Latest news with #budgetfriendly
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
This $148 smart TV is selling like hotcakes on Amazon Canada — plus, 5 other really good TV deals to shop today
Shoppers say the smart TV has an "excellent picture" and comes equipped with your favourite streaming apps and lots of free channels. When it comes to affordable home entertainment, finding a quality TV that doesn't break the bank but still has all the features you want can be tricky. Luckily, Amazon shoppers say this budget-friendly Philips Roku TV delivers on both criteria. The 32-inch Roku Smart TV has received positive reviews on Amazon Canada thanks to its crisp picture, built-in streaming apps and easy setup. The best part? It's under $150 — a total steal for a smart TV with all the essentials. If you're looking to add another TV to a spare bedroom, cottage, dorm room, a small apartment or RV — without blowing your budget — keep reading to see why this lightweight Roku TV is a top pick for frugal streamers. The details The 32-inch Philips Roku Smart TV is a compact, budget-friendly option that offers crisp visuals, a smooth interface and pre-loaded apps to access your favourite streaming services with a single click of a button, including Disney+, Netflix, or Amazon Prime Video. A simple, clear interface and straightforward remote design make it easy to navigate, even for those who are not necessarily tech-savvy. This smart TV delivers 720p HD resolution and comes equipped with The Roku Channel, which provides free content streaming and live channels, including 500,000 movies and TV episodes. Choose between wall-mounted or use the included legs to sit it on a media stand. Dolby Audio promises enhanced sound quality for cozy movie nights, while the search function makes it easy to find what you want to watch quickly, whether it's a new series or streaming live sports. With built-in Wifi and AirPlay, users can share videos, photos and music from Apple devices. This model also works with smart assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google. What reviewers are saying ⭐ 4.4/5 stars 🛍️ 250+ reviews 🏅"It's fast [and] works great." The majority of reviewers gave this Philips TV five stars, with one noting it is "easy to set up" and has "great volume control." "I'm beyond impressed," they continued, saying it is "perfect" for those looking for a small, lightweight TV. "TV is great," another said. "Setup is pretty easy," one shopper said. "It worked and it was cheap." However, while many shoppers were happy with their purchase, some reviewers had mixed opinions on the legs and included screws. One shopper, who gave the TV a four-star rating, said the screws included for the base were the "wrong size" and were "too long." Another shopper encountered issues with the screen after three weeks and noted that customer service was not helpful. The verdict If you're looking for a solid everyday TV that's under $150, the 32-inch Philips Roku Smart TV checks a lot of boxes. With 720p resolution, Dolby Audio and seamless built-in streaming, it offers a user-friendly experience that's great for casual viewing or small spaces. It's earned many positive reviews for its crisp resolution, easy-to-use interface and reliable performance — especially given the sub-$150 price tag. However, some users encountered issues with attaching the legs to the TV and instead opted for a wall mount, something to keep in mind before you add to cart. Shop more TV deals on Amazon
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Allegiant Announces New Nonstop Routes to 12 Cities, Expanding Florida Footprint
LAS VEGAS, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegiant Travel Company ( NASDAQ: ALGT ) today announced seven new nonstop routes connecting 12 cities across the country, including a new destination: Fort Myers, Florida via Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). To celebrate, the company is offering one-way fares on the new routes as low as $49.* The new routes, launching this fall, will provide convenient, nonstop service between these cities and expand Allegiant's growing presence in popular leisure destinations. As more travelers seek value-driven travel options, Allegiant remains dedicated to making dream vacations possible with budget-friendly fares and excellent customer service. 'This expansion reflects our commitment to connecting underserved communities with affordable, convenient travel options,' said Drew Wells, Allegiant's chief commercial officer. 'By adding Fort Myers and increasing service to multiple beach cities, we're providing travelers nonstop access to sunny destinations, meaning they spend less time at the airport and more time on vacation.' The new routes between Fort Myers, Florida via Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and the following cities include: The new route between Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida via Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and Toledo, Ohio via Toledo Express Airport (TOL) begins November 20, 2025 with one-way fares as low as $59.* The new route between Fort Lauderdale, Florida via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Fort Wayne, Indiana via Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) begins November 20, 2025 with one-way fares as low as $59.* The new route between New Orleans via Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Punta Gorda, Florida via Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) begins November 21, 2025 with one-way fares as low as $49.