Travelling can be expensive, but as I’ve shown you before, there are many ways to cut costs and go on great holidays for less. One of the easiest ways to do this is by seeking out all-inclusive resorts that bundle all your meals, entertainment, lodging and, if you’re lucky, airfare into one manageable package. You know exactly how much you’ve paid and any leftover money in your budget can be put toward activities that aren’t included in your rate, like shopping and other things you want to do off-site. While some websites claim that an all-inclusive is cheaper than you could book on your own, it’s not always true, but if you do the math to see what it is per night per person, you may find that if you book separately, you would never be able to go for so cheap. 

Some of the best deals on holidays can be found on all-inclusive holiday sites geared toward travellers from the UK. You can find 3-, 4- and 5-star resorts that have packages to fit every budget. Choose your own dates and stay between 1 day and 3 weeks! Look at the offers of the week and find great holidays starting around £250 per person, including resort stay, round-trip airfare, meals, drinks and more. Most resorts are beachfront or very close to the shore, so you can splash around in the surf, too. If the ocean isn’t for you, all resorts have beautiful swimming pools that are perfect for everyone in your travel party. You also have the possibility of shopping at nearby, off-site stores at many resorts, so you don’t feel as if you are trapped on the premises. 

All-inclusive holidays are great for those travelling as a family and take the guesswork out of researching an entire trip to figure out if you can even afford to go. You will know right up front what the total of your holiday will be, including delicious multi-course meals that you may not have been able to find the money for otherwise. Isn’t that better than bringing your own food or eating at cheap restaurants that have a drive-thru the entire time you are away? The whole family will have so much to do; whether you travel for two weeks or just have time for a weekend break. Take the hassle out of holiday planning and just kick back and relax. Destinations vary widely and you will find something to everyone’s liking, whether you wish to holiday in the Canary Islands, Egypt or Cancun. Not only will you have amazing locales to choose from, but you’ll also enjoy amazing views when you get there.

  

Pricing and reviews can be found on many of the easy-to-use websites. A deposit often is required for booking, with the balance of your holiday costs due prior to your departure. Now, after finding your travel destination, all you need to do is pack your bags and be the hero of the family, because you saved so much money. You don’t need to tell them how easy it was!

The Little (Hotel Search) Engines That Could

This was a guest post by me that originally ran on The Savalots.

I love to travel and I love saving money. With so many travel sites claiming they have The Best Deal, you want to make sure that’s really what you’re getting. Why bother searching multiple sites if they all claim this? Simple – because there are some sites that can actually get you better deals and incentives for future travel. If you’re on a budget, like many of us are, it’s important that your dollar stretch and you get the most you can out of it. Just because your budget is tight, doesn’t mean your vacations have to suffer. You can still save money without sacrificing destination or comfort, so try some of these lesser-known sites when booking your next trip:

Venere.com – This fast-growing site is UK-based and has a vast selection of hotels, bed & breakfasts and apartments worldwide. They have just started branching out to include American accommodations, but they do have listings for most of the big tourist cities, like Orlando, New York City and Los Angeles. What makes this site great is that the reviews are very candid, there are enough photos and information to know if it’s the accommodation for you and most of the listings don’t require you to pay up front. Some ask for a deposit, but many you just pay when you get there. I love this approach, because if you’re like me, you like to reserve as far out as possible, which isn’t always an option if you don’t have enough money in your bank account to tie up in a hotel reservation at the time.

HotelClub.com – With a free membership to their rewards program, HotelClub works a bit like your local grocery store rewards card, except the more reservations you complete, the more you can earn. A great resource for accommodations across the globe, you’ll find photos, guest reviews and a wealth of information about each property. Each time you book through them and complete a stay, you’ll bank 4% “cash back” in your account for use on future stays. After two stays you reach “Gold Club Member” status which can earn you 5% cash back, and after six stays, you’ll move up to “Platinum Club Member” status and earn up to 6% cash back. All last-minute bookings only get you 2% cash back, but a discount is a discount, and because this site is powered by Orbitz, you know you’ll have a wide selection of accommodations to choose from.

