Five Little Frugal Things -- Mini Vacation Edition
My husband and I took the opportunity to get out of town to celebrate my birthday. Of course, we kept it as frugal as possible.
- We took advantage of a $99-per-night deal, which we received as we'd stayed at the same lodge last year. The suites include a fireplace, seating area and as you can see -- sweeping views. They tack on a variety of extra fees, but they can't be avoided. Even though I did unsuccessfully ask to not be charged the $15 per night parking fee.
The hotel is only an hour from home, which helps keep the travel expenses in check. - We noticed during our last trip that they set out a morning coffee station in the lobby, which unfortunately only caught our attention as we checked out. We took full advantage of it this time, as it was three tiers superior to the Keurig-style option in the room.
I also brought my own Tetley British Blend tea bags, ($3.11 per box of forty!) so I'll bring the room tea home to offer guests who enjoy a different blend. My friends know to gift me their unused hotel room tea, which I find pretty hilarious!
- I called ahead of our visit to arrange a free room microwave, which allowed us to bring some frozen food and avoid $19 omelettes from their in-house restaurant. We shopped for food at Trader Joe's, which still felt kind of fancy.
Our grubby vintage, definitely-not-a-$325 Yeti Rubbermaid cooler is far from "on trend," but it does the job. No need to keep up with the Joneses! - We did splurge on lunch from a nearby taco cart, which was absolutely ¡deliciosa! A taco cart in a random parking lot will always beat a fancy restaurant meal in my world!
- My husband and I didn't sign up for any spa services, browse the gift shop or pay to throw axes. We're simple folk (ha!) who are happy to wander the grounds and then come back to the room, turn on the fireplace and watch a couple episodes of Better Call Saul.
Happy birthday!
If you need another trip and want to hit up some fantastic thrifts to put that GW card to work, Seattle is a thrift haven!
Looks like a lovely trip! We have that same cooler (my husband had it before we met) and it’s still going strong!
1) I had most of a bag of fresh cranberries left from Christmas. I used them to make a cranberry salsa which ended up being great, never would have thought to do that but found the recipe in one of my cookbooks. I had it with tortilla chips and I had it with some dried pinto beans I’d cooked with some onion and spices and frozen.
2) Related to your comment on Trader Joe’s feeling fancy, I usually go to Trader Joe’s weekly on my lunch break from work but I’ve been working at home the last 2 weeks so I went over the weekend with my kids. Rather than do our usual takeout Saturday (which I may need to rethink, feels like it’s often $60-$80 now and we don’t even always have leftovers) I told them to choose something from Trader Joe’s for their dinner. This was very novel and exciting for them. My daughter chose sushi ($6) and my son chose veggie dumplings from the freezer section ($3). Far cheaper than takeout, I’ll have to do this more often (maybe even every Saturday!)
3) I have two full boxes of brand new unopened toys to donate. There are very few young kids in my family (my sisters don’t have kids and most of my cousins don’t) so despite my best efforts, everyone wants to shower my kids with excess toys at Christmas. I get that it’s fun to buy presents for little kids and see their excitement but they get so much they literally don’t even care about many of them, they never touch or open them. I very openly tell family I box up and donate a lot of it after Christmas (which you can imagine makes me very popular), it doesn’t stop the flood of gifts from coming but at least it keeps our house from overflowing and my sanity mostly intact.
4) Today was the first day working back at the office after being allowed to work at home for 2 weeks. I brought some nice tea and chocolate I’d received at Christmas with me as treats to make returning a little more tolerable!
5) I just finished reading The 1619 Project which was really good and is giving me a lot to think about. Usually I use the library but I’d purchased this book while on a trip so I put it in the nearby little free library so someone else can read it and benefit.
My family has the same problem with toys for our littles. I try and intercept and peak before giving them to my kids to preemptively cull anything too crazy, but alas it's a struggle.
We had a similar issue when my kids were little - the only little kids on either side of the family, and everyone would go overboard.
Fortunately my relatives were pretty good at taking gift ideas from me for what the kids wanted/would play with, and after a year or 2 I realized that the things I wanted to get the kids were already bought, so I didn't get them gifts from my husband and I for a few years. There was nothing left to get.
Lisa, thanks for the cranberry salsa idea! I googled a recipe, and look forward to using up our leftover cranberries in such an interesting fashion!
