Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true with happiness and success in all aspects of life as the catalysts.

Here, at the Thrifty New England Traveler, we will continue to bring you articles, tips and resources on how to save money on New England travel. We are very budget-minded New England natives and want to pass along our money-saving experiences to you. We also have an unofficial but wonderful network of people sending us their suggestions on cheap New England travel ideas. Thank-you so much!

The economy has been a bear for many of us; we hope that things will change for the better in 2012. It is not only the responsibility of our elected and appointed officials to represent us with boundless integrity, ethics and follow-through efforts, but also for us, the common folk, to make a difference.  Practice civility, place others before yourself and know that you’re a special person — that helps the world become a better place.

The reality of the world can make this a challenge. We know people that have lost their jobs, homes and, sadly, their personal pride. On that last one, please never give up on personal pride for it is the spark plug that makes us all so unique, so special.

And on travel, go if you can truly afford it. Please don’t spend beyond your means. Plan ahead, financially. We personally have spend-free days in our home that helps us in the long run. With that said, we still can’t go long-distance places we’d like to, but we know that good habits and, hopefully, a better economy will allow us to do so in the future. You just feel blessed with what you have and what you can do at the given moment, and know that new chapters in one’s life will bring those travel wishes you have to joyful fruition somewhere down the road. We believe the journey is as important as the destination!

We have found that some of the best travel places are virtually in our backyard, at little or no cost. We have this misconception that you have to travel far to truly get away from it all. You really don’t — we have found that local parks, hiking trails, ocean beaches with free foot access, “townie” restaurants with rock bottom prices, farmers markets and free events on the town common have incredibly special qualities, and ultimately, bring us great memories. I think if people traveled to the region we live, they would find these destinations memorable, too. I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side, but perhaps it’s time to dispel that myth as travel bliss is closer than you think.

We hope you enjoy our Thrifty New England Traveler and that it helps you get the most for your hard-earned dollar when it comes to New England travel. As a prideful local business owner, I thank you so much for coming to our VisitingNewEngland.com sites. It means a lot!

Happy New Year, and hope you can travel our New England region with as little stress on the wallet as possible. It can certainly be done! Additionally, if you have a favorite affordable travel activity in your part of New England, please write us, and we’ll consider your submission for publication. Again, Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true!