family travel on a budget - Your Money Mom

Eating in Europe: A Moveable Feast

June 18, 2019 by Nancy

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Eating good and different foods is one of the best parts of travel.

I may say this because I’m Italian, but I’m not wrong. Who would disagree?

In fact, at one point I considered titling this post, “I’m getting hungry again.”

This post is the third in a series. I’ve written about transportation and places to stay in Europe, and now food.

My overall theme here is to give you my perspective on travel in Europe. It’s one person, or really one family’s, experiences.

Other people or families do things differently—spending less or much more than we do, staying or traveling or eating in different ways—but overall I am happy with how we manage to keep well fed and happy.

(As with all travel, I make notes as I go to try to improve on future visits, so you will notice these at various places.)

Similar to my view of staying, my overall theory on food is to try local foods as much as possible. But “local” includes restaurants or locations that have multiple locations, even if they are not “chains” in the traditional American understanding of it.

The best croissants in the world

Oddly, I don’t feel that I ate as well in France as we did in England. Easily the best meal we had in France was a super-simple, but delicious, roast chicken and vegetables at the house of my daughter’s host family. But, not surprisingly, probably the best thing we ate in all of our travel were the croissants throughout Paris.

Breakfast

Let me just go through a typical day:

Breakfast: this was the best, often. It was a croissant or other pastry from a local patisserie. So delicious, and definitely worth it. Normally, if I don’t eat protein for breakfast, I will get sleepy or sluggish. But we were often walking and so busy through the day that the pastries were the right kind of fuel. Or maybe it’s something about France.

The magic of Carrefour

Lunch usually became an on-the-go meal purchased at a mini-supermarket like Carrefour. (Carrefour means crossroads in France).

What is Carrefour? There isn’t really an equivalent of Carrefour or Marks & Spencer in the U.S. These are giant grocery/store chains, like a Target, but in many cities and towns there are smaller storefronts of these stores (sometimes called “Carrefour City” or “M&S Simply Food”). Carrefour is common in France & Belgium; M&S in the UK but also in several European countries.)

These stores have a large selection of prepared foods, snacks, & drinks that ranges from pretty good to gourmet.

Wandering through a Carrefour can be a cultural experience in and of itself–what are the current popular snack foods? How many different kinds of yogurt can one offer?

So, for instance, when we arrived in Paris, we dropped our bags at our hotel room (read this post about where we stayed and why), and then headed out to walk around.

We were hungry, so we stopped at the Carrefour nearest our hotel (they are dotted throughout Paris). My daughter got a baguette sandwich, and I chose this lentil/falafel salad. It was delicious, full of legumes, nuts, and veggies. Very filling and just what I needed.

I didn’t realize this was vegan when I bought it. The nuts really made the salad.

We also got two apples and some bottles of water (more on that later). We started our walk to the Eiffel Tower, very near our hotel, and stopped in the park that runs in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Depending on how much we were purchasing, our Carrefour visits cost around $8-15 per time, and covered more than a meal for two, and usually snacks for our hotel room or wandering times.

Eating out in France

We would eat out at a restaurant about once a day, depending on our travel. And sadly, I have to say, we didn’t have a “great” meal in Paris.

(I am sharing a couple of restaurants here I have read about since we got back, to bookmark for our next visit).

Bouillon Julien

Aux Bons Crus

Next time I will plan better so that we can ensure at least one outstanding meal.

For instance, one day we stopped into a restaurant that had been recommended to us, and it was about 5:30 p.m. I thought, we probably don’t need a reservation this early because all the French tend to eat late.

Well, even though Google (which must be right!) listed the restaurant as open from noon-11 p.m., when we stopped in it was completely empty.

I thought, wow, we are going to be the absolute first ones here! A waiter came out after a few minutes to tell us that they didn’t open for dinner until 7:30 p.m.

So, because we were hungry and not up for a two-hour wait, it was back to the drawing board. We did find a place nearby, and had a decent, but not astounding, meal.

Looking ahead to my next trip to France, I will plan ahead and make sure that we double-check the hours of a restaurant, as well as plan ahead to try one of the ones we know.

Another place that we did not eat at, but I wish we had: one of the cafes at the Musee d’Orsay. The Musee d’Orsay is the wonderful museum housed in a former train station. One of these cafes is top of list for the next visit: ….

One of the charming-looking cafes at the Musee d’Orsay.

