2020 Resolution: To Travel More

The New Year is upon us and who doesn't want their 2020 to be awesome? I know I do. If you aren't already traveling the way you want, maybe you should resolve to travel more. Travel makes people happy, and being happy makes you healthier, so it just makes sense. You have all those vacation days. Try to use more of them this year. In fact, that can be your New Year's resolution.

So, how do you actually travel more? It's easier than you think. I'll give you some steps to ensure that you follow through. You just need to be dedicated to living a happier, healthier life where you go places.

Make a plan

White a list. Where do you want to go? Which seem reasonable? Anything nearby that you've already visited can be crossed off, unless you really want to go there again. Don't go just because you think it'll fit into your budget. Chances are, you can go further or for longer for the same money. Figure out your top three places and do a little research to see how much they will realistically cost. Maybe just take a week instead of two, or go on two one-week trips, instead of one long trip, because it gets you out more and gives you more to look forward to.

Start saving

Even budget travelers need to save. You may think it's too hard or you can't do it, but you can! 

• Open a checking or savings account specifically for travel. Leave your debit card at home, so you can't spend these funds on a whim. 
• Set up automatic deposits into this account with each paycheck, so you don't miss the money. They can be any amount. Even $50 will make a difference.
• Stop doing things that make you unhappy or that you aren't using. Do you subscribe to multiple streaming services? Do you use them all? If not, unsubscribe from those you don't and put the money you save into your vacation fund. 
• Use easy ways to save. there are tons of apps and extensions out there to help you save money, including Ebates, Swagbucks and Honey. These all are completely free and offer cash back and promo codes. I am also a fan of the app Qapital. It lets you set up rules for yourself and moves money from your bank account into a separate account to help you save for any goals. My favorite rule is the Round Up rule, where every purchase you make is then rounded up to the nearest $2 and that difference is moved to your Qapital account. You can easily move your money back to your bank or use the Qapital debit card to use those funds. 

Invest in yourself

While we're eliminating things that make us unhappy, let's talk about doing more that makes us happy. If you need to get out of the house more, try using Groupon and Living Social to save on your outings and dining. Get half-price manicures, go to escape rooms with friends, go have a lovely brunch, and then pocket that money you saved on it.

Look for ways to save

Set your realistic money goal for your vacation at what you would pay full price and then look for ways to bring that cost down. Sometimes you can save just by booking things online (like you can with Universal Studios' tickets), sometimes you can find coupons online, some cities offer passes that give you a decent discount off their most popular attractions. Check out CityPASS and Smart Destinations. 

You might look into traveling in the off season, because hotels and airfare can be reduced by half compared to the high season. Even shoulder season can save you money and can save you time, since you won't have to deal with long lines and crowds of tourists. 

Look at bundling your vacation. Many times purchasing a package that includes airfare and hotel together can offer you deep discounts, so it's like you're only paying for one.

Don't sabotage yourself

Stop saying "someday" or thinking you don't have time to plan a vacation or that you'll never save enough to go. You do and you can. You just need to make travel a priority in your life like you do other things you accomplish. My best friend has a family of 8 and they just went to Hong Kong and Thailand with everyone and were shocked at how little they spent, even though they had a driver and went to Hong Kong Disneyland. They'll be doing more than just driving to California in the coming years, because now they know they can. 

Resolve to travel more and travel better and be happier and do the things you keep putting off because you think it's too hard or will cost too much. Make a plan, stay on course, set a budget and do it!

What's on the top of your travel list?

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Solstice, or Wednesday, I hope you're having a wonderful one. It'll be business as usual here on Saturday, but today I'm taking the day off to enjoy family, friends, and food.

I hope your Winter/December/Holidays are awesome!

Have a Harry Christmas

With December almost over, the holidays are upon us. This is a crazy busy month for me, because Christmas, my birthday, and several great events that I enjoy. This is a pretty Potter-centric time and I'd love to share pics with you.

Each year I choose a theme for my birthday. This is generally Harry Potter, because my house gets turned into Hogwarts for our big party in July and then transitions to fall, Halloween, Christmas, and then taken down after the 1st. These all seem like the most Hogwartsy seasons/holidays, so then we take a breather and be "normal" for 6-7 months before we begin again.

see how sparkly this is

Well, since each July party has a different theme, so does Halloween (though we skipped that party this year) and my birthday. Last year my birthday was a Yule Ball and this year I wanted to really do something cool and different, so I chose Slughorn's Christmas Party and invited the "Slug Club" to this exclusive party in his office. 

I redid our Common Room wall with potions posters and made a new, bigger mantel/fireplace to replace my old cardboard one. Our fireplace doesn't work and doesn't have a surround, so I use a fake one in front of it. This had quite a bit larger mantel, where I was able to stage Slughorn's celebrity photographs. 

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A post shared by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle) on Dec 14, 2019 at 10:52am PST

Our tree had the addition of bubble lights and mini cauldrons to really bring in the potions elements. 

I also wanted to recreate his fabric tent feel without spending $95,000 and came up with a way to use lightweight gossamer instead of super expensive velvet, that made a statement piece with the "golden chandelier lit with fairies" I crafted with things I already had. Everyone was really impressed with it, so I guess I accomplished that feeling...and it didn't feel oppressive in my smallish living room. 

We don't have House Elves to carry around trays of food and drinks, but I slaved a bit to come up with a fun menu that had a Slughorn vibe to it. It included lamb chops, dragon balls (as a cheeky nod to the movie), bacon balsamic Brussell sprouts, mince pies, brandy beans, pumpkin juice, and mead. There was more than that, but you get the idea. Pretty much, all my food is a finger food, making it easy to mingle and play games.

We played Four On The Couch, pulled Christmas crackers that I made, had a mini potions class, had an owl counting challenge, and everyone went home with a Felix Felicis ornament that I also made, because that's my new tradition. Last year I made ornaments with chocolate frog cards with my face on it. It was a blast.

Eric channeling Slughorn and me Luna

The next night, I dressed up in different wizard attire to attend the third annual Yule Ball put on by our local chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance, PDXpelliarmus (see what they did there?). It's always above and beyond, and this year was no exception. 

Eric and I spring for the Feast, so we get there at 5:30, make the rounds for photo ops, raffle table, and say hello to everyone, then sit down with new friends to an amazing dinner. Afterward, we dance!

The past two years they've had a live band, but just went with a DJ this time (DJ Switch has done the two previous balls as well). It was fantastic. He plays just the right mix of nerdy and old school dance music, as well as a few new songs that everyone loves. 

This year there was also an amazing group there called the PDX Dancing Witches who graced us with two unique performances. A Dementor showed up as well, but luckily there were Aurors in the building to fix that situation. LOL!

The whole Yule Ball is put on to raise money for charity. Since the HPA works towards literacy and equality, this year went to a charity called KIND, Kids In Need of Defense, that helps kids trapped at the border and separated from their parents with no help. Ticket proceeds go to that, as well as raffle proceeds. The HPA is run by volunteers and donations, so if you love Harry Potter, or just want to help those in need, consider helping out your local chapter, or donating online. Even your purchases on the web store help support charities and other great programs.

That's how my December is going. We're going to Die Hard: The Musical Parody after Christmas (another tradition for us) and I'm looking ahead to a different local Harry Potter event at a restaurant downtown in February. The 25th will see me, Eric, and my mom at the casino buffet, because no one wants to cook for 5 hours, followed by cleaning all the dishes.

How's your December going?