Category: Quick Tips

Every Friday I post a new Quick Tip covering a wide range of topics, including ways to save money, travel tips, personal products/services I find interesting, and more.

Point Neon debit card and app
Point Neon Card Debuts New Direct Deposit Cashback Offer
Previously, I've written about my personal saga with the Point debit card — now known as the Point Neon card. To briefly recap, while the offering's annual fee originally led me to raise an eyebrow, after opening an account, I found that I was actually able to capture a fair amount of value from it,...
Instacart groceries
Instacart Emerges as Another Way to Earn Delta SkyMiles
At the start of the pandemic, I tried the grocery delivery service Instacart for the very first time — and, despite the fees, I was pretty impressed. Of course, in a bid to save some money, I've since transitioned to using their Aldi pick-up option instead, but still make fairly frequent use of the app...
Allbirds ReRun
Allbirds is Now Selling Pre-Owned Sneakers with Its ReRun Marketplace
I've never been much of a sneakerhead or given much thought to my shoes at all for most of my life. Yet, a few years ago, I started taking a bit more of an interest in my footwear when I started running and, later, found myself taking a shine to what Allbirds offered in terms...
bowl of snow ice cream
We Made Snow Ice Cream (Yes, Really)
Last week, we experienced one of the larger snow storms we've had since moving to Springfield seven years ago. While it was still fairly modest in our area (coming in at around eight to nine inches total over a few days), we took the opportunity to stay home and observe the snow from the comfort...
Sam's Club entrance
3 of My Favorite Sam's Club Items to Buy
Recently, I celebrated two years as a Sam's Club member. While I initially joined thanks to an Amex Offer, it turns out my timing was about perfect as the warehouse store proved to be immensely useful in the early days of the pandemic (both in terms of stocking up and using their Scan & Go...
putting money in a piggy bank
T-Mobile Money Has Introduced a New Savings Account — But Why?
As I've now written about several times on this site, T-Mobile not only offers its own banking account but it's also pretty darn good! While the features are fairly basic, the main selling point is that T-Mobile and Sprint customers can earn up to 4% APY on as much as $3,000 of their balance. Sadly,...
convertible at the beach with the Delta and Turo logos
You Can Now Earn Delta SkyMiles When Booking Turo Car Rentals
Isn't it funny how "loyalty" programs have evolved in recent years? Although the term "loyalty" program might have you believe that you're only rewarded for supporting a singular brand, these days, it's common to find several partnerships in place that allow you to earn loyalty currencies across different brands. The latest example of this comes...
Casino Quest sign
Casino Quest: Learning to Play Without Actually Gambling
I have a weird relationship with Las Vegas. As you could see by searching the city's name on this site, I write about it often as I'm typically there at least a few times a year. Yet, I don't go there to party nor do I expect to leave town with sacks of money I...
MGM Rewards Cards
MGM is Making Some Loyalty Program Changes — Both Good and Bad
Welp — I'm back again. Back in Las Vegas, that is. After a few short months away, I'm in Sin City this week to cover CES. As luck would have it, while I'm here, some major news involving MGM's loyalty program arrived, containing a bevy of both good and bad news for customers.
The Stem Player
The Dumbest/Coolest Gift I Bought Myself This Year
When I was in my preteen to teen years, I distinctly remember using the various tools available to me to alter music in what I thought were interesting ways. For example, I'd use my tape deck to record a part of a song, pause the tape, and then record it again to loop and extend...
PointCard Titan
PointCard is Introducing a Premium Charge Card Called Titan
A few months back, after seeing social media ads for a premium debit card called PointCard, I caved and decided to give it a shot. Since then, the offering has evolved some, recently moving its partner bank and issuing a new card design. On top of that, it seems as though Point has a new...
Fold - Welcome to the Metaverse
Fold Now Offers an AR Game Where You Can Win Free Sats
Late last year, I discovered an app called Fold that allows you to buy gift cards for top brands and earn Bitcoin back for your purchases. Then, this summer, I tried out their Bitcoin rewards debit card, which — while I was fairly lukewarm on it overall — does have some pretty interesting features and...
Featured Articles
Travel Tuesday: The Club ATL Grab & Go Pantry Lounge Review
Last week, I set off for San Francisco from my home in Springfield, Missouri. But, since I was flying Delta, I of course needed to make a stop in Atlanta before my flight back in the correct direction. Over the years, I've spent plenty of time at ATL, so when something new pops up, I...
4 Daily Games I Play That Somehow Make Me Feel Smart
Remember a few years ago when Wordle took the world by storm? Well, after that, it seemed that several other daily games popped up as well. Over time, the lineup of games I actually bother to play daily has evolved — but there are a few that I keep returning to. That's probably because, even...
Hotel Vandivort Review: Springfield, Missouri's Four Diamond Boutique Hotel
When it comes to my Travel Tuesday hotel review series, I often wonder what travels might be featured in my latest installment. That's when it hit me that: instead of looking to other cities for adventure, I could feature a property found right here in Springfield, Missouri.  Hotel Vandivort is a unique boutique hotel we’d...
I'm 40 and Finally Figured Out How to Properly Shave My Face
For a good portion of my mid to late 20s, I made my living pretending to be in high school for television. As it turns out, part of the reason why I could pass for younger is that I can't grow a beard to save my life. Unfortunately, this lack of growth also means that,...