* The new route between Nashville, Tennessee via Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Gulf Shores, Alabama via Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) begins November 21, 2025 with one-way fares as low as $49.* A hallmark of Allegiant's leisure-focused business model is its network of all-nonstop flights, making air travel more seamless and accessible. Passengers spend less time at the airport and more time enjoying their vacation. Tickets for all newly announced routes are now available. Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found at *About the introductory one-way fares: Seats and dates are limited and fares are not available on all flights. Flights must be purchased by July 30, 2025 for travel by Feb. 10, 2026. Prices displayed includes taxes, carrier charges & government fees. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Optional baggage charges and additional restrictions may apply. For more details, optional services and baggage fees, please visit Allegiant – Together We FlyTM Las Vegas-based Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is an integrated travel company with an airline at its heart, focused on connecting customers with the people, places and experiences that matter most. Since 1999, Allegiant Air has linked travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class vacation destinations with all-nonstop flights and industry-low average fares. Today, Allegiant's fleet serves communities across the nation, with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. For more information, visit us at Media information, including photos, is available at Media Contact Phone: 702-800-2020 Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Allegiant Travel Company
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The 'other' Michelin award travellers should know
Long overshadowed by the coveted Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand celebrates the world's best budget-friendly restaurants. When the latest Michelin Guide to California was published in June, most headlines focused on its starred restaurants, including Hollywood's seafood-focused Providence. At the awards ceremony, it joined a rarified global club of eateries with three stars, Michelin's highest honour – one reserved for lofty cuisine and prices to match. Multi-course menus at Providence start at $325 (£240). Even their poached egg, that humble breakfast staple, comes with sea urchin and Champagne beurre blanc. (For an extra $40 (£30), you can zhuzh it up with golden Kaluga caviar, too.) Sublime as it may be, such fare bears little resemblance to my most memorable meals in Los Angeles. Like the spicy, aromatic toothpick lamb at Chengdu Taste, a no-frills Szechuan eatery in an Alhambra strip mall. Or the chile relleno burritos from East LA stalwart La Azteca Tortilleria, its house-made flour wrappers spilling piquant salsa across my lap. Even if they swapped their paper napkins for starched linen and played soft piano in the background – rumoured to be among the criteria for earning a coveted Michelin star – neither eatery is likely to obtain one. "Stars are oriented towards a certain kind of restaurant… often it's white tablecloths and tasting menus," said food writer and Eater editor Rebecca Roland, who grew up in LA and covered the most recent Michelin rollout. "The guide still considers a traditional fine dining experience very heavily." However, both Chengdu Taste and La Azteca Tortilleria appear on Michelin's lesser-known list: the Bib Gourmand, which recognises budget-friendly restaurants around the world. Unlike starred places, many LA "Bibs" are low-key local favourites; Roland mentioned hefty pastrami sandwiches at Langer's Delicatessen as one unmissable example. "I can't imagine someone coming to LA and not telling them to go to Langer's," she said. Such places help explain why Bib Gourmands have become a go-to resource for many foodie travellers. But curiously, even three decades after its launch, the Bib Gourmand can still feel like an open secret. "When you go to a Bib Gourmand, it's like you're wrapped in the people, the culture, the ingredients," said Ben Beale, a frequent traveller from Los Angeles who has sought out Bibs in cities like London and Hanoi. The Vietnamese capital has an impressive 22 Bibs, including renowned pho shop Phở Bò Lâm, which is famous for its beef heel muscle soups and where diners crouch on flimsy plastic stools. Beale used to plan his trips around Michelin-starred restaurants, making reservations weeks in advance. But he began to feel the high-end spots lacked the strong sense of place he found at Bibs. Instead, he started using the Michelin Guide app to search out more impromptu meals. "With Bib Gourmands it's more like, 'we're going to bounce up to London, let's just open the app when we're hungry and see what's about'," he said. Bib Gourmands versus Michelin stars The Bibs are relatively recent additions to the storied guidebook. The first Michelin Guide came out in 1900, a marketing ploy by the eponymous French tyre manufacturers hoping to inspire drivers to hit the road. In 1926, Michelin established "stars" for stand-out spots. It wasn't until 1997 that the guides introduced the modern Bib Gourmand symbol, a cartoon Michelin man licking his lips. (Bib is short for "Bibendum", the puffy mascot's official name.) "The Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants that our inspectors consider to be the best value for money," explained the anonymous Chief Inspector for the