😊 RetireHub Daily: Airbnb vs Hotels | 06/06/2024

It is Thursday, June 6th, 2024

Dear RetireHub Daily Readers, time for another Thursday Travel journey! Have you explored using short-term rentals like Airbnb? We’ll explore Airbnb and the usual deals, tips, and trivia down below!

On this day in 1944, led by U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, an Allied armada of ships, planes, and landing craft and some 156,000 troops began the invasion of northern France from England in 1944—the famous “D-Day” of World War II.

Do you know in which part of France the famous D-Day landings occurred? Test your knowledge in our trivia at the end of this newsletter.

Deal of the Day

Carry-On Luggage: $319.99 $100.79 at Macy’s!

Ready to go the extra mile? This collection is. This lightweight carry-on collection is rugged, scratch resistant, and lightweight. Looks good too—especially at this price!

• Shop the deal

RETIREHUB POLL

See how you compare to other RetireHub Daily users.

Hotels vs Airbnb (and other short-term rentals)

Does the idea of missing your home comforts put you off traveling? What if you could make the most of someone else’s home comforts while you’re away?

Airbnb, Vrbo, and other short-term rentals are exactly that—a home away from home. But while they’ve grown in popularity, they aren’t for everyone. But if you’re curious, here’s the difference between hotels and Airbnb:

Airbnb:

• Can be located in any part of the city—this lets you book somewhere close to where you want to be, including away from the busy downtown core where hotels usually are.

• Can be cheaper (but perhaps not)—Airbnb used to be a lot cheaper than hotels, but that doesn’t seem to be the case so often anymore. Though cheap options are available if you don’t mind sharing or you’re traveling in a large group (see below).

• You can stay with a host—some Airbnbs are rooms inside a host’s house or a guest house. If you’re a social creature, you may enjoy staying with a host.

• Or travel as a large group—if you travel with a large group you can rent out an entire house to yourselves. That usually makes things more cost-effective, especially if you cook meals together. On that note …

• You can cook!—though you may want a break from cooking, many Airbnbs come with a kitchen. This lets you cook yourself some meals, reducing one of the biggest travel expenses.

• You can get something that fits you—whereas hotels are designed to please everyone, Airbnbs come in all varieties. You could find the stay of your dreams.

• But watch out for those cleaning fees—annoyingly, cleaning fees have become more popular on Airbnb. These can add an extra charge to your stay.

• Read the reviews—hosts are kept honest by guest reviews. Make sure to read these before booking your trip.

Hotels:

• More predictable—if you like knowing that you’ll get to the hotel, check-in, have a nice clean room with a private bathroom, hotels offer that comforting predictability.

• Usually easy to get to—hotels are usually found near good transport hubs, which makes getting around that bit easier (though because they’re usually downtown, don’t get caught in that traffic!).

• And closer to tourist spots—if you’re in town to see the sights, you can usually find a hotel in the heart of the city. Downtown Airbnbs can be much more expensive.

• 24/7 service—while Airbnb hosts should be available for emergency contact, hotels have a round-the-clock staff available to assist with all manner of needs.

• Probably better for the grandkids—if you’re traveling with the grandkids, hotels will probably have better accommodations and entertainment for them.

If you’ve been on the fence about Airbnb vs Hotels, we hope this helps! Happy travels.

Yesterday’s Poll Results - Do you enjoy going out to the movies? (As in a physical movie theater.)

🎥 While there was a lot of nostalgia for the movies in the comments, most (40%) RetireHub Daily readers would “like to but rarely” go. 10% still regularly go, 22% don’t enjoy going, and 28% “sometimes” go.

Thanks to the many of you who vote and comment every day!

Our Favorite Comments:

We love hearing and sharing all your comments from our polls! While we can’t publish them all, we do read and appreciate every comment.

• “My local theater closed 4 yrs ago & now I commute an hr. Used to go every wk, sure do miss it 😔”

• “With ticket and concessions being high and me on a fixed income it is a rare event.”

• “No local theaters. As a nondriver I just can't get to one anymore. Wish I could go again!”

• “We usually make it a dinner and movie event. I love the new seating in theaters and you can't beat the sound system. I also love movie theater popcorn! It can get costly but we don't do it that often. ”

WHAT WE’RE READING

SENIOR LIVING NEWS

Sharing One Woman’s Extraordinary Life Wisdom

Sylvi was approaching her 73rd year, and as she reflected on her past, especially since the death of her husband nearly a decade ago, she perceived something extraordinary about herself, hidden until now.

She understood the wisdom of consciously allowing previous sufferings to fade. How important were they to her today?

• Read the Article

What is an Irrevocable Trust? Should I Set One Up?

An irrevocable trust is a powerful component of estate planning, designed to offer asset protection, tax advantages, and precise control over the distribution of one's wealth. Once set up, it cannot be modified or rescinded by the grantor, setting it apart from other estate planning tools.

Key Takeaways

•An irrevocable trust means you can’t change or access the assets in it once you’ve finalized everything.

•Irrevocable trusts can protect your assets from creditors and taxation while you’re still alive.

•There are different types of irrevocable trusts, each with its own benefits.

Read the Guide

Longevity Tip of the Day

Be near the water—did you know that spending just 15 minutes next to a body of water improves your sense of well-being? If you’re able to, try sitting by a lake, pond or sea, and let your stress wash away for a while.

Slang Phrase of the Day

Phrase: “Unserious“

Meaning: Perhaps a reaction to the tensions that can arise on social media, “unserious” is a complimentary was of describing a lighthearted person or behavior.

In a sentence: “I loved that Airbnb. Far more unserious than the hotel we stayed in last year.“

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY

Melinda Gates is Giving $1 Billion to Support Women’s Rights–and Families with Young Men, Too

Melinda French Gates has recently announced that she will begin a new chapter of philanthropy by committing $1 billion of her personal fortune to assist in welfare programs that support women around the country, and the world.

Ms. French Gates, now divorced, who recently announced she was resigning from her executive role in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, claimed in an op-ed that only 2% of charitable giving in the United States goes to organizations focused on women and girls.

…Read More

D-Day shipwrecks were a WW2 time capsule – now they are home to rich ocean-floor life

Today, visual reminders of both the D-Day landings and its preparatory exercises are few and far between. Yet beneath the waves, tanks still litter the seafloor – alongside ships, landing craft, planes and an artificial harbour. And it is among these 80-year-old wrecks that an even more intriguing tale of life-after-death can be found.

• …Read More

RETIREHUB TRIVIA

Our goal is to grow RetireHub to over 1 million members — with this, we’ll have the leverage to get even better discounts from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and others.

To help incentivize referrals, we’re giving away 12 months of your favorite streaming service for free! Simply forward this email to a friend (and cc [email protected]) and you’ll be entered into the drawing on June 12th! (Maximum $20/month streaming service).

Each additional friend you send the email to will count as an additional entry (25 person max).