Updated Credit Score

Posted on August 25, 2011 by wpengine

So, one year later after my first credit card and my score has risen 26 points!!!! I started a year ago and had an 800 credit score at the time.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the score had risen over the last year by 26 points.

Some people tell me that I should be proud of my  826 score.  Obviously it is great that I have good credit, but it isn’t amazing because the score doesn’t really help me much as long as it is over 720.  I still want to keep it high to show that I am worthy of having credit, but not so worried that I keep it above a 826.

CreditSesame.com is the product that I use to get my Experian credit score reported to me on a monthly basis.  It is a free service and they have worked great ever since I initially signed up with them.

Before you get too excited and apply for a million cards we wish to caution you and remind you that your credit is very important.  It is never worth one sign on bonus if you are going to be missing your payments or you are going to be carrying balances on 20% interest rates.  You’ll notice that we always talk about paying off the credit card in full every month.  This is crucial to making sure that you never pay anything for these huge sign on bonuses.

I’m coming up on my first year with the American Airlines Citi Visa credit card.  It has treated me well and scored me a lot of points.  I’ve racked up over 80,000 AAdvantage miles on that card.  Here in the next week or so I will be canceling this card.  I will be sure to ask for some type of a retention bonus, or ask them to waive the annual fee like we mentioned in our post the other day.

So far this year has been a great success.  Let me recap my earnings:

  • Citi Visa: 75,000 AAdvantage miles as a bonus, plus over 5000 in charges.
  • Citi Business Visa: 75,000 AAdvantage miles as a bonus, plus over 5000 in charges.
  • Capital One Venture Match your Miles Promotion:  Bonus: 110,000 Points= $1100 in spending whether on airfare, hotel, car rental, etc.
  • SPG Amex: 10,000 bonus for first purchase, plus 20,000 after spending a hefty $15,000.
  • SPG TD  Ameritrade Deal: 20,000 Star points
  • Citi Visa (Wife): 75,000 AAdvantage Miles plus over $5000 in charges.
  • Capital One Venture Match your Miles Promotion (Wife):  Bonus: 110,000 Points= $1100 in spending whether on airfare, hotel, car rental, etc.
  • SPG Amex: 10,000 bonus for first purchase, plus 20,000 after spending $4500

Grand Totals:

  • 240,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
  • $2200 in Travel Expenses
  • 100,000 Starpoints

I’d call that a great success.  All the while my credit score increased 26 points over the same course of time. My wife’s has stayed the same over the last year.

The end result is that you can score some amazing deals as long as you are patient, and you are disciplined enough to pay them off at the end of the month.  Make sure that you never charge anything on the card that you wouldn’t pay in cash.  I may joke about it with the cashier at the store, but it isn’t free money.  It can be very expensive money if you are not careful.

On a side note…..We love having all of the questions and comments.  We will do our best to answer your questions if possible.  Make sure you like us on Facebook and share it with your friends.  We have also updated the Frequent Flier Miles Credit Cards page on the site.  Let us know if you see any other great deals too.

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Screaming Deal: $750 from Idaho Falls or Boise to Shanghai, China

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Brad Christensen

This is one of those “every once in a while” fares that must be pounced on.  I just happened to search tonight and found some incredible fares into Shanghai.  I first came across the opportunity on the flyertalk fares search on www.farecompare.com.  Never trusting, I also checked www.kayak.com and then went straight to www.Delta.com.

As of tonight, you can book a flight from IDA or BOI to PVG for somewhere in the neighborhood of $753.  The dates I’m using are November 1-15, but I’ve also seen those fares tonight in October, as well.

Of that total, roughly $417 is taxes and fees and the remaining $336 is the actual fare… pretty incredible for a round trip to Asia.  I looked at a flight earlier this month and couldn’t have gotten to Spokane for that price.

If that weren’t enough reason to celebrate, consider that you’ll earn somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,500 Delta Skymiles on your trip… in other words, this is also a “buy two cheap-ass flights to China, get one domestic flight free” kind of deal.

Wow… I’m frantically seeking a babysitter.  Do any of our readers want to earn some extra cash in November?  Can you tolerate 4 hyperactive children?

Along these lines, in the past, we’ve seized these kinds of opportunities to take us to some amazing places.

We flew from SLC to Belize for $220, to Panama for $280, and to Costa Rica for $270.  These deals come every once in a while, but you cannot wait… let your wanderlust overtake you and book this thing while it’s still available.  Then tell us about it!

 

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The $20 Sandwich Trick – Your Ticket to a Hotel Upgrade

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Brad Christensen

Sometimes getting a super cheap deal on a hotel is as simple as asking for it (and a little sly deceit).