Train Picnics are THE BEST

When we took the Eurostar from Paris-London, we both chose interesting foods from the many restaurants in the Gare du Nord train station. Then we had a “train picnic.”

I chose a quiche from Paul, a patisserie chain with reliable and yummy foods around France.

We also stocked up on bottles of water, and there was likely some chocolate involved. 🙂

Food in London

Once we got to London, we actually ate better and less expensively than in France. Go figure!

When we first arrived in London, we dropped our bags off at our hotel (read about that here).

Eating out in London

We knew we were going to want to have dinner within the next few hours. On our list to return to was Dishoom (“From Bombay with love”), a British chain of Indian food with a very 40s/50s vibe, and reliably delicious Indian food.

After a quick visit to the Design Museum, a free and interesting small museum around the corner, we got to Dishoom Kensington between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., which I knew would be early, and fortunately we got a table right away.

Dishoom’s dinner menu. I’m getting hungry, again …

(Fun fact: Dishoom a sound effect in Bollywood movies, the equivalent of “kapow”).

We ordered a selection of things from the menu (lamb, chicken, and maybe chickpea dishes? I can’t remember exactly—some kind of legume, plus rice, and an order of samosas). We ate like royalty.

Just a small selection of our Dishoom feast. (note the naan on the left)

To round out our meal, we had naan, of course. Our waiter assured us that one order of (freshly baked) naan would be plenty. We raised our eyebrows at him, but trusted. Pretty much right after it arrived, we ordered another one. There can never be enough good naan, if you ask me. So delicious.

Our total for this feast for two? Less than $45.

Another repeat restaurant was Poppies’ Fish & Chips. This is one of the best and most authentic fish & chips shops. The original Poppies location is near to Spitalifields Market.

We ate a huge meal at Poppies. (I don’t think we got drinks) for $41. It surprised me how high this was, compared to our feast at Dishoom. If we had taken out (which is quite fun here, as they wrap your fish & chips in paper), it would be less expensive, but we wanted to sit down inside.

Fish & Chips at Poppies. Cod & haddock are the two offered, but we preferred cod.

Tipping in Europe

Here is one very lovely thing about dining out in Europe: tipping is less than rare, and not expected. Apparently wait staff are paid well enough without tips, and it’s not a “thing” at all.

(Dishoom in fact is considered one of the best UK employers overall to work for, according to a survey.

Food halls/markets

The “food hall/market” types of storefronts in London (and throughout the UK) are chiefly Marks & Spencer, or M&S. Other chains include Tesco, Sainsbury, and Waitrose (the latter here is more high end).

Having the M&S and other chains here points up one disadvantage of not staying in an Airbnb: no ability to heat up food.

When we rented our flat in London way back in 2010, our usual dinner was a selection of entrees from the M&S near our apartment building, and heated up in the kitchen microwave. Chicken tikka was a frequent favorite, but we also enjoyed shepherd’s pie. I did miss the ability to have that, and I wish hotel rooms often had a fridge & microwave. Note to Premier Inn: consider it?

However, you can still eat extremely well from the prepared foods that do not need to be heated, from salads to sandwiches to tea treats.

Just one of the many sections of ready-to-eat food at M&S.

I’m not going to even defend this, because no defense is needed: at least one of the evenings, scones, clotted cream, and blackcurrant jam was “dinner.”

This was actually a cream tea at Chawton House.

Breakfast of Champions

As I mentioned in my “stay” post, we added breakfast onto our room at the Premier Inn. Breakfast cost about $11 per person per day, but it was well worth the cost.

Breakfast at Premier Inn includes a large buffet of well-cooked and presented hot & cold foods, with tea, coffee, and other drinks on demand. When we were in London, we always ate a very hearty breakfast, and that would keep us full for a long time before we needed to eat again.

Am I the only American who loves Weetabix? I loved having it every morning.

The buffet at Premier Inn, including items I didn’t get but are authentically British breakfast fare, like mushrooms and baked beans.

I had to capture the black pudding here, which we actually saw a few people eating.

Random food notes & locales in London

*Ben’s Cookies, with locations around London and the UK, is surprisingly good. (and there is one location–NYC–in the USA). We purchased a small box, and they were delicious and held up well during the several days. The cookies reminded me of Insomnia cookies, a staple these days on college campuses, but they tasted much better.

