Money Blue Book

Now why would anyone want to spend money at a drug store chain like CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens to begin with? Looking at their store prices, it’s clear everything is ridiculously overpriced compared to that offered at supermarkets. The reason why you would shop there - for the amazing drug store rebate deals that they offer (no, it’s not a scam). If you can learn to take advantage of drug store rebates, you will find yourself getting a lot of free stuff for your money and winding up with merchandise whose total retail value greatly surpasses what you spent out of pocket.

Ever since I discovered and started actively using drug store rebates, my frugal living life has been transformed for the better. No longer am I paying shocking $3-4 dollars prices for ordinary household items like a roll of toothpaste. I’m not even resorting to generic store brands either. I’m simply taking advantage of the many store rebate deals offered by well known drug store franchises like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. Most of these major chains offer great rebates and deals, usually published weekly or monthly.

Supermarkets Offer Coupons and Discounts, But Drug Stores Offer Them Plus Rebate Store Credit

It’s the bonus store credit offers that truly make drug store rebates so special. By taking advantage of these rebate deals and promotions, I’ve been able to consistently and regularly buy items at pennies on the dollar and continuously roll free rebate money from one month to the next. This drug store rebate flipping game (as some like to call it) covers most drug store products like shampoos, detergents, toothpaste, razors, toilet paper, over-the-counter drugs, tampons, and even frozen pizzas. It works by having the customer put up some initial starter money to purchase several items that provide store credit rebates. Let me demonstrate how it works with the addition of a coupon:

Let’s say you buy $20 worth of products that offer $10 worth of store reward rebates. Let’s assume that you also have a $5 manufacturer’s coupon that can reduce your out of pocket cost to $15. In turn, you can use the $10 store rebate to purchase anything else in the store, including other items that offer additional rebates, such as $10 worth of shampoo, offering $5 in store rebates. That $5 can yet again purchase something offering $1 in store rebate for example. Thus your original $15 out of pocket cost (reduced by the manufacturer’s coupon) has netted you the potential of $36 worth of merchandise.

Most of the time, other than the initial seed money to start the process, all I ever pay is the sales tax - that’s it. Because most drug stores take manufacturer coupons, by combining coupons and store rebates, you can sometimes even come out on top - earning a net profit and have a store like CVS actually pay you for the product. If you make your drug store purchases using reward credit cards that provide up to 5% cash back, you have the potential to save and earn even more. This drug store rebate game has been around for some time and many savvy savers and spenders have been taking advantage of these programs for years. By following a stockpiling strategy and building up a supply of heavily discounted household items over time, you’ll never have to spend a lot of money on such items again. It’s not uncommon for drug store rebate gamers to score $200 worth of products over a span of a few months for as low as $10. With some persistence and flexibility, it’s very doable.

Why Drug Stores Are Willing To Offer Rebates For Practically Free Merchandise

CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, and many of the other major national drug store chains not only advertise store sales and accept coupons like most supermarkets do, but they also have lucrative rebate and loyalty programs. These drug stores are willing to offer the great store rebates because it’s a proven way to lure bargain minded shoppers into their stores. Despite having to pay money back to qualified customers, rebates are profitable for drug stores because historical statistics and trends have shown that only a small percentage of shoppers actually buy the rebate products and follow through on the rebate redemption procedure to claim their rebate money. Most shoppers usually end up stashing their receipts into their pockets, later misplacing them, or letting the rebate receipt end up in the washing machine. If you’re absent minded and not willing to follow through with store rebate redemption instructions, it won’t work for you. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and do a little receipt micro managing, anyone can take advantage of drug store rebate deals, as long as they know how.

Before You Attempt To Play The Drug Store Game, Here Are Some Helpful Rebate Guidelines and Tips To Remember