Enjoying our deck at our last vacation rental

FlipKey.com – Run by TripAdvisor, this site has over 100,000 vacation rentals by owner. What does this mean for you? Usually, you save over the price of hotels, you don’t have to worry about other noisy guests and you have all the comforts of home, including a kitchen, so you can save more money by limiting meals out and making as many as you want yourself. The site is super informative and includes detailed information about each property, previous renter reviews, many pictures and a nice calendar that shows you availability. You contact the owner safely through the site to ask any questions, request more pictures and to make your reservation.

Superbreak.com – If you’re planning a trip to Europe or the UK, this site is for you. Their motto is “London for Less” and they really deliver. While they have listings for other countries, they have amazing deals particularly for England. Book a “short break” with them and you could be looking at a package that includes accommodation and an activity, theater, concert tickets, dining or theme park admission for a huge discount. If you plan to stay longer, you can add more hotel days as well. I’ve found that Superbreak has some of the best deals on UK hotels on the Internet and flying there is very affordable in the fall and winter months.

If you do a bit of comparison-shopping for lodgings, you can easily save on convenient and comfortable accommodations wherever you go. The sites above have many other options than your traditional hotel websites, including smaller local hotels. Finding a hidden gem among big hotel chains is now easier than ever.

Book Now Pay Later on Venere

I discovered Venere years and years ago and keep telling people to use them for hotel bookings, because they just keep adding great features that make it super user-friendly. Venere is a UK-based hotel search engine that has listings for hotels, B&Bs and apartment hotels. It gives you all the information you could need on the majority of them, including pictures, amenities, location and traveler reviews. Then even offer listings for lodgings that don't yet allow for Internet bookings, but you can still see pricing and contact info so you can call them directly. 

Venere is branching out to include hotels worldwide. While they are adding accommodations, they basically only have major tourist destinations everywhere outside of the UK and Europe, but the list keeps growing, making them good competition for the bigger search engines out there. I have found amazing deals on Venere that I couldn't find elsewhere. Aside from that, many of the hotels don't require prepayment, so you can pay once you get there or just put down a deposit to hold your reservation. This makes it really convenient to use, because you aren't forced to pay for a big chunk of your vacation months before you go.

Products We Love: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments

I am addicted to lip balm, and not just any lip balm. I happen to only carry around Alba Botanicals SUN lip balm made with soy instead of beeswax. Inconveniently, I can only find it at one natural store around here and if they are sold out, have to purchase a bunch online (you know, to make it worth the shipping). I have lip balm everywhere. In my purse, in my toiletry bag, in my office drawer, in my medicine cabinet. It is hard for me to branch out and find a lip color that I can stand up to my need to moisturize my kisser.

Last time Sephora sent me a VIB bonus (yes, I spend way too much money there), I received $20 off my purchase. I thought it was my chance to try something new that might also be a great travel product and help me color my lips while also softening them. Well, I found it. Fresh sugar lip tints are where it's at. It's natural, moisturizing, contains SPF and completes your beauty routine. You might not be able to purchase from Sephora in the UK, but you can find Fresh products in stores and through Amazon.

I purchased the sugar plum lip tint with lip polish. The polish smells lovely and exfoliates your pout. It leaves behind a yummy flavor as well. Finish your face with your favorite color lip tint. There are five to choose from including coral, sugar plum, sugar passion, sugar rosé and sugar honey. Great for any look you are going for and any complexion. Pale, tan or ethnic skin tones will find a complimentary color. 

Fresh lip tints are a fab addition to your travel bag. You get two products in one, which makes your 3-1-1 bag easier to pack, plus they go on smoothly and are fresh and light feeling, so you never feel overly made up. Perfect!

Superbreak for Super Savings

If you’re planning a trip to Europe or (to/within) the UK, this site is for you. Their motto is “London for Less” and they really deliver. While they have listings for other countries, they have amazing deals particularly for England. Book a “short break” with them and you could be looking at a package that includes accommodation and an activity, theater, concert tickets, dining or theme park admission for a huge discount. If you plan to stay longer, you can add more hotel days as well. I’ve found that Superbreak has some of the best deals on UK hotels on the Internet.