It was the last night of our Motorcycle ride through Banff and Glacier National Park. We’d ridden 360 miles through some beautiful country and were reflecting on it as we partook in our third helping of chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant in Kalispell, Montana.

As we arose from the table to leave, the conversation turned to where we would sleep that night. We were all stinging from the $280 pricetag of our hotel the previous night in Banff, so no one was anxious about paying much, but it was clouding up and camping didn’t feel like a great option, either. I had checked hotels.com, and our best option was the Outlaw Inn for $87 after taxes. We considered Priceline.com, but with the late hour, it wasn’t an option.

We decided to do our own localized version of priceline and split to see where we could get the best deal at three different hotel options: Motel 6, the Outlaw Inn (hoping we could get it cheaper in person), and Super 8. I know, we’re not exactly classy, but value was our biggest objective.

The Outlaw Inn quoted us higher than the Hotels.com rate, even with some sweet-talking. Motel 6 could work us a good deal on a single bed -$66, but no less than $84 for two beds. I put on my widest smile when I approached “Sarah B” at the Super 8 desk, I told her that we were looking for a screaming deal and playfully told her we’d be pitting her against neighboring hotels. She asked if I had any discounts and started to list them – AAA… I stopped her short and answered, “All of them…” She came in at $77 for two beds and continental breakfast. I told her I’d rendezvous with my party and get back with her.

It was already the best deal, but I thought I’d see if I could push it any further. When I came back, I told her that Motel 6 had come in cheaper, but since I really liked her I wanted to stay at the Super 8. She asked how much Motel 6 was, and, not bothering to say that it was for a single bed, I told her “$66.” She smiled and said, “then I guess I’ll have to give it to you for $65.

I know, this is totally cheesy and slightly ridiculous that I’m pleased enough with a $12 discount to waste all this time making a post about it, but it illustrates a point that I think is helpful for tightwad wanderlusters – Don’t hesitate to be a bargainer. Those people at the front desk have more leniency than they let on.

Getting an Upgrade – the $20 sandwich

Along these same lines, I’ve read about a little trick that can sometimes win you a discounted upgrade in a very nice hotel. It’s called “the $20 sandwich.” When you go to check in, they’ll always ask you for your credit card and identification. Carefully prepare them with an Andrew Jackson squeezed between the two, and don’t forget the “wink-wink.” I’ve yet to attempt this, as most of the hotels I book are in the $60-80 range – and I’m trying to save $20, not spend it… but for those special occasions, it might be worth it. For more details, check out www.frontdesktip.com or www.thetwentydollartrick.com.

 

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Currency and Travel Quiz

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Brad Christensen

Welcome to our Sunday post.  We always put up a picture and allow you to guess where the picture was taken and what currency they use there.  Some pictures are from the USA, and others are not.

Where was this picture taken and what currency do they use there?

Thanks to Stephanie who took this picture!!
Credit Sesame gives you an Experian credit score each month for FREE.  It doesn’t affect your credit to get it checked either.

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Couponing for Travel

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Brad Christensen

We like to think of our way of using credit card rewards as the equivalent of couponing for travel.

My wife has taken a liking to the many blog posters who share their methods of combining coupons to rake in amazing deals on massive quantities of everything from cereal to toothpaste.  There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting something for free, or at least “almost-free.”  That feeling is all the more meaningful when it’s an $800 airline flight you’re getting for free, as opposed to two sticks of deodorant.

Just yesterday, for example, I took advantage of a promotion American Airlines is running, and got a code for $100 off a $250 flight.  All I needed to qualify was to be a member of their FF program, AAdvantage, and a holder of the Citi AAdvantage card.  I thought I had hit it big with the 75,000 mile bonus I had gotten for both my wife and myself, but it appears that the benefits just keep on coming.

Here’s a sampling of the places I’ve been by taking advantage of Airline Frequent Flier programs:

I took my entire family to Medellin, Colombia.  It was a phenomenal adventure, and our flights cost us nothing more than the taxes – all thanks to the two 75,000 mile bonuses for signing up for the Citi AAdvantage cards.  Together we climbed to the top of El Penol, visited Spanish colonial pueblos, indulged in a $19 per day nanny, and paraglided over the verdant mountains of the Andes.

Delta and KLM miles that came in the form of transfers from American Express points took me to the tallest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, for an incredible expedition through five climatic zones.  You begin the hike in a lush rainforest, and end it in the harsh cold of glacial tundra.  It was a testing adventure that will never be forgotten.

On Northwest Airlines, we flew to Cancun, Mexico, and gave ourselves a self-guided tour of the Mayan Ruins,  relaxed on white sand beaches, and pretended to be high-rollers at an amazing beach house that we rented for an even more amazing price.

