Issue Date: December 12, 2004
How hotels pad your bill
We've all been handed hotel bills that bear little resemblance to the nightly rate we were quoted. Here's how to avoid being nickel-and-dimed:
1. Phone calls. Use your cell or stay at chains that woo customers with free domestic long-distance and toll-free calls. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts does this for members of its frequent-stay program.
2. Sports equipment. A kayak can run $15 an hour at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, plus $15 a day for a mask, fins and snorkel. Too steep? Consider an all-inclusive resort.
3. Room service. Hotels like Orlando's Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress levy a 20% room service charge. Look before you slap on a second tip.
4. Parking. Many hotels charge big-city prices for parking. At the Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco, overnight parking is $38 plus tax. Public transit, shuttles or taxis may be cheaper.
5. Health clubs. At the Swissôtel in Chicago, it's $10 a day plus tax to use the facilities. What's your workout worth?
6. Resort fees. At the Wigwam Resort & Golf Club near Phoenix, the mandatory resort fee is $15 per room, per night, which the hotel says covers such costs as the newspaper, health club and Internet access. Don't like? Go elsewhere.
7. Laundry. It's $2 to wash a shirt and $5 to press it at Boston's Long Wharf Marriott. Try to avoid the need.
8. Early checkout. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel in Georgia levies a $75 penalty if you leave a day early. Before you reserve, ask for the hotel's policy to avoid checkout surprises.
Everett Potter is an award-winning travel writer who lives in suburban New York.
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I needed a defensive driving class. Do you?
A funny thing happened to me last summer: I got a speeding ticket! What's funny about that? Every day, in preventive medicine evaluations, I counsel people about driving. I ask about anger, alcohol, tickets, seat belts. Now it was time to take a dose of my own medicine: I had been driving increasingly faster, so I signed up for a defensive driving course. Mine was a six-hour online program called American Driver Improvement (americandriverimprovement.com).
Now I've changed my behavior. For example, I use the "three-second rule": On the highway, stay at least three seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. To check this, simply watch as the vehicle in front passes a fixed object (such as a bridge). It should take three seconds for you to pass the same point. This lag time ensures a safe distance for stopping should the driver in front hit the brake.
Need a refresher on the responsibilities that come with driving? Consider enrolling in a course like the one I took.
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Cashews deserve respect
I eat a lot of cashews. How do they rate as a healthful nut?
Very high, although they rarely make health headlines. Cashews have almost as much magnesium as almonds, and more zinc and selenium than most nuts. Like almonds, cashews are rich in monounsaturated fat and are apt to improve cholesterol and cut heart disease risk, says Gene Spiller, a leading researcher on nuts and director of the Health Research and Studies Center. But cashews rank far below pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds in antioxidants, finds recent USDA research.
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GardenSmart -- Fran Sorin
Keep your Christmas tree fresh
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Water rules
1 gallon: That's the least your tree stand should hold.
Refill daily. The first week, your tree will absorb a huge amount of water.
Skip additives.
Be cool. Lower room temperatures cut water uptake.
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A well-cared-for tree should last three to four weeks. If you store the tree a few days before bringing it indoors, protect it from the elements and place the trunk in water. When you bring the tree in, cut half an inch off the base (unless you've had the tree less than 12 hours). Protect it from drafts and heat, and toss it when the needles are brittle.
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Melt icy walks correctly
In the snow belt, ice melters are a must. But skip rock salt: It blisters concrete and kills plants. A safer bet: products with potassium chloride (which works in temps down to 15 degrees) or calcium chloride (good to 25 below zero). These have a limited effect on plants and won't harm walks. Also consider Safe Paw, guaranteed safe for pets, kids, surfaces and the environment.
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"Hidden" scholarships
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Scholarships are awarded on the basis of height, hobbies, hometown and even career hopes. |
As her kindergarten pupils count out nickels, first-year teacher Jamille Rogers, 22, tells them small sums can add up. Rogers should know: She gathered scholarships from $100 to $3,500 -- $40,000 in all -- to fully fund four years at the University of Central Arkansas.
Finding free money is easy if you know where to look. Many Web sites, including the College Board's (collegeboard.com), offer searches at no cost. Also, check out listings on FastWeb (fastweb.com), Sallie Mae's site (collegeanswer.com) and Scholarship Research Network Express (srnexpress.com).
But first do some prep work:
What makes you unique? Make a list of academic, extracurricular and work experiences that make you stand out. The more specific the scholarship, the easier it is to win it, says Baird Johnson of FastWeb, which has a database of more than 600,000 scholarships: "We have ones for students who may be short or overweight or athletes or non-athletes or even willing to go to their prom dressed in duct tape."
Think local and personal. The smaller the geographical area the scholarship targets, the better your chances. Also, see if your (or your parents') workplace, community groups or area businesses have programs (Kohl's and Target do).
And don't forget to talk to college financial aid officers; most aid ultimately comes from them.
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