Lisa, thanks for the cranberry salsa idea! I googled a recipe, and look forward to using up our leftover cranberries in such an interesting fashion!
That sounds like a lovely vacation!
1. I made Meyer lemon marmalade with free lemons from my parents.
2. We sold our second car and now are a one car couple.
3. I made a delicious side for last night's dinner with collard leaves from my garden. Tree collards are the BEST for continuous harvest over several years!
4. Laundry is drying indoors on racks. My lease favorite thing about winter. We're in N. California and it has been incredibly wet.
5. Bought two 55 gallon barrels from the salvage yard. I have a plan to increase our rainwater storage even more, and have better access to this free water in a part of the garden that is hot and had no water source. This will increase the space in which I can grow food. We will be reimbursed by the city for the cost of the water barrels. So free food and free water is a two-fold saving!
Happy happy birthday, Katy!
What frugal things I can scrape together:
1. Went skiing this weekend as we do all winter and stayed with our trusty pals near the mountain. Paid for our stay in fresh bagels and leftover Christmas snacks. All were appreciated and devoured. Given some included rainbow cookies my mom made from scratch, I couldn't bear for them to dry out over the weekend and was happy to see them disappear!
2. Went to get my annual physical this morning. Got a clean bill of health and a good discussion. Awaiting bloodwork results but not expecting any surprises. Preventative care is VERY frugal!
3. Ate my lunch at the office when my coworker asked if I wanted to grab food. I said I was set but that I'd go with her. Nice to get some hangout time without having to spring for anything.
4. Remembering to return unused items from Christmas, getting crap out of my house and recouping some of the uncontrolled spending.
5. Got a free space heater from our Buy Nothing group.
Today is my b-day. I went online last week to see where I could get free stuff and I'm now set with:
a free cookie from Subway, Churros from a mexican place, a piece of my favorite cake from Boston Pizza, a small dipped cone from Chocolat Favoris, a small pizza from Gabriel Pizza, 6 puffs from Puffs Pastries and... I think that is it (Canadian readers will probably recognize the businesses I mentionned). Won't claim them all today, obviously!
Apart from that :
- Taking advantage of a 0.99$/3 months offer from Kindle Unlimited. They have like 30 books on my TBR that I can't find anywhere else (for free), so yay! And I downloaded the app on my Chromebook, no need for a Kindle device
- Received the family and friends for DD bday (today also!). Was able to feed 14 people for about 125$ (spaghetti, meat sauce, cesar salad, cheese garlic bread, juice, homemade strawberry cake and ice cream) Not bad!
- From my Buy Nothing group, this week, I received hair care products, a coin purse, an unopened bottle of Magnesium pills, 3 small ceramic bowls and 3 small jars of jam (I also give a lot)
and Happy Bday to you too!!!!
Isa, happy birthday to you and your daughter!
1. I received my coupon from Tyson Chicken! Good for up to $14.99 of one of their fully cooked chicken products, which is what we get anyways. You know I'll be maxing out that dollar amount! Winner winner, up to $14.99 free chicken dinner 😉
2. Woke up to snow today! My kids are thrilled and I'm glad we have nowhere to be this week, other than my husband going to work. He recently replaced the brakes on the car and the tires are in good shape. My kids are wearing their Halloween costumes (completely their choice) and it's keeping them extra warm, and I've got a sweatshirt on.
3. My husband's job has given him 15 days of PTO for this year so I've got a spreadsheet going to see how best to maximize the days.
4. Scanned an Ibotta receipt, only $1.00 back but Rome wasn't built in a day.
5. My mom's birthday is coming up at the end of the month and she said she doesn't want to do anything big, so we're planning a movie or TV night at my house, homemade pizza and brownies. I'll have my husband see if we can find a good deal on some wine at Grocery Outlet too.
Happy Birthday! What a gorgeous view. I am so glad the weather is almost sunny and dry for your stay.
I have that cooler in orange, it holds an amazing amount of stuff, unlike those yeti types that hold very little and weigh a ton.
Ours is red, a wedding present from my parents-in-law. Classic is classic.
Happy birthday, Katy! We have the same cooler and it, too, spent time in a hotel room recently. I envy your $99/night deal for a lovely place. We were shocked at the $213 hotel bill at a mediocre Best Western we stayed at in New Mexico. Granted, that was after numerous fees, including $25 for our dog, but still high in our book.
