Are you sick of spending your summer vacation cramped up in a hotel while the rides at Disneyland sit idly by, cementing the thought that you just blew the down payment on a small house to watch reruns on HBO? To combat the fickle nature of well nature, Priceline.com is offering a "Sunshine Guarantee" which will provide a refund to you in the event that your vacation is rained out. Like all good offers though, there are a few qualifications to the refund.

A light drizzle as you arrive for check in at the hotel won't be enough to get a refund on your vacation. In order to get your money back it will need to rain at least a half an inch on half of the days you are on vacation, with the rainfall amount being recorded at your destination's airport. Even though it should go without saying the "Sunshine Guarantee" only covers those services you book through Priceline.

I wouldn't recommend spending extra to purchase weather insurance for your next trip, but if you can get it for free by booking through Priceline and still get competitive prices on your vacation you may as well take advantage of the extra protection. Even though the offer will refund your money it can't refund those vacation days you burnt to get away so be sure to check out DryDay.com which will help you find the best day to have an outdoor event. Then again, if you vacation for museums and culinary delights rather than outdoor activities you might be able to use DryDay.com to figure out which dates would most likely net you a free trip!

Earlier this month we covered 25 ways to raise cash quick with ideas ranging from medical testing and gambling to renting out your extra parking space. If for some reason pimping out your bod for science doesn't sound like a sound method for raising some extra dough, and you already have a day job, then I have the answer for you! Instead of taking a stay-cation and exploring your local town for your 2-3 week vacation, take a workcation. That's right; you can use this short period to do some temping, or work at one of many random jobs while still collecting pay from your regular employer.

For example, if you already have some kind of part-time or freelance gig, see if you can use your vacation to tackle a new project or get some extra work done. I've been using my vacation days to write posts here at WalletPop, but even if you aren't a blogger, there are many possibilities for taking a workcation.

If you've already tried a temp agency, then your next stop for finding short-term employment should be with small businesses. Hit up any small businesses you frequent or whose owners you know to see if you can do any odd jobs that have been sitting on their corporate "honey-do" list for ages. Your own company may be the source of some workcation money. If they have extra tasks which need completed, see if you can take your vacation days and still come in to work at full pay even if you are doing something else in another department. If your company is weathering the recession, they might be up for it.

The Daily Deal for Sunday, June 7, 2008

Are you ready with your Father's Day presents yet? If not, I have the perfect Daily Deal for you from Hammocks.com. Who can deny that every father's fondest desire is to have an occasional day to himself to do absolutely nothing? What better way is there to spend a day of nothing than to be laying back in a breezy hammock with a cold beverage and the ball game on the radio? Is there anything as enjoyable as a shady snooze?

Hammocks.com is offering the Island Bay, quilted hammock with included stand for a 32% discount. For just $189.98, you get the hammock, a button attached pillow, the powder coated stand and all hanging hardware. This is a two person sized hammock with a 450 pound capacity, so it'll hold just about anyone's dad. For a limited time, shipping to the continental U.S. is just $15. The company claims next day shipping, so you should still be able to get one delivered before dad's big day arrives.

Over the weekend, Consumerist posted a story about a family that got "kicked off" a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. It cost the Cortes family $3,000 to get home afterward. Shame on the ship, right? Wrong.

The ship did the right thing, and some of the details are here. The situation was simple: Zoie Cortes, seven months old, got sick on the ship and was vomiting and had diarrhea. The family took her to the ship's doctor, who said she was dehydrated and should receive treatment at a hospital.

The ship was leaving port in 10 minutes, so they had to move quickly to get their things and get off the ship to go to the hospital. The Cortes family went to a hospital in Nassau, and the staff diagnosed the baby with a cold. Not serious at all. The family was then in a position where they had to get themselves to the next port to meet the ship or go home. Had they purchased travel insurance, those costs would have been covered. They did not purchase travel insurance, so the cost is their own.

I'm trying to live a slower life, and years ago I cancelled all my family's credit cards and we've now gone for almost two years without a car. A big problem with this sort of lifestyle is that it's truly hard to take a vacation -- it turns out that all of our vacations had been financed through credit.

When I saw Zac Bissonnette's post on a bank offering "vacation loans," I shook my head right along with him. (And no, vacation loans are not a solution for a family living without credit cards!) My solution has been something far more practical and with both financial and psychological benefits: I vacation in my own backyard.

Last year, I took a week off in early April to slay blackberry vines that had taken over my yard and dig up the dirt, make raised beds, and build a big sandbox for my boys. This year, my week's spring break will feature the transplanting of several varieties of tomato and pepper, the aggressive creation of an herb garden, the planting of an experiment with four new types of beans, and the digging out of a garden on the other side of my yard, to be used as a several-years rotation.

