Oh Disney, How I Love Thee! 3.5.11

Okay, so I’m actually not currently planning a trip of any kind to Disney (for once), but I know a lot of you are or are thinking about it, so this one’s for you. I have gone to a Disney the majority of years between age 14 and now, even if it was part of another trip. So, it’s pretty normal to think I know what I’m doing when it comes to planning a trip, because I’ve almost always got a trip to Disney coming up, whether it’s Disneyland, Walt Disney World, EuroDisney in Paris or my distant thoughts of and of the Disney Asia theme parks. I’m a true Disney lover at heart and just a big kid. As soon as I get to the front gates, I want to run down Main Street with a big smile on my face and get on every ride at once. Since I’m aware it’s impossible and I’ve been there a million times, I walk like a normal person down Main Street and take in all the happy faces of children who might be there for the first time. That’s truly the magic of Disney.

Today, I’d like to talk about getting the most out of your money on your Disneyland adventure, making the most of your time in the parks and share with you some rockin’ deals to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Even though I know Disneyland the best, I can’t fault anyone for choosing WDW, with their massive amounts of parks and new variety of rides, shows and parades. Please keep your arms, legs and hands inside the blog at all times. Remain seated until the blog comes to a complete stop. Thank you.

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Disneyland may not be a huge entity in size, but it makes up for it in awesomeness. With over 50 rides and attractions between Disneyland and California Adventure, there’s no shortage of things to hold your attention for several days at a time. It’s also great that they are within throwing distance of one another and if you feel yourself dying of hunger on that long 100 yard walk between the two, you can veer into Downtown Disney to sit and refresh before journeying on.

As far as acreage goes, Disneyland Paris (formerly known as EuroDisney) is very similar to Disneyland in California. They have some different rides and different takes on the same rides, like Space Mountain: Mission 2 where you actually go upside down. You get Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, which is also converted into a roller coaster (and awesome!) and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, which is mostly the same, except for the giant animatronic dragon that breathes fire in the dungeon!

Instead of California Adventure and Downtown Disney, they have equivalents called Walt Disney Studios Park and Disney Village. Walt Disney Studios is more “Hollywood” themed and is closer to the feel of Hollywood Studios in Orlando. The rides and shows are a mash-up between Hollywood Studios and California Adventure and are enough to keep you entertained for most, if not all, of the day.

We weren’t sure if we would get the same experience at Disneyland Paris, but I will say that we were pleasantly surprised. I do wish we had more time, so we plan a return trip in the future, where we will stay at one of the Disney resorts that offers a great package plan and includes shuttle service throughout the day. In fact, the packages they offer are hard to pass up, because in between the hotel locations, free transportation to and from the parks and discount by bundling the hotel and park tickets together, you would be LOSING money if you stayed in Paris and took the Metro in each day, even if you had a rockin’ deal at a hotel in the city. Normally, I’m not one to jump on the Disney hotel package bandwagon, but Disneyland Paris is really the exception. The exchange rate doesn’t impede on the bargain either and, since most resort rooms are equipped with bunk beds, it’s even better if you go as a family.  Now, if only Disney properties in the States could figure out how to make their rates work to our advantage…It probably helps that Disneyland Paris is located in a town in the French countryside, a 30 minute train ride outside of Paris, called Marne-Le-Vallee.

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Walt Disney World is a city unto itself. It claims to reside in Orlando, but in reality, Walt bought a plot of land so large that all of the resorts and theme parks belong to a “city” called Lake Buena Vista. It is virtually impossible to get around between the different parks and any non-Disney-owned hotels without a car here. I wish it wasn’t true, but I’ve now done Orlando both with a car and without and without was a right nightmare. While there are free shuttles to the parks from each outlying hotel, they aren’t hotel operated and they only travel from each hotel once (or maybe) twice a day and come back the same amount. Once you get to the parks, you can use Disney transportation to go in between the parks and it is very easy. Now, I don’t know if the shuttles operate more frequently in the on-season (namely: Summer), but any other time, when it is cheaper to travel and less crowded, you are stuck to the schedule of each shuttle…and don’t get me started on the city bus trying to go anywhere off the main street. If you plan to leave before each park opens each morning and spend the entire day there and then leave right after closing, then the shuttles will work for you. If you have something else planned, or are planning on visiting any of the Orlando theme parks that aren’t Disney, get a rental car. It will also end up saving you money over the cab/shuttle fee to and from the airport in the end.