Michelin Guide North America by email. Meals at Bibs generally include two courses and wine or dessert for under $50 (£37) and are more relaxed than starred meals. "There's no set formula for a Bib restaurant," the inspector added. "They are all unique." While the modern Bib Gourmand was launched in 1997, it lacks the stars' cultural status. "Not many people know the Bib Gourmand award… they see 'Michelin' and think it's a star," said Aylin Okutan Kurt, co-owner of Karaköy Lokantası, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Istanbul's , waterfront Karaköy neighbourhood. Kurt sometimes has to explain the difference to tourists arriving at her restaurant. Among locals, Karaköy Lokantası is beloved for reverential renditions of traditional Turkish dishes, its kitchen wringing such depth of flavour from familiar recipes that it reminds diners why they attained "classic" status in the first place. At dinner, tables are crowded with small plates best accompanied by generous pours of the aniseed-scented spirit rakı. One Istanbul friend described it as "the kind of restaurant you visit if you live in Istanbul and really love living in Istanbul". On a spring visit last year, I joined the lunchtime crowd for plates of hünkar beğendi, meat-topped smoked aubergine that's pure Turkish comfort food. At the next table over, a trio of women shared fried mantı (meat-filled dumplings) doused in silky yoghurt. With its blue-tiled walls and well-heeled clientele, Karaköy Lokantası is undeniably elegant, but Kurt insists it isn't Michelin star material. The cooking is homier than what she called the "chef food" at Istanbul's starred restaurants. Those, like two-starred Turk Fatih Tutak, are more likely to feature deconstructed – rather than classic – versions of the recipes her own kitchen makes each day. Yet, traditional foods are one reason travellers seek out Bib Gourmands over Michelin stars in the first place. "When I'm going to a new country, I want to try authentic foods," said James Zhang, a traveller from Plano, Texas. "I'm not necessarily looking to try the most cutting-edge foods from chefs." Earlier this year, Zhang visited a series of Bib Gourmand restaurants in France with his family. At La Merenda in Nice, they savoured southern French classics including pistou pasta and stuffed and fried courgette blossoms. "It just really stood out to us," Zhang said. "There were a lot of locals there, and it felt like you really got to experience something unique." What Michelin stars miss Not all Bib Gourmand restaurants serve traditional regional cuisine. In fact, some argue they reflect the kind of culinary diversity that Michelin stars tend to miss. In a 2024 analysis, French data scientist Thomas Pernet found that French, Italian and Japanese cuisines are disproportionately represented among starred restaurants. He also noted that while Japanese food is widely celebrated, other non-Western cuisines can face bias and have historically been undervalued abroad. More like this:• How do restaurants actually get a Michelin star?• The ingenious story behind Michelin stars• A two-Michelin-star chef's guide to the best dining spots in Istanbul In Los Angeles County, home to more Asian American and Pacific Islanders than any other US county, just two non-Japanese Asian restaurants – Taiwanese-inspired Kato and Korean Restaurant Ki – have Michelin stars. Ki is a new addition. In the same area, the starred list includes two French and two Italian eateries. I thought of Pernet's research earlier this year when I covered the launch of the first Michelin Guide to Quebec. All three newly Michelin-starred restaurants in Montreal specialised in tasting menus of French cuisine. That raised eyebrows in a multicultural city that may be majority French-speaking but is certainly not French. (It was one of many online critiques, with one headline reading: "Michelin doesn't understand Montreal".) Yet the city's Bib Gourmand list was full of restaurants that felt more representative of the city's characteristic culinary style and diversity. There was the Syrian and Armenian cuisine of Le Petit Alep, where I've lingered over muhammara dip, its rich walnuts offset by the sharp tang of pomegranate molasses. Rotisserie chicken, a local staple that melds working-class Quebecois roots and foods brought by waves of Portuguese immigrants, was represented by Rôtisserie La Lune in the city's Little Italy. Would I eat at the city's three newly Michelin-starred dining rooms, with their French-inflected menus and impossible reservations? Sure; they're probably great. But as a traveller, I'm more inclined to seek out the affordable, diverse and vividly local thrills that Bibs offer. Perhaps I'll follow in the footsteps of fellow aficionado Beale. I'll wait until I'm hungry, look at the map and see if I can find a table at the closest Bib Gourmand. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cost-conscious Michigan families rethink their summer vacations