1. You will need to provide some initial startup seed money to get the drug store rebate game going. It may only be a few bucks but you will need to spent your own money from the start. But once you buy a rebate qualified product, you can roll over the redeemed rebate money into further purchases for other rebated items. Thus, the train of free items continues so long as you focus on rolling rebate items into another.
2. Be sure to read the specific rebate terms very carefully. For example, if the rebate offer expressly lists Crest Nature’s Expression toothpaste, you won’t be able to use it for Crest Extra Whitening. Rebate terms are usually carefully worded and specific in regards to brand and size, so please scrutinize in detail when you examine the terms and conditions. Discern the effective dates. Certain rebate offers are only applicable on particular weeks or months. Some are limit the item to one per customer, while others may allow five for example. After all, the store doesn’t really want to give customers free money so it’s going to make it tough for them to successfully go through the redemption process. Be detail oriented and you’ll be able to beat them at their own game.
3. You will need to apply for the drug store’s loyalty card program. Generally, each person in a household is entitled to one card. If you have several adults in your household, be sure to sign them up to maximize your rebate opportunities. Usually, rebate terms that stipulate one item per customer mean one item per card holder.
4. Remember not to unnecessarily buy products you have no intention of using. You are no longer saving money if you’re buying products you don’t need or have no plans of ever using. Only hoard and stockpile random household items if you have every intention of putting them to use in the near future.
5. The drug store rebate game works best if you conveniently live near a major drug store branch. There’s no point driving tens or hundreds of miles away just to save a few rebate dollars. Location and convenience are important factors when choosing which or how many drug store rebate programs you will participate in.
6. If you want to save even more money, learn to practice stacking, where you combine coupons, rebates, and store sales together. Try to take advantage of manufacturer coupons that can be found in your weekly Sunday newspaper, or from in-store coupon books. If you’re too busy to clip coupons, check out an online coupon service like The Coupon Clippers. For a small handling fee each, they will send you the targeted brand coupons of your choice. Not a bad solution for lazy people. Even with the small handling fee, you still end up on top in terms of product savings.
7. To take full advantage of drug store rebates, you need to be flexible in what brands you want to use. Your favorite brand may not always be one of the lucky rebate items. For example, if you can develop a non-preference for toothpaste brands like Crest, Colgate, Aquafresh, Arm and Hammer, or Sensodyne, you will be able to stockpile better.

The Big Three Drug Stores - CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens

1) CVS - Extra Care Bucks - (Weekly Store Ads) - To find out what items offer CVS Extra Care Bucks (ECB), you will need to take a look each Sunday when the weekly store ads renew. CVS’s rebate program is the best and simply requires you to scan your loyalty card everytime you make a purchase. They are unique in that they offer the Extra Care Bucks as store credit immediately rather than requiring you to clumsily mail receipts in. The store rebate coupon is printed out at the bottom of your store receipt whenever you purchase a rebate item. There is no rebate waiting period anymore. They are available to you right away and you can immediately turn around and flip them into yet another product, potentially yielding even more Extra Care Bucks. You can use them on almost anything in the store, although prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, lottery, stamps, gift cards, and money orders are excluded. CVS also offers you 2% back in the form of Extra Care Bucks for all of your purchases, with the same product exclusions. The 2% Extra Bucks rewards are added to your account quarterly.

Your rebate point information can be easily accessed through your online CVS account via their website. If you want to save up your Extra Care Bucks, you can do so and later print them out at home through your CVS online account or later visit the store and request a printout. Keep in mind that Extra Care Bucks do expire and the expiration dates are usually indicated on your receipt. With CVS, you will want to seriously consider signing up for their email list. Once on their list, they occasionally send you coupons for dollars off certain purchases that you can print out and use in their stores. Currently, CVS is offering a $4 off a $20 purchase coupon when you update you email address or join their Extra Care program.

2) Rite Aid - Single Check Rebates - (Weekly Circular) - At the start of each month, Rite Aid publishes a booklet, viewable online, in which it highlights the rewards/rebate offers for the month. Rite Aid offers a traditional rebate program in which customers have to request rebates by providing receipt information to redeem. However, here is the best part - Rite Aid offers an easy and no brainer way for customers to request rebates online rather than having to manually mail them in through snail mail. Another great feature is the ability to instantly view all monthly featured rebate products on their website through the Rebate Plus section. You can always view your rebate balance online as well.

3) Walgreens - Easy Saver Catalog - (Weekly Ad) - Walgreens publishes their Easy Saver rebate deals in their monthly rebate booklet where they list products with rebate promotions including items that are free after rebate. They also offer Register Rewards every now and then, which operates similar to that of CVS Extra Care Bucks in that you can use the printed coupons for free products on your next purchase for qualifying items.