1. Finished monthly financial tracking spreadsheet for December. Spending on food was higher since we needed to stock our Airbnb, plus prices where we shop in Arizona are higher than at home. Spending on meals out was higher due to more get-togethers with friends before we left Minnesota for the winter.
2. Previous tenants at our Airbnb left crackers, tea, olive oil and salt.
3. Spent $4.25 for a small tin of pepper at the local only-one-in-town market. Yikes. I will save the tin and refill it for pennies in the future.
4. Spent an enjoyable and productive afternoon purging emails, documents, downloads and favorites/bookmarks on our computer. Feels good to start the year lighter in this way.
5. Husband spent $6 at the self-serve car wash in Arizona to rid our buggy of the road salt acquired through the heartland.
I’m also a tea drinker, and my experience with hotel tea is that it takes a back seat to coffee. Often, the coffee looks marginally schmancy, and the tea is expired Lipton. For this reason, I always travel with my own teabags, just in case.
We have a mini vacation coming up at a relative’s guest house, because they want us to keep an eye on their place while they are out of town. Again, it’s an hour out of Portland. I already know which taco truck I’ll hit up. I think I’ll spend some time with my feet up in front of a fire, reading a book on my Libby app.
I haven’t done anything particularly frugal lately. I tallied up my bottle drop proceeds for 2025, and it was nearly 25% less than 2024, so I consider that a recession indicator.
My bottle drop is usually 4 bags a year! We don't drink many recyclable or plastic drinks.
I pick them up around the neighborhood. (I live within walking distance of restaurants and convenience stores.) I think people aren’t buying as many drinks and/or aren’t tossing the empties on the ground for others to recycle for 10 cents.
I have the same ancient red cooler!
Happy birthday, Katy! Glad your vacation was peaceful and relaxing.
What a lovely little vacation! Happy birthday!
1. My grandson's friend left a gift bag (with gifts) in my trunk. I texted my grandson, who is back at college, and he directed me to take it his mom, my DIL. Good old moms! They take care of everything! I did so, but I did consolidate first and took out an extra smaller gift bag which I will reuse. If the friend is anything like my grandson, it was headed for the trash.
2. On the way home I stopped at the little free pantry and picked up a can of beans and Ro-tel.
3. A friend gave me two overripe bananas, which I put in the freezer for future banana bread.
4. I updated my financial spreadsheets, making everything fresh for the new year.
5. I did laundry today, and hung up a load to dry in the bathroom.
And I forgot to say -- I, too, have the same cooler!
1. I used rewards points to purchase a friend's birthday gift (an essential oil diffuser). Yay, no money spent!
2. Sold a book on eBay for $92 after fees.
3. Made it through 5 days of my no spend January challenge to myself.
4. Being serious about eating from the freezer and pantry. Husband and I are always saying we will but hardly ever stick to it. Since January 1st I have pulled out a whole chicken, frozen, corn, and tilapia. I can do it .
5. Using Hoopla from the library to stream a series free.
I was on a jobcation last week. My only out of pocket expenses were a Starbucks coffee and treat one am.
I also met a friend for breakfast that included bottomless mimosas.
I ended up at the end of trip catching the flu so off to Walgreens for meds.
I only worked one day last week and won’t work any this week due to
my flu and husband’s back surgery. However my jobcation $$ will help out. I’ve been listing and selling many things for a friend so I get a % of that.
Happy Birthday, Katy! Glad you enjoyed some time away from home with your hubby.
Happy belated birthday, Katy, and I'm glad that you and Mr. NCA enjoyed your frugal vacation.
Now, FFT, Bundle Up, Chow Down, and Stay Home Edition:
(1) The weather in my part of the world has been so unspeakable this past week (2 feet of snow in one 24-hour period in my city, and 4 feet of snow in 24 hours in the county just north of us) that I've only been darting out on absolutely essential errands between snowfalls. It's harder to spend money if I'm not going out, although it also grates my cheese to be missing so much post-holiday thrifting time.
(2) One way I'm occupying myself usefully is cleaning out my office, which I haven't done since last April. I've got dust bunnies so big they ought to be named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter!
(3) Alongside the office cleaning, I'm doing one of my periodic book culls: I've got three boxes so far for donation to the first library book sale that comes handy. I've also set aside four books by a local author for my JASNA Panera friend, who admires his work.
