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Cheap thrills for U.S. travelers in 2009

There’s nothing wrong with trying to stretch your travel budget as far as it will go, but there’s no need to stay in your hotel room watching TV to save money.

Harriet Baskas writes msnbc.com's popular weekly column, The Well-Mannered Traveler. She is the author of the , a contributor to National Public Radio and a columnist for USATODAY.com.