Category Archives for Just the Tip(s).
I’m getting more into Citi’s ThankYou program recently (because Citi ThankYou points are so easy to earn).
And while I can’t totally abandon Ultimate Rewards (for access to United Airlines, British Airways, and Hyatt), I’ve been thinking of award flights where collecting Citi ThankYou points instead of Ultimate Rewards might actually make more sense.
The same day Doctor of Credit broke the news Bank of America will increase the sign-up bonus on the Alaska Airlines Visa to 30,000 Alaska miles upon approval in May, I got that exact offer in the mail. But it’s already active.
One of these is not the same…
Actually, I got two offers. One for 25,000 miles. And another for 30,000 miles upon approval.
Throw in a $100 statement credit and it’s a deal
I typed in the link to the offer (alaskavisanow.com lol) and typed in the promo code in the letter. Sure enough, it works for immediate sign-ups.
If there had also been a $100 statement credit, I would’ve pulled the trigger.
Also see:
In my wanderings with the Citi AT&T Access More card, I learned you’ll earn 3X Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent at Costco.com – including gift cards.
This $300 Costco cash card earned 900 Citi ThankYou points with the Citi AT&T Access More card
It got me thinking… is the Citi AT&T Access More card the best card to use for shopping at Costco?
Also see:
Hello from sunny and HOT Martinique! I’m at Hotel La Pagerie (which I booked with the 4th night free through Citi Prestige).
Quick update because I just received my first statement on my brand new Citi AT&T Access More card.
I didn’t go for the Citi ThankYou Premier to get the full 3X on all travel including gas. Instead, I hedged my bets and got the Citi AT&T Access More card.
The main draw for me was paying rent through RadPad and earning 3X Citi ThankYou points.
And because I also have Citi Prestige, each point is worth 1.6 cents toward American Airlines flights (including codeshares). So even with RadPad’s 1.99% fee, I’d still get close to 3% back of value (4.8% – 1.99% = 2.81%).
Which is awesome – and better than a 2% cash back card obvi.
I outlined the numbers in detail here. And commenters on both Doctor of Credit and Reddit said RadPad earns 3X Citi ThankYou points per $1.
But I just had to confirm it for myself. It really does!
Also see:
I had a great time in Barcelona and wanted to share some adventures that rounded out the trip.
Barcelona reminded me of Paris in lots of ways: the buildings, the twisty-turny side streets, the grand thoroughfares, and the dozens of cafes lining every street.
Lemme go ahead and set the tone here
But it was decidedly very different. The Mediterranean replaces the River Seine as the city’s main waterway, the food had a much different focus, and the city itself has wayyyy different attractions. Including a few things you can’t do, get, or see anywhere else in the world.
Here are a few things I loved about Barcelona.
Also see:
You guys know I’m all about saving money when shopping online.
In fact, I’m borderline obsessed with Paribus, which is an incredible way to save money when there’s a price change on items you bought.
RIP, Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard®.
As part of closing on my house, I had to ax this card (I’ll explain why in another post). But, before the boot, I downgraded the card from the Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard® (with an $89 annual fee) to the regular ol’ “Aviator card” (with no annual fee), and got it in the mail just in time to say goodbye.
You are lost and gone forever, oh my darlin’, Clementine
Here are 2 offers I got that might be helpful to some folks. One you have to call to receive, the other is targeted – so be on the lookout if you’re interested.
Wow. Out and Out made huge strides in 2015. A lot happened – and even more will happen in 2016.
Blog traffic tripled this year. In fact December 2015 is the biggest month ever for the blog (and it’s not over yet!). I’m thinking of how to improve things around here even more, and celebrating every step of the way because I couldn’t grow without your support.
Celebrating!
You guys are awesome. I love my readers!
I’ve ironed out many ideas on here and found solid resolutions thanks to tons of community-focused comments. And meeting new peeps at the regular Reach for the Miles meetup has been fantastic.
I hope to continue the momentum and keep improving.
But first, I want to take a moment to pause and look back at where we’ve been this year.
Also see:
There’s a lot going on with Amazon right now in terms of deals:
The chance to get 10X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which turn into 10X United Airlines miles, 10X Hyatt points, 10X Southwest points, etc. when paired with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Plus) is too good to pass up. It’s a big reason why the AMEX Jet.com offer is on hold for me.
3 days left for Prime 2-day shipping
If you’ve put off last-minute gifts, this is a *perfect* weekend before Xmas to knock out last-minute shopping with Amazon Prime membership (you could even buy it today and start using it right away if you really wanted to!).
There’s a great AMEX offer for a $20 statement credit when you spend $50+ at Jet.com. Play it right and that’s ~40% off your purchase! (Check your accounts online, or sync via Twitter with #AmexJet.)
But here’s something I noticed.
The language is a bit different than usual AMEX Offers
There’s no mention of having to spend $50 in 1 transaction.
Another AMEX Offer with the typical conditions
There are several other AMEX Offers that do say you have to spend the required amount all in 1 go, like the one for Delivery.com.
Also see:
Just a quick tip.
Free $5 for signup up to Ibotta
For a limited time, you’ll get $5 added to your account when you sign up for Ibotta and redeem 1 rebate. (Full disclosure: when you use my link, I’ll get $5 too, so thank you for clicking through with it!)
This is an easy way to get a few bucks, but know you can’t transfer the cash out of your Ibotta account until you reach the $10 mark. You can transfer to your PayPal or Venmo accounts once you do. And it’s relatively easy to earn money with the app.
The other day, when I wrote about my experience booking a hotel room in Martinique, I pulled up the Mercez app to see what exchange rate I’d get on $1,118 Euros with the Citi Prestige card.
Lots of cards advertise “no foreign transaction fees” which means they don’t add extra fees to the amount they convert.
Mercez tells you the real rate for each of your cards
But what’s interesting is not all banks convert cash at the same rate.
The amounts can add up, especially if you spend a lot (or live) abroad.
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.