How to Choose the Perfect Maui Vacation Rental

Have you recently decided that you would like to stay at a private Maui vacation rental, as opposed to a hotel?  If you have, you may be pleased with all of your options.  On the beautiful island of Maui, there are a large number of vacation rentals for you to choose from. You should also know that private rentals come in a number of different formats, which include apartment rentals, homes, villas, and condos.

As nice as it is to have options, in terms of your overnight accommodations, it can make making a decision seem like a huge and overwhelming task.  There is good news though.  With a small amount of thought and careful consideration, you can easily find the perfect Maui vacation rental for you and your trip.

The first step in finding a great Maui rental is creating a budget for yourself.  This is particularly important if you are travelling on a limited budget.  Even if money is not a concern, a travel budget can still do you wonders.  Having a set budget in place can make finding a vacation rental easier, as you may be able to eliminate those that are too costly.  It is also important to note overpayment; why pay more than you need to?

Next, it is important to examine and compare all of your options.  As stated above, you have a number of private Maui vacation rentals to choose from.  For that reason, do not choose the first one that you come across.  Doing so may later result in disappointment.  Instead, you should visit an online travel website and start comparing all of your options.  Speaking of which, there are websites that are designed for Hawaii trips only, as well as those that specialize in private rentals, like homes, cottages, villas, apartment rentals, and condos.

When comparing Maui vacation rentals, there are a number of factors that you will want to keep in mind and take into consideration.  One of those is location.  Don’t spend your vacation on the road travelling to participate in or see the Maui activities and attractions on your vacation to do list.  Instead, examine location.  You will want to choose a rental that is conveniently located.  Doing so can save you money in travel expenses, as well hassle.

Perhaps, the most important factor to take into consideration is rental fees.  When examining Maui vacation rentals, always compare rental fees.  Some vacation rentals can appear identical in nature but have very different rental rates.  As a reminder, do not overpay.  Instead, search for the best deals.  Also, examine extra fees, such as cleaning fees and security deposits, as they are often required for private rentals.

Vacation rental features should also be examined and compared.  You will want to choose a Maui vacation rental that can give you want you want and what you need.  After all, that is what vacations are all about.  Features are particularly important if your Hawaii vacation is an extended trip.  Despite variances, many travellers like having internet access, an onsite swimming pool, a private garden or patio area, as well as a dishwasher.

In short, since you do have a number of different options, in terms of private Maui vacation rentals, take the time to find the vacation rental that is perfect for you.  By doing so, you are less likely to be a disappointment and you won’t be left second-guessing your decision days before your vacation.

5 Tips to Help You Improve Your Hawaii Vacation

Are you planning a Hawaii vacation?  If you are, you may be looking for tips to ensure that your vacation is just as you dreamed it would be.  The good news is that there are a number of steps that you can take to improve the overall satisfaction of your next trip to Hawaii.

1 – Choose Your Overnight Accommodations Wisely

In Hawai, there are many different places to stay.  You can choose from Hawaii hotels, vacation resorts, vacation homes, condos, and so much more.  You are encouraged to think long and hard about where you will stay before making your reservations.  

Where you stay will be the base of your vacation, even if you intend to get out and explore the Hawaiian Island of your choice.  For that reason, choose an attractive looking hotel or private rental, as well as one that is stocked full of great features and makes you feel comfortable.

2 – Check the Weather Before You Leave

There is nothing worse than being unprepared for a trip, especially where the weather is concerned.  Before you start to pack for your trip, be sure to check the anticipated weather forecast.  The night before or the morning of your trip, be sure to check again for any changes.

Hawaii’s weather is important, as it can have an impact on the way that you pack your bags.  You can also reduce your vacation expenses, as you aren’t left buying last minute supplies, like a raincoat.  The anticipated weather forecast will also have an impact on your vacation activities.

3 – Bring Extra Spending Money

Extra spending money, even just a small amount of it, is important when traveling, especially to Hawaii.  A good step to take however is to first research popular Hawaii activities and attractions.  In doing so, you can get a good idea of how much money you should bring with you.  Still, having extra spending money on hand is nice.  You may wish to purchase souvenirs or visit a popular attraction that wasn’t on your to-do list.  Carrying a small amount of extra cash or having your debit card handy can’t do you any harm.

4 – Bring the Proper Documents With You

While most vacations are able to go off without a hitch, you should always be prepared for the unexpected.  For that reason, you and every member of your traveling party should bring all proper and important documents with you.  These documents should include your driver’s license or another photo identification card, as well as your health insurance cards.  In the event you suffer from a medical injury, it can work in your favor to have all needed documents ready and on hand, as opposed to thousands of miles away.

If you will be renting a car, be sure to bring documents proving that you are insured, as some car rental companies require them.

5 – Remember to Have Fun

Leave all of your problems at home.  A family vacation or a romantic getaway to Hawaii should be fun and relaxing, it isn’t the time to be concerned with work.