*markets are a great place to consider eating a meal or sampling different foods while sightseeing or shopping. Two that are worthwhile:

1. Borough Market is popular for this, but it has gotten much more crowded than when I was last there. On this trip we arrived around lunchtime, and it was packed. We did end up having a delicious meal from one of the stands (I had a roasted chicken wrap that was amazing). We also had some delicious cheese and bread. If you’re going to visit Borough Market, I recommend arriving at an “off peak” time to avoid the crowds.

2. Spitalfields Market. I love Spitalfields so much, and food is the least of the reasons, but the food choices are amazing.

Spitalfields is not quite as big and crowded as Borough Market, but also has more non-food shopping in and around the market.

There are lots of food stands there to try, but since we were already planning on Poppies, we didn’t. Next visit we will consider trying a different fish & chips shop, and then try out one or more of the food stands.

A small but money-saving hack on water bottles

This only seems obvious once you discover it, but if you are going to stock up on water bottles for your hotel room, a train picnic, or other needs, head to the water section of the food hall/mini-supermarket, rather than at the front by the prepared foods.

So, for instance, an approximately 16 oz. bottle of water at the front of the store would be 50 Eurocents, but a much larger, 1.5 L bottle (about 50 oz), would be only 21 cents.

Have snacks, will travel …

If I have to say there is one thing that I was neglectful on this trip, it was having snacks on hand.

I should have had more non-perishable packages of nuts, trail mix, and other healthy snacks for hunger emergencies.

So note to self for next time: have maybe six servings of healthy, non-perishable, snacks on hand for the trip (and refill as needed).

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any suggestions for me for easy healthy non-perishable snacks to have on hand during travel?

And do you have a “food theory” when it comes to eating or eating out when you’re traveling?

Why I’m NOT a Fan of Airbnb, and Where We Stay Instead

June 5, 2019 by Nancy

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

This is the second in a series about European travel. For transport options to and around Europe, see this post.

(This is an aside that only fellow grammar-lovers will appreciate. In writing this, I have trouble with pronoun consistency—when making reservations, it’s “I,” but it’s our family (or members of our family) traveling, so sometimes it’s “we.” This article in general will stick with “I” but know that I’m talking about family travel, not solo travel).

I am definitely in the minority, but I am NOT a fan of Airbnb. I’ve used it several times, and they were all pretty horrible experiences.

That isn’t the chief reason that I don’t use Airbnb. I know a lot of other people who’ve use and enjoy Airbnb rentals, but it’s really not my “style.” So the moral of this story is to know yourself and what you like, and then stick with that for your travel.

Airbnb issues

I’m not trying to convert anyone to not use Airbnb, but I will say that I prefer the protection and security offered by staying at hotel. NY Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber has written on this extensively, here, here, and here, among other places.

(Let me share an aside by saying that I’m not opposed to renting out a home! Our family does rent private homes, when our extended family meets for a family reunion vacation every year at the beach. But we rent through one of the many local real estate firms that offer the service).

So, now that we’ve gotten Airbnb out of the way, let’s consider other options. I am a big fan of Rick Steves, and before trips we’ve either purchased his books or borrowed them from the library.

But I don’t really love his theory on staying places—he prefers local, very small hotels and B&B type places.

Where we stay instead

In the US, I really like to stick with chains that we know, not just for points but because we know what to expect.

Here’s what I mean: if you book a Hampton Inn or an Embassy Suites, you know what to expect, generally. If it’s a newer Hampton Inn, it could be pretty nice, and if it’s older it could be a little tired, but there is a basic level and quality that can be expected. Also, you know what the breakfast is, and how to plan accordingly.

So despite it being more conventional than the typical European traveler, who might like to stay in interesting little pension, I really want comfortable, inexpensive, and no-surprises accommodations.

You may or may not be that way. If you are not, that’s fine. But if you are, you may find my experience & strategy helpful.

Staying in Paris

In Paris, we stayed at an Ibis Hotel. This is part of the Accor chain, which also includes Sofitel and Novotel. Ibis is Accor’s moderately-priced properties.

After some research on where to stay, I ended up reserving a room at the Hotel Ibis Eiffel Tower. There are quite a few Ibis hotels in and around Paris, but this seemed the best situated for our travels.

We did not add breakfast onto our room rate, since we knew we could have a delicious breakfast out and about. And it turned out our neighborhood cafe ended up having the most delicious croissants and other pastries at Merci Jerome. (There are several locations around Paris).

Would I stay there again? I think I would. It wasn’t the newest property, but it was clean and comfortable. We were very convenient to the Metro, and walking distance from a number of places. It was a safe neighborhood and we felt at home. There was a laundromat nearby for when I needed to do laundry.