If you could stay and play for less than you would by just booking a hotel, why wouldn't you? Great holidays don't have to come at a hefty price, and Superbreak really shows you the truth in this. Now you can even book Eurostar breaks, too, which can save you even more if you like to travel by train. What else is great about Superbreak? No booking fees, they have over 25 years' experience and now they have a rewards program that can get you free holidays! Sign up for their newsletter and get amazing offers right your your inbox each week. Can't beat that for easy holiday planning.

Chislehurst Caves: The Underground Town

It’s not often we get to see what happens underground, which is a shame, because many times it can be super cool. In the past few years I’ve been fortunate to see many underground attractions, like Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels. One of the others I add to my list is Chislehurst Caves. A short train ride from London will get you there and it’s not a far walk from the station. Chislehurst Caves was listed as an included attraction with our London Pass, so we figured with our free day, we should go check it out and then either head on to Windsor Palace, Eltham Palace or head back into London to hit up the zoo. We are always on the lookout for fun and unusual places and we enjoyed the novelty of taking a train, so we made plans to check it out.

“Orpington, this is Orpington.” The robotic woman’s voice announcing the stop made it feel like we were stepping into a sci-fi adventure. Oddly enough, Chislehurst Caves was similar, having been used in the original Dr. Who show as the set for The Mines of Solos. Of course, we didn’t know that yet. We didn’t really know what to expect. Having visited near opening and also in the middle of the week in the late fall, we ended up at the Caves and found ourselves practically the only tourists there. There were a few visitors, but it appeared that they were just leaving. As a result, we had a tour guide all to ourselves and were able to ask all the questions we wanted, chit chat about TV shows and get a closer look at some of the sets and artifacts.

Stage that has seen acts like David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd

What drew me to the caves in the first place was not the fact that they were chalk mines and mined for bricks for London buildings or even that it was used as the set for multiple shows and movies or a concert venue for up-and-coming acts like the Rolling Stones. I mean, sure, those things are interesting, but the fact that it used to be an air-raid shelter. During WWII thousands of families took shelter down in the caves and a whole city was built and life was conducted underground. Imagine going to school, church, the doctor and then going “home” in the labyrinth of caves to escape the horrors of war. The caves housed over 15,000 people at that time.

The caves may seem creepier than they would if they were lit up, because you carry a lantern throughout your 45 minute tour. The shadows can play tricks on you and you also wonder what lurks in the darkness beyond the circle of light cast by it. The walls have a twinkle to them, from the flint that is also found there, and was a big reason that Dr. Who used them to film in. You will see some items that were left behind when the caves were closed as an air-raid shelter and wonder if it was just as frightening when those people were living there. Each family was assigned a set of bunks to call home and were allowed to bring only what they could carry, which couldn’t have been much.

Even now you can view remains left from WWI, when it was used to house artillery. Bring a sweater and your camera, plus make sure to wear good walking shoes, as the ground is uneven and you will walk about a mile down there. Make a detour to the gift shop and café on your way out to commemorate your visit and also help to keep the caves open and available to tour. Prices are very affordable and only cost 5£ for adults and 3£ for seniors (over 60) and kids under 16. Under 3 are free! I would certainly suggest this as an addition to another activity out of the city if you will be taking the train, as it will give you an excuse to buy a day pass (if you don’t have the transportation option on your London Pass or an Oyster Card) and make the most of your money. If you’re driving, Chislehurst Caves is easy to find and also has free parking. Score!

Need more reasons to visit London? Check out London Pass and these articles I wrote on how to do it on a budget!

 London For Less (So You Can Buy More Shoes)

Can You Hear London Calling?

Explore London While Staying Within a Budget

Keeping Track of Your Miles & More

Do you find that you have a million rewards numbers for all your stuff? Not just frequent flyer mile numbers, but car rental membership numbers, hotel programs and more. I think we all have that problem these days, with every company trying to get you to sign up for their program. They want to research how customers spend their money and they give you certain benefits to make it worth your while, too. Well, besides not being able to remember all those numbers, it’s also pretty much impossible to keep track of all your points and miles without help. One of my favorite sites to keep track of all my reward programs (including dining rewards, like TopTable) is Award Wallet. You can store all your membership details, including log-in with them for free.

