w/ample closet space. both units have living/dining room combination............$580,000 53 Jackson St. Saugus (781) 813-3325 Call for a FREE Market Analysis WINTHROP - Beautiful Single fam. antique home w/ amazing water views & many period details still remaining. Three bdrms, each with wd. flrs.; 2nd and 3rd flrs could be used as 4th bdrm and den/study............................................$475,000 NEW LEASE - Prime Commercial space on Route 1, South, Saugus. Incredible Exposure 1000 Square Feet Including all utilities. Call Darlene for Details! OPEN HOUSE - 9 Broadway, Saugus, Sat., June 15 & Sun., June 16, 12 - 2:00 pm - A hidden gem just miles away from Boston. Sunlight streams into impressive condo in a well-established Suntaug Estates. Featuring Lvng. Rm. & 1 generous bdrm. Brand new open concept kitchen, features granite countertops, s/s steel appls. and new flooring. Washer/Dryer hookups, storage, parking, Pool and more..................$249,900 PEABODY - 4 finished levels along with each bath welcomes new owner. The lvng rm with granite floors incl. inviting fireplace, cath. ceiling, and dbl. doors leading to an ext. deck. 3rd level has 2 lge. bdrms with full bath incl. jacuzzi. Roof 10 yrs. old, new windows, 2 sep. driveways, fenced level yard, & more. Mins. to Malls, Major Rtes. & Trans. Just move in........$599,0000 SOLD SOLD SOLD
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