A recent study found that 55 percent of travelers don’t stick to their budget while they’re away. Don’t let that be you! Here’s how to keep from breaking your vacation bank:

If you’d like discounts at theme parks, check out eBay and do a search for "theme park tickets." You’ll find all kinds of two-for-one deals, family packs, and discounts for theme parks everywhere.

If you plan to hit a few National Parks, like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon, those 3 entry fees alone will cost you $60 bucks. So, get a Parks Pass at "NationalParks.org". For $50 bucks, your whole family can get into any national park in the U.S. free for a whole year!

If you’re going to a major city, like New York, Chicago, or Hollywood, try "CityPass.com". A pass can save you up to 50 percent when you visit several tourist attractions in the area.

And one final trick for saving money on your next "vay-kay": When you’re looking for souvenirs, avoid the gift shops, and hit the local Costco or Wal-Mart. According to travel expert Pauline Frommer, superstores carry the same T-shirts and postcards minus the tourist price-hikes.

And, if you miss KOOL 105.5 while on vacation, find an intenet connection and click on the Listen Live link at www.1055online.com !!

 

Are you losing the weight-loss war? Here are four surprising reasons you’re not losing weight. We found this intelligence in Self magazine:

The first reason you’re not losing weight: You work late. According to the International Journal of Obesity, stress and fatigue make workaholics more likely to eat fast food, and less inclined to exercise. The fix: Take several energy-boosting breaks during the day. For example, before your usual afternoon slump, take a 10 minute power walk, which increases energy for two hours. That way, you’ll be less likely to hit the vending machine to get your energy boost from a candy bar or a bag of Cheetos.

Another reason your scale could be stuck: You prefer comfy clothing. Baggy shirts and elastic waistbands make it easy to miss the signs that extra pounds are creeping on. The fix? Personal trainer Jim Karas recommends zipping up your favorite jeans on the weekend. If your jeans are getting snug, you’ll know you need to cut back.

Another scale-sticker: You celebrate your workout with M&Ms. Researchers at the University of Ottawa divided adults into intense or light exercise programs that burned equal numbers of calories. The result: The heavy-duty exercisers ate 120 more calories afterwards, because they felt justified after the hard work. The fix: Stick a healthy snack in your gym bag. For example, 1/2 a cup of dried cranberries, and 10 almonds – which packs enough protein and carbs to satisfy your post-workout hunger, without derailing your diet.

The final reason you’re not losing weight: Your kitchen looks like a grocery store. According to the journal Eating Behaviors, dieters who have a wide variety of snacks ingest more snack-calories than those who are limited to one type of treat. That’s because the human brain’s designed to seek out a wide variety of foods, increasing the number of vitamins and nutrients you ingest. The fix: Pick ONE splurge item to keep in the house at a time. Whether it’s cheese, chocolate, or ice cream sandwiches. Don’t buy another treat until you’ve slowly finished the first one!

Going through the motions at your mundane, boring job can literally PUT YOU TO SLEEP . . . no matter what you do to try to stop it.  Here are some things you can do to try to stay awake at work . . .

#1.)  BRING COFFEE, SNACKS AND GUM.  These things will give you energy . . . and the gum should give you something to do . . . so you don't get bored and fall asleep.  Careful with the coffee, though, because the caffeine could make you crash later on.

#2.)  DON'T REST YOUR EYES OR LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN.  This is pretty obvious, but when you do this . . . it'll be more likely that you'll fall asleep at your desk.  Don't rest your head in your hand, either.

#3.)  MOVE AROUND.  Get up from your desk and walk around the office.  You have to keep that energy up, because staring at your computer screen all day is probably one of the most boring things that you can possibly do.

#4.)  TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS.  If, for some reason, The Man doesn't offer you unlimited breaks . . . take a bathroom break.  While you're there, splash some cold water on your face to wake yourself up.

#5.)  GET HELP FROM CO-WORKERS.  You know how you always see the wage-slaves on "The Office" play games to alleviate their boredom?  If some of your co-workers are cool enough, maybe you can gather them together to do the same.