About Harlan

Just a dude living in Memphis, traveling, and working toward financial independence.

More articles by Harlan »

IHG’s New Fall Promo (My Offer Sucks!)

by Harlan 9 Comments

Also see: 

In case you guys haven’t heard, IHG has a new fall promo called Accelerate.

I won't be accelerating anywhere

I won’t be “accelerating” anywhere

This is a GREAT promo if you don’t have an IHG Rewards Club account because you can earn 2 free nights at ANY IHG hotel (1 free night for 2 stays, up to 2).

But if you’re an existing member, or Spire Elite, the offers vary from OK to “thanks for nothing.”

Compared to the “Set Your Sights” offer that had me contemplating travel to another state, this one is kinda meh.

Of the next 4 months, IHG wants me to spend 1 of them exclusively in their hotels

Of the next 4 months, IHG wants me to spend 1 of them exclusively in their hotels

Though you can sign up now, the promo runs through September 1st to December 31st, 2015.

My offer basically said spend a month in IHG hotels and we’ll give you a free stay at a Category 9 hotel (earn ~58,000 IHG points).

So I’m like thanks but no thanks.

I wonder if it has to do with my recent accidental acquisition of Spire Elite status.

Peeps on FlyerTalk have been busy posting their offers today, and they’re all really different from one another. Which is kind of interesting.

Newbies take the cake

But the real treasure is for newbies. If you don’t already have an IHG Rewards Club account, you can earn 2 free nights at ANY IHG hotel when you complete 4 separate stays. ANY!

So… you could spent $75 per night ($300) and then get 2 free nights at a hotel that goes for $600+ a night, essentially turning $300 into $1,200?!

Freaking nuts!

And remember you earn a free night certificate when you open the Chase IHG MasterCard. The annual fee is a paltry $49 and comes with IHG Platinum status, which is usually totally worthless, but does earn 50% bonus points on paid stays.

I recently broke down and opened the card and all I’ll say is that 3 free nights in a year is a lot better than just 1. And if you pick hotels that costs $600+ per night like:

… you can get damn near $2,000 of value of that – not to mention the vacation experience of a lifetime.

Don't worry, it's actually ~$781 per night after taxes and fees

Don’t worry, it’s actually ~$781 per night after taxes and fees

So if you know anyone uninitiated to IHG Rewards Club… and you can make a new account… definitely get in on this! Dang newbies. (Bitter, party of one, right here!)

Bottom line

IHG has a new fall promotion called Accelerate. It’s great for newbies/new accounts but various levels of sucky for current members.

That being said, if you have stays coming up anyway, you might as well register (or let someone else book the room for you).

Keep in mind you should sign up before you stay – IHG doesn’t credit stays after the fact.

This will be helpful for some. Between this promo and wanting to burn Hilton points, I’m torn between where to stay on an upcoming trip.

Does this promo rock your world at all? 

Must-Haves of Travel: Affordable Razors!

by Harlan 2 Comments

Also see: 

So this is going to sound like an effing advertisement. And I guess it kinda is.

asd

Yes, they are f***ing great

But. If you haven’t already heard of Dollar Shave Club, you should read about it now, they are all over, even the best beard oils reviewed mention and talk about them, they truly went viral.

That’s because they’ll ship you razors each month for really cheap. And they travel well.

What’s Dollar Shave Club?

Read More

Refer Your Friends to the SPG AMEX and Earn Up to 55,000 Bonus Starpoints Per Year

by Harlan 15 Comments

UPDATE: This offer is no longer available, but you can earn even more SPG points – 35,000 of them – through March 30, 2016! You can find the offer via my links. Click through, then select “Card Type” and “AMEX” and you will see the offer. Of course, you can still leave your links in the comments, too. Thank you!

It’s that time of year when there’s non-stop pumping of links for the SPG AMEX.

Now until September 14th, we have to survive on little points news other than 5,000 extra Starpoints on the SPG AMEX.

*yawn*

Why this card?

Read More

Discover it® Cashback Match™ Is an Amazing Cashback Card (For the 1st Year at Least)!

by Harlan 18 Comments

a close up of a credit card

My new Discover It card came in the mail this week, in very nice packaging.

And I might have to change my tune now.

I’ve long heralded the Fidelity AMEX as the best cashback card.

But now I’ll refer to it as the best ongoing cashback card. Because, the 1st year at least, the Discover It has it beat by a mile.

I’ll still get great use out of the Discover It card the 2nd year, albeit much reduced.

The 1st year, this card is good for an easy $600, at least. And I’m even thinking this no annual fee card has the potential for over $1,000 back.

Getting the Discover It card

Read More

There’s a New AMEX Serve Prepaid Debit Card

by Harlan 10 Comments

Also see: 

It looks like Serve has a new prepaid debit card – and it’s already on the front page of their website.

Old blue Serve, meet new green Serve

OBS and NGS (Old Blue Serve and New Green Serve)

AMEX is apparently splitting the “Old Blue Serve” into 2 separate products.

And you can reload the “New Green Serve” at CVS, Family Dollar, Walmart, and 7-Eleven.

asdas

$0 “cash reloads” at CVS, Family Dollar, and 7-Eleven… I wonder if you can pay with a credit card?

And New Green Serve has a $4.95 monthly fee – but not if you’re in Texas, New York, or Vermont.

I’m not sure if you can have both products at the same time – or what the split means for Old Blue Serve, if anything.

Aside from the new monthly fee, and the free cash reloads, it looks like the 2 products are exactly the same.

It would be really awesome if CVS took credit cards for the “cash reloads.”

I’d take my new Hilton credit card for a joyride (as it’s one of the only credit cards left that still earns points at drugstores – 3X Hilton points @ $1,000 a month reload limit would equal 36,000 points annually.  That’s good for a few Hilton Category 2 hotel stays!).

