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I don’t usually post “deals” but I’m feeling mushy and this is a really good one.
If you want to send your Mom (or anyone else) a gift through 1800Flowers.com, there are currently some promotions you can stack for big discounts. Here’s how it works.
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I wrote back in July 2015 about the “ultimate travel jacket” from BauBax.
I was on the fence about getting one, but Jay got it for my birthday, which was in late August.
And um, I just got it this month. So yes, flash forward 10 months and the jacket has finally arrived.
Just in time for summer when you don’t need a jacket lol.
I threw it in my bag and took it with me to Japan to start exploring its features.
But first things first…
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Here’s my experience to add to the mix.
I applied for the Citi AT&T Access More card in late January, and received the card on February 2nd, 2016. That same day, I bought an iPhone.
Here’s the link Citi gives you to shop for a new phone – it won’t work unless you click through from your Citi account because it tracks your purchase, much like a shopping portal. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to turn off your ad blockers so the purchase is tracked correctly.
Pick a phone, any phone
The selection of phones is the exact same as if you navigate to AT&T’s cell phone shop.
I sprang for an iPhone 6S with 128 GB of memory. The taxes for New York were ~$75. After the phone credit, that’s like paying ~$275 for a brand new phone with a lot of memory to burn through.
Net $200 + taxes for a new 128 GB iPhone
I had an iPhone 5 with 16 GB and was tired of deleting apps/pictures/the entire phone every time it needed an update.
I sold it on eBay for ~$134.
Boo ya
There’s a FedEx ship center 2 blocks away. So I popped in and sent it. It took maybe 10 minutes to list and 10 minutes to ship.
Plus, the sale brought my out-of-pocket cost for the new iPhone down to ~$141 after taxes, which is a screaming good deal.
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Wanted to shed some light on this topic because I’ve gotten a lot of questions about it since my original post on the Fidelity Cash Management Account from July 2015.
Despite what the Fidelity website says, despite what any phone agent will tell you, Fidelity does NOT charge a 1% conversion fee on international cash advances.
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Announcing the newest entry of the ever-popular “Must-Haves of Travel” series lol. Stefan remarked he’d run out of room if he took them all each time he took a trip.
But this one goes part-n-parcel with the others because it offers a storage solution. And a quite ingenious one!
Introducing: game-changers
It’s one of those things that’s “duh” in retrospect – I should’ve looked on Amazon for these little guys ages ago: portable, squeezable travel tubes. But now that I have them, there’s no going back.
Hitherto, I’d been using little tubs or plastic sandwich bags. But travel tubes are a step beyond.
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RadPad has been a sweet deal these past few months thanks to their 1.99% fee for paying with a MasterCard.
You could earn 3X Citi ThankYou points by paying with the Citi AT&T Access More card (and still can until June 1st, 2016). Because I have 3 Airbnbs, it’s been a points-generating machine for me.
Even better, when you pair it with Citi Prestige, the 3X points are worth nearly 5% back when you redeem for American Airlines flights. Even with the fee considered, you still come out ahead.
Another one bites the dust-ah
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Well, I got the letter today that I was straight-up denied for the new Chase Freedom Unlimited card (which is now open for online applications).
It was to be my last Chase card.
I kept trying to call the automated line for info (888-338-2586), but even now it still says to look for a letter in the mail. I presume this one:
So ugly
The reason?
“Too many credit cards opened in the last 2 years.”
Wowwww. It’s interesting that’s listed as the only reason.
It seems this rule will now cover ALL Chase cards, including small business and co-branded cards.
DIAF – Die in a fire
Definition: To be in a fire, and die within it.
Usage: I hate you, DIAF.
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Three years, eh? I can hardly believe it.
When I started Out and Out, I was floating through life, working at a public relations firm in Manhattan. Yeah, your typical rat race 9 to 5 that was actually 8 to 6ish. I was tired most of the time, and didn’t travel nearly as much as I wanted. Most of my travel was to and from a cubicle.
On a whim, I bought a domain, OutAndOut.net (it still works btw), and used it as a journal for all the points and miles stuff I was reading as my daily dose of escapism under the fluorescent office lights.
Yup, that included The Points Guy, View From the Wing, and Million Mile Secrets. Those blogs have all changed in the past 3 years. And so has this one.
Update: One or more card offers below are NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Please check here for the latest deals!
OMG, cringe. Did I just write that headline? Me, Mr. “I Don’t Care About Starpoints?”
I did. A lot has changed since that proclamation nearly 3 years ago. Devaluations, tougher approval rules, and a vastly different landscape for points and miles.
In particular, you can only get an AMEX sign-up bonus once per lifetime on all their cards.
This is the highest bonus there’s ever been – and likely will ever be – on the AMEX SPG cards. I took the bait.
File this under #hypothesis and #gumshoe. But I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened soon.
Redditors are claiming they’ve seen offers to earn 100,000 Hilton points on the AMEX Hilton Surpass card.
AYFKM? Photo source: Reddit
If the offer is indeed real, if will run through May 4th, 2016. And you’ll earn 100,000 Hilton points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. Like previous offers, the $75 annual fee probably won’t be waived. And you’ll get Hilton Gold status just for having the card.
If you have a few breakfasts at Hilton in a year, that covers the annual fee.
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There were rumors on Reddit that Chase is putting together a new premium credit card with a high annual fee a la AMEX Platinum and Citi Prestige.
Moreover, on that same link, there’s another rumor that Chase is planning an overhaul to its Ultimate Rewards program to make it less lucrative.
While I don’t believe Chase would mess with Ultimate Rewards any time soon (because they need to compete with AMEX and Citi’s transferable points programs), I do think Chase is ripe for a new ultra-premium credit card offering.
I thought it’d be fun to imagine what that card might look like. And what features it would need to have for Chase to remain a viable competitor in the premium credit card space.
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OR,
Learning Through My Legs
OR,
Busting Through Samkaras
OR,
Vipassana: A Magic Cushion Ride
Note: This post is text-heavy and has nothing to do with points and miles. I’m writing about it here for the same reason I write Trip Reports – to share a new experience. That’s what travel is really about anyway!
In you haven’t yet, be sure to read Vipassana Part 1 to get some background info on an experience like this.
During my time at the Dhamma Siri Meditation Center in Kaufman, TX, the weather actually perfectly mirrored the entire experience. It was uncanny how perfect it was.
Days begin at 4am:
Vipassana Timetable
You’ll hear the loud gong of a bell at 4am. Then again at 4:20am – your signal to head to the Meditation Hall.
At the Center I attended, they have the light switch next to the bed. That first morning, I flicked the switch – and had no idea what I was really in for.
I got up, one foot in front of the other, and shortly before 4:30am, headed to the Meditation Hall for the first time.
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.