Using Rakuten to Travel Cheaper

Did you know that you can basically get paid to travel and shop [for your travel gear and clothing] for things you buy everyday? You can and Rakuten will pay you for it. I never buy or book anything without first checking Rakuten. So, what IS Rakuten? It's a fantastic - and free! - site that offers you cash back for purchasing from online merchants. If you plan to make a purchase anyway, you might as well get something for being a loyal (or even a new) customer. 

Here's how it works: Sign up is quick and easy, then you're ready to shop! When you have a hankering to buy something, say, at Sephora, go to Rakuten, sign in, click on Sephora and it takes you straight to the main website. You must go through Rakuten, so they can track your purchase. At checkout, make sure you use the same email address you used to sign up on Rakuten and within a few days, your purchase will show up in your account. 

Here you can see my current pending and my all-time cash back

You can track your cash back total to see how much you saved and then every quarter, Rakuten sends you a Big Fat Check (if you choose that method) or a Big Fat Payment via Paypal. Normally, you get $5 for signing up, but right now get $30 once you make your first qualifying purchase! Who else does that? If there are coupon codes available or special sales, Rakuten will show them to you, helping you save even MORE!

I like to use my cash back as a travel savings supplement. Each time I make a purchase, I rack up cash and then it gets deposited right to my Paypal account. I use that money to purchase travel stuffs, like Groupons, clothing, tours, and more! If I can get more cash back with it, even better! Of course, you can use it for whatever you want. 

Stores you can shop at: Rakuten has, literally, hundreds of online merchants you can choose from, including a long list of travel merchants. Just a sampling of those include: TravelSmith, Holiday Inn, Avis, Alaska Airlines, Camping World, Orbitz, Air France, Delta Airlines, HomeAway and even AAA! Keep your eyes out for the Daily Double. Each day a list of awesome merchants offer double cash back on your purchases for the day. 

It's Travel Week on Rakuten right now and you can earn 2x cash back on a bunch of merchants. There are also a ton of travel deals now that the holidays are over, so you can get an even better deal when you book.

And now, you can easily get cash back through Rakuten by downloading the Chrome extension on your computer. When you go to a website that accepts Rakuten, the app will add a banner to the top of your screen letting you know, then you can can click on the banner and it will automatically put you through your Rakuten account and straight back to the site. That's it. One click and you're on your way to getting money back. I always like to check out the Rakuten site anyway, because they include any active coupon codes, so you can save even more. 

If you spend a lot of time on your phone, download Rakuten there, too. It's a bit of extra work, since you have to open the app and then find the store you want to shop at from there, but it's always worth it. It's easy to get around, see your account, find your favorites, and see all the places you can get cashback on one screen.

Haven't signed up for Rakuten yet? Do it now.

Dining Out For Less

January is Be Kind to Food Servers Month, so it feels like it's time to bring back some tips for saving money while dining on vacation, along with some suggestions on how you can inject a little more kindness when you're somewhere that you are being served food or beverages. 

I love food, and I travel to try new things. I know there are a lot of Americans who try their best to only dine at restaurants they recognize when they vacation, and that's very odd to me. I understand if you travel with picky children or have sensitivity to new foods or are atypical and the one constant you need is food, but for others to go out of their way to travel to new places and then only eat the same foods they eat at home is crazy. Food is awesome and it's an amazing way to learn more about a destination. I feel like you miss out on a big part of travel by not engaging in local cuisine. Anyway, here are ways I save money on food when I travel.

When you've bought random snacks and have hunger in the evening, you don't have to go out

Bring snacks - When I'm out doing things, I can eat all day. That's not helpful when you're on a budget. I am also a person who gets hangry. When I declare I'm hungry, it means that I probably need to eat within the hour before I turn into a different person. A person you don't want to know. I travel like I have a 5-year-old in tow, with a bag of snacks, just in case. You don't have to have a million snacks, but a couple is always good. A granola bar, meat sticks, a bag of nuts. Anything you enjoy that can give you that little boost you need and keep you from becoming emotional because you need to eat. I love a good RX Bar. They're small, but mighty and I especially love the Chocolate & Sea Salt and the Honey Cinnamon Peanut Butter.

Tip: Servers are people, too. They didn't make your food, so if it's incorrect or cold or not good, be nice. They're probably happy to take it back and make it right for you, but being rude is uncalled for + don't be mean to the people who handle your food/drinks.

Choose one meal to eat in - If you have a vacation rental with a kitchen, make use of it. Choose a meal to eat "at home". A quick trip to the grocery store is not only fun, but can save you money over dining out. At the very least, and most of what we do, is to bring back leftovers and eat those instead of going out for another meal. Even doing this once or twice can save a good chunk of money, especially if it's a dinner out you're skipping. 

Tip: Give a little extra where you can. I am happy to go out a little less if it means I can tip a little more. Being a server is hard. I know I couldn't do it. Many of them don't make a living wage and depend on tips to pay their bills. Unless I get wretched service, I tip 18-20%, and sometimes more if I can or I get stellar service. I know not all places tip, but even if you're in a place that doesn't really do tipping (like France, maybe), I try to leave $5 or so, so they know I was happy. Just don't do this in places where it is rude to tip, like Japan.