Staying in the UK

In the U.K., I knew exactly where I wanted to stay, if not necessarily the exact location: Premier Inn.

As I often tell people when I mention where we stayed, Premier Inn is like the UK version of a Hampton Inn or an Embassy Suites hotel. It’s consistent, reliable, and everywhere. I’ve stayed at about half a dozen Premier Inns, and they’ve all been great

Premier Inn has many locations all around London, which is where we wanted to base, and throughout the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. The last time we stayed in London, we stayed at the Premier Inn London Holborn. It was very convenient and a newer property, which always helps.

This most recent time, we stayed at the Premier Inn Earls Court, and we will definitely stay there next time we go. That’s because it had a lot of everything we needed within a few blocks: the Tube, a very nice laudromat, a lovely Marks & Spencer Food Hall (more on that in a post on eating). We could also walk a lot of places, including the V&A Museum, one of our favorites.

Premier Inn does offer a breakfast, but it’s for an additional charge. We did because it’s such a hearty offering and I love full English breakfasts. Breakfast added on around $12/person/day to the room. More on that in the “eating” post.

Why I Heart Premier Inn

The cost for Premier Inns varies a lot, due to when you’re traveling, but it offers a great benefit in that if you book far ahead, you can save tons of money.

So, for instance, I put in several dates a number of months out. I chose three times that US families might travel to the UK: Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, and a typical spring break.

The prices for a 2-person room started at low as 40 GBP per night for the room—that’s just a little over $50 at current rates. That is astounding to me (and makes me want to advocate for a trip to London soon for our family!)

I don’t know how you could do that in a US city of the same size. Imagine getting a nice hotel room in a very nice location in NYC or Chicago for $50/night, as long as you booked several months in advance.

Downsides to hotel stays

Nothing is perfect, of course. The chief downsides of staying at a hotel or hotel chain (instead of an apartment) in Europe are:

*no kitchen to store or prepare food. This is a downside. When our entire family traveled to London in 2010, AirbnB did not exist, and we used an apartment rental service called The Apartment Service. (http://www.apartmentservice.com/).

I loved our London apartment so much! We had a washer/dryer, two bathrooms, heated towel racks in the bathrooms, and more. Our kids were a lot younger and it made a lot of sense to be all in one place. And we enjoyed getting to prepare and store perishable food. I might consider using the service again if we were there for an extended time, but for a short visit the Premier Inn makes the most sense.

*in Europe, rooms are smaller, and usually only fit a maximum of three people. (So, for instance, when our family of five traveled, we got two rooms at a Premier Inn).

*there’s usually not a whole lot of “character.” But when traveling abroad, you’re already experiencing the culture and the character of this different country. Having a reliable, expected place to stay is 100 percent worth it for me.

Other options for staying:

Religious Guest Houses

When our family traveled to Italy last year, we stayed in a chain hotel in Rome (long story/no breakfast/lovely accomodations).

But when we traveled to Assisi, we stayed in a convent guest house. It was lovely, for a lot of reasons, and I would do that again.

Friends of ours gifted us this book before our Italy travels, and it had a lot of great information about staying in convents.

Now it’s your turn. If you’ve traveled internationally, where do you stay? You won’t convince me to use Airbnb again, but if you do, what are the benefits for you?

How to Credit Card Rewards: A Very Basic Guide for Beginners

May 22, 2019 by Nancy

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

This is the third in a series about credit cards. For those new to credit cards or want to learn about getting your first one (or your first one for your teen), read this post. For those in credit card debt, please start with this post about paying off credit card debt.

Let’s say you follow the number one rule of credit cards: you pay them in full and on time every month. You might be a good candidate for optimizing your credit card use to take advantage of the perks and rewards offered.

First of all, I am in no way a travel rewards or travel hacking expert. There is a whole community of serious travel hackers, from travel bloggers like “Travel Rewards 101” “The Points Guy” and “Million Mile Secrets.” These websites and resources offer tons of information about all the ways that travel rewards can be accumulated, used, and optimized.

But frankly, it’s overwhelming. It was for me when I started on this journey. I still consider myself a relative novice. So I thought readers would find it helpful to have a basic primer on credit card rewards. I would have liked this when I was first learning about credit card rewards, so I created it!

My Credit Card Rewards Journey

First of all, for years and years I have loved my Discover card cash back bonuses. (this link is a referral for a $100 statement credit if you sign up).