Like Rite Aid, Walgreens offers the traditional rebate program where customers have to take the initiative to submit in rebate claim information. Walgreens does offer the ability to submit your rebate receipts online to a limited number of states. The majority though will have to submit their receipts manually via regular postal mail, which is sort of a bummer. To redeem your rebates you need to mail in a claims form. Walgreens limits this rebate submission to one time per promotional month. Thus, don’t send in all of your rebate receipts until the end of the month or you’ll have to delay your additional request until the following month.

Walgreens does offer an additional rebate redemption bonus in the form of an extra 10% on top of your rebate request if you accept your rebate in the form of a Walgreens gift card. Obviously, you’ll want to pick this more attractive option rather than cash. With the gift card bonus, you can then continue to roll the money into another set of drug store purchases. If you play your cards right, the new purchases will allow you to earn and redeem further rebates as well.

Updated List Of The Best Gas Rebate Credit Card Offers To Help You Save Money On Gasoline and Fuel

Want to save money or earn extra cash back when you fill up your vehicle despite high gas prices at the pump? It doesn’t matter if you’re an ordinary consumer, a business, or even a student - I’m sure we all wouldn’t mind getting what essentially amounts to a cash back discount at the gas pump. If you are a frequent driver, you definitely will want the edge when it comes to taking advantage of the best possible card reward and cashback opportunities available for drivers. Gas prices have skyrocketed recently so anything you can reasonably do now to lessen the cost burden would be a wise financial move on your part as a gas consumer. Of course, only those who can handle the responsibility and burden of credit management should apply for and use credit cards. The rewards and rebates they offer are certainly attractive but they’re not suitable for those with a shaky credit usage history.

Currently, many reward credit cards include gas station purchases on their special list of places that yield extra high bonus cash back credit card rewards. When you use the card to purchase gas, you’ll frequently earn much higher reward rates than ordinary purchases made at other locations. If you strategically use a combination of reward cards like I do, you can designate higher rebate gas credit cards to be used specifically and primarily for gasoline expenses, and use your other reward cards for other general everyday purchases. After scouring all online offers, here are my top gas credit card choices to help you earn rewards and save on gas money. You might feel just a tiny bit better the next time you fill up.

List Of the Best Cash Back Reward Credit Cards With The Highest Purchase Incentives For Gas Rebates

1. Chase BP Visa Rewards - Earn 10% cash back for gas at all BP gas stations and 4% back for all dining and travel purchases for the first 2 months. Thereafter, earn 5% cash back for BP gas, 2% for dining and travel, and 1% cash back for everything else.
2. Chase PerfectCard - Earn 6% rebate on all gas purchases for the first 90 days. Earn 3% rebate on all gas purchases thereafter. Earn 1% for everything else. Rebates are automatically credited on your monthly statement towards future purchases made on your card.
3. Discover Open Road Card - Earn 5% cash back for gasoline and auto maintenance
4. American Express Blue Cash - Earn up to a tiered 5% cash back on all purchases at gas stations, supermarkets, and drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. See my Blue Cash review.
5. Chase Freedom Visa Signature Card - Earn 3% cash back with this credit card on your top 3 shopping categories that may include purchases for gasoline. Earn 1% for everything else. See my Chase Freedom review.
6. American Express True Earnings Card From Costco - This card is for Costco warehouse club members. It offers 3% back for gas, 3% for restaurant dining, 2% for traveling, and 1% for everything else including purchases made at Costco clubs. The card has no annual fee with a paid Costco membership. Rebates are awarded as Costco vouchers redeemable for cash and merchandise.
7. Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card - Earn 5% cash back on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, convenience stores, and utilities including cable for 6 months. Earn 2% cash back thereafter.
8. Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card - Earn 5 reward points for every dollar spent at gas stations, supermarkets and drugstores for 12 months. Earn 1 point per dollar for purchases thereafter. Get a bonus $50 gift card after your first purchase.

The Top Business Gas Reward Credit Card Offers

Keep in mind that you don’t have to actually own your own small business to qualify for lucrative business credit card programs. People can become a business unto themselves (it’s legally referred to as a sole proprietorship) - just enter your own personal name when prompted for the business name.

1. American Express Simply Cash Card - Earn 3% cash back on gas, and 5% cash back on office supplies and wireless services. Get 1% for everything else. Offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases for 12 months.
2. American Express TrueEarnings Business Card From Costco - Earn 5% rebates for gas, 3% cash back for eating out, 2% for travel, and 1% for eveything else including purchases made at Costco. This excellent reward card is meant for Costco members. The card comes with no annual fee if you have a paid Costco membership.
3. Discover Business Card - Earn 2% cash back on gasoline, 5% cash back on office supplies, and 1% cash back for everything else.
4. Chase Business Rebate Visa - Earn 3% rebates for gas stations and office supply stores.
5. Citi Professional Cash Card - Earn 3% cash back at gas stations, restaurants, and office supply stores.
   