Eat lunch at the fancy place  - Did you want to eat at a fancy restaurant? Then make your reservations for lunch instead of dinner if you can. Sometimes the price for lunch can be as much as half the cost of dinner and often they have the same dishes.  

Hit up food carts/trucks - I live in a food cart utopia. Luckily, more are cropping up around the world. Not only can you save by eating outside of a restaurant, but usually there is more just one truck, which means you can try several cuisines at one time, if you want, or you can find something for everyone in your travel group instead of deciding on just one place to sit and eat. I usually keep a set of reusable utensils in my bag for food cart stops, so I'm helping the earth a little bit and have a better, more durable fork or spoon to eat with.

One of the best hotel breakfasts I've ever had (in Paris)

Book a hotel that includes breakfast - If you have a choice between two hotels in the same price range and one includes breakfast and the other doesn't, choose the one with, because even if it's not the greatest breakfast, it's still free and can save you $10+ per person per day of your trip. I am usually happy to hit up a coffee shop, but even that can add up. If that boring drip coffee is not up your alley (I completely understand), perhaps bringing along an Aeropress and your favorite espresso is a great way to still get a good cuppa and save money.

Tip: If you enjoyed your dining experience, thank your server, but also write a note of thanks on your bill, because not only will they see it, but so will the manager and whoever handles the paperwork after them. It's better than a Google review, because it's specifically for your server.

Share dishes with your travel partner - Sometimes when you go out to eat, you aren't starving and can split something, but my other favorite thing to do is you each order a dish that you both wanted, then share when they show up. If you're happy splitting one entrée, you can always also order an appetizer or a dessert to round off your meal. This way you get enough to eat, but you also don't have to take anything with you if you can't go back to put it in a fridge (though some places don't do leftovers, so it also eliminates wasting any food).

Use Groupon - Sometimes you can find local favorites on a Groupon deal, saving you 20-60% off a meal. We've found a lot of cool restaurants this way. Make sure to read reviews, because I've also found some not great restaurants this way, though not many. A lot of times new eateries will post deals in order to drum up business and gain a following of regular diners. 

Tip: Be patient. There are a lot fewer staff members at a majority of places right now and it may not get better anytime soon. If you're in a hurry, try to avoid a sit-down place, or go early. Being mad that the skeleton crew can't get to you quickly is just going to ensure that you're mad most places you go. Dining out is supposed to be relaxing. If they're doing their best, that's all you can expect. Have a drink or an appetizer and enjoy your companions or plan your next day of travel. You can always bring a quick game like Fluxx. There are a lot of versions, but why not try the travel-themed version on your travels?

Eat during happy hour - If you don't mind eating a bit early or late, and choosing from a limited menu, you can save quite a bit on a meal. We often go to happy hour at home at one of our favorite restaurants. It gives us an excuse to order more things than we normally would, because it's cheaper and the portions are smaller. Sometimes we don't get hungry for lunch until 3 or we are ready to go to dinner at 5 and this really works out for us. You don't have to order an alcoholic beverage to take advantage of these food deals either, but you can.

Skip the kid's menu - If you can, try to avoid the kid's menu. Sure, they have grilled cheese and pizza and those things that all kids seem to like, but everything is overpriced and half the time kids never finish food they are given. If you can, split something with them or an entrée between two kids. Not only will you get a better value this way, but also broaden your child's taste buds.

Go where kid's eat free - There are lots of places that offer a deal where kids under a certain age eat free when you order an entrée. This can save a lot of money over the course of your trip and it's easy to Google places at your destination where it is offered. 

Tip: Clean up big messes. I see a lot of families eat out and leave a huge mess when they are finished eating. It sucks. There is a reasonable amount of mess that someone expects to clean up, and then there is a 5-foot radius of mashed up food and trash. Please don't be that person. I consolidate all my trash, put all my silverware on my plate when I'm done, and often I stack plates to keep my server from having to pick up 800 individual plates and utensils. 

It's easy to spend money, but it's also easy to save it when you do a little planning before and during your trip. What are some of your favorite ways to save money on food when you travel?

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. I may be monetarily compensated should you make a purchase through them. It's completely free for you and your purchases enable me to keep this blog running, so thanks in advance.

2024 Travel Trends

I love looking ahead to the coming travel trends so I can see how travel is expected to change in the coming year. Since 2020, people have been vacationing differently than they did before. I know that I savor the ability to explore the world more than I did, while other people have finally discovered that slow travel (taking their time in a destination) is more rewarding than spending 1-2 days in a city before moving on. 

photo credit

 

I may not be going anywhere super original this year, but I also plan to visit at least 3 different destinations, travel with intention, travel with my mom, and travel to see family.

According to Hilton, travelers are looking for more personalization, easier self-booking, and will be investing in their sleep more, meaning they may pay a little more to stay somewhere more comfortable, where they can relax after a long day out. Travelers are also placing more value on culture and experiences, like dining, which is good to hear, because those are two reasons travel is awesome and allows people to really connect with a destination and people, building more tolerance for other places, traditions, and lifestyles. 

What ways are you planning to change how you travel? Do you align with the new travel trends?