So, how else can you save besides getting a rental car and buying a Paris package?

·        Purchase a park-hopper ticket. These can save you money over buying individual day tickets and you can use the same one over the course of your visit. They just scan your fingerprint now, instead of the old school way they did it before where you needed to sign the back of the ticket and present ID each day. Much quicker. You still need your ticket for them to swipe and also to be able to use the FastPASS machines.

·        Save time by buying your tickets ahead of time. Don’t waste time in the ticket queue, when you can go straight to the gate queue! Like you really want to wait in one more line anyway. You can save money by buying your tickets online at various locations. Search online for promo codes, too. I prefer to buy my tickets through the local AAA travel store, because I find they have the best deals, but you can also get Disneyland park hopper tickets through Costco and many credit unions sell discounted ones as well.

·        Use FastPASS. This can also save you much time and get you on more rides. We generally get one for Big Thunder Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Rock’n Roller Coaster, Midway Mania or Buzz Lightyear. These are the big rides that always have a line. Go first thing when you enter the park and get a FastPASS, even if there isn’t a line, for any of these attractions (I recommend Midway Mania or Space Mountain, because the FastPASSes go quickly). If there isn’t a line, get on the ride, go do some other rides and then come back at your designated FastPASS time and do it again. If there IS a long line, go off and do some less packed stuff and then come back. This works awesome with rides like Big Thunder Railroad in the middle of the day, because even though the line isn’t humungous, there are a bunch of other rides to do that normally have shorter lines, and you can get to three other ones, come back and get right onto BTR and then head to another part of the park.

·        Get to the parks thirty minutes before opening. What’s the point? Well, there won’t be hoards of people waiting to get in yet and you’ll get first pick of the big rides when the gates open, freeing you up to do less popular rides in the middle of the day.

·        Make food reservations. While this won’t save you any money, it WILL save you time waiting in line somewhere. Disney has a designated dining reservation number for each park (or you can do it online) to book a table anywhere that has waited tables. You can book up to 90 days in advance. This is especially important if you are dying to eat a specific restaurant, because reserved tables get served before walk-ins, which means if you want to eat at Blue Bayou without waiting 45-50 minutes (when you could be doing other park activities), it’s best to make a reservation ahead of time. Try to book your dining a little earlier than regular dining times, like lunch between 11-12 and dinner between 5-6. This will help you avoid the crowds, both while waiting to be seated and when you finish dining, because everyone will have realized they are hungry, too, and flee to a dining establishment. Woohoo! Shorter lines for you!

·        Carry snacks. You know I always recommend bringing snacks everywhere you go. Disney doesn’t mind. As long as whatever you bring isn’t in a glass container or alcohol, it’s okay by them. Bring in your own bottled water, too, and save $9 by not having to buy their souvenir cups.

·        Use public transportation. Obviously, I mean for Disneyland only. Their shuttle busses are great and are much cheaper than the $12-14 it now costs to park in the Disney parking lot. Unless you have four or more people in your group, save the cash and gas. The shuttles leave every 15 minutes throughout the day until at least an hour before the park closes. There’s also the option of just walking, since there are so many hotels right across the street from the parks and main gate.

·        Avoid “Extra Magic Hour”. In Orlando, guests staying at a Disney resort are entitled to the EMH each day at different designated parks. They get in an hour before the park officially opens to the public or get to stay and extra hour after the park closes to the public. With a bit of planning, you can avoid these days and go to other parks instead and avoid the massive crowds at the EMH parks. This worked wonderful for us and we found that each park we hit up that day was almost empty until around noon time. I don’t know how that will work in the on-peak season, but in the fall, it was spectacular and we barely waited in line for anything for the first four hours we were in each park. You can find the EMH parks listed on the online Disney schedules or invest in a membership to TourGuideMike, which will give you all these tips and more well ahead of the actual online schedule.

·         Go in the middle of the week. There will be fewer parades and you'll have to schedule your day around things like Fantasmic, that only play on certain weekday nights, but Disney will certainly be less crowded during the week than on the weekends and you'll have shorter lines and be able to do more.

