There is such a vast availability of “travel deal” sites on the internet that there’s no reason, if you have some flexibility, that you should pay full-price for airfare or hotel reservations.
Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, or Expedia.com to search for tickets and places to stay. Visit the websites of individual airlines (Southwest, Jet Blue, Delta, and more) and get on their subscriber list to be notified of upcoming deals and special fares.