Hippies

What does the word hippy mean to you? For many boomers, it is a reminder of a better time. Hippies were the forefront of great change. We were very naive. The word hippy is somewhat odd and old-fashioned now but it had enormous energy in the mid to late sixties. The word and the concept carried with it the impact of colossal social change as well as an extensive shift in public decency and knowledge. So, while this was often a time of a bit of discomfort for the baby boomer generation, it is also a part of our story and deserves respect for that reason.

I was not a hippy, but I had a few friends that embraced that lifestyle. As is often the case, the hippie movement was something that got tremendous media coverage but it represented only a small portion of the baby boomer population at the time. Very few of our age actually joined the “tune in, drop out, turn on” society. Hippies were seen as colourful, eccentric, flamboyant and immoral, they aroused public concern. Any time there was a public display the public media covered the event because they thought it might be a hippie gathering.

The hippies were a small minority, but they did change society because the hippies were white, middle-class children who were rejecting their parent's lifestyle. Part of the rejection was a discontent with the Vietnam War. Many hippies embraced the antiwar movement. Over a few short months, the two blended to where there was virtually no distinction. These changes in youth culture were brought on by the eruption of new music and changes in lifestyle. We thought a new worldview was emerging and we saw the leaders in the rock music world being seen as cultural leaders. All of this combined in our minds enough for us to see the hippie movement as a shift of our social values from the previous generation.

While on the surface we now associate hippies with drug use and free love (e.g. sex), the actual movement itself was grounded in a tremendous sense of value, morality and social responsibility.

The youth movement at the time held a mirror up to society and demanded we look. Moreover, for the first time ever, it held public figures accountable for actions that were taken that harmed the public good. Too bad, we as seniors have not continued that focus on holding government and its officials responsible. Holding people accountable is a good thing and one that hippies gave us and one we gave away.

There was a strong thread of ethics and philosophy in the hippie social system that, while different from what previous generations were used to, it was grounded in a fervent love and sense of right and wrong. Hippies did not reject the values of their parents but they and others who wanted change were bold and determined in their enthusiasm to put themselves on the line to see their values translated into government policy. 

Because the youth movement was so willing to demonstrate and make extraordinary and colourful public statements to emphasize their political, ethical or moral outrage, things changed in a way that the country had never seen before.

The youth movement of the sixties gave the power for change into the hands of the ordinary men and women. This is something we can be thankful that the hippie movement started. It is time for my generation to remember this legacy.

Creating Retirement Wealth

We are all looking for a comfortable retirement, but as we approach our retirement many of us are concerned that we will not have enough money to fund a comfortable retirement or we will not have enough money to fund our retirement for as long as we live. There have been plenty of rumbles from Governments that the Social system will not be able to bear up under the huge demand the boomer generation will put on it.  So, few baby boomers are looking to depend on that money being there, even though we are all paying into it every month.

Our parents had an interesting working life, they could work for the same company for life and retire with a nice pension, we don't have those opportunities anymore. Long ago corporate America began to eliminate retirement packages as a straightforward benefit.  So many baby boomers find themselves approaching retirement age with insufficient retirement monies to support them.  What you need is a solid plan to attack this problem while you still have a good 10 to 15 years of working potential in you.  Some principles of that plan might be…

Simplify Your Life.

When the kids finish college and get out on their own, you may find your life could be simplified considerably.  You might not need as big a house and many of the extras that were important when you raise a family in that house.  Do a thorough review of your assets and your expenses.  You will find you can cut costs significantly and even begin to cash in on some of the extras you have had all these years and put all of those savings into the bank as a hedge for the day when you are ready to retire.

Pack the Bank Account Now.

The empty nest syndrome isn’t all bad.  Returning to a lifestyle of just you and your spouse discovering life together can be exciting.  You have conquered many challenges raising a family in this tough world and you deserve to be proud of your life of accomplishment.  But now you and your spouse can take on a big challenge that is just for you which is to get out there and generate income for retirement.

Mom can go back to work and both members of the union can take on as much work as can be found.  Often in the mid to late fifties, the primary breadwinner may be able to retire from that job they have held down for several decades.  But instead of beginning to live off of retirement funds, get another career going that can generate another ten to fifteen years of income.  With good budget management, it’s very likely you will be able to bank at least one entire income if not more and put all of that money back into retirement. 

Paying taxes are a fact of life, but you should be able to shelter extra income until you are ready to use it and then you will pay tax on the money.  Revenue generation at any time, but if done as you collect your retirement income can lead to a healthy retirement lifestyle that can only benefit you.

Identify a Money Generator that Can Stay with You

There are second careers that you can find that will become a good source of supplemental revenue even after you retire. There are many potential “careers” which you can do after you retire to generate additional income.  Writing or doing work online is a good way to set up a home-based business that you can continue to work for as long as you can type, see reasonably well and your thinking capacity is sound.

Other examples of retirement careers are part-time jobs as apartment managers or caregivers, sales jobs in using the expertise from your primary career or jobs that are somewhat non-taxing such as greeting customers at a Wal-Mart or working in a bookstore. These jobs have the benefit of adding to your revenue while keeping you active as you enjoy life in retirement. And that is what all of us want.