And now they offer something even cooler. It’s called the One Card. Upgrade your Award Wallet account to Plus (to keep track of more points, expirations and ways to show you how to keep your points from expiring) for $10 or more and get a credit for the OneCard. It has room for 30 rewards programs and membership numbers, plus, it is the size of a credit card, so it fits right in your wallet. Another plus? It has a magnetic strip with all your info, so you can also use it to check in super-fast at airport kiosks instead of using your credit card or needing to find your confirmation number.

Don't be these people with their huge bags to be checked.

You know what this means? It means if you are a smart packer and go carry-on only over the holidays, you can skip the long check-in lines, quickly print your boarding passes while everyone else waits to check their bags and have all your program info in the palm of your hand, in case unforeseen circumstances cause you to need to contact any of them to change your plans (all your account info – not your log-in – will be printed on the card).

Delayed or cancelled? No problem!

Award Wallet is the only website I know of that lets you choose your own price to upgrade

your account. That’s right! They want you to pay what you believe the service is worth. Whether that’s $5 or $20 per 6 months. If you’ve already signed up with Award Wallet and have upgraded your account, pay another $10 for your One Card and your upgraded membership will extend an additional 6 months.

Award Wallet's ease will make you feel like this!

So, if you’re tired of trying to corral all your membership cards in one place when you travel (or plan your travel), join me on Award Wallet and learn when your points increase, decrease and are close to expiration. Also, if you can’t remember you log-in for those million programs,

you can click right through Award Wallet and instantly get logged in. Convenient!

Group Buying Power Saves You 50% or More

Anything that can help you travel more cheaply is a good thing in my opinion. An even better thing is something that can help, virtually, anyone save on trips. It’s rare that I find a website that works for just about everyone and also boasts a 50-90% savings on everything they offer, but I have found just that. It’s likely many of you have already found it, too, but didn’t realize how truly useful it is for traveling. I’m talking about Groupon. It’s seriously my favorite daily deal site and I’ve used it at home and away and saved gobs of money. Today is all about the goodness that is Groupon.

For those of you who don’t know what Groupon is, it’s a pretty simple concept: Each day there is a new deal put up from a local company. They can be a salon, tour company, restaurant, yoga studio, shop or any number of other things. They will offer one rockin’ deal for Groupon customers. The discount is always AT LEAST 50% off. They will have a minimum number that need to be purchased for the deal to be valid, which means if you “buy” and they don’t reach the number they need, then your card won’t be charged for your order. If they do reach their desired number of purchases, then everyone who buys that day will get the awesomely discounted whatever they are offering. Groupon means “group coupon”, so that explains why they need more than just one person to take the deal in order for it to help both you and company offering the deal. Companies get their name out to customers, customers try them out and everyone wins!

I can attest to the money-saving aspect of Groupon on vacation, because last year we went to Hawaii and we booked all of our entertainment and some dining by using Groupon Honolulu. We’ve purchased 2 tours (one full-day and one half-day) and a snorkeling trip that also features an on-deck BBQ. How much did we save on just those 3 things? Almost $250 (approximately £163). We did think about buying a Go Card for our trip, but we were only there for 7 days, so we knew we would be doing other activities that were either free or inexpensive on their own: the Dole Plantation, Honolulu Zoo (which would be ½ off if we had a current zoo membership), the beach and the International Marketplace. I love a GoCard, but if I can’t get the full benefit of it, then I would rather not spend the money on it. What did I do with the money I saved? Bought tickets for a luau, of course!

Not only did we save on activities, but when I received emails from Groupon that included restaurant discounts, I looked at where they are located in relation to my lodging and then purchased accordingly, since going out to eat in Hawaii can be relatively expensive. We purchased a few certificates for dinners at nearby restaurants and one for Wahoo Fish Tacos for lunch to mix in with our expected trip to both Chili’s and Hard Rock Café (we have neither in Portland, so we do look forward to eating at these when we travel), our lunch at the Dole Plantation and then whatever we chose to make ourselves in our included kitchen. Our trip turned out to be much more affordable than we first expected, with the help of Groupon, which allowed us to put more money aside for our return trip to London in the fall.

