Can we tell you how many times we’ve arrived at the airport all gleeful about our vacation, only to be slapped with a fee for extra weight?  It seems the hubby’s ability to pack a zillion items efficiently is actually a bad thing- who knew?  And we thought we’d wised up when we started putting the luggage on the scale at home, except that didn’t really help at the tail end of the trip after a few purchases…

That said, we love this new digital luggage scale from Balanzza, due out in May 2009.  You strap the handle onto your luggage, lift, and voila!  Instant weight.  Of course, the key is to do this at home while you can still remove various items without pressure and prying eyes (do you really need 5 bathing suits for a 5-night vacation?)   Don’t forget to take it with you; it runs on 2 AAA batteries and is both small and light enough to be squirreled away in your carry-on after it’s done its job.  This version upgrades the current model with a handy flashlight and timer alarm.  (Still not convinced? Check out this handy airline baggage fee chart that the folks at Balanzza conveniently have on their site.)

Balanzza TOO, available May 2009, MSRP $32.99

It may seem that in today’s economy, luxury travel is a thing of the past.  No longer content to plunk down hoards of money for frightfully exorbitant vacations, people are sticking closer to home, checking out 3-and 4-star hotels, wondering if maybe the vacation should be a staycation.  (You know, those deals where you take a week off, and don’t go anywhere except a tanning salon…)

To be honest, we’ve considered staycations ourselves, but, even with all the crap we need to get done around the house, the idea of spending hard-earned weeks off in our own environs falls far short of enticing.  But here’s what we’ve been learning…

Hotels and cruise lines, especially in the luxury category, have taken a big hit in these days of thrift.  Many of us can’t afford these trips any more.  (Some of us never could but pretended we could, shhhh).  And those of us who still can don’t want to be quite as ostentatious about our spending.  As a result, there’s a lot of wind whistling through empty rooms these days, and many top-notch spots are lowering their rates rather than face the prospect of doormen with nothing to do.

Keep your eyes peeled – we’ll be digging up some deals from websites, hoteliers and wherever we can to show you that luxury travel does not belong in the past.  If anything, it’s now more affordable than ever, and luxury travel at decent prices sounds like a fab deal to us.  After all, we like luxury – but we like holding onto our money too, and it’s great when the two can come together to make a really memorable vacation.

If you’re the super-organized travel mom or dad, chances are you don’t need this product (or you invented it).  If you’re like us, however, and are willing to spend about 25 bucks to fool yourself into thinking you’ve got it together, read on!

Really, who wouldn’t like this travel organizer?  It’s insanely anal – and when it comes to keeping travel documents together, that’s a good thing.  (Just ask the folks on Amazing Race who lost their money & passports while running around Moscow….)  It’s got more pockets, checklists, and forms than you could shake a stick at, and a handy world map with reusable stickers – just in case you don’t know where you’re going.  At 10 1/2 x 12 inches, it’s not exactly super-small – but then if it were, we’d probably lose it, which would really suck.

Delight.com, $21.50