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.

DoorDash food order
Take Advantage of DoorDash Perks with Mastercard World & World Elite Cards
If you're anything like me, there's a strong chance that you've been using apps such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, and others more during the pandemic. In my case, while I was leaning heavily on delivery during the early days, I ended up shifting to pickup options later on while also using these services as a...
UHaul Cargo-Vans-for-moving
Renting a U-Haul Cargo Van Was Among the Best $50 I've Ever Spent
Last week, I shared an update on how my recent move from one apartment to another was going while highlighting what I did right and what I, well, screwed up. At the time, we still had a fair amount of our stuff waiting for us at the old apartment after having the professional movers we...
Skyroam Solix X
Skyroam Currently Offering $30 Off Solis X WiFi Hotspot
Just moments ago, I learned that the state of Missouri (where I live) will enter Phase 3 of its vaccine distribution plan on April 9th. This means that, in just a couple of weeks, I will be eligible to get my first inoculation and, hopefully, start getting back to normal life — including traveling. It...
McDonalds app
Why the McDonald's App is Actually Awesome
The other night, my wife excitedly turned to me and declared that the Shamrock Shake had returned to McDonald's. Truth be told, I'd never actually had one of these famous March treats but it sounded fairly enticing. As we arranged plans to make our shake dreams reality, I decided to consult the McDonald's app I...
Bumped App Loyalty Rewards
Bumped Brings Back Its Loyalty Rewards Structure, But With a Twist
Last week, I bemoaned the death of another FinTech app I enjoyed while noting that it was far from the first time I'd had to do so. Yet, in the past couple of weeks, I've now experienced quite the opposite: the unexpected returns of previously-great tools. This delightful trend began with the rebirth of Long...
Clarity Money logo
Reminder: Clarity Money is Closing Next Week
Friends, it's time once again to mourn the passing of a beloved FinTech tool. Following in the footsteps of other apps I loved such as Mezu and Tally Save, last month, Clarity Money announced that it would be shutting down as of March 5th. Now, with that date nearly upon us, indulge me as I...
T-Mobile Money app and debit card
T-Mobile Money is Changing How Customers Earn Their 4% APY
The downside of trying and keeping up with a lot of personal finance products is that I often find myself being disappointed when tools I love either die or make major changes. This has happened more than a few times now, with victims ranging from credit cards to apps to banking accounts. In fact, the...
Joe Coffee App sign
The Joe App Can Help You Discover and Earn Rewards From Local Coffee Shops
Can I just say that this past week has been miserable in terms of Springfield weather? First, freezing drizzle put sheets of ice on our roads multiple days in a row, and now we're in for potentially inches of snow and below zero temperatures. All this makes me want a nice, hot cup of coffee....
American Express Rose Gold Card
Amex's Rose Gold Card is Back — How You Can Swap Your Current Card
A few years ago, when American Express introduced its revamped Gold card, it also debuted a new color option for the card: Rose Gold. Since then, the alternate hue has been pined after by those who missed out on the offering (and the subsequent referral-only promotion). Well, at last, the day has come and the...
Robinhood logo
The Confusion and Anger Around the Robinhood Situation
I know — at this point, you're probably already sick of reading about Robinhood. However, please indulge me while I share my two cents (which could be turned into a grand if I buy GameStop, amiright?) on the matter. As an observer and user of Robinhood over the past few years, what we saw happen...
Blinkist logo
Blinkist is Offering 40% Off Annual Subscriptions for a Limited Time
With many of us remaining in some level of lockdown, I for one have continued to consume a lot of entertainment. Mostly, this has consisted of streaming TV shows along with reruns of series I've already seen multiple times through. Thus, I've been looking for a way to inject some actual learning into my routine...
Disneyland annual passes
Disneyland Just Dealt a Blow to Its Most Frequent Visitors
Back in 2006, when I was a mere 20 years old, I remember walking through my local mall when I saw that the Disney Store was selling Annual Passes for Disneyland. By this point, my family and I were visiting the parks once a year or so, but each time was as exciting as the...
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,...