(4) And I've been filling herb and spice "orders" from the friends to whom I gave herb/spice check-off cards for Xmas. (The herbs are my homegrowns; the spices are purchased in bulk at the local India Bazaar.)
(5) Finally, I've been using this time for another eat-down of freezer and pantry contents. As usual, nothing that would impress Martha Stewart, but then I'm not snowbound with her. (Fortunately.)
What a gorgeous view! I am one of those rare people who does not like a spa. I would head back to my room also. Also amazing to have frozen food bc that sure beats a $19 omelette!!! Wish we had a Trader Joe’s.
Happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday Katy!
My goal for January is to use up what we have on hand, declutter digital files, and check on our finances.
1. I had paid 2 medical bills in late November/early December that our insurance said was our portion after insurance. I logged into the account to check on something else and saw both those bills now showed that my portion was $0. Called the providers and they verified insurance had paid after I did, and would refund my payments.
2. Checking for money I may have sitting around somewhere not working for me. Checked my state's unclaimed money website, paypal, and venmo. I had a little in paypal and venmo that I sent to my bank. Not much, but at least now it's where I can use it. Nothing in unclaimed property, but I check it every 6 months just in case.
3. Have been sitting at the computer with the first cup of coffee in the mornings and taking 20-30 minutes minimum to work on digital decluttering. So far I have gone through my online photos and deleted the ones I don't want, cleaned up emails and unsubscribed from some I no longer need, and cleaned up my bookmarks.
4. Looked at my retirement account with my former employer and did some research on the various investments and returns, and moved a few things around.
(I have done very well with the accounts offered from them, and have not yet opted to roll it over into an IRA with my other investment account.)
5. Went through my gift cards/certificates to remind myself what's there, and to make a plan to use them. I will suggest the restaurants as an option when friends want to meet up for lunch in the next few months. I had somehow forgotten a massage gift certificate I received for my birthday last summer, and will call this week to make an appointment. (I usually don't exchange birthday gifts with this particular friend, but this was a milestone so she spoiled me!)
Forgot one more - checked the various cash back apps I use to see how much I have accrued, and if I can cash anything out. Rakuten mails a check, but the rest of them I have to cash out myself. Nothing else was ready to be cashed out yet, but at least now I know how much more I need to cash out.
This is the week observant became a synonym for frugal. The ambient temperature was 40 below or colder for a week, until just this morning when it warmed up to 30 below. Most of the time our thermometer registered 47 below; at the times there was a wind, the chill factor was 60 below. So, here is how we saved money this week simply by paying attention:
1. Each time one of us went by the half bath used for guests, we flushed the toilet. Standing unused is the way for pipes to freeze so since we have no one here to use that john, we either used it or at least flushed it.
2. At bedtime, when temps get colder outside we opened al the kitchen and bathroom floor level cabinets. Kitchens and bathrooms are often lacking in insulation thickness, especially around the pipe areas, so we insured they were a bit warmer at night.
3. Husband went into the garage to make sure the furnace was not somehow being blocked by stuff and thus less efficient at keeping the garage warm. It is a connected but unheated garage so we depend on the heat coming off the furnace to keep things at above freezing. While there, husband decided doing a load of laundry would be prudent for the pipes...only to find that the water was slush not water. He dragged a small portable heater and put it near the laundry pipes. Four hours later no sludge so we did a load of sheets and later a load of clothes on hot, just to keep things clean in the pipe. The next 2 days we washed twice each day, and used the dryer, thus doing a spring cleaning a bit early this year. But no frozen pipes.
4, We had to park outside for a few hours and then run an errand yesterday. That was long enough to freeze the tires square. If you decide to zip off before the tires slowly adjust to the change back to round, you can rupture them. It takes us about 8 miles, we know from the past, so for those miles we drive extremely slowly until we don't hear the THUNK. We have been in too much of a hurry once in the past and killed two tires; they could not even be fixed by a professional.
5. We only have daylight from the sun that comes up 10:47 and sets at 3:05. And at these temperatures it is not a sunny daylight but a subdued pewter one, so we keep the drapes shut in order not to lose heat through the triple paned windows. We have LED lights so less electricity used than when we used conventional light bulbs. That is cheaper than using more oil to keep the house temperature from falling.
