My travel mantra holds that travel should be free — or as close to free as you can get! Budget travel tips usually focus on ways to find cheaper airfare or hotels, and these are a great start. But thinking outside the box can yield some extraordinary vacations that are surprisingly affordable. Here are the different ways I travel to save (and sometimes earn!) money:

Rent a House or Apartment
If you want to stay somewhere nicer than a hostel, but aren't eager to pay hotel prices, consider renting a house or apartment. You'll be able to cook for yourself and avoid the $5 bottles of water. You're also more likely to get an authentic local experience, as vacation rentals are often located in neighborhoods, rather than in tourist areas.

Vacation rentals are a great proposition if you've got kids, since they can run around and eat Mac 'n Cheese — the epicenter of childhood, by my memory — without disturbing hotel or restaurant staff.

Although we cover the topic once or twice a year, I constantly get questions from people who are frustrated by the financial habits of their spouses and partners. Some people are Spenders, and some people are Savers. What can you do to get both partners on the same page?

Linda is the most recent GRS reader with a relationship issue. She wrote to ask how to get her boyfriend motivated to save money. Here's her story:

How do I get someone motivated about saving money and being more frugal? Is it even possible?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices are expected to rise as much as 5.5% in 2011. Those prices aren't likely to go back down. So why not invest in food futures, i.e., your own pantry? Put it this way: If you have an emergency fund in the bank, why not have food in the bank?

Liz Pulliam Weston calls a full cupboard “the emergency fund you can eat.” Having plenty of staples on hand makes sense for several reasons:

• You're locked in at the price you paid, which ideally will be the sale price (more on that later).
• There's always something to fix for supper, which can mean less temptation to order in. You can also pack your own lunch.
• If you get furloughed or laid off, you can eat from your cupboards.
• Getting the best deals means your food dollars go further.
• Having the ingredients to throw together a quick meal means less temptation to order in.
• A deep pantry means less need to run to the store to get just one or two items. (Can you really get out of the store with just a six-ounce can of tomato paste?) This in turn means less wear and tear on the car and less gas used.
• If times get tight, you can eat from your cupboard.

To hear the storage industry tell it, every kitchen needs plastic containers in a dozen sizes. You need specialized storage, too: triangles for wedges of pie, say, or deviled-egg sarcophagi with little divots to cradle each demi-oeuf. Oh, and lots of foil, waxed paper, and plastic wrap and bags to hold sandwiches and snacks or cover bowls of leftovers.

My boxes of foil and plastic wrap last me up to a couple of years each. And while I'll cop to owning a few Tupperware and Rubbermaid pieces, it's all hand-me-down stuff — and note that I said a few. I don't need much, and I don't use much commercial wrapping, because there are plenty of other ways to store food.

Use What You've Got

Don't automatically assume you need special food-storage containers. Why not just put leftovers in a bowl with a saucer or bread-and-butter plate on top? If it fits snugly, it's no different than aluminum foil or a plastic lid. (What? You thought that “burping” a Tupperware container got all the air out?)

Two persistent rumors about mystery shopping:

• It's a scam.
• It's not a scam — and you can get rich doing it!

Allow me to set these rumors to rest:

• Mystery shopping is not a scam. (Well, sometimes it is. More on that later.)
• You won't get rich, but you can make a little extra — plus get free stuff.
• You should never pay for mystery shopping info.

My daughter Abby has been doing “shops” for a decade, and I've done them off and on for six years. We've gotten free steaks, hotel rooms, oil changes, booze, pet food, lodging, nights at a casino, rental cars, and molten chocolate cake.

Not sure what to buy for your loved ones this year? Still singing the recession blues? Consider buying nothing at all.

I didn't buy anything on Black Friday, I didn't buy anything today, and I won't tomorrow. This holiday season, I won't be going near a mall. Under our tree, there will be no plastic toys, no new clothes, and no last-minute matched set of leopard-print mugs for my sister when I panic on Christmas Eve because I have no idea what she wants. There also wont be any dipping into my savings accounts to buy gifts.

Thousands of families will be doing exactly the same thing this year as part of The Compact. The Compact has a simple premise: Everyone who signs on agrees to “buy nothing new” for one year.

The chilly season is upon us. If you live in North America, you've probably had at least a few cold nights by now. Up in my neck of the woods — in the Boston area — we've had our central heat running for a few weeks. Which means we're in full swing winterizing, with an eye to keeping the heating bills low.

Over the past few years, we've actually gotten pretty good at this. In New England, winter heat can eat up a big part of a family's budget. Our heating bills used to run over $500 a month; last year, we had them down to $250 or less. This year, I'm hoping to go even lower.

No, we don't live in a refrigerator. Our house is pretty comfortable all year round. Here's how we keep the bills low.

This article written by Shelley Turner is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all levels of financial maturity and with all sorts of incomes.

They're coming! Like it or not, the holidays — and all the stress of buying the Perfect Gift — are just around the corner. I actually like brainstorming gift ideas, and have been told I'm pretty good at it. Today I'll share my secrets with you.

The best gifts are appropriate for the recipient, yet don't cost a small fortune. You want your gift to say "I know what you like", not "I didn't have a clue of what to get you for a gift for but here it is anyway". I once received a leopard-hair belt. Anybody who knows me, or has seen how I dress, understands that there's never been (nor ever will be) a time that I'd wear a leopard-hair belt. A gift like that screams "I just bought you something because I had to".

A couple of months ago, I shared some of the things I choose to spend my money on now that I've paid off my debts, saved for emergencies, and am funding my retirement. Most folks seemed to get my message: I cut back hard on the things I don't care about (cable TV, clothes, newspapers and magazines) so that I can afford to spend on the things that do matter to me.

As I say, most people seem to get this, and understand that I'm not saying, "Hey you! Go spend a lot of money on whatever you want!" Because I'm not saying that. That's not my message at all. I'm simply saying that if you can afford it, and if it's something you'll use and enjoy, there's nothing wrong with spending on what you want — even if it's expensive.

In fact, I'd argue that in some cases, the expensive option can actually be the most frugal choice. (The frugalest choice?) What do I mean? Continue reading...

There I was, bustling around the kitchen making lunch for my daughter when our late morning routine was interrupted:Boom! Boom! Boom!

Milligan and I glanced toward the front door where the thunderous pounding had originated. "Holy cow!" I thought to myself, "There are only two groups of people who knock like that! This may not be good..."

Luckily, as I slowly opened the door, there was a stocky little lady in her late forties or fifties (with no badge). "Afternoon," she said. "I've some packages for you... several packages for you. I'm gonna need some help carrying these around to the door."