Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 171

Are All-Inclusive Resorts Really "ALL"-Inclusive? 3.7.12

Don't forget to enter to win $100 from Ebates!


When planning just doesn't sound like very much fun to you, then all-inclusive sounds pretty sweet. It implies that you go there, have everything taken care of for you and you don't have to worry about anything. Too bad all "all-inclusive" resorts are not created equal and without getting all the facts, you may end up spending more than you have and having a crummy vacation, knowing that you are going into debt to pay for all the extras...

American Food Around the World 3.3.12

When my husband and I visit the UK or Europe, we find that we miss some of the things we take for granted here in America. One of these things is unlimited drink refills. Another is having enough ice in a beverage to make it cold. Having the ice melt from the warmth of your drink before it even hits the table can be frustrating, especially when you pay up to $4 for a soda or ice tea. When we need a bit of home, we hit up the place we know will be the same everywhere we go, whether it's in...

Shereen Travels Cheap UK Official Launch!

Cheers! It's been a long time in the making and now it's finally here. For those that live in or have plans to visit the UK, Shereen Travels Cheap has a whole blog dedicated to traveling on a budget in some of the most expensive cities in the world. Learn about great activities, products and money-saving tips that can help you make the most of your dollars/pounds/euros on your trip or even just discover what more there is to see in your own "neighborhood".



























I hope this...

Ebates Giveaway - Win $100!

A new month brings a new contest here. Ebates is celebrating Mommy Madness with double cash back from amazing stores for the next two weeks. Not only will you save huge this month on some of your favorite online merchants, but they are offering one lucky STC reader a $100 credit on their Ebates account. Use it for anything you like. It will be included in your next Big Fat Check! (Just in time for summer vacations.) And if you aren't signed up yet, don't worry. You can quickly sign up for...

Spend St. Patrick's Day in Ireland 2.29.12

The Emerald Isle is a top
destination on many travel bucket lists, but what most of those people don't
realize is that Ireland can be so affordable. For those that want to spend the
St. Patrick's Day holiday there, they can do so on a budget. Aer
Lingus Vacations wants to help you make your vacation dreams a reality with
this great deal:










Spend six nights in Ireland,
complete with daily breakfast, round-trip airfare from New York (other
departure cities available) and rental...

How to Rent a Car on a Budget 2.25.12

Sometimes you just need a car
to get around, like Orlando in the off-season. I don't know if you've noticed
or not, but a lot of times you try to book a car and find that the rates are
astronomical. What's that all about? Should you really have to pay the same per
day from a normal rental company for several days as you do for a Zipcar for 4
hours? I think not. So, what do you do? You use Autoslash!




Honestly, if Jonathan Weinburg –
the owner of Autoslash – hadn't contacted me to...

Spring For a Budget Break 2.22.12

All the kids are counting down to it and so are you, but probably for very different reasons. Spring Break is almost here and that means you have a whole week to think of how to entertain your children (if you have them) or worry about your college student (if you have one) or figure out how to fit your travel plans into your budget (if you have one). Spring is a great time to travel; however, it can get a bit dicey during the month of March, because Spring Break varies across the country...

Affordable Things to Do Over Presidents' Day Weekend 2.18.11

So, I assume many of you are still at home as you read this, trying to think of ways to spend those precious free hours of your 3-day weekend, so as not to squander them on crazy things like housework, homework or yard work! You almost can't get away from work, but even if you can't find it in your budget to go on a holiday break, you can always do a staycation and order some take out (or go to some mildly fancy sit-down restaurant). Of course, I also mean you should get out of the house...

Review: CarryOn Free Bag

Looking for a flight to Las
Vegas several weeks ago, I came across a deal on Spirit Air, but I didn't
quickly pull the trigger on it, because I knew that I would have to pay for
whatever luggage I brought, whether it was carry-on or checked. While I understand
that Spirit is a low-cost carrier, I also don't think I should have to pay for
a carry-on. It would not have made my airfare cheaper than other fares I found,
so I ended up booking through another carrier. Looking through the fine...

CityPASS Giveaway - ENTER NOW!

The wonderful folks at CityPASS have generously offered to give away a pair of passes to one lucky STC reader. Use in on your next vacation or around your hometown. I love that you can skip the ticket queues and save a bundle on a whole slew of activities. I have talked about the awesomeness of CityPASS before and am thrilled to have a reader check it out for themselves. Choose from any of the cities if you win (sorry, the Southern California pass is not included in this giveaway) and hop...