“Green” Travel is Good For Your Wallet 8.6.11

The term “green” is everywhere and I’m sure it’s starting to sound a bit old to everyone, but it’s still an important thing to be green in our everyday lives and also in other things we do, like traveling. Just because we have two weeks off to go have fun doesn’t mean the environment gets a break. It still has the same problems in Brazil or India or New Hampshire as it does wherever you live. Sure, you may not be able to live as eco-friendly as you would like on your travels as you do at home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try your best. I realize how much of a recycle freak I am when I travel, because I’m constantly asking people if they have recycling bins and where they were. I feel guilty finishing off a box of cereal or granola bars and then having nowhere to put it but the trash. Often, I’ve just flattened the box and brought it back home with me. That’s a well-traveled piece of cardboard I have in my bin!

I was really surprised when we were cruising and there was nowhere we could separate our trash items. When we asked if they recycled onboard, they said to throw everything in the trash, because they meticulously go through it to separate trash and recyclables. That’s dedication and one of the coolest things I found out about cruise ships. Another thing they do is repurpose food. Food that isn’t eaten at the buffet or in the dining room gets ground up and used as fish food. And food that isn’t high enough quality for the guests aboard the boat, like wilty lettuce and veggies? They may drop it off at one of the ports for animals to nosh on (say, at the zoo or somewhere similar). Very little goes to waste, which is an awesome part of cruising.

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If you aren’t cruising, there are plenty of things you can do to “go green” on your vacation. Let’s look at some of them:

Take public transportation – Duh, right? Well, even though it still emits carbon dioxide, you’re doing your part, because there are fewer cars on the road for everyone on that bus, train or subway. By not renting a car or taking a taxi, you’re saving pretty big. Make sure you buy a multiday pass if you’ll be at your destination traveling around for more than a day or two, it will save you money, too! The only way to help the environment more for ess while traveling around is to:

Walk or bike around town – Using your own power is the best way to help out our great planet. It requires no fuel, except the food you eat, and also gets you exercise, which is great for you, too. While not free, bicycle rentals can be found at many destinations. You just need to search online for them. In fact, a rental company like Bike and Roll rents bikes for the whole family at major tourist destinations in the U.S.

Stay in an ecolodge – Now, if you’re like me and not necessarily entirely sure what an ecolodge is, I can tell you that they aren’t all the same. I stayed in one in Ecuador, not fully understanding the concept, and that was an interesting experience. For a full description of ecolodging, you can check out The International Ecotourism Society website. For the most part they should be owned and staffed by locals, provide comfortable rooms and common areas that reflect the local heritage, use reclaimed or sustainable building materials, be located in a natural setting that preserves the land/animals/plant life, serve food grown locally (or even better, grown on the property) and use environmentally friendly water, waste and energy systems. Now, some of these ecolodges are luxury and some are basic, so it depends on your preferences. You might want to spend your night in a fully-furnished tent or an enclosed and cushy cabin. Either way, you’ll be doing a lot by staying here and making your environmental impact as small as possible.

            What you DO need to know is that just because they use energy systems, this does not mean that it extends to your “room”. Many ecolodges only have electricity in the common areas, where they make and serve your food, etc. If the place you want to stay doesn’t specify, you may want to call and confirm whether they do or not. While I’m not going to freak out when it gets dark out and I need to use a candle to get to the bathroom, I will freak out when I see giant bugs in my room that think they belong in there with me. If you don’t care, then an ecolodge is especially for you. One thing you might want to bring is a good flashlight though, or even one of those emergency LED lights that are super bright and run on rechargeable batteries (like that one on the left). Those would be really helpful in trying to get ready for bed in the dark. It’s hard to brush your teeth when you can’t see where any of your stuff is.

Not all ecolodges are budget-friendly, since the use of sustainable products and growing your own food aren’t always cheap, but it depends on your destination and the luxe level of your accommodation, so you’ll have to do your research, just like with everything else. The advantage of most ecolodges is that the entertainment is built in with being in the middle of nature, so it’s both relaxing and fun (if you like hiking and swimming and nature-watching). You usually get all your meals provided, which helps your wallet, too.