6. We stayed home except for one errand.
Lindsey, this is all so fascinating. I read #4 to my husband and his response was "Wow!"
And if you don't use the 'spare' bathroom, the water in the bowl evaporates. My job is to schlep upstairs, use the bathroom and flush twice (good for the pipe going to the septic tank).
Better half put a main floor laundry room (we plan and are aging in place). First year cold snap was not good. Insulated the wall between the garage and laundry room - end of problem.
We also let the furnace run during the week days - heating the rooms we are not using with the wood stove is not frugal. We had our plumbers re-do all the plumbing before we moved in. We have zippo pipes on outside walls though we did have to insulate aforementioned garage wall. Also had the HVAC guys re-do all the heat runs. When we have guest using the upstairs bedroom, we can shut off registers to force more heat upstairs. Again, thankful for the husband, his knowledge, and connections with trades.
Lindsey, it rarely fails: Whenever I indulge in some griping about our Central NY winters, you remind us what winters in Alaska are like. I doff my cap to you and the husband!
Wow! I thought our winters were tough! Thanks for providing perspective!
Happy Birthday.
1. I went to Walmart to return a gift that was a duplicate. In the parking lot I found a target gift card. When I got home I looked it up. It has over $100 dollars on it. I feel so bad for whoever lost it.
2. On Saturday Hubby and I went to a new to us thrift store. They were having a quarter sale. Everything Christmas was a quarter. I got PJ pants, a shirt and a brand new baby outfit. Everyone seems to be having babies so I got it for my gift closet.
3. Hubby did a return to Lowe's and PC Richards. Each was under $10 but we didn't need either item.
4. I started on a glp-1 for my sleep apnea. I have a $25 copay per month.
5. Our neighbors had us over for dinner yesterday. We brought a bottle of homemade wine and a homemade Stromboli. Good food with good company. They sent us home with leftovers so they became dinner tonight.
Happy birthday, Katy! How relaxing to have a fireplace there! I am the one bringing hotel tea back for my more adventurous tea drinking friends.
Happy Birthday Katy!
1. Made a sale on eBay for the water holder from my broken coffee maker. I also made a sale for two pairs of light filtering curtains that I replaced with light blocking drapes, a mandolin that has only been used once in 15 years, and a pair of gloves that were too bulky for my husband’s liking.
2. Received two collapsable shelves on eBay. Put them right to work to double my storage space on a tall shelf in the closet.
3. One of my new year resolutions is to cook from a recipe twice a month. Last night I made homemade onion soup instead of spending $8 per cup at a restaurant. I doubled the recipe to maximize the benefit from all that time spent at the stove. I’ll freeze leftovers as a treat to future us. Next recipe is going to be another soup!
4. Defrosting meatballs, ziti parmesan and garlic bread for dinner this week that I prepared in doubled batches at the holidays as a gift to future us.
5. As part of my standard meal prep, I’m going to peel apples to make applesauce this week. My recipe is apples, water, cinnamon. Boil. Simmer til soft. Puree with immersion blender. (I make enough to freeze half; yep caring for future us is a trend in my kitchen). My other go-to is strawberry puree. Blackberry is delicious too. I go for what’s in season/on sale. This time of year I add cranberries left over in the freezer from Thanksgiving as well. It’s great on yogurt, as part of a granola parfait, on ice cream, or on its own! It freezes well in reused glass jars.
Happy Birthday Katy!
🙂 Enjoy your cozy stay.
1. I have the baby of the red cooler you have. It is a small red & white version. I've had it forever & it still does the job.
2. I found 27 cents on my daily hike.
3. I used my 7 Eleven app to get 11 cents off each gallon of gas for my fill up.
4. I went to Discount Tires (where I buy all my tires) to get my tires aired up. They also offer free tire rotation & balancing but it was not time for that yet.
5. I bought some cake mixes that were reduced post-Christmas. They were 92 cents. I also bought some chocolate that was 50% off.
My birthday is in January also. However, I won't be going on a vacay. I'm teaching 2 clinical courses. School starts after the MLK holiday. My condo will likely need a new central A/C unit in the future. I will earmark my earnings for this. I think I will take the summer off & go on a vacay then. That red nectar tea that you photographed looks tasty.
Happy Belated Birthday! Wishing you abundance, good health, and peace.
