What is better that traveling?  Getting an amazing discount!  
My husband and I had the opportunity to go to Sandals for our honeymoon.  It was something that I had been wishing for since I first saw an advertisement for them many years ago.  There are many different Sandals resorts on several different islands and things are always changing.  At the time, my sister-in-law recommended Sandals Whitehouse(now Sandals South Coast) in Jamaica.  We had an amazing time and booked an anniversary trip a few years later.  We thought that this resort was a little large for us and decided that next time we would test out Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios.  It was also exciting that this boutique hotel(only about 73 rooms) was an all Butler resort.  Since this class of room is the most expensive, we thought this might be our only chance to try it out, but as I would learn there are plenty of options for savings.

Sandals Select
This is Sandals' loyalty program.  Signing up comes with a ton of savings and perks.  One great thing is that you accrue points for every dollar spent that go toward discounting future stays.  You can also get bonuses for things like booking a stay during your birthday month for travel anytime. You will receive special gifts at certain milestones as well.  After 70 paid nights, you will earn the ultimate travel discount, a voucher for a free one week stay.  To see all the awesome perks check out sandalsselect.com/benefits.

Loyalty Discount
When you are on resort and book a return trip within the Sandals' family of resorts, you get a special discount based on the room level that you book.  This discount is 10% off a luxury room, 11% off club level, or 12% off a butler room.  There are some special rules with this type of booking, so be sure to read the fine print.

Anniversary Night
If you book a seven night stay in a club or butler level room within 30 days of your anniversary and register it here(https://www.sandals.com/anniversaries/free/) within 14 days of booking, you will get one night free!  That is 14% off!  You will have to submit a copy of your marriage certificate for this one and there are some special rules.  If you are already getting a free night through a booking offer, you cannot use this deal.  You can also not use this deal in conjunction with the Loyalty Discount.

777 Deals
This is one to keep an eye on.  Every week starting on Wednesday at midnight Sandals releases a special extra 7% off of seven different rooms across seven different resorts.  If you have your eye on a special room or particular resort, it is worth checking out every week.  This great offer can but used with just about any other discount.  You do have to watch for blackout dates. 
www.sandals.com/specials/best-value-suites

Last Minute Deals
This option is best for people that have flexible travel dates and want a short vacation.  You have to check back often to see which dates and which resorts are available, but if you book 3 or 4 nights during these deals, you get one of the nights free!  Beware that since these are last minute bookings, you may have very limited room choices, but if you are staying at a beautiful beach resort, how much time will you really spend in the room anyway?
sandals.com/specials/last-minute-travel-deals

Service Personnel Discount
Finally, if you or your travel companion are military, a fire fighter, FEMA worker, or police officer, make sure to register your booking right away for an extra 10% off!  This discount is compatible with all other discounts, which we love!  Again, make sure to register your booking (https://www.sandals.com/specials/firefighter-military-police-savings/) right away.  You should get a confirmation email.  Make sure that when you get to the resort you have your ID or discharge papers.  They will be checked and it you don't have it, your discount will be revoked. 

There are a few other special options.  Sandals does offer a rewards credit card.  I have never found it to be particularly helpful since I have other cards with better rewards, but it is an option.  Also often Sandals will promote special gifts at time of booking.  Be sure to follow all directions to register for them right away.  I also find it helpful to mention things like free candlelight experiences or massage credit when you arrive on resort to make sure you can get these things scheduled.

We love these resorts and hope you will too.  If this post has been helpful, when you make your first booking and enroll in Sandals Select, contact me for a special referral code to help you start earning benefits fast!  Happy traveling and even happier saving!!!

Do you have a something that cheers you up when you are down?  A favorite movie, an activity, or even a food that can lift your spirits no matter what lemon curveballs life may be raining down on you?  When I need a little extra pep, I turn to the Sandals' website (sandals.com).  It may seem odd, but I love snooping through the sales and stacking discounts to try to get the best rates or perusing the sample menus and fantasizing about ordering French onion soup, surf and turf, sashimi, and the decadent chocolate mousse bites (excuse me as I clean the drool off of my keyboard).
My husband just doesn't get why I would enjoy such a silly thing.  Well, I love saving money, traveling, food, and, of course, what most every mom craves despite the nagging guilt, the peace, quiet, and time to myself.  Ahh to finish a meal out without having to play "Baby Shark" for the billionth time, constantly retrieve crayons from the floor, and actually be able to use both hands to eat!
I know this predicament is of my own creation, because ladies and gentlemen, my name is Rayna and I am an overprotective mom.  I now have a four year old and a six month old and I do not let anyone, except family, babysit.  I know that this means that I am outrageously lucky to have such a supportive family that I have been able to work in various capacities and earn two Master's of Arts in education in the last four years.  I am so grateful that my mother, father, and grandmother(the eighty year old trooper who runs on coffee and getting her 10,000 steps a day in and handles the majority of the baby watching duties) have the time and resources to assist me that I feel beyond guilty asking for assistance if I am not specifically out working or at an appointment.  They already do so much for me that I don't feel that I can ask them to watch the kids so I can go have fun. 
In typical we-can-have-it-all style, I also hate to miss anything.  I want to make sure my girls remember that I was always there for them.  Do you remember anything from preschool and before?  Me either, but I hate to chance it.  This means I can count on one hand the times hubby and I have been able to go out and half of those were on visits out to see his parents (thank you!).
All this means, when I think of Sandals, the adults only, couples resort, where "Love is All You Need," for some reason, I feel a little less guilty because the kids aren't allowed to come.  It also makes me feel better when other couples we meet tell us that they wish they would have taken the time to make special trips together much earlier.  I can derive years of joy from planning and replanning these trips, and sometimes, like with recent events of the pandemic and the birth of my youngest, I have had to!
I tell my husband, I love to dream of seven dinners in a row that I get to take my time and finish in peace.  I envision the books that I am going to read on the beach (maybe Harry Potter, Down the Rabbit Hole, or Dragon Riders of Pern).  I get to imagine the fully-made-up selfies, I can take, because who has time for that from day to day.  And the biggest prize of all... drumroll, please...sleeping through the night!!!  Come on, when is the last time you got to sleep through the night? Yea, I don't know either, but it's thrilling to dream about.
Today, we would have been headed to our fourth trip, but I have been assured that paradise will be waiting for me when the time comes (Do you hear that, Elsa?  You leave my islands alone!). Until next time, Sandals!  Tonight, I dream of the now open lobster season and having a mouthwatering beef patty on the beach.