 

There are more places we’ve visited, and many more that we will visit.  Travel has opened our eyes to things they couldn’t have otherwise seen.  We live in a beautiful world, a world that is under-appreciated by too many who find themselves comfortable in “adventures by Disney.”  Catch the wanderlust, and wanderlust with us.

See our favorite hotel offerings that you can use for free with Starwood points for signing up for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

 

 

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Cheap Exotic Honeymoon

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Brad Christensen

One of our readers asked us how we might plan a cheap and exotic honeymoon.  Everyone plans trips differently and likes different things.  Here is one idea of a honeymoon that would be unforgettable without breaking the bank.

I know that a cruise is a cliche idea of a honeymoon, but you can’t beat the food and entertainment all-in.  Let me show you how to do all of it for a great deal!

The Flight

Getting your flight should be pretty easy, but you will definitely have to book it in advance.  Living in Idaho makes it very difficult to fly into Miami, or San Juan the exact day that the cruise starts and leave the same day it ends.  This is really difficult because I always have to make at least one connection, if not a couple more.

Citi is still honoring the American Airlines 75,000 to today, but it could turn off at any time.  I really feel like this is the best card that is even available right now.  You can use the 75,000 AAdvantage miles to get two people to Florida or to San Juan very easily. I pulled this from AA’s website and it shows how many miles it requires for a one way trip.  You can see that the Florida option would cost you 12,500 each way, or 25,000 miles for one person on a round trip to Florida.  Going to the Caribbean is probably going to cost you 35,000 to get you to San Juan.

Any way you slice this one it is an amazing deal on the 75,000 bonus miles.  You still have some costs to consider:

  • Baggage fees: $25/per person per bag. This is going to run you $100 on the trip unless you are cheap as I am, in which case it would only cost you $50.
  • Taxes:  If you go to Florida you might expect to pay $1o per person, if you go to Puerto Rico, you might expect more like $25 per person.
  • Total for Airfare: $70

By doing this you are going to be able to save between $600-900 on the airfare.

Hotel

I know we have pounded the Starwood card lately, but that card is incredible.  I blogged the other day about how you can use the Starwood card before going on a cruise to stay at the Miami Sheraton Airport with the Starwood card there too.

  • Taxes: $20 per night making that $40 if you stay a night on the way there and one on the way home.
  • Transportation to cruise: I’d guess that this will cost you $20 per trip.  You might even be able to find another couple and pay half.
  • Hotel and Transport to Cruise: $80

The Cruise

Cruising is a lot of fun.  Before going on the cruise I always do quite a bit of research on Cruise Critic.  This is a message board where you can meet other people who will be on your ship before you go. They all update you on what they are doing and throw out ideas of how you can work together to get your excursions for much cheaper.

My wife and I love taking local transportation as much as possible instead of taking taxis whenever possible because it allows us to better understand their lifestyles and how they live their lives.  (It’s always cheaper too :)) We love chilling on the beach and soaking up the rays.

Unless you drink alcohol you don’t have to pay for virtually any food on the cruise.  This makes your honeymoon rather cheap.  You can eat whenever you would like and sit at a table for two every night if you desire.  It is a great time to spend with your new spouse.  No pressure of where to eat or how much you’re spending.  It’s all included.

There are a few costs that you need to remember when looking at cruises:

  • Gratuities: Instead of paying each person that waits on you hand and foot they have you pay a flat fee per day that goes toward all the people that help you.  This fee ranges, but it is normally about $10 per person per day.  That means that you need to add on $140 for gratuities at the end.
  • Alcohol: Luckily I don’t drink and neither does my wife.  If you do, I’d recommend a sobering trip.  You will go broke paying for drinks on the boat.
  • Soda: You can get a soda card for $40 or something like that for the entire trip.  You’ve got to be drinking a ton of these to make it worth it.
  • Cruise Excursions: Horrifically expensive.
  • Lunch: When you’re off exploring the island, or the mainland, remember that the food does cost off of the boat.  I always look for the local fare because it one reason that I love to travel, but also it is cheaper too.  (Starting noticing anything about being cheap? :))

Really you should be able to get the cruise for $400 per person.  I used cruise.com to book our last trip and it came with $150 in onboard spending.  We used it to pay our gratuities and offset those costs.

In sum:

  • Airfare: $70
  • Hotel and Transport: $80
  • Cruise: $1100
  • Total: $1300!

Traveling smart can save you thousands.  This is a method that I’ve been using and have found it to save me thousands in travel.  I recommend it to you.  Watch for the good deals, and jump on them.  The SPG Amex is going to expire on the 22nd.  Don’t miss this deal!


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