Pinocchio

Photo: Thinkstock

4 of 7
Flying the Crowded Skies
Travel should get a special prize for hidden costs. You "save money" by choosing connecting flights, and then spend your savings on the food, coffee and weird impulse buys (hello, travel alarm clock with built-in thermometer) you need to survive your five-hour layover. You "save even more money" by traveling off-season, only to spend on inside attractions and restaurant meals because it's freaking freezing in Paris in February. Last year's estimate of what a vacation would cost will not cut it this year. International Business Times reports business-class airfares will increase by 1 to 3 percent, while economy airfares will rise by 2 to 4 percent, and travel to certain countries (Brazil, Russia and India, among them) will increase even more.