And now Groupon has teamed up with Expedia to bring you fantastic(er) deals on travel! With amazing discounts on luxury hotels and accommodations, you can’t afford NOT to travel well while still on a budget. The rates may not be slashed to 90% off, but they will be great and you’ll drool over their gorgeous photos and long to go everywhere all at once.

 

So, how do you sign up for Groupon? It’s easy and free! In fact, you can use your Facebook account to sign in if you want. Use either your home location or your next vacation destination as the one you wish to get deals for and then look for them in your email. You can click through to look at your local area as well, and your preferred destination anytime you want.

Use Groupon all over! Use it to save on date night at home, be a tourist in your own city, get pampered or save on everyday things. That’s right, you can purchase BOGO certificates for bowling, 50% off dinner, discounted massages or facials and even save on oil changes for your car. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Products We Love: LUSH Cosmetics Solid Shampoo Bars

I was introduced to shampoo bars when I went to Disneyland and LUSH Cosmetics had just opened a store in Downtown Disney. My mom was in love with the bath bombs and other girly stuff and I was fascinated by the fact that you could rub soap on your head and not have it turn into a disaster. I bought an oatmeal one that claimed to moisturize and tame hair. With thick curly hair that tends to frizz if not treated properly, both those things were a plus. I tried it out and LOVED it. I only wished they also had them as a conditioner. Now they do!

The LUSH shampoo bar line comes in many different scents and ingredients, so you can pick just the right one for your hair type. The Jungle Solid Conditioner only comes in the one scent, but for my unruly hair, it did more than expected. It smoothed and detangled and was easy to use. It does have a high floral fragrance, along with other smells, but even with my allergies, it isn’t bothersome.

These are greatly affordable and you can even get an aluminum case to keep them in when you travel, so they go from bag to shower and back without needing to wait for them to dry out. If you have a LUSH store near you, you can take the time to browse the many different kinds of shampoo bars they have, though, I’ll have to warn you that everything starts to smell the same after a while, because all the scents are mixing together in the small space. The shopping experience goes just as well online, without the watery eyes.

These are one of my favorite travel items. Not only do you save space by not bringing a liquid, but these are super easy to use, make your hair silky and moisturized, keep the frizz down and don’t spill all over your stuff in your bag.

Your Ticket to London

I'm talking, of course, about the London Pass. You pay one price and this little card can get you into over 55 attractions in the London area. It allows you go straight to the head of the line and, since you’ve already paid, you don’t have to keep looking over your budget to see if you can afford to do something else on your trip. If it’s on the list, you’re covered. While not “cheap”, the London Pass is affordable and especially useful if you are spending a week or more in the city. You probably won’t visit all the attractions covered, but if you did you could save over $800. Even if you just visit half, you’re getting a significant savings on your trip.

Wellington Arch

This is a fancy way to get to be a tourist in your own town, or affordably do things you've always wanted to do when you visit. You’ll need one per traveler and you can buy them for different travel lengths, from one to six days. You can purchase the card without the transportation option to save even more, if you plan to do more walking or driving than tube-riding or you already have an Oyster card.

Dohop Does Discount Airfare

Dohop is one of those websites that gives you awesome information and you wonder why you've never heard of it. It basically lets you build your own search engine by searching round-trip or one-way flights between any two locations and then giving you all your options, starting with the least expensive. It searches over 600 airlines and shows you the best fares possible, even if it means flying to or out of a different airport in the area. It's the only intuitive search engine that I know of that gives you these options without you having to tell it you are willing to fly in or out of surrounding airports. If you want to book, Dohop directs you to the right website to reserve your flight(s).

You also have the option of using Dohop Away, which is a great function for finding new places to visit. Enter your starting airport and when you want to travel and you will get a list of all the flight deals available for that timeframe. Pretty easy to just click and choose a vacation and then decide what to pack!

Find an amazing deal on airfare to a place like this!

Dohop also has a great search function to find you low-cost hotels and car rentals worldwide. I also recommend you signing up for their newsletter. It is quite witty and has some great information, including guest posts from other travel bloggers (like me!).