I've recently become enamored with gardening, so my upfront cost for my vacation this year is about $400 in various gardening books, fencing, plants, and a splurge on some very expensive fertilizer (kelp meal, recommended by a favorite local author; I plan to share with my neighbors). Instead of researching attractions and finding the best price for a hotel, I'll be building a pergola and trying to figure out which are the best grapes for our soil. Instead of expensive dinners at roadside restaurants, I'll go all out and buy two new blueberry bushes.

I was my local bank -- TD BankNorth -- the other day, depositing a check and looking at mortgage information. I read the brochure and saw that this "financial services institution" was offering "vacation loans."

I know that most banks offer vacation loans and loans for installing pools or getting breast implants, but I'm still amazed that they advertise a product that is so dangerous to the financial health of their customers. I was talking to the loan officer while I waited for the computer to process my mortgage application, and I asked her about the vacation loans. She said that she felt that they were a valuable service to consumers because they were preferable to putting recreational travel expenses on a credit card.

I guess that's true. But it's also kind of like hearing a coke dealer defend his trade by saying that crack is bad for your teeth.

This post is part of our series on people, places and things finding new life in 2008.

Travel agent may seem like an occupation of the past, like elevator operators and milkmen, but they're not only hanging on, some of them are thriving.

In fact, the February/March issue of ShopSmart magazine, published by Consumer Reports, has a story on travel agents, saying that they're often better than online travel services, especially in three areas:

When you can't find exactly what you want. Think about it. Sometimes, you can spend hours clicking on every little link, and whatever you have in mind, just can't be found. Travel agents have more resources than you, the good ones, anyway, and so you can either keep clicking or contact someone who is in the travel trenches every day of the year.

When everything has to be perfect. Whether you work for a company that will be sending its CEO off to Burma, or you're paying for your very particular Aunt Sylvia to fly in, a travel agent can come in handy. Or maybe this is your first honeymoon, and you're planning a very elaborate European cross-country trip. Travel agents don't just book a few flights and rooms -- they can map out an entire itinerary.

When you need flexibility. Traveling, especially air travel, never goes perfectly. If you fear you'll need to change planes or plans at the last minute, a travel agent may be able to talk to an airline directly and keep you away from those headache hassles.

Perhaps it's a bit early for some of us to get out on the links, but that's no reason why golfers can't start thinking about gearing up for the coming turf chunking season. Do you need a new driver to replace the one you wrapped around that tree? Should you stock up on balls to replace the ones still at the bottom of that pond? How about your shoes? Is this the year you'll buy real golf shoes to improve your game or are you going to go out putting in that same old, worn out pair of cross-trainers?

I found a great closeout deal on Etonic G>SOK GT, golf shoes at DiscountGolfShoes.com . DGS is asking just $60 plus about $15 shipping for these golf shoes. These Etonic golf shoes regularly sell in the $100 price range. They feature classic styling in high grade, soft leather uppers, high density foot support and an in-shoe moisture control system. The shoes stand firm on high quality Goodyear rubber outsoles which provide turf grip for the athlete without the use of cleats.

For shopping comparison, I located the same shoes being sold at innovativeGOLFgear.com . IGG is currently selling the same shoes for $109.95. IGG is only charging a base shipping rate of $5.95 for the shoes which closes the price gap a little but roughly speaking, these shoes from DGS will cost $75, while they'll cost $115.90 from IGG.

Take note that this is a closeout offer from DiscountGolfShoes.com, so your individual size may not be available. Note also that although these are advertised as men's shoes, I'd say some of the ladies might find these golf shoes quite suitable for wearing while whacking some golf balls around.

If you happen to have money left over from the holidays and like to travel, good news! According (subscription required)to the Wall Street Journal, "Travelers desperate to escape the winter weather are in luck: Hotel rooms and good deals are in strong supply in sunny spots."

Low travel volume and a weakening economy have led to reduced airfares and special promotions at some low- and moderately-price hotels in the Caribbean. The Journal adds that:

Celebrity Cruises Inc. has several promotions for Caribbean cruises, including a five-night cruise that starts at $349 per person for an inside room, $449 for an ocean-view room. The cruise departs from Miami on Feb. 9 and visits Jamaica and Grand Cayman. A seven-night southern Caribbean cruise departing Feb. 2 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, starts at $699 for an inside room, $849 for an ocean-view.

Of course, none of that helps if you can't afford it -- If you have any credit card debt, WalletPop admonishes you to not even dream of going on a cruise until it's all paid off. The time at work that you may miss also adds to the cost of the vacation.

However, if you need a break and have some savings, Budget Travel's website is a good resource.