·         Bring your own souvenirs. Yes, I know this sounds weird, but if you have little ones, they are going to want toys and shirts and balloons and candy. You can try to evade some of these costs by stopping at one of the grocery or discount stores around Disney and stock up on some inexpensive souvenirs (many of which you will find at the parks for much more) and dole out a bit each day before you leave. Or keep them in your bag until the kids are getting restless and cranky. You're sure to make some happy faces.

Please exit the blog to your right and watch your step. Thank you for choosing Shereen Travels Cheap and have a magical day.

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Stay in an Orlando resort and get a free room upgrade on BookIt. Add a 3-day park-hopper per traveler and get upgraded to 7-day park hoppers. Valid on Spring and early Summer travel. Add airfare and save even more!

Find a great deal on an Anaheim hotel near Disneyland and get free parking, big discounts or kids stay/eat free. You can also get 3-day park tickets for the price of 2 with participating hotel reservations.

Once you make it to Disney, you're going to want something to capture all those magical moments with Goofy and Mickey. For that, you're going to need a great camera. My favorite, and the one I own and use currently, is the Fuji Finepix XP10. It takes awesome pictures, has a 5x optical zoom, comes in funky colors, is super easy to use, it's compact with a large screen and it's even waterproof for when you MUST take pictures of your group getting drenched on Grizzly River Run. I love this camera and take it everywhere with me. I have the lime green, but it also comes in black, pink, blue and silver. You never have to guess at your setting choice, because when you change it in the menu, you can read the function of each setting right on the screen and, believe me, you really can't go wrong. Whether you're shooting in snow, a sporting event or taking nighttime shots of Cinderella's castle, your pictures will always turn out great.

Ebates is giving away a 7-day trip to an all-inclusive Club Med resort. Join me in submitting one of your travel stories by March 7th and you might win a trip for 2! Open to Ebates members only, so if you haven't signed up yet, do it now for FREE. Use Ebates links to get cashback on all your purchases at your favorite online merchants, including many travel merchants like Hotwire, Avis and American Airlines.

Do you have travel questions or want to join other bloggers and readers in a community setting? Join me and others over at the Frugal Living Community on Blog Frog, provided by Ebates. You can ask me and the other community leaders (or any other member) ask questions directly about frugal travel, couponing, discount fashions and more! Contribute to Frugal Living discussions, including my latest discussion about your favorite "budget" travel destinations. Mine is Ecuador. What's yours?

Local vs. Big Brand 3.2.11

In other words, should you stay, dine or shop local or stick with brand names you know? When traveling outside of your own country – and sometimes just out of your own city/state – this is always the question. You KNOW you like Chili’s and Best Western, but does that mean you should seek them out when you travel or try something new? When faced with lists of new restaurants, stores and hotels, it’s sometimes hard to not gravitate toward familiar names that you already frequent, but travel is a great way to break the habit of familiarity and get you out of your immediate comfort zone. That doesn’t mean you’ll be anxious and freaked out the whole time you’re away. Likely, it will be the opposite. You’ll find that one-off accommodations, dining venues and shopping experiences can be very comforting and rewarding, too. In many places, chains or “big brands” can save you money, but I find that it simply isn’t true if you travel widely. You also don’t get the feel of the country as much if you stick close to home with your choices.

So, what’s the advantage to choosing local? There are so many, it’s hard to list them all, but I’ll definitely give you the biggest ones. See how it can save you money and immerse your in a new culture. When faced with new names and new places, I get a jolt of excitement, because I love new things. I want to stay somewhere cool and unlike other places I’ve stayed, eat new, delicious food and shop in family-owned stores that have totally unique merchandise. I know I’m much more adventurous than a lot of other people, but I think if you make the commitment to travel to new and exotic places and want to have a whole new experience, cut your ties with your normal life and psyche yourself up for doing something different and potentially life-changing.

