About Harlan

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

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Airbnb: Us and Them

by Harlan 3 Comments

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Many strong opinions

Many strong opinions

I’ve been meaning to talk about this for a while because it seems like there’s a lot of opinions about Airbnb these days.

Specifically, I’d like to talk about what it’s like being an Airbnb host, how it’s been staying at Airbnbs as a guest, and all the others that think it’s a great thing… and a terrible thing.

The users

People who book lodging on Airbnb tend to be millennials who aren’t looking for a traditional hotel.

The downsides:

  • You won’t receive points for your stay
  • There may or may not be a “welcome amenity”
  • There are NO “upgrades” – WYSIWYG
  • There may or may not be breakfast included
  • You’re at the mercy of an individual

The upsides: 

  • If you need multiple beds or rooms, it’s much cheaper than a traditional hotel suite
  • You can stay in real neighborhoods as opposed to tourist areas, and feel like a local
  • When it’s good, it’s great. People I’ve met are open and kind, and I didn’t miss the hotel experience
  • It’s usually more private. No elevators and desk areas to pass through
  • More negotiation is possible, especially in the off-season or for longer stays
  • Lots of obscure locations where there might not be hotels – get a unique experience

Now, if your host doesn’t show up to let you in or leaves you hanging… that’s a pretty bad scenario. Fortunately, Airbnb has lots of verification systems, and heavily encourage reviews.

Bleep happens of course, but when you’re coming off a long flight, you don’t want an excuse, you want to get in and settled.

Most hosts I know have a Plan B. And a Plan C. And a… yeah.

When I’ve stayed at Airbnbs, I’ve never had an issue getting in.

Be communicative, give a heads up if you’re delayed, and stay in touch. It’s all about the little things, but they go a long way.

Considering a suite in a hotel can be over $1,000, you can save yourself a bundle of money by booking an Airbnb. Especially in expensive cities like New York or San Francisco.

The hosts

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Is Living In Cities Worth It?

by Harlan 6 Comments

I recently discovered a blog called Financial Samurai that got me thinking. Particularly the articles about living in cities:

I’ve mentioned before that living in New York forever might not be in the cards for me as part of my path toward FIRE.

It’s simply a shift in priorities.

The Good Things About Living in Cities

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Get FREE Airline Lounge Memberships Through Business Programs

by Harlan 13 Comments

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I love going to the Admirals Clubs. And I also love not paying for them.

I’ve written about this before. But now my membership has expired, and I’m about to redeem for another free year of Admirals Club membership.

I don’t have the Citi AAdvantage Executive card or the Citi Prestige card. They’re fine in their own right, and I’ve had my eye on the Citi Prestige for a sec, but I won’t need it for its lounge perk.

a large domed ceiling with a circular light

The Admirals Club @ CLT can be a nice place to hang and get some work done

I’ve been doing this since the Amex Platinum Card nixed the benefit at AA Admirals Clubs a couple of years ago.

If you book travel for other people (who don’t care about the points), you can easily build up enough to get a free membership yourself.

All the award opportunities

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State of the Game: Is MS Worth It Any More, Cashback, Chase, and More

by Harlan 14 Comments

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If you want a laugh, check out my previous “State of the Game” post. In it, I talk about looking forward to REDbird, loving Club Carlson, and wondering how Evolve Money would play out.

And now, REDbird is so, so over, I declared Club Carlson dead to me, and haven’t messed with Evolve Money since they started charging a 3% fee on credit card bill payments.

I also lamented the loss of Vanilla Reloads and Amazon Payments, and was just switching from Bluebird to Serve.

Manufactured spending

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A Few Apps + Sites I Like to Save Money

by Harlan 12 Comments

a close-up of a sign

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I’ve been posting these piecemeal but wanted to get them all on the same page.

save money with apps

Yep, save real money

As you guys know, I’ve been getting into FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and am try to cut costs wherever possible.

So I’ve been exploring new websites and apps beyond the usual points and miles stuff, and wanted to share them.

Ibotta

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Tomorrow: NYC Miles and Points Meetup! 6pm in East Village!

by Harlan 7 Comments

Grab a drink and mix

Grab a drink and mix

If you’re in New York, come geek out for a few hours with other points and miles aficionados.

We talk about our trips, routing rules, best redemptions, the pros and cons of various business/first class products, and other awesome topics.

