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.

Hilton Hotel pool view
Refunding My First Points Redemption
A few short weeks ago, I shared how Hilton was having a sale on points (while also taking a look at whether or not it was a good deal) and followed that up by documenting my first ever Amex Membership Rewards redemption, which combined those transferred points with the ones I had purchased from Hilton....
apple-card-t-mobile
I've Been Sleeping on This T-Mobile Apple Card Perk for How Long?!
Last month, I shared the somewhat sad but wholly expected news that Barclays was officially discontinuing the formerly great Uber Visa card and rolling existing customers over to the Barclays View Mastercard. In my mini write-up of that development, I noted that I'd probably just use the card to pay my monthly cell phone bill...
pizza flyer
Beware of Hotel Pizza Flyers — Are They a Scam?
For the past week, my wife and I have been staying in Orlando, Florida... and mostly spending time in our hotel room (well, actually a timeshare unit, but same difference). A couple of days ago, as I headed to the kitchen, I noticed that a flyer for a pizza delivery place had been slipped under...
Allegiant plane
Allegiant Air Just Introduced a New Loyalty Rewards Program for Travelers
I don’t quite know how it happened, but it seems like one of this blog’s main beats is Allegiant Air. It started with my ever-expanding review of the airline and has continued as my dad recently learned what happens when one of the sporatically-scheduled flights the carrier offers gets canceled. Now, I have the pleasure...
RIP Uber Credit Card
Barclays is Putting an End to the Uber Credit Card
Back in 2019, I wrote a post that declared Barclays had just ruined my favorite credit card. Well, this week, they officially killed it dead. As U.S. News reports, the Uber Credit Card is officially being discontinued and current cardholders will be moved to the new Barclays View Mastercard sometime in October. Not to rehash...
holding a mobile phone
Can You Win Real Money with Mobile Games? Kind Of... Maybe
Before we get started, let me emphasize that this isn't an endorsement of these types of games and is instead simply a recounting of my singular experience. If you're like me and have dabbled with various mobile games, you've probably seen ads for games that allow you to win real cash. Such advertisements typically feature...
Houston Rockets #1 jersey
Credit Karma Money is Now a Sponsor of the Houston Rockets
I realize that I still categorize these Friday entries as "Quick Tips" — and they often live up to that label. However, today's musing would definitely be better described as "A Thing I Found Interesting This Week." What was this occurrence that caught my eye? Well, starting next season, the NBA's Houston Rockets will don...
Hilton Hotel pool view
Hilton is Having a Limited Time Sale on Points — But Is It a Good Deal?
If you've spent much time reading about credit cards, you've probably heard about things such as "travel hacking" and finding "sweet spots" for your points and miles. Whether accrued via credit card rewards or through various loyalty programs, savvy travelers can score some great redemptions using the points they've earned. But does it ever make...
Allegiant plane
Here's What Happens When Allegiant Air Cancels Your Flight
I've written several times about Allegiant Air. Since flying them for the first time in 2018, my wife and I have taken several subsequent trips with them thanks to direct flights to places like Orlando, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as well as their super low fares. While our experiences have been great on the...
two woman looking at a CLEAR kiosk
How I Made My Amex CLEAR Credit Go Twice as Far
I know it's now been more than a week since American Express announced a litany of changes to its Platinum card — but I'm honestly still digesting all of them and taking action in a bid to make the most of them. Since the new credits were announced, I've been doing my research on places...
AMEX Platinum Card
My Thoughts on the American Express Platinum Card Changes
After months of various rumors, American Express has made it official: the Platinum card membership cost is now $695/year. That's a pretty significant hike from the already substantial $550 annual fee it previously charged. So what do you get for that extra $145 a year? Depending on who you ask, a ton of valuable credits...
Lyft logo
Lyft is Killing Off a Reward "Double Dipping" Opportunity
What's better than earning rewards for your various purchases? Earning even more rewards for those purchases! That's why I've loved discovering "double-dip" opportunities, such as redeeming offers from two different apps/platforms at once or combining coupons. However, these lucrative loopholes typically don't last forever  — as evidenced by Lyft's latest move.
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,...