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I bring my comforts of home with me (travel blanket, Kindle, iPod, netbook), so if I need to just get back in my own familiar mode for a bit, I totally can when I get back to my room at the end of the day. Not sure you’ll love the food in a foreign land? That’s okay. Nobody else is either. Throw some snacks in your bag, like granola bars or cookies, just in case. It also helps when you’re walking around getting all that exercise and start to get a bit hungry in between meals. This happens to me all the time on vacation and I tend to want to eat all day long, so keeping a stash of goodies in my day bag is a good idea wherever I am.

Shop Local. I’m sure you hear this all the time where you live. Shop local and support your local farmers, other workers and economy.  Makes sense. Shopping where you live can be beneficial to yourself and others in your community. Well, the same goes for travel. Shop local grocers, farmers markets and family-owned shops. Not only will you be helping the local economy thrive, but you’re also going to get better deals on local foods, engage with the locals, find authentic merchandise that is likely handmade or, at the very least, made in the area and go home with memories of the quaint stores you shopped in, instead of memories of wandering the endless aisles of a Wal-Mart (or similar).

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Eat Local. With the same premise as shopping local, eating local is even better. When you go out to have a nice meal, ask the people who live in the area that you come in contact with where they recommend. They aren’t going to point your towards McDonalds. Likely, they will send you to one of their favorite dining destinations that has local and, likely, more affordable fare. When people come to Portland and ask where a nice place to have dinner is, I don’t point them immediately to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, even though it’s delicious. I can’t afford to eat there, though, so I give them directions to places that I love to eat at and can do so without having to save for three weeks. Travelers always appreciate suggestions for restaurants that are tasty and they don’t have at home. And just like with shopping, the food will probably be much more authentic than those that you see on the main street that cater to tourists.

Eating local also ensures that you find new and different foods. Those restaurants that have the local cuisine are going to be less expensive than others that have to order their food from other regions. If you’re visiting Germany, you’re always going to get a better price on German cuisine than if you went hunting for an Italian eatery. It just makes sense.

Check out TopTable for listings of restaurants in the area you’ll be traveling. You can read reviews, book a table and get big discounts. You can also check out TripAdvisor and find diner reviews on hundreds of thousands of eateries worldwide.

Stay Local. I know this sounds odd, since you’re obviously going to stay local, but the point is that many chain hotels are still owned by other countries. You can also save money by not staying at big brand hotels, because the smaller ones have really competitive rates. Plus, many are more “traditional” to where they are located and can offer more personal service. While you probably won’t get a hotel with conference rooms and a gym, how many times have you ever used those things on vacation anyway? They still offer breakfasts, WiFi, pools and many other amenities you’re used to and will actually take advantage of.

The employees of any hotel should be able to give you tips on where to eat, play and shop, but locally-owned hotels can give you the inside scoop and don’t get kick-backs for their suggestions. (Not all hotels do this, but many brand name hotels often get comped in some way for pointing hotel guests to certain establishments. Make sure to ask hotel workers that don’t work the front desk or concierge for their ideas, because they don’t have any affiliations.)

Choose carefully, just as you would any other lodging. You aren’t going in blindly, though. There are so many review sites to read up on hotels worldwide that it’s almost impossible to not find any reviews of almost any accommodation. Ask your friends and extended social network where they stayed when they went and then check out sites like TripAdvisor, Venere and Travelocity for traveler’s comments.

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So, we’ve covered the basics:

• Help the economy
• Get to know the locals
• Find more authentic food and merchandise
• Get immersed in the culture
• Try new things and find new favorites
• Get out of your “comfort zone”
• Eat where the locals do
• And, as always, save money

Some of our best memories have come from doing something on vacation that we would never normally do at home. I think with those experiences, it has helped us grow, taught us about different cultures and human nature and has enabled us to try new and different things around our own city. My husband and I are pretty adventurous by nature, so we’re game for almost anything. If we don’t like it, at least we can say we did it and have a story when we come home.

• Eucalyptus ice cream? Not good, but we tried it.
• Dancing with strangers? Surprisingly fun.
• Perusing the animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador? A total once-in-a-lifetime must-do experience.
• Taking the city bus from Disney/Orlando area to Universal City Walk? A complete time-drainer and SO not recommended.
• Getting lunch during a hurricane watch? If you can find a place that’s open, that’s the place to be!