Eat local – We’ve talked about the benefits of eating local here, so you already know how doing so can save you money. Eating locally can also save the vendors/restaurants money that they pass on to you. Food is much cheaper if you can have it delivered from outside of town instead of outside the country. One of the places I recently dined at in Portland (Café Castagna – Delicious!!!) grows all their own herbs right outside. If you eat on their patio and you can watch the cooks come out to pick fresh thyme or rosemary for dishes they’re preparing just a few steps from your table. It’s inspiring, really, and made me want to broaden my own garden with even more herbs and veggies. 

Not only does it cut down on emissions, since they don’t have to order these items, but there is virtually a never-ending supply, not to mention all the fresh and fragrant air the plants give off. So, you’re helping the environment, getting the freshest ingredients possible and helping a farmer (gardener, fisherman, etc.) keep their job and maybe open up even more jobs for locals.

One of the best ways to eat local is to peruse the farmers markets. Stalls are packed with yummy fresh ingredients straight from the local farms, which means cheaper prices and the best quality. You’re putting food on someone else’s table by way of putting money in their pocket and putting food on your own “table”.

Pack light – This seems to be my answer to everything, but it really is a great way to travel. The less you take, the easier it is to carry, but also you don’t have to pay a porter to take your bags, you can keep all your belongings with you when you fly and it also lessens to weight on the plane, which reduces fuel costs. You will use less water when you do your laundry and have some room in your bag to pick up some souvenirs from local shops and stalls (which brings me back to the same points as eating local). Need some packing tips? Go here.

Reduce waste – Bring a reusable water bottle with you and use that instead of repeatedly buying bottled water. If the tap water is no good, invest a little more for a bottle with a filter and you’re good to go. You can’t imagine how much money this will save you over the course of a week or two and you’re also keeping non-biodegradable material out of the landfills and, in the long run, out of our oceans. The fish and their fragile ecosystems thank you in advance!

Share a meal – First of all, if you are in a place with bigger portion sizes, or you’re just not that hungry, splitting an entrée is a great way to save money when you dine out. Another thing it does is eliminate waste in uneaten food and save energy by only creating one meal.

Get yourself an ereader – Something like a Kindle or Nook will help you travel lighter and eliminate the need to cut down trees to make another book. You can keep your whole library with you at all times and even share books with your ereading friends. If you have an iPad or iTouch, you can use the free Kindle reading app to have both an ereader and a web-enabled device in one.

Power your devices with solar power – One of the greatest sources of power we have is the sun. Charge your electronic devices, take only one charger with you and save electricity with a Solio Solar Charger or similar. It's compact and easy to use, can be used almost anywhere and takes up minimal space in a travel bag.

Take the stairs – Another take on "walk places", if your lodging has an elevator, you can opt to take the stairs to save electricity and also get your exercise. Not like you won't get enough, but if you've had a little extra to eat, claim you're burning off the calories even if you're tired. Of course, if you are on a cruise and prone to overindulgence, since it's hard NOT to do, taking the stairs is not only faster than the elevator, but pretty much necessary in not packing on the pounds. You want to look good in your swimsuit by the pool, don't you? Besides, stairs are free and you don't have to wait for someone to get off of them like you do the elliptical in the gym.

There have been so many great deals out there lately, now that summer is almost over and hotels and airlines are trying to fill rooms and seats. Want to take a vacation now that the kids are back in school, rates are cheaper and destinations are less crowded? Well, then lets see some of the deals out there:

• Jamaica – 4-night lodging and round-trip airfare from $499 per person at American Airlines Vacations. Book at least 2 nights and save 50% off stays at the family-friendly all-inclusive beachfront Holiday Inn Sunspree Montego Bay. Your package includes 3 meals per day, snacks throughout, all drinks, entertainment and non-motorized water sports. Book by October 31 for travel through December 22.
• San Diego – 4 day cruise starting in Vancouver, BC and ending in San Diego from $349 per person. This is fantastic for enjoying extra time at either end destination, relax aboard a Holland America ship and be pampered and entertained for 2 full days at sea. If you live in either Vancouver or San Diego, you'll save quite a bit, because you'll only pay for airfare one way. Perfect for a short getaway. Cabins selling out fast for this affordable September cruise.
• San Diego – If you plan to stay in San Diego at the end of your cruise, or just want to visit for the heck of it, for $125 per night you can stay in the luxurious and ultra cool Hard Rock Hotel that has so many awesome things, you won't ever have to leave the hotel if you don't want. Book on SniqueAway by August 11.
• Scotland – £99 (approximately $160) for a two-night stay for two at The Inch Hotel in Loch Ness, including a delicious breakfast selection each morning and a bottle of wine on arrival. Purchase from KGBDeals by August 11 and stay by February 12.
• Malta – Stay at the Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa in Attard from just $109 per night. Your stay will include daily breakfast, 15% off spa treatments, access to the resort's 6 restaurants and free shuttle service to a private beach. Book on Vacationist by August 11.
• New Orleans – Save up to 50% off NoLa hotels and travel in time to visit one of the many festivals happening in the fall like the Seafood Festival.