The Discover I have offers a 1 percent cashback for all purchases, and every quarter, a 5% cash back bonuses for rotating categories. So, for instance, right now (from April through June) the Cashback bonus is for gas stations and Uber/Lyft. We are all using the Discover card to put gas in the car during this period.

I loved the Cashback bonuses because you can convert them into gift cards to dozens of restaurants, hotels, stores, & services. I usually redeem ours for Panera or other restaurant gift cards, and then we eat out “free.” Its just always been a nice little perk.

Several years ago, in a “finances” overview at our oldest’s college orientation, the mom next to me asked if she could pay for tuition on credit cards. (Turns out that wasn’t allowed at that college, though there is a way around that—for a future post). We started chatting and she mentioned that the reason she wanted to put tuition (not a small amount!) on credit cards was to get travel rewards.

As we walked out of the session, the woman told me how her husband was really into points. He had accumulated (literally) one million miles, which was going to allow their family to travel and stay in Hawaii for free.

At the same time, I heard about travel hacking on several podcasts, so I began doing a little research.

Total overwhelm quickly ensued!

First of all, there was too much information about all the different cards.

Second, many of the “travel rewards”gurus (usually single people) were using their points for things like super luxurious first-class tickets to exotic destinations.

I just wanted to find out how I, a normal mom who loves traveling with her family, could find a way to do it less expensively.

Maybe not Hawaii, but definitely Europe, and other destinations, were among my goals.

One card that came up again and again is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. (this link takes you to a page for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card). Once you obtain the bonus “Ultimate Rewards” points, you have a lot of great options for free travel.

How does a travel rewards credit card work?

The basic process is this: You sign up for a new credit card. If you meet the “minimum spend” in the time specified by the card, you are rewarded with a huge bonus of points. You can then use these travel rewards points for flights, hotels, and other free travel.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are considered highly valuable. That’s because you can convert them into points from so many different programs, including airlines and hotels.

How we have used credit card rewards:

*many, many restaurant gift cards ($45 in Cahsback bonus = $50 in gift cards). This is my fun “eating out at Panera” or other places, without having to record it in YNAB. (You Need a Budget app–the way we keep track of our monthly spending and on target).

*free flights (on Southwest Airlines, one of our favorites) for our family to travel to a summer reunion last year. I have also booked this year’s flights with points.

*free hotels for various trips (Marriott, Hilton Honors, and IHG, chiefly).

*the Southwest Airlines companion pass. This is a pass that allows one person to fly free whenever I fly, through the end of 2020.

We actually have many more miles and points just waiting to be used, on a number of credit cards. As many people put it, the points you accumulate do not grow in value. Therefore, it’s a good idea to use them as you accumulate them. But I’m a “saver.” Having those rewards on hand for any last-minute travel or needs makes me feel good.

Objections to seeking travel rewards:

**it will hurt my credit score.*

This is not necessarily true. There may be a temporary drop in your score when you apply, especially for a “hard inquiry.”

(A potential creditor, such as a credit card, bank, or mortgage company, requesting your credit information is considered a “hard inquiry” rather than a “soft inquiry). In general, however, that score but that will bounce right back after a few months.

Everyone’s credit is different but I have actually found my credit score improving. (I have a very long length of credit, so that may help as well.)

*I can’t meet the minimum spend.

The minimum spend on the cards can range from $500 to $5,000. That must be completed within the first three months of being approved for the card. Note that that the clock starts ticking right away, not just when you receive the card, so meeting that minimum spend ASAP is critical).

You may think that you don’t spend enough on credit cards to warrant that, and I understand. But you would be surprised at how much you can put on credit cards, from your cell phone bill to all of your groceries, your utility bills, tuition payments, and more.

For tuition payments, it’s usual for them to charge you a fee, say 2 or 3 percent of the total, to put it on a credit card. That’s not ideal, but if you only need a small charge to finish meeting the minimum spend, it could definitely be worth it.

For money you’re going to be spending anyway, such as utilities, cell phone, groceries, and gas, why not be rewarded?

If, despite all this, you don’t feel you could meet the minimum spend, or it would be “too close,” I would say that it’s probably best for you to wait to consider one of the travel rewards cards. Instead, consider getting the Discover Cashback card because there is no minimum spend to begin receiving the Cashback.

*I don’t want to pay the annual fee for the card.

Many of the travel rewards cards have an annual fee. Some, but not all, waive the fee during the first year, so you can see if the card is a good fit for you. I have kept my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, despite its $95 annual fee, because it offers other perks that I find useful, but others have downgraded their cards to a more basic one. (I would NOT recommend cancelling a credit card, because that can hurt your credit score).