Michigan families are still getting out of town this summer but they're not traveling as far, or for as long. Faced with rising prices on everything from rent to groceries, many Michiganders are scaling back on summer travel. Families are driving instead of flying, opting for shorter getaways and looking for more budget-friendly options like cruises or trips closer to home. "The family customer is looking to cut costs whenever or wherever they can," Geoffrey Lenart, owner of the St. Clair Shores-based travel agency Seven Seas Travel, said in an email. He said his agency has seen a big drop in that business compared with 2022 and 2023. "Our agency used to book a lot of family vacations for the summer and we are not seeing that this year," he said. While travel remains a priority for most Michigan residents, the post-pandemic travel boom has cooled in certain ways. More than 80% of Michiganders said they plan to take at least one vacation for three or more days this year, according to a January survey by the American Automobile Association. June and July are the most popular months for Michigan residents to travel, followed closely by August and September, the survey found. This year, however, marks a shift. In the years following the pandemic, there was high travel demand, and prices rose as a result, peaking in 2023. More on how costs have risen: Inflation is slowing. Wages are up. So why does life feel costly for many Michiganders? It's becoming cheaper to travel Prices are declining, although they still remain well above pre-pandemic levels. The average cost of a flight from Detroit in the third quarter of last year (July, August and September) was $404, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The travel search engine Kayak found both domestic and international travel each saw a 9% decrease in airfare for Michiganders compared with last summer. U.S. hotel rates, meanwhile, fell slightly by 2% to $174/night in 2024 compared with 2023, according to 2025 Hotel Price Index. Overall, the average cost of a trip (a round-trip flight and a typical hotel) for Americans is down 6% compared with last summer, Kayak found. But consumer behavior has shifted ... to cruises Lenart said while he's seeing prices start to drop significantly on certain trips, cruises have become a more popular option with some travelers. He said Seven Seas Travel's cruise business is up at least 200% this year compared with last year. Brandon Javon Easley, 36, of Eastpointe, will leave in early August for a dream trip of his: a cruise around Greece for seven days, celebrating his and his wife's anniversary. Easley is leaving his two kids at home but he'll be joined by about 60 family members on the cruise, which was planned by Seven Seas Travel. He started using Seven Seas Travel to plan trips to Las Vegas but once he went on one cruise, "I've been hooked ever since." What Easley likes about cruises is that he can see multiple cities in one trip and also pay for the cruise in monthly installments far ahead. Traveling "becomes affordable because you're able to put down your deposit. They actually help you to set up a payment plan, and it's not so much that you take a large hit at one time. So being able to put down a minimum deposit and then turning around and being able to pay monthly or biweekly ... makes it very, very easy and affordable," he said. Even though these cruises aren't cheap — his cruise to Greece will cost about $7,000 — Easley said he's noticed that prices for cruises have become more affordable in recent years. Lenart said that with cruises, customers can pay up to 18 months ahead, which is common practice. 'Staycations' are growing in popularity Even if families aren't turning as much to travel agencies to book their summer travel, they are still traveling. While cruises are a relatively small but growing segment of Michigan travel, the most popular type of trip this year for Michiganders is a road trip, AAA found, with 45% of survey respondents saying they plan to take this type of trip in 2025. The vacation rental website Airbnb, meanwhile, found U.S. travelers who are looking to book through Airbnb are interested more this year in trips within 300 miles of their homes. Groups and families account for more than 60% of searches for rentals within 300 miles of home, according to a recent summer trend report from Airbnb. In fact, nearly 30% of Americans with children ages 18 or younger living at home said that they are choosing staycations over travel to other destinations, or are very likely to do so, according to an April online survey conducted by Panterra Research and Airbnb. Early insights from northern Michigan hotels indicate that Michigan residents are traveling to northern Michigan in record numbers. Typically, about 70% of northern Michigan tourists live in the state, executives at northern Michigan organizations that promote tourism say. Jim Powell, executive director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, said hotel occupancy in June was on track to match June's 2024 occupancy rate, which was a record June for the region. The week of the July 4 holiday weekend, he said some hotels did report having some vacancies on Monday and Tuesday but hotels were mostly full by the holiday weekend. Powell attributed that to people holding off to see what the weather would be and being unsure about taking a family vacation. "Coming out of COVID, we've had these wonderful growth years and that growth has continued," he said. "We keep predicting that it's going to fall back, but it's not." Powell said one reason why that growth has continued is because of the area's accessibility. "It's a three- to four-hour drive, so it's a tank of gas," Powell said. "We have a variety of hotel products here, everything from some old school motels and hotels that are super affordable and priced right. Then we have the other end of the spectrum." Trevor Tkach, president and CEO of Traverse City Tourism, said he knew based on surveys that consumers are thinking about their finances. They also said that their intent to travel never wavered. Tkach said this year through June, the