If You Are Looking For The Top Student Gas Rebate Credit Card Picks, Here They Are:

1. Citi Driver’s Edge Visa for College Students - Earn 3% rebate at gas stations, supermarkets, and drug stores. Get 1% for everything else. Send in your car’s updated mileage report everytime you get an oil change and earn extra rebates for just driving your car. Earning extra rebates for miles driven is how I accrue almost half of all card rewards that I earn per year.
2. Discover Student Open Road Card - Earn 5% cash back bonuses on gas and auto maintenance purchases. Earn 1% for everything else.
3. Discover Student Card Clear - Earn unlimited 5% cash back on rotating bonus purchase categories including gas, restaurants, movies, travel, and more. The bonus category selection rotates four times per year. Cardholders also earn up to 1% for general purchases.

So you’re thinking of opening a Roth IRA account? Congratulations! Although it’s only one small step forward in sound financial planning, it’s one giant leap towards building your financial future and saving for retirement. By now you’ve likely settled on which investment retirement account (IRA) vehicle is best for you. There are three major types - Roth IRA, deductible IRA, and the non deductible IRA. All offer tax deferral benefits but the retirement account that is most appropriate for the majority of ordinary individuals and married couples is the Roth IRA. Unlike traditional IRA’s (both tax-deductible and non-deductible), Roth IRA’s enjoy several great advantages and benefits which make them very attractive for those who want to invest and plan for their future retirement. Here is what every prospective Roth IRA investor and account holder should know:

1. Withdraws from Roth IRA’s after age 59.5 are generally not taxed, because you pay your taxes on the front end by contributing after tax dollars.
2. Because most people steadily increase their total income over time as they get older, they usually either stay in the same marginal tax bracket or end up at a higher bracket level at retirement. Thus, Roth IRAs enable savvy savers at retirement to accumulate more money than even tax-deductible IRA’s.
3. Unlike a traditional IRA, not everyone is eligible to open and contribute to a Roth IRA. For 2008, the Roth contribution limit is $5,000 as long as your income falls below $101,000 if you’re single, and $159,000 if you’re married filing a joint tax return. There are income phaseouts after that.
4. Unlike a traditional IRA, with a Roth you can withdraw your original contribution money at any time for any emergency reason, tax free, and without penalty and you don’t have to replace the funds, unlike a 401K or a traditional IRA. Of course, it’s always best not to withdraw because that stops the compound interest process.

Choosing The Best Broker To Open Your ROTH IRA Account With, And What To Look For:

The majority of investors choose to start their retirement savings with a Roth IRA. The best course of action is to open the account with a reputable broker rather than a bank. Some banks and credit unions offer retirement accounts but their choice of investment vehicles like certificate of deposits are often limited with low rates of return. Here are some basic criteria you should take into consideration when deciding which broker to open your Roth IRA account with:

1. Choice Of Investment Options Including Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) - A Roth account is merely the account type. With the funds your contribute to it, you can use it to trade any type of investment vehicle you wish from stocks, bonds, to mutual funds.
2. Low Commission Costs and Account Fees - My recommendation for new investors is to stick with mutual funds and low cost index funds. Always make sure the maintenance fees for funds are reasonable.
3. Automatic Contribution - For those who wish to invest regularly, try to look for a retirement broker that offers the ability to make automated fund transfers into your Roth from your linked bank account.
4. Minimum Balance Requirement - Most brokers have minimum initial investment and balance requirements. For new investors, the minimum requirement may be an initial hurdle if the limit is to high. However, even for those who only want to start up with a few hundred dollars, there are options available.

Investing In Mutual Funds - The Best Approach For New Roth IRA Account Holders

New Roth investors should put their money primarily into mutual or index funds. Here are two of the top brokerage firms that specialize in their own family of mutual funds and have built a reputable track record of solid returns. For new retirement account holders and those who are unsure about their investment approach, low cost, no load mutual funds are the less volatile and smarter way to invest for your future.

