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.

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...
American Express Platinum offer partner logos
American Express Platinum Cardholders Can Now Earn $180 in PayPal Credits (and More!)
When 2020 started to go down the tubes, a number of credit card companies sprung into action to offer some assistance to customers and also provide them with added value in a bid to keep them around. Among those efforts, American Express introduced two temporary monthly credits for its travel-centric Platinum card to help make...
cash - bitcoin illustration
As Bitcoin Booms, Square's Cash Card Adds BTC-Back Boost
Almost three years to the day after Bitcoin approached $20,000 — only to crash back down to Earth — the cryptocurrency finally broke through that $20k mark and has managed to stay above it since. In celebration of the achievement and to capitalize on the renewed crypto interest from the general public, Square's Cash App...
Disney+ logo
Disney+ is Raising Its Price — But There's Time to Lock-In a Year for Less
In April of last year, The Walt Disney Company held an Investor Day, with the headlining topic being their then-upcoming streaming service Disney+. While the content announcements excited fans, perhaps the biggest reveal was the price: $6.99 a month. Cut to the 2020 Investor Day held yesterday and now that impressively-low price is set to...
BlockFi Visa Card
One Big Drawback of BlockFi's Upcoming Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card
Over the past few years, my relationship with Bitcoin has been a bit complicated. While I've been interested in the technology and want to believe the price predictions that suggest a skyrocketing effect will happen at any moment, I'm also not the type to place too much stock (or cash) in such outlooks. As a...
Bumped Stock Marketplace
Bumped Brings Its Stock Marketplace to the Web for Easier Earning
As you may have heard, the app Bumped recently underwent a major makeover, while finally exiting its years-long beta. For those of us lucky enough to have been a part of that previous pilot program, this change has come with some pros and cons. Among the latter category is the fact that, now, users need...
Rakuten gift cards
Did You Know You Could Buy E-Gift Cards on Rakuten?
As much as I love using Rakuten in the instances when I do go shopping online, the truth is that their in-store line-up isn't quite as strong. Moreover, there are times when I don't necessarily have a specific purchase in mind but could see myself visiting a given retailer in the future. That's why I...
American Express Platinum Card
Amex Strikes Again! New Platinum Card Offer is Worth Your Attention
Note: The offer detailed below is no longer available. For the latest information on this card, visit CardRatings. The past few weeks have been extremely interesting for credit card enthusiasts like me. After a few months of relative quiet (aside from certain travel-minded cards adding temporary benefits), offerings have really ramped up in a major way....
Aldi Advent Calendars
Aldi Has Tasty (and Affordable) Advent Calendar Treats
To quote a recurring Saturday Night Live ditty, "I don't care what your momma says, Christmastime is here." Per usual, as the clock struck midnight on November 1st, the winter holidays took over the decor of grocery stores, shopping malls, and — as of today — Starbucks locations. Additionally, this week marked the return of...
AMEX Cards adn Uber Eats food deliveries
Select American Express Cardholders Can Now Get a Free Year of Uber Eats Pass
I swear that I don't go into each week planning to write so much about credit cards — but there's a lot going on right now. The latest development is that American Express and Uber have announced a deepening of their existing partnership. The result? New perks for Amex Platinum, Green, and especially Gold card...
Featured Articles
How Utilization Impacts Your Credit Scores: My Real-Life Example
You may already know that Credit Utilization is the second-largest factor FICO considers when determining your credit score. Specifically, it makes up 30% of your score, topped only by Payment History at 35%. But what does that look like in practice? Well, I recently got the "opportunity" to see firsthand. In April, I elected to...
Travel Tuesday: Allbirds Weatherproof Hightops - How They Compare to Mizzles
As I've mentioned more than a few times before, after purchasing a pair of water-resistant Allbirds Runner-Up Mizzles a few years back, they quickly became my go-to travel shoe. That's because they're not only comfortable but also help protect my feet from wet weather while on the road (there are few things I hate more...
This New Hardshell Carry-On Luggage Option Has My Attention
Welcome back to another Quick Tip — and the latest edition of our occasional, unofficial series Things Kyle Wants to Buy. When I returned from my most recent trip, for some reason, I had hardshell luggage on my mind. That's strange because my current soft-sided luggage has served me well and, moreover, I've traditionally not...
Would it Be Wrong to Try This Potential Free Checked Bag Trick?
I don't remember the last time I paid for a checked bag on a plane. Granted. I've paid for carry-ons while flying Allegiant — but, in the cases where I have elected to check a bag in recent years, it's been a free gate check since I occasionally volunteer to part with my bag early...