Hitting the road for a well-earned escape? Consult this checklist to ensure your ride is in prime condition for the journey.

Learning from these mistakes could save you money—and major headaches—on your next holiday.

Recently, I was trying to remember my wedding vows. I don't recall much other than that my wife looked prettier than Grace Kelly (a disturbing thought, since women who look like Grace Kelly generally do not stay married to men who look like me, unless we own small aircraft). Yet I do recall our uttering something about sickness and health. These were my thoughts, nine years later, as I lay on the couch and took abuse from my wife.