So, learn a new language (or at least important phrases), stay in a quaint hotel, eat exotic food, buy some handmade souvenirs and check out some off the beaten track activities. You’ll have a great time and see a whole different version of your chosen destination than others do. That’s the great thing about travel – if you plan it yourself, you’ll never have the same trip as someone else. It’s personal and fun and creates amazing memories. If something goes wrong, as it inevitably does, you’ll have a more amusing story to tell when you get home.

Ever find yourself in an awesome setting and have no one around to take a picture of you in it? Then you need the Quikpod Tripod. It has a telescoping handle, so you can attach your camera to it, hold it out at arm's length and get a photo of yourself (and travel companion) in a lovely shot for lasting memories when you get home. My husband and I have this and have taken some fantastic pictures of ourselves, including the ones below. Not only do you get some nice pictures of yourself with background, but it's also super easy to use, stashes easily in your bag and is heavy-duty, in case you need to use it as a weapon (kidding...sort of).

So, you have probably already noticed the new clean look of the site, with useful links to travel sites and my guest posts over on the sidebar now. Other than that, this space will be used for mentioning new Shereen Travels Cheap happenings and any new/upcoming guest posts or articles.

Ebates Travel Week Continues with  a Twitter Party on Thursday, March 3rd at 7-8pm EST. Learn more budget travel tips, win prizes and more! Also enter a travel story of your own to win an all-inclusive Club Med 7 day vacation for two! If you aren’t a member of the Frugal Living Community on BlogFrog (provided by Ebates), you can join me right now HERE. And if you missed the live travel chat on Tuesday, you can still catch up on any tips and suggestions HERE.

Travel like Royalty on a Peasant Budget 2.26.11

Unless you live in a cave under a rock, you can’t go anywhere without hearing about the new Royals and their upcoming nuptials. Who’s invited, who isn’t. At least if you were hoping to become the future Mrs. Prince William, you can move on with your life. Step one: start planning a realistic vacation. With the economy still trying to bounce back your budget may be small and, even if you can’t be the next Princess of England like that lucky Kate Middleton, you can still take a cue from the royal couple by mirroring their honeymoon plans. What are they? Well, they plan to go budget and travel close to home. They are both down-to-earth and want the world to see that they’re money-conscious, too. From their small, low(ish) profile wedding to their trip to the nearby Isles of Scilly, they are doing what they can to prove they are more like regular people than most of the world sees.  Even the president of the U.S. can’t score an invite to their marriage ceremony, but not because they are being elitist snots. Nope, they just want their wedding to include close family and friends. Why invite everyone they ever met when the whole thing will be televised anyway? I applaud their traditional values!

So, anyway, back to YOU. I know must of us aren’t fortunate enough to have beautiful tropical islands just a short jaunt from our home…and don’t have the luxury of being able to fly in a helicopter there either, but that doesn’t mean that short trips to cool places aren’t possible. William and Kate getting married or not probably isn’t going to impact your life in any way, so let’s look at some good old-fashioned ways to save you money on your next vacation, even if it takes you far from home.

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Look for package deals. While package deals aren’t always a “deal”, many of them are and can save you big on your trip. As I’ve said before, it depends on when and where you go, but I’ve been able to book a package for 2 (RT air, hotel and car rental) for less than the price of airfare more than once. If I had to pay for it all separate, it probably would have cost me twice as much. Check sites like BookIt, Expedia, Travelocity, LastMinute, Orbitz, CheapTickets and even the airlines’ websites for package deals. If you think you’ve found a good price, do some research on how much it would cost separately. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, since you can use the same booking site to do it and also you probably have an idea of what you want to spend before you start looking.

Pack light. Yes, I know I keep repeating myself like a broken record on this, but it is the easiest way to save big bucks. Airlines can charge you up to $50 just to check a bag – one way. That means if you have to check it both ways, it’s like you’ve spent an extra $100 on your plane ticket – per traveler who has a bag to check. Unless you’re flying on a discount airline that doesn’t charge you for bags, take half the stuff out of your packing pile. For short trips I recommend packing 3 tops and a pair of pants (and a skirt or dress if you must). You also have what you’re wearing on the plane and, if you layer well, you can get away with a few extra pieces. If you’re going on a longer trip, I recommend packing 5 tops and 3-4 bottoms.  Make sure all your pieces mix and match and, if you aren’t opposed to doing laundry, you can get even more wear out of everything you brought. Also, with this kind of packing, you can share a large carry-on with a travel partner. I have packed two week’s worth of clothing for me and my husband, including shoes and toiletries, in my 21” rolling carry-on. I pack snacks and entertainment in a smaller bag and we’re good to go anywhere. Need more help packing smaller? Try these:

• Spacebags – If you have to take a coat and need to mash it flat, or you find you’ve bought too many souvenirs on your trip, bring yourself some Spacebags. They are like big Ziplock bags designed specifically for your luggage. You put clothes in, zip it up, squeeze all of the air out by rolling it up and then it packs flat in your bag in half the space! I don’t recommend using these TO your destination. If you buy anything, it won’t fit in your bag.
• Take two pair of shoes, max. As you know, I don’t consider flip flops shoes, since they take up hardly any space and are highly useful on any trip. This said, you have two pair of shoes you can take. One go on your feet on the plane (the bulkiest is the best choice) and the other go in your suitcase and get stuffed with socks, jewelry, ties or whatever else you can fit in there without horrible end results. On my way home, I pack any fragiles in my shoes, like ornaments I might have bought (wrapped in tissue or bubble wrap). They are great at padding those items and I’ve yet to come home to sad broken things.
• Travel size is the way to go! If you take all your full-size makeup and hair care products, you’re just asking for someone to take away your bag and toss it under the plane. For one, you’re only going to be gone a short time. It takes you months to go through that stuff at home, so you don’t need to take it all with you for two weeks. For another, if liquids/gels/pastes don’t fit in your 3-1-1 bag, you can’t take it on the plane. You can check it or have security throw it in the garbage as you hold back tears. Buy travel sized products, like toothpaste and shampoo, on Minimus.biz or at your local store. Products that don’t come smaller can easily be made that way by purchasing 3oz bottles, tubes, etc., and transferring liquids into them.
• Pack travel-sized personal grooming products, too! Do you regularly travel with a blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron? Buy the smaller version that you can keep in your travel bag all the time. They take up less space and do just as good a job on the road. This saves packing time and leaves you room in your bag for something else.
• Pack multi-purpose items – Things like moisturizer with SPF in it or tinted moisturizer let you bring one item instead of two. Other great ideas? A sarong can be used as a skirt, beach cover up, shawl, headscarf, top, belt, picnic/beach blanket or a towel. Because it is so light, it packs easily and can be taken with you everywhere. You iPod Touch or iPhone can be used to play games, watch movies/videos, take notes, get quick internet access and as a GPS. You get the idea! Travel “gadgets” are one of my favorite topics. Need more ideas or would like to suggest your own to fellow travelers? Jump on my Frugal Living Community discussion on BlogFrog.

Get Double Cash Back with Ebates. That’s right! This week is Travel Week on Ebates and there are many travel merchants offering double cash back in honor of it. Before you purchase or book anything online, check to see if they are affiliated with Ebates and make your purchase through their links. If you aren’t yet a member of Ebates, it’s FREE and easy, so do it HERE.

Rent a vacation rental house/condo/apartment. They can be an awesome money-saver if you are staying anywhere for a week or longer. You feel like you’re at home, even on vacation, which can be much more relaxing after a long day of sightseeing. You also don’t have to contend with other vacationers and/or their children being loud in the hallway at all hours. With the kitchen facilities, you can eat in if you want. Stop at the local grocers and pick up some staples to make breakfast or lunch on you own and save money by dining out less.

Take public transportation. While not as glamorous as being driven around town in a taxi, it is much more affordable and probably even more convenient. You can see a bus stop or subway stop and you know that if you stand there, one will come you way. Taxis aren’t always readily available and sometimes you have to call and wait. Public transportation almost always goes to the most touristy and busiest parts of the city. This is great for us tourists, because they go right where we want to go!

Exchange your currency when you get there. You probably won’t always travel to where you need to get new bills, but if you do, exchange money when you get to your destination. You can get by with exchanging just a bit at the airport and then the rest somewhere in the city, where the exchange rate is more advantageous. Probably not a bank, since they sometimes charge a fee (or a higher fee than other places). I’ve had good luck with the front desk of my hotel, but also in small shops that have an exchange desk. They want you to spend more money there, so the fee will be much smaller.