average length of stay at a hotel in Traverse City dropped slightly compared with last year. The percentage of visitors staying overnight is down from about 80% to 77%, suggesting to him that people are still visiting Traverse City, but they are staying for fewer nights than they otherwise might and could be driving in for the day instead of staying overnight. He said the average hotel room cost has dropped compared with 2024, which he said could be partly due to the significant increase in hotel inventory in Traverse City this year. The average hotel price in Traverse City based on data from 28 hotels is $219, with high season averages around $408, according to an analysis from More Michigan travel ideas: 3 small Michigan towns are made for a summer shopping trip Trips are last to be sacrificed A Panterra poll confirmed that travel remains a priority for many people. It found that vacations are the last thing to be cut from people's budgets, with the majority of those surveyed saying they are more likely to (or will) spend less on dining out, entertainment or will change brands to stay in budget. That's how Chris Sherrod, 35, of Westland, feels. Sherrod has five children but still makes it a priority to travel. Often, that travel is around his children's out-of-town sports tournaments, and he and his wife find free activities to do with their children to make a vacation out of it. Most years at the beginning of summer, he and his family drive to Disney World in Florida for their annual summer vacation, but, this year, they couldn't get their schedules to line up. So instead, Sherrod is taking an adults-only vacation with his wife and some friends and family to Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on Mexico's west coast. He used an AAA travel agent to help him identify the weeks with the cheapest flights and book flights within his budget, which was $800 per person for a round-trip flight. The travel agent helped him find flights for $600 per person. Leading up to the trip, Sherrod is making sure to keep expenses in check, such as spending no more than $125 on groceries per week. Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cost-conscious Michigan families rethink their summer vacations
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Amazon shoppers ‘beyond impressed' as ‘crystal-clear' portable projector gets slashed from £130 to £45
KEEN to bring the big-screen experience home this summer? Head to Amazon. The online retailer has knocked down the price of a budget-friendly, portable projector by 65% – and it's got shoppers raving. Do enough digging through Amazon's deals pages, and you'll find sky-high savings on all sorts of tech, from portable power banks to over-ear headphones. This portable home projector is from a brand we in the Shopping team haven't come across before, and haven't tested ourselves. But it's racked up over 250 five-star reviews on Amazon, with buyers buzzing about its auto-focus and keystone adjustment features, as well as its cracking picture quality. This isn't some top-of-the-range projector that'll blow your socks off with all the bells and whistles - you'll have to spend much more on premium devices that offer 4K picture quality. But if you're after something to watch the odd film, catch the football, or a spot of gaming, it's a solid choice that leaves minimal impact on your wallet. The iWIMIUS Portable Projector is packed with a range of features that are pretty eye-catching, for a device that now costs less than £50. Its auto-focus and keystone correction are clever bits of tech that sort the image out for you, so you don't need to faff about adjusting it manually. It even has smart features to line the picture up perfectly with your screen and dodge obstacles like plug sockets or furniture that might get in the way. The sound's no slouch either - it's got built-in 20W speakers with Dolby Digital support, delivering audio that one customer has described as "clear, balanced, and surprisingly deep.' You can also use its two-way Bluetooth to turn the projector into a standalone speaker or hook it up to soundbars and other devices using HDMI ARC for that proper cinema surround sound. As for the picture, it looks pretty impressive for the price. It gives you Full HD 1080p resolution and can handle 4K content too, with an 800 ANSI brightness that keeps colours vivid and details sharp. Setting it up at home should be a doddle too. The adjustable base lets you tilt it up to 15°, so you can stick it on a coffee table or shelf and still get the right angle. Plus, it's small and smart-looking, so it won't stick out like a sore thumb in your living room or bedroom. It doesn't come with apps like Netflix or Disney+, but you can plug in a TV Stick or similar device to stream your favourite shows and films. Shoppers are loving it, with an overwhelming majority of reviews rating it at five stars. 'An excellent projector for those on a budget!" wrote one customer. "I have to say I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this little beauty but I am beyond impressed!' Another said, 'The picture is a lot better than I expected, really sharp and great vibrant colour. "Same for the sound – surprisingly full and loud, again with options to select different sound presets or adjust manually.' A third wrote: 'This projector delivers an amazing home theatre experience with sharp visuals, vibrant colours, and excellent performance. Crystal-clear picture quality.' Amazon's calling this a limited-time deal, so it's unlikely to stay this cheap for long.
