Queensland has developed a plethora of accommodation choices for those looking to embark on Queensland holidays. Visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in complete luxury during their stay in the region. From all-inclusive island resorts to some of the most fascinating hotels in the city centers, you will be able to find comfort and style set to world class standards in Queensland resorts and hotels.Queensland Accommodation BrisbaneAs the capital of Queensland, Brisbane has some of the grandest accommodation choices to offer. Bribie Island – On the Bay Resort is one of the most highly rated resorts in this part of Queensland. The facility features 28 spacious luxury apartments each room having large slide back glass doors and spacious balconies offering sensational views of the bay. The resort has a 10 meter salt water lap pool, spa ledge, sun baking lounges, outdoor dining area and barbecue. Also on the facility is the award winning Blue Anchorage Restaurant.Clear Mountain Lodge and Vineyard occupies a pristine location on the peak of Clear Mountain offering flabbergasting views of Brisbane City, Samsonvale Lakes, The Glasshouse Mountains as well as the Samford Valley.Queensland Accommodation Gold Coast As one of the most beautiful places to stay in Queensland, the Gold Coast is loaded with fine accommodation choices for tourists. The 19th Avenue On The Beach is an excellent Queensland accommodation opportunity located on Palm Beach. The absolute beachfront location makes this an unmatched place which promises plenty of lazy days to soak up the sun and enjoy magnificent views of the brilliant blue Pacific Ocean.Aruba Sands Resort is a world class four star hotel located in the heart of Broadbeach. Although this place is known for its hustle and bustle this particular hotel is located in a quiet side street. It has a patrolled swimming area along with a Kurrawa Surf Club and the Oasis Shopping Centre located in the vicinity.Whitesunday’s Accommodation Whitesunday’s is one of the most favored places to stay in Queensland. It has a variety of world class hotels and resorts to offer to the tourists. Amongst the many world class accommodation choices in Whitesunday’s is Airlie Cove Resort & Van Park Drive. This brilliant resort is at a distance of 2 km from the Airlie Beach and provides the ideal mainland base from where you can embark on an exploration of the entire region.Also located on Airlie Beach, Water’s Edge Resort is another brilliant resort set amidst lush tropical gardens. The hillside upon which it is located at a distance of 100 metres from the bustling cosmopolitan village of the region adding further value to the accommodation.Above mentioned are just some of the brilliant Queensland resorts and hotels that you will have the opportunity to reside in during your trip to this popular tourist destination of Australia. Other regions that you might want to look at for suitable Queensland travel accommodation are Tropical North Queensland, Townsville, Mackay, Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast.
4 Ways To Do Christmas Frugally
It can be a very difficult time of year for many people. But does Christmas necessarily need to destroy your bank balance? Or can you take steps to have a more frugal festive holiday?
I have been celebrating the Christmas season for over 30 years now, and one thing I’ve learned over that time is Christmas is about one thing. And that is being surrounded by the people you love (and eating way too much food).
So you really don’t need to spend a fortune to have a fantastic Christmas, and these 4 ways will demonstrate how you can do frugally and for less cash.
Recommended article: 12 Days Of Spectacular Frugal Christmas Tips
Plan Ahead of Time
You should consider running your Christmas like a business. I don’t mean you need to fire Grandpa for falling asleep after dinner, but instead, keep a tight watch on the spending.
And the best way to manage the Christmas finances is to plan, and in order to do this successfully, you need to start early.
The more planning you do the more money you can save. Much like a business would, you should ensure you have everything planned with military precision. That way you are left without costly last-minute surprises.
And the more time you have to plan, the more creative with your spending you can be. You could even start thinking about making some gifts yourself, experimenting in the kitchen, or even getting your gift wrap and crackers the year before.
Did you know gift wrap and crackers are usually 75% less than retail price just a few days after Christmas day?
Save the Year Before
If you really want to have a positive impact on your finances start setting aside money for Christmas the day after. And yes I mean the day after Christmas for the following year. A little saved often is far less impactful both on a physiological and practical level.
It also means that you can afford some treats over the festive period. It is all well and good living frugally, but everyone needs to let their hair down with a drink and something nice to nibble on once in awhile.
Set aside a few dollars each week over the course of 50 weeks building up to Christmas. Even saving just $10 a week will give you a nice $500 package for the holidays.
Shop Smart
When you’re thinking about Christmas gift ideas you should make sure what you are buying is not too expensive. Don’t get carried away and try to think outside the box.
Practical gifts are often way more affordable.
And let’s be honest, far more useful in the long term.
You don’t necessarily need to buy socks and pencils, but something that is useful will be much better and definitely worth the money you do have to spend.
Recommended article: 13 Wonderfully Awesome Christmas Gift Ideas For Men
Cashback
You can’t escape the fact that Christmas is a time of year when you need to spend money. But if you really want to be frugal, then make sure you are getting some of that money back.
Cashback is a great way to get back 2-10% of the total purchase price – and there are countless providers offering this service.
TopCashback has been one of my favourites for many years now.
And if you need to spend the money anyway, you may as well get something in return. If you are spending a total of $1000 on gifts over Christmas, and you are able to get an average of 5% back for all purchases, then that’s $50 for your wallet.
And you can always double down on the savings by searching for discount codes and promotional offers as well.
It truly is a lot easier to have a frugal Christmas than you may think.
S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows
Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.
The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.
Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.
Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.
Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.
From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.
S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730
S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.
If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.
On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.