In an email that I received this morning from the 1440 Daily Digest it had a link in regards to "Ten frugal living tips from the 1950s" I clicked on the link and was pleasantly regaled with a interesting read that basically stated the following - Ten frugal living tips from the 1950s. 1. Live Simply 2. Cook at Home 3. Plant a Vegetable Garden (I wish that I knew how to tell a plant from a weed) 4. Make Grocery Lists (I always write mine out; and there was on 1440 Daily Digest an article that stated how your brain functions between writing out your list or using an app on your phone to make the grocery list; excellent read) 5. Pay With Cash or Debit 6. Fix Rather Than Replace 7. Hand Down Clothing 8. Recycle and Upcycle Household Items 9. Get Rid of Your Car 10. Enjoy Free and Low-Cost Entertainment - It's amazing how what once was in with the times is now coming back around.
What a pretty backdrop for your teabag picture!
I aim to please!
Happy Birthday!!
I love reading the comment and learning new things from this community. Thank you for this gift to us!
1. My 2026 focus is to be even more intentional about what I consume - what I read, eat, watch, and spend money on.
2. I have cancelled all my app and streaming subscriptions except for Peacock, as we share this service with friends in exchange for one of theirs. This cancelling spree included Duolingo, which I will be sad to let go of (the ads on the free version drive me batty). But, in the process, I remembered I paid the lifetime price for Babbel+ a few years ago and haven't been using it. I'm grateful I will have a way to keep up with German and Spanish.
3. I brought lunch and snacks from home today, I'm drinking free tea provided, and I'll have leftovers for dinner tonight from a lemon ricotta pasta dish I made last night.
4. I'm wearing a sweater I thrifted ages ago. I'm also trying to re-wear clothes. I'm one of those people who wear things once and throw them in the hamper. I'm working on being more mindful about what really needs to get wash.
5. I'll go to a tap class tonight that brings me a ton of joy, and I pay for most of the year with free health and wellness money from my insurance company.
6. I discovered that when my employer switched to a new system of tracking PTO, they had me at an incorrect, and lower, accrual rate. It's been happening since July. So I went back and calculated how much time I should have in my bank. Hoping it will be an easy fix on their end and it will be corrected moving forward.
I love a good frugal vacation!
For My 5 frugal things
1. I ate leftover turkey taco meat for the 3rd day in a row. My daughter will use the last bit to make nachos.
2. I didn’t leave my house at all yesterday and I took down my Christmas Tree.
3. I won a free oil change and tire rotation from my library’s summer reading challenge. I’m using that today which will save me $78! I will listen to an audiobook and bring my refillable water bottle.
4. I picked up a box full of plastic hangers from a neighbor in my buy nothing group. So I can finally hang my sweatshirts sitting in a pile on my dresser,
5. I cancelled my daughter’s subscription to Ipsy so it won’t renew. We gifted it to her for 3 months as a birthday gift and that time is up after this month’s delivery. Otherwise the cost is $17.95 per month.
1. A neighbor gifted me potatoes, apples, and onions. I was able to use some the potatoes and one of the onions so far. Thankful for the generosity of others to pass on what they may not use.
2. I have passed on enough clothing to my neighbors that my clothing now fits in my dresser and closet. I've been working on thinning the kitchen out one drawer or cabinet at a time. The house is starting to breathe more and it feels good.
3. A neighbor gave away an older tv without a remote for free. I took it replacing the one that got fried in an electric storm this Summer. Since we use a Roku we just have to power on and off and adjust volume on the actual tv. I may look into a universal remote for it at some point in time. I've really missed having a tv in my room. Thankful for the generosity of neighbors.
4. I replaced some torn curtains in my room with a curtain set my neighbor gave me. They are a neutral and work with my room, even though they are not necessarily what I would have chosen. The upgrades were free and really make the space look nicer.
5. I was able to get a $10 gift card on Fetch and $5 on Shopkick. I returned tech items for recycling at Staples to get some reward points to use later.
5.
lol. This inspires me to try the taco truck that is always in the parking lot of our GW outlet on Friday afternoons!
Let me know how it is!
That sounds amazing! And so relaxing. I too travel with my own tea bags. Mostly because many places don’t have herbal with no caffeine. And I also take my swanky hotel room tea home for others. Also, I really like when hotels have the full size shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion as I can then take long hot showers and pretend I’m in a spa! And we travel with food as well!