And here’s a General Tip for you. If you find what looks like a fantastic deal on a hotel or vacation rental, research! There might be a reason they are so inexpensive and, even if the pictures look amazing, read the reviews. Not just on the site you’re on, but check out other sites as well, like TripAdvisor. Make sure you can verify that it isn’t infested with mice or in the worst neighborhood in the city. That can make your vacation REALLY interesting, but not in such a good way. You don’t want to be afraid to go to sleep or turn off the lights or leave your belongings there while you’re out.

Take Shereen Travels Cheap with you everywhere with Kindle! Subscribe on Amazon and get each blog post sent right to your Kindle the instant it gets published. Don't have a Kindle? That's okay, too. Download the free Kindle reading app on any of your web-enabled devices, like your iPad or Android, and it works just as good! (or you can buy yourself a brand-new fun gadget!)

Wellness Week is coming (March 21-27) and Budget Travel would like you to get great deals by booking ahead of the public! Participating spas, fitness centers and wellness centers will be offering 50% off or $50 flat-rate deals. Wellness Week is sponsored by SpaFinder and offers deals on all types of wellness, including nutritional counseling, facials, massages and acupuncture. Register online HERE by February 28 and you can book treatments a week ahead of the general public. In September, you can take advantage of another Wellness Week, too! This is an awesome thing to be able to do on your vacations, or to take a mini-break if you’re stuck at home.

This isn’t new or revolutionary, but I’m a big fan of the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer. I have the Dell version called the Wasabi, which is exactly the same in every way, except colors and brand. These are great little gadgets to bring with you if you are going to a foreign country (especially third-world countries) and you want to really engage with the locals. You can take your picture with your camera or phone and plug in this very portable printer (or use the handy-dandy Bluetooth technology) and print out a copy for your new friends!

Children love this and it can also be a wonderful addition to those travelers with little ones in tow. The Zink paper has a sticky back when you peel off the backing and can be used as a sticker. Keep your kids busy preserving memories in their own way with a stack of just-taken photos and a book for them to stick them in and create a travel journal. Refill paper is very affordable, so print away! The photos come out wallet sized, meaning they won’t be like having a high-quality mobile photo-station in your bag, but the size works perfectly for souvenirs and for on-the-go art projects.

Want more deals and tips everyday? “Like” Shereen Travels Cheap on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. You never know what great deal will pop up! Keep up with current sales, new products and websites and get more awesome tips in between blog posts!

So, you have probably already noticed the new clean look of the site, with useful links to travel sites and my guest posts over on the sidebar now. Other than that, this space will be used for mentioning new Shereen Travels Cheap happenings and any new/upcoming guest posts or articles.

Here are a few of the things happening in the coming week:

Ebates Travel Week Continues with a Live Chat on the Frugal Living Community Tuesday, March 1st and a Twitter Party on Thursday, March 3rd. Times for both should be 7-8pm EST. Don’t forget to tune in to these online, as there will be a HUGE giveaway announcement. If you aren’t a member of the Frugal Living Community on BlogFrog (provided by Ebates), you can join me right now HERE.

Only a few days left to join Shereen Travels Cheap on Facebook and get your friends to join, too, before our big giveaway! February 28 is the last day to “Like” the page before we do the drawing, but don’t worry, because if you don’t win you’ll have another chance soon at all new prizes!  

I know you guys like free things and rewards for doing things you do anyway. Swagbucks is turning 3. The 28th will be their BIG online party with free stuff  and bonus Swagbucks to get you to your rewards faster. If you aren’t a member, this is as good a time as any, because it will jump-start your free membership with more starting bucks! Why should you log in next week? The party will feature a bunch of Swag Codes (for more swagbucks), a new look and feel for the Swagbucks Blog and the launch of two new features, one of which will redefine the way you use their search function. You definitely won't want to miss it, so be sure that you're on the site bright and early the morning of the 28th for your chance to earn big and be a part of the biggest birthday celebration on the web! If you need to sign up, use this fancy code to get an extra 50 Swagbucks on top of the usual 30: 3rdBirthday137