New Deals & Cool Stuff 6.4.11

Today, I'm taking the day off to play in the sun with my husband and dog, because it's the 3rd nice day of this whole year and if we have another day out of the 60s anytime soon I'll be shocked. It's also not raining, so you'll have to excuse me for being excited. Today, I thought it might be fun to give you a rundown of the latest and greatest travel deals of the week and tell you about a new opportunity I've taken that you might also enjoy.

Since I've been slacking on the deals of the week lately, I've rounded up all the fantastic deals I've found that you might be able to take advantage of now. 

Travel to Tahiti for less and have a romantic getaway with your sweetie. This package from Pacific Holidays includes 5 nights (2 of which are free) at the InterContinental Tahiti, airfare/hotel transfers, RT air from Los Angeles, daily breakfast and more. You'll get upgraded to a lagoon room, too, all for $1555 per person. 

Want to travel on someone else's dime? Well, I'm sure we all would. The closest thing I could find was $50 off a $100 credit for Southwest Vacations through YipIt. This is only good through tomorrow, though, so order now!

Hilton Family Hotels (which is comprised of Hampton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and seven other great names) wants to help you travel within your budget this summer with up to 40% off rates for rooms booked by August 22. You must stay by September 5. 

Not to be outdone, Hyatt Family Hotels wants you to stay for less and do more at your destination with a welcome credit of up to $500 at selected destinations now through December 30. 

If you live in the UK, he's a fantastic getaway: 5-night all-inclusive stay at the Mitsis Serita Beach Hotel in Crete and roundtrip airfare from London Heathrow on Aegean Airlines for just £399 per person. Your stay will include all food and drinks (including alcohol), flight meals, snacks and non-motorized activities (like volleyball, table tennis and peddle boats). If you want to make it a family getaway, extra travelers and/or children can be included at a reduced price.

Do you have a bunch of pictures from vacations that you haven't printed yet? Print them for less with Snapfish. Pay just $10 for 100 4x6 prints through June 6 when you use promo code MEM100PICS. 

Do you like the outdoors and climbing? Win a trip for 2 to Aspen, CO from Marmot including 4 nights in luxurious Hotel Jerome, 1-day guided climb up your choice of 3 peaks and a Marmot 
declime jacket for each of you.

Are you in the Portland area or planning on traveling here? Well, I've been chosen as a Budget Travel Examiner for Portland on Examiner.com, where I will be posting deals and cool stuff to do in the area on a budget several times a week. Make sure you subscribe to my articles. Not only will you get some great ideas on stuff to do in Portland and the surrounding areas (including day trips), but you'll also save money and help me out by expanding my readership - which will boost my income a bit, too. Thanks for your help and I hope you enjoy my articles.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll come back strong this week with more travel tips and deals to help you save money and go on longer, better trips! If you're a regular reader and haven't yet subscribed to Shereen Travels Cheap, please consider doing so on the right. I'm less than 20 readers away from 100 subscribers (on Google Friend Connect + Networked Blogs) and once we get to that goal, I'll be giving away an awesome Road Trip Gift Pack worth over $130! Only subscribers will be eligible to enter.

Do You Live Savvy? 6.3.11

A new month means new exciting topics in the Savvy Living Community and new stores offering double cash back! There will be several new community leaders being added to Savvy Living soon, too! Ebates wants you to get the most you can out of the community and new leaders will bring a new vibe and fun topics to the group. If you haven’t joined me over there yet, let me remind you what you can expect to find:

• Savvy Experts that specialize in everything from cooking and travel to being a stay-at-home-mom and couponing.
• Bloggers than want to help you live a more savvy life by offering their expert advice through community discussions, live chats and blog posts.
• 20+ community leaders.
• A fun and awesome community of bloggers, blog readers and Ebates lovers.
• A place to ask questions about all things and get answers from other members and leaders.
• Advice on saving on your everyday purchases as well as special purchase and making the most of your money by using the benefit of Ebates’ cash back service.
• A place to make new friends online and off and learn more about what’s going on within other online communities. You’ll get tips on saving money, living better, using Ebates and much more!
• A chance to join in live chats and win prizes.

Join me now on the Savvy Living Community. If you already joined the Frugal Living Community in the past, you’re already a member. Ebates and Blog Frog gave me the honor of being one of their Savvy Travel Experts and help spread the word about this innovative site that combines information and a friendly atmosphere to create the ultimate social networking and shopping site. 

This month there will be two live chats that are community-wide, which means all the leaders will be there to welcome you to the group, answer questions and more. Mark your calendars for Wednesday June 8th and Wednesday June 22nd. I’ll keep you posted on times and the topic du jour. You can expect to find the following topics of conversation going on around these chats in the next couple of months:

• Father’s Day gifts
• Healthy and Beauty for Summer (a live chat will be taking place on Thursday June 23rd at 8-9pm EST / 5-6pm PST. And I will be doing a guest post on the Ebates blog on Summer Travel Health & Beauty)
• 4th of July cooking, celebrations, travel
• Christmas in July
• Back to School shopping, gifts, fashion

Of course I will be a part of the community chats, but I’ll also be hosting a few of my own over the summer. We had a great one last month on saving on your summer travel and I would love to get my co-hosts together and do another one soon.  Of course, if you want to get in on a discussion in the meantime, you can join in any of the current ones, including the one I have going on how you commemorate your travels. Check it out and get involved!

