Category Archives for Just the Tip(s).
It’s here – Amazon Prime Day. I was excited to see what Amazon would do today (July 12th, 2016) after the disappointing selection last year.
Prime Day is here, and it’s worth it this year
It looks good – there are many worthwhile deals for items like TVs, tablets, portable readers, clothes, even cleaning supplies.
Discounts are around 25%, with some items even more reduced. So it might be worth it to stock up – or at least see if something catches your eye today.
Peeps on Reddit posted about using Hilton points for “experiences” like:
It’s very similar to SPG Moments both in theory and application.
Use your Hilton points for lots of experiences via their online auction platform
There are lots of events on there. They’re not extremely overpriced and might be appealing to some.
I wouldn’t say like, sign-up for a Hilton card to bid on these. But if you are flush with Hilton points, it could be worth a look to see if anything strikes your fancy.
A bit of a quick PSA.
If you’ve paid Ticketmaster’s exorbitant “service fees” for event tickets since 1999, check your account.
They’ve settled a $400 million dollar lawsuit and have returned the money in the form of free concert tickets and discount codes for future events.
Long story short, if you’ve purchased a ticket through Ticketmaster in the past ~17 years, you may have free tickets sitting in your account – most of their emails about this have been going to spam folders.
Also see:
I’ve long enjoyed using RadPad despite its 2% fee because I’ve been earning 3X Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent on rent with my Citi AT&T Access More card, which far outweighs it, especially when paired with Citi Prestige.
But on June 1st, 2016, RadPad is increasing its rent bill payment fee to 3.49%, which makes the service much less appealing.
Byeee
But, Plastiq easily takes its place – and charges a 2% fee on MasterCard payments. Even better, you can earn 3X Citi ThankYou points with the Citi AT&T Access More card. And, it works on mortgage payments, too.
Also see:
I noticed an offer in my Citi account – it can totally be a good one if you were targeted, and have paid Hilton stays coming up.
Earn 10X Hilton points on up to $750 – total of 7,500 Hilton points
When you enroll and spend $750 at Hilton hotels through July 31st, 2016, you’ll get 7,500 bonus Hilton points AKA 10 extra points per dollar.
That’s a good deal if you A) have this card and B) have paid Hilton stays coming up.
You can also stack the heck out of this!
Also see:
Update: This offer has been extended through May 24th, 2016. My feeling is that it will keep getting extended. You can always contact me and I’ll check for you – I’ll also try to keep this page up-to-date.
Thought I’d post this promo and how to get it as a few readers have contacted me about the specifics.
Through May 13th, 2016, you can get FoundersCard for $295 a year – for life. The rate will never go up, so you can lock it in for $100 less than the usual $395 a year.
It sounds steep, but my FoundersCard has already paid for itself this year – and I just renewed (at the higher rate) in March 2016.
There are a ton of benefits that come with the card (including Total Rewards Diamond status).
I’ll show you how to get the lower rate because it’s not as straightforward as it should be.
Also see:
Update: You can lock in a FoundersCard membership for $295 a year through May 13th, 2016 when you sign-up with my link. This is $100 less than the usual rate!
Peeps are curious about FoundersCard. The many posts I’ve written are amongst my most-Googled. And a good 1/3 of reader emails ask about a specific benefit.
So I thought I’d post an update, as I still have and use mine regularly.
In fact, I just used it to join the Equinox in Dallas – and got $29 knocked off my monthly rate thanks to FoundersCard.
Just saved a bundle to get back into shape
Now I’m not saying “join Equinox!” Instead, I’d say FoundersCard is worth it if you have a particular benefit in mind, like:
As long as it stays this good, I’m on board
Any one of these benefits can make up FoundersCard’s $395 annual fee if you really maximize it. And more if you can make use of 2 or 3 (or more) of them.
For example, I save about $20 a month off my AT&T bill.
And the TripIt Pro membership I got from my Barclaycard Arrival Plus is about to expire.
Free TripIt Pro saves $49
I’ve grown to love the service and use the app constantly for my travel plans. Would I pay for it? Maybe. But I won’t have to think about it for another year, because the next one is free thanks to FoundersCard.
So I just got the Mileage Plus X app and am kicking myself, because it’s been available for points-earning potential since 2014.
But better late than never. And I’m discovering all these cool uses for it.
MileagePlus X – oldie but goodie
If you have the Citi AT&T Access More card, you can use it as a payment method on the app to earn a total of 5X miles on Amazon and eBay.
And, a step beyond, you can use it as a defacto shopping portal to get a better payout either in-person OR online.
I got some ‘splainin’ to do!
It took me a long time to get into the whole “Uber” thing. I was always like… why not just take a taxi?
The price wasn’t that much cheaper until recently.
The few times I uber-ed, the main thing I liked was the cashless tipping. The price, all things considered, was equal to a cab (I say/write this in NYC).
Then, they slashed fares.
Underdog extraordinaire
And, I started going to Dallas a whole lot more, without a car. I grew accustomed to firing up Uber as I walked outside and getting a ride to my condo. Again, with the cashless tipping.
I love the simplicity of the bundled fare. You just get out when you arrive, and you’re on your way. The receipt comes via email seconds after the door closes.
Also see:
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.
Also see:
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…
Also see:
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.
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.