Monthly Archives for March 2014.
Today was my tenth day of oil pulling. I’ve tried it a couple of different ways and have found the way I like to do it best (that’s what she said!). I also explored the benefits of coconut oil and have decided I might just turn into a coconut any minute now.
A+
I’ve written at length about the Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express card.
Two choice quotes (yes, I am quoting myself):
“The unsung hero of cashback cards.”
“The best cashback card on the market.”
I have this card and find myself using it quite a lot. I keep it in my wallet and use it when I’m somewhere that is not in a bonus spend category (hardware stores, big box stores, random services) which happens more than I thought it would. It’s a nice way to “give myself” a bonus since I like to earn 2 points on every dollar I spend.
I also LOVE their shopping portal. It regularly offers larger payouts than other portals, including the already generous Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping portal. Except these points go right into your brokerage/IRA/college savings account for you to invest however you want, which is pretty cool. I always check this portal and am sometimes blown away by how large their payouts are. They also have more online stores than the other portals.
This card is quite the anomaly in the points and miles world: it’s an American Express card issued by a Bank of America subsidy that plugs directly into your account at Fidelity… what? How did those partnerships produce this card?
Also see:
Be the elephant
Evernote, for me, was one of those services that my friends highly praised, but that took me a while to get into for myself. Maybe it will be like that for you, or maybe you’ll instantly fall in love with it.
I have a new brain. And that brain is Evernote. Their tagline is “Remember everything.”
(Please note you need a Chase Ink card and a Kohl’s charge card to replicate this.)
Just a quick follow up to my recent obsession with the points bonanza that is Kohl’s.
Points are starting to post. Here’s a rundown of everything I got for a $257 purchase.
2,573 Ultimate Rewards points, which I value at ~$50!
Axiom time.
It is very hard to assign a monetary value to points and miles. Specifically, points issued by banks (Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards, Thank You points, Arrival “miles”) and airline mileage programs (AAdvantage, MileagePlus, SkyMiles, Easy Returns, Avios, etc., etc. etc.)
Valuations vary wildly depending on who you ask. But if you ask me, it’s simple. You want to get at LEAST two cents of value out of each point or mile.
And that’s the smoking gun right there. Don’t waste time trying to assign some sort of arbitrary value out of your points and miles. You want to shoot for a minimum value of $.02 each.
I kicked off day two properly. As soon as I woke up, I went and stuck a spoonful of coconut oil into my mouth, set a timer, and started swishing. Normal, right? You’re supposed to do it first thing in the morning to start with a “fresh palette,” and it’s more effective because you haven’t eaten in 8 or so hours. Also – just a good way to start the day.
There were some dishes in the sink and a few things around the house that needed to get done, so I set about cleaning up, which helped A LOT to get my mind off the fact that I was swishing. I resumed the same pattern as the first day and the twenty minutes flew by.
Very happy to report I just got in on my first round of 30% off at Kohl’s combined with Kohl’s Cash, Ultimate Rewards, and the Kohl’s Card (which I picked up a couple of weeks ago).
I spent ~$257. But I’m getting $100+ of it back. Whaaaa?
All this good good
If you’re thinking “WTF is oil pulling?“, that was also me two days ago. Those were the exact words in my thoughts. Luckily, if was also the title of this blog post that explains what it is in detail. (I borrowed the image above from that post.)
Then I went to the Google monster and found a few other choice links:
http://www.designmom.com/2014/01/oil-pulling/
http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/oil-pulling-the-habit-that-can-transform-your-health
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/oil-pulling-benefits_n_3940361.html
So now, I thought I’d document my experience along the way in case anyone else is interested. Feel free to skip this little mini-series if this is like, totally not your thing. I totally understand. 🙂
Beginning March 22nd, 2014, the American Express Platinum Card will no longer permit entry to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges (only Delta SkyClubs, Priority Pass Select lounges, and Centurion lounges).
While looking through the Business Extra website, I noticed something mighty interesting: a yearly Admirals Club membership can be had for 3,000 points!
Click “Redeem Points”
Al Dhabi, just beyond checkin
Our business class ticket on Lufthansa came with complimentary access to Al Dhabi lounge. After hanging out at the Park Inn at Yas Island all day, we were itching to get on the move, but not quite sure how to approach a 3am departure. The AUH-FRA flight was the earliest/latest flight I’ve ever taken. So, we left the hotel around 11pm, propelled by cabin fever after being sequestered in all day, and figured we could grab some food and drinks in the airport lounge and kill an hour or two.
The Al Dhabi lounge is located just outside security, which was a breeze by the way. We showed the agent our tickets and invitation from Lufthansa and were easily admitted. And then we walked into the space behind the checkin counter.
Ever been bumped from a flight and had no idea what your options were?
Nowadays, with mergers, elimination of hubs, and less competition on certain routes, airlines routinely oversell flights based on how many people haven’t shown up for the flight in the past. Sometimes the bumps are voluntary, and fliers are happy to accept a voucher or rebooking for a future flight. But what if you’re bumped against your will? What are your options?
Excalibur!
After staying two nights at New York-New York and getting a couple of nights credited to my Hyatt Gold Passport account, it was time to make the switch to Excalibur. Why the move? Cost, of course.
Hello and welcome to Out and Out! My name is Harlan – I’m a points and miles enthusiast who loves to travel. I am interested in personal finance, the power of positive thinking, and the extraordinary journeys that make life worth living.