Category Archives for Just the Tip(s).
Saw this offer pop up today on my Drop app. You can get 50,000 Drop points for signing up for Wag and scheduling a free dog walk (20 or 30 minutes).
$50 for treating your dog to a free walk
You have to activate the offer. Then sign up for Wag through the Drop app. Once the walk is done, you’ll get 50,000 Drop points in your account, which is enough for $50 in gift cards to popular stores like Amazon, Starbucks, and Whole Foods. My dog’s walk is tomorrow!
The best part about staying at an all-inclusive is eating your face off. And I didn’t hold back during my 3-night free stay at the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta last week. (I am currently doing a detox and running 4+ miles a day as penance.)
There are 5 restaurants here – and I ate at most of them twice!
The stunning view from Blaze (this is the only non-food pic in the post btw)
Here’s what you can expect from the food at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta.
A couple of days ago, I returned from a MUCH needed break slash reset in sunny Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Ocean side of Mexico. A friend and I stayed 3 nights Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta. She flew down from Chicago. And I flew from Dallas.
I only paid $90 to watch the sunset in Puerto Vallarta for 3 nights
Out-of-pocket, I paid $90 in addition to 60,000 Hyatt points for the room and 15,000 British Airways Avios points for award flights on American. Here’s how I did it!
Oof. It’s been a rough ride for Caesar’s Total Rewards fans this year. In particular, they slaughtered their Diamond elite tier – no more lounge access for starters, unless you have a certain number of tier credits.
I’m coming back for more, Atlantis
One of the best perks about Total Rewards Diamond elite status has been 4 free nights in the Bahamas each year (I took them up on it in December 2016). And that’s changed, too.
I’m Diamond with Total Rewards because of FoundersCard. That perk was renewed through the end of January 2019.
I’m NOT a high roller but still got 4 free nights in the Bahamas
And great news: you can still get 4 nights at the Atlantis Paradise Island (a Marriott Autograph property). I had no trouble booking it over the phone with next to 0 tier credits today.
But now, you have to pay resort fees for the stay, and they’re ~$54 per night. Which is still a great deal. Just not as good a deal as before.
Looks like I’ll be going back to Nassau in May! I’m thinking of staying only 3 nights and spending the last one at the new Grand Hyatt Baha Mar that isn’t even 1 year old yet!
I’ve been meaning to write about this year’s edition of $100 in free Mercedes-Benz stuff (last year’s haul is here). I still have my glasses and water bottle, but lost the coffee cup to the TSA gods at LaGuardia. :/ (I now use a HydroFlask to transport coffee to the airport.)
I dusted off my certificate and headed to my local Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Thanks for the free jacket, water bottle, and keychain, Amex!
I ended up getting a nice fleece-lined windbreaker worth $89, a water bottle, and a keychain. Total cost: $0!
You get one of these $100 certificates every year with the Amex Platinum Mercedes-Benz card. But, as I just found out from Nick at Frequent Miler, it’s going away in January 2019. If you’ve never had it, get it while you can!
Over the holidays, I did something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: starting tracing my ancestry. Because both AncestryDNA and 23andMe had DNA tests on sale for Cyber Monday, I decided to get both – and compare.
Which DNA test reigns supreme?
For the basics, they’re pretty much the same – with an edge to AncestryDNA because of its bigger database.
But the health reports addition to 23andMe blew me away. And it’s worth spending the extra money to unlock a huge amount of personal information you might not even be aware of yet. That’s scary and exhilarating – and makes you consider how much you really want to know.
Dang it, I already let it slip which one I like more. #fairandbalanced 🤷🏻♂️
I wrote about Trim and Paribus to track price changes and get a refund from merchants. Now there’s Earny, which tracks price changes and uses price protection from many bank Visa and MasterCard credit cards – and files the claims for you automatically. In return, they take 25% of the bounty.
Earny automates price protection with several bank Visas and MasterCards
I shop online a lot with my Citi AT&T Access More card (no longer available although you can still product change to it). All Citi personal cards come with Citi Price Rewind, which puts the onus on you to file a claim if you find a lower price. But now Earny automates the work. After you link your cards, nothing else is required to file a claim when Earny finds a lower price.
If you shop online a lot, this could save you big bucks!
Some amazing products and services crossed my path this year. And I want to share them in case you need some gift ideas for the travelers in your life.
I have personally used them all. And can attest to their quality. It can be a challenge to shop when you don’t know exactly what to get someone. Consider these!
(And for good measure, here are some stocking stuffer ideas.)
If you plan on purchasing gifts online this holiday season, there are two major things to watch for: price drops and missed delivery dates.
Price drops are extremely common with the onslaught of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals – and often there are even more as “the big day” draws near.
Trim is useful to:
Trim lets you know when a price on Amazon decreases
And I wrote about Paribus waaaay back in May 2015. Not only has their service improved – it’s now completely free.
It’s helpful for tracking price drops at tons of merchants. And helps you get a little something if there’s a late delivery.
Both of these tools can save you money in the background while you go about your shopping. They’re even better when their powers combine.
Also see:
Just a little reminder to go grab your free Kindle single from the IHG app! I wrote about how to do this in February this year. And thought it might be a nice happy during the busy holiday travel season.
I already got mine!
Check the IHG app to see how many books you can get
As a reminder, you can get: Read More
Getting a new credit card is a big step for lots of peeps. It’s a new account, new financial history, and something else to track.
Did you know your new credit card came with a checklist? It does. Sorry
Some of you might be like “Ugh,” but I’m like “Yay!” Even though I have 33 credit cards right now (yep!).
Here are the steps I take with each new card. And you should, too. It’ll help maximize your benefits, earn more rewards, and keep track of what’s what!
With over 30 credit cards in my sock drawer wallet now, I have a lot to keep track of. Especially minimum spending requirements and limited-time promotions. I’ve long advocated everyone use Mint.com to track transactions on all their accounts.
Especially because you can see your transactions at a glance – that’s helpful to monitor any unwanted activity if you have several accounts.
Mint.com is the (free!) ace in your hole
But there’s another extremely helpful use: you can track your spending on a particular account based on date or timeframe. Which helps you know how close you are to meeting a spending threshold. Here’s how.
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.