*I might overspend.

If this is the case, you are definitely not a good candidate for credit card rewards. Spending money you weren’t otherwise going to spend, or money you don’t have (incurring credit card debt), completely negates any positive points or rewards you would receive. It’s good to know yourself, and if this is you, stay away. There are other ways to travel inexpensively.

Key Takeaways:

**NUMBER ONE RULE OF CREDIT CARD REWARDS: YOU MUST PAY YOUR BILL IN FULL AND ON TIME EVERY MONTH*

This is the only way that credit card rewards, whether cash back, travel rewards, make any sense.

*don’t rush into anything. Consider all your options.

*for starters, consider a Cashback type of reward card.

*for travel rewards, consider Chase Sapphire Preferred (Ultimate Rewards) card as a good first card.

*for hotels, consider the Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors branded credit cards. The points bonuses are generous, and these cards offer other perks while staying in the hotels.

*keep it simple.

For travel rewards bonuses: start with one card and meet the minimum spend, then repeat once you have been successful. No need to get too creative or complicated about it. Also keep track of your credit cards.

*be scrupulous about following the rules.

related to cards and points accumulation and usage. You don’t want to lose out on the points bonus because you missed the deadline.

Resources:

Here are several of the websites that I have found helpful in learning about travel rewards:

Travel Miles 101 offers a free e-mail course that is pretty manageable in introducing the concepts. The course was put together by an entrepreneur (Brad Barrett, co-host of the super-popular ChooseFI podcast) and an MD, who both take advantage of rewards in different ways. It’s helpful to see both perspectives on it.

The Points Guy is a group of travel blogs and writers who offer sooo much information on credit card rewards and using points for travel. I have found them helpful when I was transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Southwest for free flights to our family to our family reunion trip. But it can be overwhelming at times.

Million Miles Secrets is another travel rewards site. Tons of information. Both of these are good for searching “how to” do something once you have accumulated points and want to redeem them in the best way possible.

Choose FI is the increasingly popular podcast about all things related to FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and living in a countercultural way so as to have freedom. Travel rewards is one of the “pillars” of FI (financial independence), and they have numerous articles and other resources related to it on the website. There are several podcast episodes related to just travel rewards. Well worth a listen.

Travel Resources

April 19, 2019 by Nancy

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

I traveled to Europe in late April/early May 2019. You can see some of my trip on Instagram– I’m @yourmoneymom. (eventually, I’ll put some of the IG stories from the trip in highlights there).

Here are some of the resources and products that I find useful related to travel. I’ll update this post, and add others, so check back when you’re getting ready to travel.

I wore a great pair of Naot shoes on my recent trip, but I am close to considering Rothy’s shoes as they are advertised on many podcasts I listen to. Also, when I was at O’Hare, I saw someone wearing a cute pair of patterned Rothy’s flats and asked about them, and she loved them so much. If I do order a pair I will report back and especially if I think they would be good for travel.

I purchased this SIM card to use in Europe to avoid some or all of the daily fees my cell phone provider charges. It worked really well, and I will have a full post soon on the pros and cons of this.

I am tough on my cell phone. I’m a dropper–is that a thing? My old OtterBox Defender is pretty beat up, so I ordered a new one. I’ve tried the tempered glass and shell case, but I often crack the glass and that just worries me too much. So I’m back to the OtterBox. It’s not pretty but it works.

I have to plug my very own me-designed PopSocket! Awhile back I traded phones with my husband, and now I have his iPhone 8 Plus.

While I love the advanced camera features, it is doing something to my hand and arm–so painful. This is because I use it so much to change podcasts, etc. as I’m walking dogs, or running, or just around. I have completely cut that out, and just turn on music or whatever and put the phone in my pocket. I though a PopSocket could work to alleviate some of the stress on my hand, which has to stretch to grip the phone.

This isn’t exactly a travel item, but I am going to take this sweater with me. It’s very soft, it has worn and washed well, and I get a lot of compliments when I wear it. They come in a lot of different colors and a few stripe patterns. This is my favorite. (I am actually wearing it again today as I update my website!)

A money belt is a must for travel if you’ll have a passport with you. I have an older version of this one (mine is not RFID-enabled). I did upgrade mine since we couldn’t find out extra one. While I’m so grateful I had it for my trip, I am glad when I could finally get home and take it off.