Travel & Leisure
Ratings & Advice
The latest ratings and advice for San Francisco Bay Area travel & leisure.
Advice
- 60 Travel Booking Tips
- 65 Things You (Probably) Shouldn't Pay For
- About Checkbook: Why We're Unique
- Airlines that Allow Free Stopovers Let You Design a Vacation with Variety
- Airport Parking Hack
- Buy Now, Pay Later Often a Debt Trap
- Cell Phone Services
- Checkbook’s Top Holiday Shopping Tips
- Complaining: How to Get Results
- Credit Cards Provide Strong Protections for Consumers
- Cruises: How to Get the Best Deal
- DNA Ancestry Services
- eRead for Free
- Facebook Privacy Settings Checkup
- Fitness Industry Changed by COVID
- Free Perks You Didn't Know You Have
- Hotel Deals
- Hotels Gouge Guests With Absurd Resort Fees
- Kids' Activity-Kit Services
- Parking: Finding the Best Rates
- Rental Car Insurance: Should You Buy It?
- Restaurants Pay Steep Commissions and Fees to Order-and-Delivery Services
- Smartphone Photos Apps and Tools
- Social Media Headshots: Do's and Don'ts
- Tickets: Saving on Seats for Shows and Sports
- Timeshare Exit Companies Deserve a Time Out
- Travel Insurance
- Travel Websites Mislead by Falsely Declaring Few Rooms Remain
- Travel: Health and Safety Info for International Trips
- Travel: Help Finding Cheap Flights
- Vacation Home Rentals
Current Issue
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HVAC Contractors
Ratings of area heating and air-conditioning services so you’ll know who’s cool, who’s hot...and who’s not.
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Are Heat Pumps the Future of HVAC?
Improved technology, generous tax credits and rebates, and lower utility bills might have us reconsider how to heat and cool our homes.
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Checking Out Area Grocery Stores for Price and Quality
Where can you find the best produce and meat? Which stores offer the lowest prices? How much more will you pay for delivery?
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‘Sale’ Prices Are Rarely Real Deals
Our researchers tracked prices at 25 major retailers for 33 weeks and found most advertised discounts are bogus. Stores are increasingly using fake sales to mislead consumers.
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Safe at Home
Home security strategies, gadgets, and installers.
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Locks and Locksmiths
Battening down your hatches and latches.
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Don’t Hire Duct Cleaning Companies
Ignore deceptive ads and claims; you likely don’t need their services.
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Hardware Stores
Do it yourself but don’t go it alone.
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Can a Chiropractor Really Cure Your Back Pain?
Before taking a crack at chiropractic, talk to your doctor and try other treatment options.
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Closet Calls
Finding and installing closet systems.
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Auto Detailers
Restoring pride in your ride.
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Ready to Hit the Gym Again?
How COVID changed the fitness industry, possibly forever.
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