Help me make it to 1,500 Facebook fans and be a winner! I'm giving away travel games for your summer trips. They are fun and help pass the time. Here's what you need to do: "Like" Shereen Travels Cheap (if you haven't already) and enter to win the travel games giveaway. Then, suggest Shereen Travels Cheap to all your Facebook friends and tell them they can enter to win, too. When they enter, they enter your name as the one who referred them and you get another entry for each friend who names you! When we reach 1,500 fans, 2 lucky winners will be chosen via Random.org.

Want to see your trip photos on my blog?

I can always use great pictures, especially from my readers. Use the email me button on the top to send me a few of your favorites. I'll credit you if I use them! (Make sure you include what or where it is.)

Do you have plans to visit Portland or do you live in the area and just want to get out more and still save money? Subscribe to my Examiner feed and get 2-3 great money-saving ideas per week! Not only does it help you find affordable things to do, but it helps me increase my readership and puts a few pennies in my pocket at the same time, which keeps me writing for you guys. (I actually do it for free, but a little compensation for the effort doesn't hurt either.)

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 16 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. 

Travel-size Products for Any Size Trip 8.3.11

Packing light isn't always easy, but if you know where to go to stock up on your favorite products in miniature size, it makes it a whole heck of a lot easier. Today I want to tell you about my five favorite places to purchase travel-size products to stuff your 3-1-1 bag with that will save you space, money and keep you looking and feeling your best and also help keep the hunger monster at bay with healthy snacks and add-ons to meals you might prepare yourself. On these sites you can find everything from salon quality shampoo and conditioner to mini bottles of Tabasco to eye masks for sleeping on the plane.

Minimus.biz – Have I talked about Minimus before? Sure. Doesn’t it bear repeating? Absolutely! The sheer variety of items on the Minimus site is what makes it number one on my list. You can find beauty items (shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, lotion), health products (aspirin, eye drops, toothpaste, antacids, antibacterial wipes), travel comfort stuff (eye masks, neck pillows) and food packets (salad dressing, ketchup, single-serve cereal). There’s almost nothing that you can’t buy on Minimus, and after you’ve loaded up your cart with awesome mini things – I mean, who doesn’t take BBQ sauce packets on all their vacations? – you can take advantage of their free shipping on orders of $25 or more. I have almost never seen a minimum order that low for no shipping fees. That makes them double cool in my book!

3floz.com – I’m excited about the discovery of this site (by me, I know other people must have known about it before now), because even though Minimus has pretty much everything, 3floz has everything for the beauty product maven. Get your favorite big brands in small bottles. Everything is small enough to fit in your 3-1-1 bag and you never have to compromise your products for “similar” goods in travel size or decant from your home containers into smaller ones. Find everything from Ole Henricksen and Jack Black to SuperGoop and Fekkai all with a healthy dose of humor. You can even purchase organic brands like Yes to Carrots. Want a variety of products? Then perhaps you’ll want to take advantage of the kits put together by the lovely ladies of the site that contain all the things you need for a beach trip, your gym bag, to make your hair beautiful and so much more.

