Shereen Travels Cheap

Why spend money on a fancy hotel room you aren't even using most of the time? Or spending all your time on public transit when you could spend a little more to stay closer to things you want to do. I'm here to show you how to save money when it's necessary and how to choose value over the cheapest options. You want to get the most out of your money, but also your time.
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As someone who's had to learn to travel well and affordably through AAA guidebooks and travel books and coupon books (books are so useful) and then was able to plan better and faster as the Internet has grown, I have been honing my budget travel skills for 40+ years. Follow for budget-friendly tips, free and cheap attractions, affordable destinations, packing light tips, and places where I think splurging is worth it.

Day One of the Travel Goods Show down. Two more to go. Here are some highlights and the super glamorous life of a carry-on packer 😅
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What kinds of products are you hoping to see in a recap?

When you need a variety of outfits, but are a light packer. This is everything I brought with me to the Travel Goods Show for meetings, dinners, on the plane, lounging, and general wandering the city. You can make a lot of outfits with just a few pieces, even if those pieces are dresses. I also brought a cardigan, but it's really warm and muggy here (SLC), so it's not really necessary.
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Are you a morning person, or are you only a morning TRAVEL person like me? 😅

Sometimes, you have the opportunity to view free art. When I see it from the highway, chances are good that I'm going to stop to check it out. Liberty Sculpture Park focuses on communism and the victims of it, mainly in China, with about a dozen large pieces of very impactful art. is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it's a great spot to stop for gas and snacks in Yermo, CA It's right across the street, but it's easier to get to it from the main road. You can drive through (it's all dirt and VERY uneven) or walk.
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It was 100°F outside, so we opted to stay in our car and drive slowly and carefully through the park, taking pictures through the open window and reading plaques where we could. I'd love to visit again during the morning hours, when the temps are lower and walking is easier.

Whenever I travel, I bring along a packable bag for groceries, farmers market shopping, souvenirs that don't fit in my carry-on. This packs into its own zipper pocket, but is also insulated with a waterproof lining, so we used it to keep items cool on our mini road trip from LA to Vegas and back. We've also used it for wet swimsuits and bringing snacks/leftovers on the plane.

Food carts are the best. When you're traveling, they can save you money, time, and the age-old problem of no one wanting to eat the same thing at meal-time. Bonus: you get fresh air and good people-watching.
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We only had 45 mins to eat before an event the other day and we walked to the nearby food cart pod, split up to order what we each wanted, then reconnected at the table, and we probably spent half of what we would have spent at a sit-down restaurant.
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What are your favorite money-saving travel dining tips?

Are travel budgets lies we tell ourselves? Sometimes, yes, but mostly no. You should always factor in going over your budget by about 20%, but you can also make a list of cheap or free alternative activities that you can do in place of some more expensive ones. This is great when you want to have a chill day, but still want to do "vacation stuff".
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Sometimes you're surprised by your trip, like our trip to Normandy was much more affordable than we expected, because there weren't a zillion food options and we ended up shopping at the grocery store and making more food than we normally do on trips, so we saved quite a bit. On our last trip to London, we did a lot of free/cheap things that we hadn't done on previous trips and ate at more pubs and cafes than normal restaurants, so it was a lot cheaper than we planned for, too.💸
You can absolutely make an expensive destination budget-friendly, but you can also do most destinations for less than you thought, especially if you plan to spend more and expect to go beyond that by a reasonable amount.
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What was your most surprising budget trip, good or bad?
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