Cruise Price Tip of the Day

Cruises are advertised as pretty cheap. It isn't rare to see prices below $200. I've even seen some short cruises advertised in the double digits. But as we know from cell phone companies, the advertised price isn't the price you write the check out for. Here are some of the hidden fees you can expect to pay:

Taxes and Fees: Varies of course. But a 3 night Bahama cruise will have around $35 USD is taxes and fees

Fuel Surcharge This was an issue in 2008 with high gas prices, but since oil prices have dropped, these fees have been dropped as well. But if oil prices climb again, be on the lookout!

Tip/Service Charge: All cruise lines is require a service charge or recommend a tip amount. It varies slight by cruise line, but a good rule of thumb is $10 per person per day. For exact amounts based on your cruise line check out the Cruise tip Calculator

Excursions: These are things that you can choose to at the different ports the ship will stop at. All sorts of things are offered, from historic tours to para-sailing. And range from $10 to over $100 depending on the activity and are arranged by the cruise line

Transportation to Port: If you live near the coast you can probably drive. There are ports that cruise ships leave from all up and down both sides of the you US. But you'll have to pay for parking. You'll pay even more then you would at the airport or a themepark for everyday your car is parked there. $15 a day can add up fast. If you don't drive you'll probably need to fly. You can arrange that with transportation to port with the cruise line or on your own.

Soda: Almost all cruise ships include food in the main dinning room as part of the ticket price, including water and tea. But if you want cola it'll cost ya. If you really feel the need for hundreds of empty calories, it runs around $6 a day.

Bonus: Inspection Reports. The government inspects ships, and makes the results of those inspections available online. You may want to find out what your ship scored before you book.

Insurance Tip of the Day

Don't try to submit more than 55 prescription claims at once.

Thanks Blair

Nursing Home Tip of the Day

Thanks Hallie B

A Little Income Tip of the Day

For those of you who to run a website with a fair amount of traffic. If there are online stores that you link to often (like Amazon), consider signing up for their Affiliate program. They'll give you a small cut (usually around 3%) for any purchases made by customers following those special links. More info on Amazon's program

For those of you who have friends who run websites. When you do your gift shopping, visit their site first, follow the links and then find the product you want to purchase. Now if I could only remember this tip myself.

MP3 Tip of the Holiday

Updated: Amazon is giving away good FREE Christmas MP3s for every day of Advent. Additionally they have 2 others from A Charlie Brown Christmas, and a Holiday Sampler album features Bing Crosby and the Beach Boys.

P.S. Don't forget about iTunes weekly free Christmas songs

Thanks DealNews & Queen of Free

Suicide Tip of the Day

I never thought I’d be writing this. But 19 year old Abraham Biggs committed suicide on Nov 21st with his webcam rolling live on the internet and it wasn’t immediately reported because the viewers thought it was a hoax. By the time the police got there it was too late.

What’s even more unbelievable is this kid has had a history of suicide attempts and he even talked about doing it on the forums prior to the event. The so called moderators on the website where the video was posted on for hours must have been understaffed. But let me lay it out. If someone talks about killing themselves never assume it’s a joke. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I had to notify my ISP in my high school days when someone IMed me saying they were going to kill theirself. The police showed up at his house and I never regretted it. As long as you're not calling 911 over a Subway sandwich you can't get in trouble for false reports. I didn’t even get my homework done that night because I was trying to talk the guy out of it with the praise of my teachers.

Listening Tip of the Day

Skip shopping this morning and do something of true worth, take time and listen to your family tell about their lives.