Most phone companies charge extra for international calls, including those to the Netherlands. Find out if your company makes calls to the Netherlands before trying to dial, and don't let yourself be surprised when those rates appear on your bill. Check with your phone company to see if you will be able to make these calls. Some companies require you to sign up for international minutes in addition to your regular charges. Other systems make international calls part of your service, though with an extra cost per minute. Make sure you know what time it is in the Netherlands before calling someone there. It is a substantial difference, so you want to make sure the person will be awake and available. No one likes being called late at night or early in the morning. The Netherlands is in the Central European Time Zone, one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1:00). The United States' Eastern Time Zone is GMT -5:00, so it is 6 hours behind the Netherlands. Therefore, at 12:00 noon in New York City, it is 6:00 pm in Amsterdam. As you move west in the United States, add hours. 6:00 pm in Amsterdam would be 11:00 am in the Central Time Zone (GMT -6:00), 10:00 am in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT -7:00), 9:00 am in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT -8:00), 8:00 am in Alaska (GMT -9:00), and 7:00 am in Hawaii (GMT -10:00. The first three numbers are the US exit code, and the last two are the specific country code for the Netherlands. This will let your phone know that you are making an international call, and what location you are trying to reach. For any international call out of the United States, begin by dialing 011. The country code is more specific, and will depend on where you are trying to call. All phone numbers begin with an area code, which will be the first 2 to 3 numbers. One notable exception is for a cell phone, which will have the area code 6.

Summary: Figure out how you will be billed. Check the time difference. Dial 011 31. Dial the Dutch phone number.

There are hundreds of car rental discount codes and coupons that you can get just by already being a member of certain associations. Do you belong to a frequent flyer program, auto club, travel club, or any other group that has gotten you discounts in the past? Members of AARP, AOPA, CARP, Sam's Club, Costco, Delta Skymiles, Aeroplan, AIChe, or the APA, for example, are eligible for car rental discounts. Being a member of AAA makes you eligible for discounts with various car rental companies. Some insurance companies such as Allstate or GEICO have coverage that includes free rental while your car is being repaired. Popular online booking companies such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, and Kayak all advertise auto rental discounts as part of their value offerings. Autoslash.com is an example of a website that consolidates car rental prices and discount codes. If you plan to take a plane, train, or ferry before renting a car, you may be able to get a discount depending on the company you travel with. Try to find an all-inclusive package for your destination and compare it with regular car rental prices to confirm you're getting a good deal.

Summary: Check your existing memberships for benefits. Book with a company that offers discounts. Look for travel-package deals.

Commercial salt makers produce sea salt in much larger scale than a home salt maker would, but knowing the commercial techniques can increase your knowledge and salt making possibilities. Here's how they do it: Small ponds are filled with sea water and the water is left to evaporate. The product left behind after all the water is gone is sea salt. This process works best in areas where there is a lot of sun and very little rain. Salt water is piped into large steel pans. Any mud or impurities settle to the bottom and the remaining good water is siphoned off and heated. As the water heats, any foam that forms is skimmed off the top and the water continues to evaporate until only salt crystals remain. Additives are sometimes included. Commercial seas salt makers sometimes add calcium and magnesium to their salts to provide added nutrition and a distinct taste. Water rich in salt is gathered from salt-rich seas or salt ponds. Depending on where the water is gathered from, the resulting salt will take on varying shades of color due to the variety of minerals present in each respective location. Collecting some water from the ocean may not provide the quality salt you are hoping for, especially for cooking purposes, because of the low salinity of the water, but it's worth experimenting with water from a variety of sources to find out what produces the best salt. It's essential to gather salt water from a clean source. If you know an area to be polluted, do not gather water from there. Air pollution, oil and chemical runoff, and other types of pollution will affect the taste and quality of the salt. If an area is safe for fishing, it's probably safe to assume the water is clean enough for salt harvesting, too. A gallon-sized glass or plastic jug is a good size for gathering water. One gallon of water will yield about 3 ounces of salt. It's necessary to remove sand, shells and other sediments from the water before you harvest the salt. Use cheesecloth to strain your salt water. One or several layers can be used. To be extra sure impurities are removed, strain the water several times. It won't affect the salt content. Sea salt is the product that remains from evaporating the salt water. Plan ahead for the evaporation to take at least a few days, and often several weeks. For home sea salt making, one of several techniques can be employed. Turn your oven to its lowest setting. Pour the water into a high-sided container and place it in the oven. Let the water slowly evaporate over the course of several days. Put your strained salt into a pot and boil until almost all the water is gone. Let the sun do the rest. Remove the damp salt from the pot and place it on a plate or in a bowl. Sit it in the sun to finish evaporating all the water. Place your strained water in a bowl or shallow dish and allow it to sit out in the open so the water evaporates. What is left behind when all the water is gone is the sea salt. This method could take several weeks. You'll see a crust start to form when the water evaporates. Use a spoon to scrape it into a container. Salt crystals will form in a range of shapes and sizes, and may take on different colors depending on where you collected your water. You may choose to grind it to a finer texture. You can use a salt grinder for this purpose. Enjoy the salt by tasting it plain or using it in your everyday cooking.
Summary: Understand the process. Gather salt water. Strain the water. Evaporate the water. Harvest the salt that's left behind.