All of the other terms and conditions – reload limits, ATM fees, etc. are identical.

After switching from Bluebird to Serve then to REDbird, then back to Serve again, I’ll keep my eye on this as it seems like AMEX is still rolling this out. This would be a great way (and convenient) way to manufacture some spend and pay bills you can’t ordinarily pay with a credit card.  Especially in the barren wasteland of New York City.

Although if you can’t, I’m perfectly fine collecting my free $240 a year with the Fidelity AMEX.

Mark this one as developing…

Kohl’s B’day Gift, Free Admirals Club Membership In, Instant FIA Credit Line Increase + Inquiry

by Harlan Leave A Comment

Just a few bits and baubles to follow up on recent posts.

1. Kohl’s $10 Birthday Gift

Also see: 

August is my birthday month, and Kohl’s got their timing perfect.

Because today, in the mail, was a card/gift from Kohl’s. Right after I mentioned how much I love them this morning.

$10 birthday present from Kohl's

$10 birthday present from Kohl’s

I also just received my Yes2Rewards this morning as an email, too.

Kohl’s has a great thing going. Their rewards program is more straightforward than Sears Shop Your Way Rewards and their website is way better, they have frequent discounts (usually 30% off) and promotion codes, often free shipping, and now I get a $10 bonus.

I wish their portal payout on the Discover Deals shopping portal was 10% cashback like Macy’s, Sears, and Kmart (it’s 5%).

But free money is great. I can always buy some new sheets and towels for my Airbnbs.

2. Admirals Club Membership Materials Are In

Read More

I Haven’t Washed My Hair in a Month – and It Feels Great!

by Harlan 8 Comments

Also see:

Yup!

I know, it sounds kind of weird. I was like, “What the hell am I getting myself into?”

But it’s been a month and I haven’t used any shampoo. And it feels great!

What’s No ‘Poo?

“No ‘Poo” is “no shampoo.” I have no idea why it’s abbreviated to “no ‘poo.” Because it sounds like you’re aren’t ever going to poop again.

But nope! No ‘poo means you cut out shampoo once and for all. And replace it with baking soda and/or apple cider vinegar.

There’s a surprisingly huge section of Reddit devoted to people’s experiences with it. And amazingly, you won’t turn into a dirty hippie!

The idea is that normal shampoo has dozens of chemicals in it, and you’re putting them into your hair every day.

All the crap in an ordinary bottle of shampoo

All the crap in an ordinary bottle of shampoo

So I picked up the shampoo I was using and turned it over. Sure enough, there was a whole laundry list of stuff I couldn’t pronounce.

What’s “Hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride?” It sounds like something that’s gone through a lot of processing.

What about “Methylchloroisothiazolinone?” I’m out.

What I did

Read More

No Annual Fee Cards + Personal Finance: Why You Need (At Least) One

by Harlan 4 Comments

Like it or not, in this country you need good credit. It’s as avoidable as death or taxes. As in, not at all.

Starting out with credit cards, you’ll encounter a catch-22: you need good credit to get a credit card, but you need a credit card to build good credit.

No annual fee cards are NOT boring. In fact, they have some innovative rewards!

No annual fee cards are NOT boring. In fact, they have some innovative rewards!

A good place to start is no annual fee cards.

For beginners

Read More

My Best Advice: “You Can Do Anything You Set Your Mind To”

by Harlan 5 Comments

I’m just read through an old scrapbook from 1991 to 1993. Yup, I still have some things from nearly 25 years ago.

My little brother hadn’t been born yet, and I wrote a lot of letters to my family. Once I learned how to address envelopes and send letters, I sat down and wrote all the time. And when I got a letter in the mail, I’d get so excited. I thought it was the best thing in the world – to get a letter in the mail.

I was lucky to have a supportive family while growing up in rural Mississippi. My Mom was always there to take care of me, and I still talk to her on the phone constantly.

This letter from my Gramma is over 23 years old by now, and I still have it

This letter from my Gramma is over 23 years old by now, and I still think about it

My grandmother taught me about positive thinking early on. I’ll never forget a phrase I read in one of her letters.

“You can do anything you set your mind to.”

It was the first piece of advice that really stuck with me, and it was a good one. The letter came on June 4th, 1992. I was seven years old at the time.

The law of attraction

Read More

Complete the Hyatt Diamond Challenge in 9 Nights With the Citi Prestige Card

by Harlan 9 Comments

Random thought of the evening.

I’m going through my cards and want to dump:

And replace them with:

The hitch is that you have to wait ~8 days between applications with Citi, so I’m not sure which of their cards to get first. But I’m warming up to the idea of Category 1 and 2 Hilton hotels – there’s a ton of value to be had there.

Anyway.

Citi Prestige + Hyatt Diamond Challenge

Via The Points Guy, tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Hyatt Diamond Challenge (something that’s always tempted me). You’ll have 60 days to complete it when you sign up (so until September 30th).

And via View From the Wing, the Citi Prestige card’s 4th night free benefit is “too good” to last. (I agree.)

Hyatt hotels are easily bookable with the Citi Prestige travel program. (Here’s the link to Carlson Wagonlit to search.)

A quick search in Dallas turned up 6 Hyatts, most under $100 a night

A quick search in Dallas turned up 6 Hyatts, most under $100 a night

If you book a 4-night stay for $100 a night, you’d pay $300 (after the Citi Prestige statement credit).

Do this 3 times in 60 days, pay $900, get Hyatt Diamond status. Any many hotels are available for under $100.

If you have Hyatt stays coming up anyway, this might be something to mix-and-match with cash + points stays.

And hotels booked with the Citi Prestige card do earn elite credit.

What’s Hyatt Diamond status worth?

Read More