As hotel rates continue to jump from grossly overpriced to outright robbery,  many savvy seniors look for other options when they roam. There’s airbnb.com, where you can find private city and beachside homes that rent out to traveling families for $100 a night. They include several bedrooms, kitchens, pools and other comforts that would cost a family of four $600 nightly and more.

Along with Airbnb’s growing success, a similar service is now available, named TrustedHousesitters, It requires guest travelers to take care of the homeowner’s pets during their stay. There’s no charge by the homeowner, but it involves an annual, one-time membership fee. It’s $119 each for the homeowner and the visitor.  For $148, you can sign up as both homeowner and visitor.

According to SmarterTravel, the savings could be surprisingly good. For example, the average taxi fare from Heathrow to downtown London is $85 vs $39 on Uber. From Las Vegas it’s $43 vs $19, and Miami $39 vs $18. Almost makes you think of old times when rates were reasonable.

So, before you jump into a taxi when leaving home and after landing at the airport, plan ahead to contact Uber for an economic ride. And if you speak a bit of German, say billige Fahrt über alles. Despite what you may think, it actually means: Cheap taxi ride above all!

Your desert driving or late-arriving flight takes you to this rockin’ resort in the wee small hours, and you crave some eats. You’ll find a welcome sight at Mr. Lucky’s all-night eatery. Among the many delicious menu items, try the $7.77 special dinner of steak, shrimp and potatoes. Or steak and eggs for a modest $4.99. Then, with stomach satisfied, you can hit the casino tables or machines with renewed vigor as the sun rises on your lucky day.

On your next trip to a scenic area, whether crowded Times Square or lonely Sahara desert, get creative with your smartphone camera. Of course, when with family and friends, first take the usual selfie of everyone grinning in front of the White House, Kremlin and Eiffel Tower.

Then, to enrich your travels shoot some candid photos that show your artistic talent. Compose various elements, such as typical scenes you’ve always admired on other journeys. Capture the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, line up of boats in the Venice Canal, artists painting along the Seine River in Paris, tourists strolling the Great Wall of China.