I’ve always had a great time and look forward to meeting new peeps!

Here’s the link to RSVP.

The 411:

Professor Thom’s, 219 2nd Avenue, New York, NY (between 13 & 14 St)

Tuesday, June 23rd, 6-9pm

If you can’t make this one, join the Meetup group and come to the next one!

Bottom line

Come grab a brewsky and introduce yourself to other people who love points and travel!

Say hello if you see me!

Hotel Review: Radisson Blu, Limerick

by Harlan 3 Comments

a building with a glass roof

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After an underwhelming experience at the Radisson Blu in Galway, we hopped in our rental car and drove the ~2 hours to Limerick.

Through Shannon to Limerick

Through Shannon to Limerick

It was a pretty easy drive, except for the zillion confusing roundabouts.  And the fact that I don’t really know how I got to the Radisson Blu in Limerick other than dumb luck and some hairpin turns.

It’s literally one weird turn off the highway and then a narrow road into a parking lot that also randomly has a hotel in it. There seemed to be nothing around, but apparently it was only 15 minutes into downtown Limerick.

We didn’t end up going into the city because there was a marathon going on that day. Traffic was terrible and there was no parking. Instead, we drove to Killarney National Park for a day trip (though I could’ve spent several days there).

In a forest in Killarney #Ireland

A photo posted by Harlan Vaughn (@harlanvaughn) on

Anyway, we got to the Radisson Blu in Limerick and had a bite to eat and put our things down before we left again. But it was a fine crash pad.

Irish beers at the bar

Irish beers at the bar

Arrival and check-in

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In Praise of Humble Beginnings

by Harlan 10 Comments

I was reading an article called “How to invest even if you’re treading water financially” via Get Rich Slowly and a certain part jumped out at me (bolding and links mine):

“Don’t despise small beginnings.
The first steps in any endeavor are humble. Gustave Eiffel, famous today for his tower in Paris and the Statue of Liberty, started as an unpaid assistant in a foundry. Setting aside $10 a month might feel meaningless: “What difference can that ever make?” That’s wrong. It makes a difference in many ways:

Start somewhere

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Getting FIREd Up

by Harlan 9 Comments

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This is an out-of-control flaming emergency, according to Mr. Money Mustache

I have an out-of-control flaming emergency, according to Mr. Money Mustache

I recently wrote about life changes that I thought might happen… soon.

Well, even though Mercury was retrograde, nothing stopped chugging along. In fact, everything got a swift kick in the butt. And now life is different.

I’ve been getting used to the new rhythm. It feels so different. And it’s given me a chance to review where I’m at and how I want to move forward.

What is FIRE?

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Use Avios for Connecting Flights to Save Money

by Harlan Leave A Comment

I’ve been thinking about taking a trip down to New Mexico recently and it got me thinking about fare constructions and how to get to regional airports as cheaply as possible.

There's still lots of value to be had from Avios

There’s still lots of value to be had from Avios

The idea here is to fly on Oneworld into a hub city or cheap destination, and then use Avios for the (usually) more expensive, shorter leg of the itinerary.

LGA-DFW-ABQ

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Ibotta: Get Cash Back When You Shop

by Harlan 4 Comments

a group of plastic bottles with a pump

So… I’ve been getting into coupons lately. And ways to get cashback or maximize my spend as much as possible. I recently wrote about Paribus, which has already saved me some money on Amazon purchases.

And today, in my internet wanderings, I kept seeing this app mentioned over and over: Ibotta.

ibotta review

Loving Ibotta

I’ve already added it to the Services I Like page, but wanted to do a quick article about it, too.

What the hee haw is Ibotta?

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Reminder: Club Carlson Program Changes in One Week! Book awards by May 31st

by Harlan 3 Comments

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The time draws near.

RIP

RIP

I managed to burn most of my Club Carlson points during my trip to Ireland earlier this month (reviews of Radisson Blu Royal in Dublin and Radisson Blu in Galway are up so far). But I also had a paid stay at the Radisson Blu St Helens and ended up earning ~44,000 Club Carlson Gold Points between that and the room charges in Dublin.

Nearly enough for 2 nights at a Category 5 property... if booked before next week

Nearly enough for 2 nights at a Category 5 property… if booked before next week

Book now, change later?

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