1) Fidelity - (Sign Up) - Fidelity Investments is where I chose to open my Roth IRA account and it’s also the place where I manage my 401k. I like their clean and easy to use website interface and the fact that they have a very established track record. They offer a basic approach to opening a Traditional or Roth IRA. The minimum investment requirement is $2,500, but that amount is waived if you can commit to future automatic monthly contributions of $200 per month. For new and young investors who don’t have $2,500 to invest right away, they can start out with just $200 and agree to put in $200 per month in the future.

Fidelity offers a huge variety of attractive mutual fund and index fund options, many of which have no transaction fees (although minimum balance requirements for Fidelity’s index funds are rather high at $10,000). With a Fidelity account, you can trade Fidelity family funds for free, although there may be early redemption fees.

2) Vanguard - (Sign Up) - Vanguard is most well known for offering one of those lowest expense ratios for access to their family of Vanguard index funds. Opening a Roth with Vanguard will enable you to trade Vanguard mutual funds for free as well. While they ordinarily charge an annual $20 fee for each Vanguard fund account with a balance under $10,000, the maintenance fee is completely waived and eliminated if you simply register for account access on Vanguard.com and agree to accept electronic delivery of statements, reports, and other shareholder materials through Vanguard’s e-service package.

For most Vanguard funds, the minimum investment requirement requirement is $3,000 per fund. However, with the broadly indexed Vanguard STAR Fund (VGSTX), the initial minimum balance requirement is only $1,000. The STAR Fund is a stable fund well suited for the beginner retirement account investor with limited funds to start. Once your investment has grown, you can always upgrade to one of the more targeted Vanguard Life Cycle Funds designed to suit investors depending according to their target retirement date. For me, I would choose the Target Retirement 2045 fund (VTIVX).

Vanguard expense ratios are quite low - a predictable trademark of most Vanguard funds. Vanguard is probably best suited for fund investors who want to concentrate their investing efforts primarily in index and mutual funds rather than individual stocks, the best course for the vast majority of investors.

Investing In Exchange Traded Funds and Individual Stocks - Another Approach For Roth IRA Investors

Currently there is an investment movement away from loaded investments and expensive adviser managed funds, and towards exchange traded funds (ETF). ETF’s are attractive because not only do they track the diversified performance of broad indexes, they also offer very low expense ratios and may be easily traded like ordinary stocks. If ETF’s are your intended approach, then you will need to find a Roth IRA discount broker that offers low per trade commissions and low fees. Here are a few low cost discount brokers that I either have accounts with or have had a history of positive trading experiences with:

Top Discount Broker Picks For Roth IRA Investors Who Want To Trade ETF’s And Individual Stocks

1) ShareBuilder - (Sign Up) - ShareBuilder has established itself as a popular discount broker, offering comparatively low commission fees for equity transactions at $4 per trade through automatic investment plans, and $9.95 for regular real time market orders. There is no minimum investment balance requirement to open a new Roth or an ordinary brokerage account. The $25 annual fee is waived if you sign up for a trading plan other than their basic plan.

New ShareBuilder Promotion Codes: (Updated)

• Gift50 - $50 promo code
• Huskeralum45 - $45 promo code (Not for Roth or IRA accounts - individual accounts only)
• Student50 - $50 promo code (Not for Roth or IRA accounts - individual accounts only)
• Share50 - $50 promo code (Not for Roth or IRA accounts - individual accounts only)

2) Zecco - (Sign Up) - Zecco was one of the pioneers for the movement towards free stock trades. Although it has since scaled back the terms of its original free trade promotion, this discount broker still offers a great commission deal for free equity trades. Currently, account holders receive 10 free trades per month so long as they can maintain at least $2,500 in total account equity, which includes the total value of cash and stock positions. Otherwise, individual equity transactions for market and limit orders cost $4.50 per trade. Although there is technically no minimum balance investment requirement, if you want to take advantage of the free trade offer, you should maintain at least $2,500 in your account.

3) TradeKing - (Sign Up) - TradeKing is another popular deep discount broker that offers very low commission fees. Currently, each market and limit trade costs $4.95 per trade. There are no annual fees for IRA accounts and no minimum balance investment requirements to open a Roth account.

