Reveiw: Pacsafe Anti-Theft Citysafe GII 100 Handbag

So, I have a feeling that when many of you ladies travel, you don't want to look like a tourist. Sometimes you can achieve this easily enough and then totally ruin it with a bag. As you know, I have a variety of bags, all of which I love and use in different situations. Living in Portland, nobody really pays attention to what your bag looks like or what you wear, but most cities aren't like that. I have always been interested in the Pacsafe products and when faced with a choice of which bags I would like to review, the Citysafe GII immediately stood out to me. I like that it looks just like a handbag you would carry everyday, but with a few tweaks, none of which you would notice unless you took a closer look.

The Citysafe is a bag that enables you to blend in with the locals in destinations where carrying a backpack or messenger bag would target you as a tourist to thieves. It is also nice, because it comes in two sizes: The GII 100, which I'm reviewing here, or the GII 200, which is larger and enables you to carry more, including your iPad. I picked the smaller of the two, because not everyone wants to carry that much as they go out sightseeing or shopping. The crossbody bag (which you can also wear as a shoulder bag by adjusting the strap) is lightweight, even with your items in it, so it won't weigh you down or get in your way. It's also theft-proof, like all their bags, with a slash-proof strap and body, making impossible for someone to either cut the bag off your shoulder or cut open the bottom of the bag and let your items fall out into their waiting hands. 

Everything I carried in the Citysafe

As you can see the bag is a manageable size and big enough to carry the essentials. There is a zipper pocket inside for small items, like makeup, an electronics pocket and an RFID-blocking pocket for your passport or credit cards. The main compartment held what I needed and still had room for more: my makeup bag with things like band-aids, aspirin and the like, antibacterial gel, camera, cell phone and snacks.

As you can see, the electronics and RFID pocket are quite large and roomy, so you could actually fit a larger electronic in there (or more than one) and your wallet instead or (or with) your passport. It would be nice to have added card slots, that are RFID-blocking, for those of use who like to minimize and keep organized, too. 

The inside zippered pocket easily held my cosmetics and lip balm, and it has that fancy little clip in there where you can attach your keys, or even a small flashlight. This helps your keys from getting lost in the bottom of the bag - isn't that always what happens? - so you don't end up standing outside your car or wherever else digging in the bottom of your purse. Having them inside a pocket is also nice, because then they aren't jangling around any time the bag moves. 

On each end of the bag, you'll find a pocket. Not large enough for a bottle of water, but still useful for smaller items like sunglasses and even sunscreen (don't leave home without it!). You'll probably find more uses for them as you carry the bag more. 

Okay, enough about what you can put into the bag, let's talk about the safety features of the Citysafe, which is its biggest selling point. You already know about the eXomesh in the bag lining that gives you peace of mind against thieves and the inside pocket that keeps your credit cards and passport information safe from those that want to steal your identity or money, but there are two other fun features you might like: The main zipper can be made more secure by slipping it into a loop and then clipping the zipper to the somewhat-hidden clip on the adjustable shoulder strap. Once you've employed this feature, nobody's getting into your bag without some trouble. Obviously, you're going to feel someone tugging on the zipper to try to get in and steal your contents. 

The second: The strap can be detached, wrapped around a stable object like a chair, and then reattached, to keep people from just snatching up your purse and running away with it. How does it work? The Citysafe features a turn and lock security hook that works like a lobster-claw clasp, but it can be locked to prevent opening. Pretty cool, right? 

More information

Where you can buy it: Pacsafe online

How much it costs: $60.00

Colors it comes in: Black | midnight blue | walnut | plum (shown) | crimson red

Other specs: Water-repellent nylon, 9.8 x 7.5 x 3.7 in 

Disclosure: I was provided with the Citysafe GII 100 Anti-theft Handbag for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

10 Ways to Save Money for Your Vacation

Vacations are never cheap, unless you are driving and staying with relatives, though what the cost is on your sanity has not been scientifically proven. Not every destination is easily accessible and flying becomes a must if you want to go travel the world, or even the other side of the country. So, if you want to go on a real vacation, it's going to cost you. You can make it cheaper by using tips I give here on the blog (and in my books), but it won't be free, which means you're going to have to come up with a plan to save the money for the things you want to do. I have never had the money to just book and go. I have always had to scrimp and save to go to the places I wanted to and still look for rockin' deals on all parts of that trip. This is why I consider myself a budget travel expert and why I write this blog. Here are some tips to help you make up that travel budget.

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Have a change jar

Over the course of the week, you may have bought a few things and end up with a pocket full of change. Don't spend those nickels and dimes. Instead, start a change jar at home. At the end of each day, empty your change in there and then leave it alone until you're almost ready to go on your trip. You'll be surprised how much those coins add up. I keep a side "jar" in my car, for when I go to the drive-thru or use cash at the grocery store. Usually, I get some change, and I add it to that collection of coins and eventually it gets added to the jar at home.

