Save Money on Travel AND Do a Good Thing!

I just spent the last 20 minutes looking for the best price on a certain hotel.  I know exactly which one I want to stay in, my mom, sister, and I have a tradition of staying in a hotel in a different city for our birthdays.  I love hotels, I'm not going to lie.  I could travel for work if they put me up in nice hotels.  Alas, my job doesn't require any travel so I just enjoy the few times a year I get to stay in one!  I think it's the clean sheets and the fact I don't have to clean up after myself (within reason of course) and the pool and hot tub and possible continental breakfast.  Besides the price, what's not to love?

Well, now that you all know that, I'll get to the point.  I searched Priceline and this hotel didn't appear.  I searched the brand website and got a price.  I went through the NAMI travel site and got a price for $30 LESS.  Same hotel, same night, same beds.  Not only does NAMI travel save me money (I've booked vacations through them before with great success), but they get 60% of the booking commissions.

What is NAMI?  The National Alliance on Mental Illness.  Have you seen those recent magazine ads for BringChange2Mind with Glenn Close?  Do you know that 1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness?  Did you know The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by the year 2020 mental illness will be the second leading cause of death and disability? (Source)

NAMI is "the most formidable grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country."

NAMI's support and public education efforts are focused on educating America about mental illness, offering resources to those in need, and insisting that mental illness become a high national priority. Mental illness is a serious medical illness that affects one in four families. No one is to blame. Treatment works, but only half of people living with mental illness receive treatment.

So save yourself some money and support a GREAT cause!

Note:  Without going into detail, my family has been involved with NAMI a few years now, having both given money and been on the receiving end of services.  It is truly a wonderful organization and that commission they make from you will go to help a family or individual who truly needs it.  (As if saving money wasn't incentive enough! ;))