Are you a member of Ebates yet? If not, you will totally want to do it. Get cash back for any of the stores you shop at that participate in the Ebates program. It's simple! Sign up for FREE and then click through the merchant link on Ebates to track your order and get the specified  percentage of cash back after your order has been processed. Then you get your Big Fat Payment each quarter, which can be paid by check or via Paypal. It's like getting extra bonus discounts. Plus, if there are valid promo codes, Ebates will list them for you to copy and use on your purchase. Chose from hundreds of stores, including a long list of online travel merchants! And right now there are a dozen stores offering double cash back for dads and grads, but I see a few that can be used for travel purposes, too!

Stellar Summer Steals 6.1.11

Portland, Oregon has gained a new Budget Travel Examiner! I’ve been given the opportunity to work for Examiner.com and write about things to do on a budget when visiting Portland (or to get out of the house). This will include dining, entertainment, activities, day trips and more! Please help me out by subscribing to my articles HERE!

Summer is almost here and that means Summer Vacations! Once the kids are out of school, maybe you’ll be hitting the road or jumping on a plane to go do something fun with your family. You all know by now that this is the most expensive time of the year to travel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it on a budget. I’ve searched the web and found some really fantastic bargains for you to take advantage of in the next 3 months. You and the family can have a great time, make some lasting memories and not go broke doing it. You will see worldwide deals here, only because I know not all my readers are from the U.S. and are looking for things closer to their homes, too.

If you have some frequent flyer miles burning a hole in your pocket that you can use on Summer’s high airfare, then flying isn’t a problem at all. If you aren’t, you might be able to take advantage of the flight sales going on right now. You may need to book as early as June 2, but some last a few days longer. Flights start as low as $22 each way and lowest rates are valid on Tues, Wed, Thurs & Sat departures from June 15 – September 30.

Take a 7-day cruise to the Western Caribbean from Miami and explore Grand Cayman, Belize, Honduras and Cozumel on Carnival from $599pp. This is the same itinerary I took and loved it. If you can go after Summer, you can cruise for as little as $309.

If you haven’t signed up for Yuupon yet, what are you waiting for? Save up to 90% off travel packages! Right now there is a 4-night stay at Porto Vista Hotel in San Diego for just $387 for 2 people. You also receive $100 Restaurant.com gift certificate, complimentary breakfast for 2 each morning at the Glass Door Restaurant and free WiFi. The hotel is close to San Diego Zoo (3 miles) and Sea World (7 miles) and within walking distance of the Gaslamp District. It’s right in the heart of Little Italy! This offer is good through Sunday (June 5) for stays through June 30.

CheapCaribbean.com has some fantastic rates going right now for all-inclusive resorts. From just $29 per night per person, you can visit the Dominican Republic. For a bit more, visit Jamaica, Barbados, Cancun and other tropical and beach destinations. This is their 99-hour sale, so rates are good through Friday June 3. Some resorts offer resort credits through CheapCaribbean and others include a kids stay and eat free deal, which is fantastic if you have a couple little ones.

Save 60% off hotel rack rates with the Hotwire Very Best of the Best Sale! 4-star hotels for less than $75 per night and new ones being added every hour. Book quickly though, because when the available sale rooms sell out, the rates will go back up. Stay in anywhere you want, from Chicago to Dubai, but you with prices this low, you won’t know your hotel’s name until after you book! Pick your travel dates, price and area you want to stay in and get a hotel that fits your budget and specifications. 

Need a car to get around? Save up to 40% off with CarRentals.com and rent from just $17 per day through June 28^th.

Portland was named the #1 Family-friendly Summer Vacation Destination. If visiting the Pacific Northwest this summer sounds like a fun idea, you can get this great offer from Expedia – 4 nights with air and hotel from $301 per person. Visit anywhere between Medford, Oregon to Whistler, BC for up to 30% off! Book by June 17 and travel by July 31. You can book an entire package or just your hotel (from $83 per night).

Save 30% off the US Virgin Islands with Expedia. When you book by June 30 and travel by August 25, enjoy $350 air credit, $50 shopping credit, $50 attractions credit and $50 dining credit. Choose from St. Croix, St. Thomas or St. John.

Stay 2 or more nights at Disneyland Paris Resort and save up to 20% on your hotel AND park tickets! Must book a 3 day/2 night package or longer and book by June 30 for travel through November 7. Kids under 7 stay and play for free (up to 2 per package). Plus you'll receive free continental breakfast each morning to get you ready to start your day in either Disney park! I love Disneyland Paris and can't wait to go back. It's one of the best deals in Europe and their packages are a steal!

Speaking of Paris, why not take a 6-night vacation there? From $999, you can enjoy a trip including RT airfare, hotel, daily breakfast and 1-hour Seine cruise. You can't even get airfare for this low right now. Book by June 14 and travel in July, September or October.

100 for 100! I would love to run another giveaway here on the blog, but in order to do that, I would like to get to 100 subscribers via Google Friend Connect and Networked Blogs. If you are a regular reader and not already subscribed, please consider doing so. Once we reach 100 readers, I'll be giving away $100 in Dining Dough to be used at Restaurant.com for dining certificates. Save $100 on your vacation dining! That's a nice savings!

Don't forget to do your travel shopping and reservations through Ebates when you can. And don't forget, if you aren't a member yet, you get $5 just for signing up and then $5 for every friend you invite that also joins and makes a purchase! The more friends that join, the bigger rewards you can earn, like gift cards and an iPod!

Don't forget to join me on the awesome new Savvy Living Community sponsored by Ebates. Not only will you learn how to save money by better utilizing Ebates, but you will also be able to read Savvy blog posts and join in discussions and live chats with Savvy Leaders (like me!) to learn how to save money on all aspects of your life. With 21 bloggers who are experts on everything from travel to family life, you're sure to learn a lot of new information, find some great new blogs and even make some friends along the way. Join Ebates.