Drink coffee at home/work

If you're like most Americans, you like hitting up the local coffee shop. Starbucks coffee is delicous, but do you really need that soy venti non-fat mocha or pumpkin latte? Once in a while is fine - we all need a little treat now and then - but getting one most days in a week can really add up. Even a tall size can cost almost $4. Instead of getting that coffee you want, make use of the coffee machine at home or at work and put the dollars you would have spent into your vacation savings account.

Make a shopping list and meal plan

I love food. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you probably know that. I also love to make healthy meals, but that can also end up being pretty costly. Yes, fast and processed food can end up being pretty affordable, but I don't want to eat that. I make trips to the farmers market and I hate spending a lot of time at the grocery store. That can be a bad combination. This is why I plan my meals out in advance. I find dishes that use similar ingredients, so I don't have to buy a huge list of items. I buy enough to make at least a double-batch of everything and then freeze them and rotate with things I've made earlier, so all my meals don't feel similar. Not only does this keep my costs down, but it saves me time and aggravation by not having to rush home and put something together. Tip: Always make a list, so you don't wander aimlessly and buy a bunch of things you don't need, even when you shop hungry. Tip 2: Coupons can save you even more at the store. Start clipping!

Shop the sales

Just because I'm saving for a trip, doesn't mean I'm not going to buy things. I love clothes and shoes. My rule is that I never pay retail for anything if I can help it. Piperlime is my favorite online shop for clothes. Their designer prices can be a little high, but I subscribe to their email list and they always have sales. Once items are on sale or marked down and I have a coupon code to use on top, then I buy. I keep up my wish list, so I always know when the price is good enough for me to pull the trigger. Tip: Use Ebates to save even more (see below.)

Use Groupon

You don't want to be sad and never go anywhere or do anything because you're saving for vacation. Not all fun costs that much and you can save at least half off things by using Groupon. We are movie junkies and often grab Groupon certificates for a local movie theater here that has living room theaters and what they call the movie parlour which only holds around two dozen people. Regular price is ridiculous for these seats and you know how much concessions cost. For the less than the cost of one evening ticket we get two to any movie in any of their theaters and a credit for a drink. 

Not only do we use Groupon for date night, but also for eating out, going on day trips (like we did last weekend at the corn maze) and all types of other things. I also use Groupon to save on my trip. I have purchased many for London and a few for Paris, making my trip total a little smaller.

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Set aside a reasonable amount of each paycheck

Any amount of money - however small or large - is a happy addition to your vacation fund. We have a savings account specifically for travel, and having a set amount automatically transfer to your savings fund each paycheck can help you get used to not having that money and you can't easily spend it. If I have more money I can contribute some weeks, I up my deposit and then drop it back down for the next transfers. If you can only do $20, it's still better than nothing. That adds up to $480 over the course of the year. Obviously, if you can do more, you can save more.

Do some odd jobs

Maybe this won't pertain to you, but maybe it will. I run a blog do social media management for my hairstylist's salon in exchange for free salon visits. I can take the money I would spend there ever six weeks and put it directly towards my vacation. I do quite a bit of freelance writing and my earnings go towards 

Have a yard sale

You probably have all kinds of stuff around the house you don't want or need, so why not sell it to people who do want it, make some cash and get more organized at home. It won't be easy, but it's worth spending a couple of your free days to make some (or a LOT of) bucks. For some tips on throwing a successful sale, check out Real Simple.

Get cash back

I don’t buy/book/reserve anything without checking the merchant lists on Ebates. Yes, I know that my favorites are there, like Piperlime, Sephora and Groupon, but there are tons more, including a bunch of travel sites you can use to book your vacations, too. Seriously guys, if you aren’t using Ebates, you are throwing money out the window. It's free to join and easy to use. Ebates tracks your purchases by your clicks through their site. Make sure you use the same email address with the merchant that you used to sign up with Ebates. You keep shopping, your account grows and every 3 months you get a Big Fat Payment. This can be by check or, if you’re fancy, instantly through PayPal. Now, you can use this free money to buy more stuff, or you can use it to pay for vacation things like I do. Heck, use it to triple your savings by buying Groupons or other daily deal certificates for your destination.

Use Swagbucks
Want to earn points you can trade in for gift cards you can use to buy travel items or use on vacation? It’s free and easy and you can earn points by just doing an internet search each day from their site. I earn enough for a gift card each month and hardly do anything. Who can’t use a $5 credit for Amazon? You can also turn in your points for Paypal cash, prizes and restaurant gift cards. Get extra Swagbucks points for finding secret codes, too!