I love roller coasters and visiting amusement parks. Luckily there are several great amusement and water parks near where I live in the Washington D.C. area including Six Flags, Busch Gardens, and King’s Dominion. All of the theme parks have wonderful attractions and rides for both children and adults, and feature a wide variety of entertainment performances. Most of the theme parks take at least an entire day to enjoy so do plan ahead. But if you truly want to have a memorable experience, I recommend saving up and planning a vacation trip to the prime destination of them all - Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The last time I went, I was just a little boy but since then the park has made substantial strides with the addition of multiple expansion parks and new rides. Disney World is very expensive (expect to pay $500-$1000 per person) and will require at least 3-4 days to fully enjoy, so it’s best left for those rare and special vacation trips.

No Lines And Half Priced Tickets - My Happy Experience At King’s Dominion

It doesn’t matter which amusement park you visit - if you want to fully maximize your time and money spent, I highly advise you to visit during off-peak season, such as the very start of the park season. Amusement park opening dates and hours vary and are dependent on the climate of where the premises is located. Parks located in sunny Los Angeles such as Six Flags Magic Mountain, or located in Florida such as Walt Disney World, enjoy year round park hours due to having annually mild temperatures. Unfortunately in my case, parks located in the Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. area are not year round due to the well defined four seasons that we have here. Theme parks here are open from very late-March to September, and shut down during the off season winter months due to cold weather.

Last year I went to King’s Dominion in Virginia on a Saturday right in early April when the park season was just starting. It was an incredible visit because there were no crowds or lines to slow us down. Ordinarily, each roller coaster would have required waiting through 30-45 minutes of crowded lines. But because it was just a few early weeks into the season, there were no crowds to be seen. The park was eerily empty, but I loved it because we basically had the entire park to ourselves. We were able to dart from one ride to another in rapid fashion with only a quick 5-10 minute wait time for each. Some didn’t even have lines and we easily walked up to the front, which was absolutely fantastic. The only downside was that not all parts of the park were fully open and operational. While most coasters were staffed, because the weather was still a bit breezy, the adjacent water theme park was closed and not scheduled to open until later in the spring season when it was warmer. But the extremely short lines and the mild 70 degree weather made up for any drawbacks.

As for tickets, at King’s Dominion and most amusement parks, prices are relatively high at around $45 per adult, but there are a wealth of amusement park discount codes available everywhere on the internet. With a quick search online, I was able to secure a discount code from some random bank’s public website to enter in as my own. The promotion code was for employees of the bank, but I was still able to use it to obtain a 50% discount.

Here are some tips to save money and make your amusement park experience more enjoyable:

1) Visit During Off Peak Times - (Spring, Fall, and Middle Of the Week) - The off peak calendar for individual parks will vary depending on the location’s climate. But in general, to duck the crowds, it’s best to avoid the major federal holidays especially the ones during warmer months. The summer will always be the busiest time with the greatest number of park visitors compared to spring, fall, and winter. Saturdays tend to be the busiest, with Tuesdays and Wednesday the slowest. The best time to go is generally before mid April and anytime after Labor Day in September. If you can go during off season months, you’ll find that even Saturdays are sparsely attended.

2) Hit the Most Popular Rides During Opening and Closing Hours - If you insist on going when there are crowds, then you may want to reserve visiting the most popular rides right when the park opens or near closing time. During those hours there are less crowds as people either haven’t yet arrived or have tired for the evening.

3) Buy Tickets Online, And Take Advantage Of Group Discounts and Coupon Codes - Always order your tickets ahead of time online through the park’s website to avoid the long ticket lines. You should never pay full price for expensive amusement park entrance fees. There are many discount codes that can be quickly found on the internet, as well as through employers, fast food restaurants, and hotels. Many theme parks also offer discount savings for AAA auto club members and for children and seniors. If you live very close, many amusement parks also offer steep discounts to local residents.
4) Don’t Bring Along Too Many Belongings - You can usually rent a locker at the amusement park, but if you plan to ride on roller coasters, you don’t want to have to keep putting all of your bags, purses, and backpacks into public cabinets everytime you get onto a ride. There is always the chance your possessions may be stolen by some opportunistic person. Remember to put your valuables and other belongings in your car’s trunk or in a locker, rather than exposing them on your car seat for all to see.

5) Remember to Grab A Park Map And Plot Your Plan - Maps are always available at the park entrance or at guide desks. Unless you plan on wandering around lost and wasting valuable time, it’s best to plot your path as you walk around. Since I’m a huge roller coaster buff, I tend to plot my trip around the most popular coaster rides.