Sephora – Yes, they mostly carry makeup, but isn’t that something you would love to get in travel sizes? Of course it is! Get all your favorite beauty products from your favorite brands in one place for travel and everyday, then get 3 free samples to see if you might want to try a new product and become a Beauty Insider for FREE, get one point for each dollar you spend and then trade them in for deluxe sample sizes! Want to know what’s even better? You can use Ebates and also get cash back on all your purchases. If you’re lucky, they will give you another promo code for a deluxe sample. You can literally get more free stuff in your package than things you paid for. Love it!                                         

                                                       

TravelSmith – Not only can you get all your travel clothing and accessories at Travelsmith, but they carry pretty much all the hair care appliances you could need on a trip. Mini set of hot rollers, folding hair dryer, mini curling iron and mini flat iron. All of these are items that I’ve seen people take with them on vacation in full-size that take up valuable room in a travel bag. When you’re trying to pack light, it’s imperative to take items that are packable and will allow you to pack other necessities, like underwear and tops. TS gives you the option to purchase these products and your clothing for any trip you take.

AreYouGame? – I’m not all about health and beauty. Sometimes I’m about fun! Actually, usually I’m about fun. AreYouGame is a site for those that love to play games and pass the time on their travel commutes and at their destinations. You can purchase all the travel games you ever wanted on AYG and keep yourself entertained your whole trip. What’s great about travel games besides passing the time quickly on the plane or train? You can also use them at your destination when waiting for things or in your hotel room to keep from being sucked into watching the TV in your downtime. That’s a great way to amuse your children, too, and avoid the dreaded words “I’m bored!”

So, now that you know where to get all your awesome travel size products, get ready to pack the rest of your bag. Do you need help? Check out my post on how to create a grab and go carry-on bag. Need suggestions on how to adapt and pare down your beauty routine? Check out my post on Make-up load lighteners. Do you have other go-to retailers when loading up your travel bag? Which ones do you shop? Comment here or join in the discussion in the Savvy Living Community.

Did you know we now have a weekly newsletter?! Ever miss posts because you forget? Well, now you can get a nice little reminder of what’s happening here on the blog and over on Facebook. Find out about giveaways, new posts, useful products and gadgets, my book progress and amazing deals! Sign up here.

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 16 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. 

Want to see your trip photos on my blog?

I can always use great pictures, especially from my readers. Use the email me button on the right to send me a few of your favorites. I'll credit you if I use them! (Make sure you include what or where it is.)

Do you have plans to visit Portland or do you live in the area and just want to get out more and still save money? Subscribe to my Examiner feed and get 2-3 great money-saving ideas per week! Not only does it help you find affordable things to do, but it helps me increase my readership and puts a few pennies in my pocket at the same time, which keeps me writing for you guys. (I actually do it for free, but a little compensation for the effort doesn't hurt either.)

Live and Learn: London 7.30.11

Last time we talked about all the things we learned on our trip to Ecuador. This time, you can learn from my own experiences in London. I feel like there will always be a learning opportunity whenever I travel, but this was my first time abroad, so maybe it was  just easier to find things I didn't know about. London is a beautiful city and it's easy to just assume it's the same as any other big city. With a giant park, an underground I really didn't know much about and packing mistakes, it may have been amazing that our trip went so well. Luckily, they speak English there. For the most part. That helped a lot, unlike when we went to Paris…But that’s another post altogether.

Carry a compass – Even when you’re in the middle of a city, you never know when this might come in handy. We had a map, but trying to cross Hyde Park to get from our hotel to Harrod’s wasn’t as easy as it looked, especially when you take the sidewalks and then end up in the middle of the park and can’t figure out which way you were headed in the first place. Amazingly, I remembered the compass and we were on our way – in the right direction, at that – in no time. We even made it to Harrod’s on time to meet my uncles.

Dress in layers – So, going on the knowledge that London and the Pacific Northwest have similar weather, we packed for cold weather, since we were traveling late October to early November. Well, we didn’t plan on it being unseasonably warm for the first four days we were there. How I wish I had packed a few t-shirts and cardigans instead of full-on sweaters and long sleeved tops. I could take off my coat, but couldn’t do much else about my too-warm clothes. Now, I always pack in layers: tank tops and tees that can go under something with long sleeves, like a ¾ zip fleece or similar. Columbia and ExOfficio have become my go-to online stores for great looking travelwear.

Never wear boots on a long plane ride – While this seems to be logical, I didn’t really think about it. I had some fantastically comfortable boots and left them on the entire flight from Portland to Dallas to London Gatwick. My feet swelled on the plane and by the time we got to our hotel room I had to peel them off my legs. They went back in the suitcase and never came back out until we came home. I simply could not get them back on. Luckily, I also brought along some great walking shoes, which I proceeded to wear everyday for the rest of the trip. Ideally, having two pair of walking shoes would get you by: One for casual outings and one for dressing up a little.