 

My picks above: the Columbia Peak Jacket and Hush Puppies Milieu Boot

Remember, your dollars will stretch even further if you don’t travel in the summer. You’ll be able to do more in fewer days if you go any other time of the year. Winter break is a good time to travel, since most people are visiting relatives or staying home, you’ll have more room to roam the cities. You may just have to bring a good jacket and boots. (Hint: Look for packable versions of each and lightweight sweaters that can be layered with tees and tanks, so you can still pack light.)

Tip for making a travel budget seem less daunting: Think of your trip plans like a puzzle. You need all the pieces to fit together, but you need some pieces to be there to build on. Don’t wait until your trip is almost upon you to fill in all the middle pieces. Instead, put those pieces together over time. Long story short, pay for what you can while planning and then it won’t seem like you’re paying a whole heap of money at once and it helps whittle your total down a little bit each time you pay for something, leaving you less stressed out as your vacation gets closer.

For my current trip, I have a list of must-do items and every time I have the cash to add something from the “still need” to the “confirmed” list, I pay for it and add it to my actually itinerary. In the middle of planning, you’ll get something that looks like this:

I hope these tips help you to make real vacations to places you've always dreamed about easier to achieve. Interested in what others do? Click here to see what others sacrifice for travel. How do you save money for your vacations?

Super Useful Travel Links

It's official: Tomorrow is the last day of summer. How can that be? It seems like it just got here. For many of you that means the kids are already back in school and you're happy to be done with summer vacation. Did you go anywhere? If you didn't, then it's time to start planning something for Fall or Winter. If you did, but still have some money left in the travel fund, the same goes for you. Tomorrow we'll be talking about how to save for your vacations, but today I want to share a little about travel safety, what to do when you have a complaint, how not to get ripped off and then cap it off with something fun. Remember: if you have a fun/interesting/useful travel link to share, please put it in the comments. We LOVE those!

Are you in the majority of travelers who have something to complain about? Is it a legit problem, like the stewardess gave you (unwarranted) flak or you were overcharged? If so, then it seems like it would help to know how to complain effectively and how to file such a thing. Airfare Watchdog knows that sometimes things don't always go the way you or the airline would like and have some tips on what to do, how to word your letter of complaint and where to send it. I'm pretty sure the fact that you only got one bag of pretzels or your neighbor snoozed on your shoulder the whole flight do not count as valid complaints.

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If you have immediate problems that need attention by the airlines N.O.W., then this fancy site called Routes International have all the toll-free numbers for all the airlines ever. Okay, probably not those that are out of business, like Pan-Am, but ones that you can actually buy a ticket for.

I travel quite a bit and rent cars a lot. I know the ins and outs of it pretty well by now, but I realize that not everyone does. It becomes more clear to me when I am waiting in line and it takes the people in front of me 45 minutes to check in when it only takes us 5. Returning your car should be even easier - pull up where it says to, make sure all your crap is out, have the attendant check you in and give you a receipt - but it looks like many people are being wrongfully accused of damaging their rental cars when they haven't done anything. When we rent a car, my husband and I take a few minutes to both check out the car and note any marks, dents or anything else unusual. We've been pretty lucky, and have never gotten into an accident, though someone did break into our rental in Quito, resulting in getting a new window put in. We've also never been accused of, or charged, for a late return. If you're afraid this could happen to you, check out this new app called Rental Pics, so you know what to photograph when, and have evidence right on your mobile phone.

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Another place you can get ripped off fairly easily is at the ATM. We use these all the time and never really think about how thieves can be targeting us when they aren't even physically there, but they can. Have you ever heard of an ATM skimmer. I have, but never really knew how to spot one before. BootsnAll has changed that with explanations of what they are, how they work, what they look like and even include pictures! This could really save your butt.

Have you ever checked out of a hotel, or any other type of accommodation, and realized later that you totally left something(s) behind? I once forgot my laptop in a drawer and had to call and then go back for it. Thankfully, we were only 20 minutes away. On my trip to Vegas I left both my shower gel and my concealer in the bathroom. Boo! I hate having to waste money replacing stuff. Even little stuff. HotelChatter lists 10 things you should do before checking out of a hotel, and they aren't all related to leaving half your stuff behind. 

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In anticipation for my trip to London, and a side trip to Stonehenge and Bath, I share with you this great cartoon a friend sent me. If IKEA wrote the instructions for building Stonehenge, what would those instructions look like and how was it supposed to turn out? This gets many laughs, because as much as I love IKEA, these made up instructions are easier than some of the ones that come with their furniture. Enjoy!

I hope you're having a wonderful week, are ready for the weekend and planning a trip somewhere awesome. See you tomorrow!