I’m taking a little trip this week. I’m not that far from home, just a hundred miles north of Silicon Valley where I usually live. It puts me in smack dab in the middle of Sonoma Wine Country, the hidden gem that gets overlooked due the popularity of nearby Napa. The place I’m staying at is beautiful, with a heated pool and a brand-new gym. The view of the wine producing vineyards is amazing. It is 80 degrees without a cloud in the sky. Why am I taunting you? The hotel room that I’m in is only $120 a night… and the place is empty.

I can only come up with one explanation… the poor economy. In an economy such as this one, I can’t imagine too many people are traveling a thousand miles to drink some wine. I’m kind of disappointed because I could use a little more pool conversation. (On the other hand, it is nice to have the gym to myself.)

Of course hotels aren’t alone in offering deals. You can find deals on all sorts of industries that cater to those with disposable income when times are good. Reminds me how not to long again, every restaurant wanted to save me money as they lured me in with deal after deal. Were they really saving me money? Not really – I could have saved a lot more by cooking for myself. However, they provided with a lot more value than usual.

What’s the lesson to be learned? I look at it and think that you should apply the theory of dollar cost averaging to your life. When the economy is good take advantage by socking away some of that extra money. I know it’s tempting to pour it into the stock market to make even more gains, but I think the rewards are better if you wait for a time when prices are low. You’ll find that your dollar goes a lot further then – just like how you get more stock for your money when investing in a down market.

Bonus Limited Time Deal: I know this isn’t related to the article, but today LivingSocial is selling a $20 gift card to Whole Foods for $10. I know that Whole Foods is expensive, but it’s a pretty high quality. The 50% savings probably puts many of their products in the same budget as your local bargain grocery store.