Cold weather travel clothes are a must – Do you know how long jeans take to dry after you wash them? Forever, might be an appropriate response. Had I known then what I know now, I would have bought and packed an array of travel clothing, instead of normal every-day clothes. This would have eliminated the need to spend almost $20 at the Laundromat down the street and we could have easily washed our clothes in the bathroom sink and hung them to dry. Even if we didn’t hand wash, we wouldn’t have needed to use the dryer three or four times in order to get everything dry enough to take back to the room, because it would have easily dried overnight.

Figure out how to get to your lodging from the airport before you leave – I’ve since learned this is smart. We didn’t do any research before we left on how to get from Point A to Point B and Day 1 turned into the day that we both hated each other and needed a break. Great way to start a honeymoon. I threatened to heave my bags into the street and get a cab, while my husband insisted the hotel was “right down the street”. It was NOT right down the street. The problem started when we got on the Underground and only had one plan on where to get off. That stop ended up being under construction, so instead of figuring out we could go one stop further, we stopped at the one before our intended station and walked a few miles before we finally did make it to our hotel. I was cranky and starving and I think the folks at the front desk could tell, because they kindly offered to hold our bags and gave us directions toward food. Halfway around the block, we saw an underground station that was fully-functional and would have been perfect to get off at. We used it for the rest of the trip to get to and from our hotel. A little bit of research would have been helpful in this situation.

When you see something being filmed, stop and see what it is – You’ve heard me complain about this before. Leaving Waterloo Station with our newly purchased London Passes to go to the aquarium, we saw an entire film crew and some very familiar looking people. We assumed it was for some commercial that we would never see and then months later found out they were filming the Bourne Supremacy and Matt Damon himself was on set and we walked right past him. Crazy!

Look at Eric savoring the experience

If you want a drink with ice in it, head to The Hard Rock – Seriously, Europe has some aversion to ice cubes. You order an ice tea and you get 3 cubes that have all but melted by the time it makes it to your table. You order a soda and you get a bottle (no refills!) from the cooler and a warm glass. If you want a refill, you order another bottle and pay another $4 for it. It’s better just order bottled water everywhere you go. Ask for still water if you don’t want it carbonated. On one of our last nights in the city, we made the pilgrimage to the very first Hard Rock Café. We took a chance and ordered sodas, since they claimed to be bottomless. When the waiter came back, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Giant glasses filled to the brim with ice and super cold diet beverage! I think this visit gave us a soft spot for HRC and we seek them out wherever we travel.

Don’t bring your whole closet – This is something that I’ve learned since traveling abroad. You’ll likely be traveling to your accommodation via public transportation. Be advised that these usually come with massive amounts of stairs. If you can’t lift your own luggage with ease, you have too much stuff in your bag. This was the first time I had ever even ridden the subway, so at the very least I had wheels on my bags, but that doesn’t help if you have to run up and down three or four flights of steps. My husband can’t be expected to carry 2 large bags like a mule. Pack light, carry-on and everyone will be so much happier. If you forgot to pack it, either you don’t need it or you can get it at your destination. Also, unless you use the space under your hotel bed, there’s no place to put full-size suitcases in your room. They’ll just take up valuable floor space that you need for standing and walking.

There are so many things to see and do in London and I can't wait to go back with all my new travel techniques and enjoy it even more. This time I hope to hit up the zoo, Wimbledon, Windsor and Stratford-Upon-Avon. If you are interested on how to do it on a budget, check out my previous London posts here, on Jetsetera and My Itchy Travel Feet. 

Did you know we now have a weekly newsletter?! Ever miss posts because you forget? Well, now you can get a nice little reminder of what’s happening here on the blog and over on Facebook. Find out about giveaways, new posts, useful products and gadgets and amazing deals! Sign up here.

Always know where you're going with Inside Out guides. These are some of the coolest guides, because they are pocket-size, have great pop-out maps, excellent info for your destination that works for us real people, including suggested itineraries and has a handy dandy compass and pen to make notes. They are available for all major tourist destinations, too.