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.
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Starbucks is About to De-Simplify Its Rewards Program
Back in my day, Starbucks had a program where, after a certain number of purchases, you’d earn Starbucks Gold status and get a fancy card to flaunt. When I worked at a movie theatre that had a Starbucks across the parking lot, I was among the first of our team to collect my Gold Card…
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My Hands-On Experience with Manta Sleep White Noise Machine
If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve probably seen ads on Instagram of YouTube videos for Manta’s sleep masks. These high-end and creative sleep masks certainly look appealing — but it was another one of their products that, ironically, caught my eye: their white noise machine. As I’ve written about before, I’ve come to love my Bose…
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My Experience Applying for Bilt 2.0 (And Did I Choose Correctly?)
Just like many other places online these days, Reddit is simultaneously an incredibly useful tool and an absolute cesspool. Earlier this week, when Bilt revealed its official 2.0 card details (which I won’t detail in writing right now, but you can watch my video below), that dichotomy was on full display as the r/BiltRewards subreddit…
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Another Rant About Vegas Table Games – Avoid the Nasty Middle
I’ve spent the last few days going up and down the Las Vegas Strip during CES 2026. Not only have I come to this show for several years now but have also been visiting Vegas for far longer. In that time, I’ve seen a ton of changes — some good, but mostly bad. Most recently,…
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JustBid.com Review: Is It Legit?
A few weeks ago, my wife was telling me a story about how her boss got a good deal on an under-desk elliptical by using a site called JustBid. When I first heard the name, what came to mind was the likes of DealDash, which boast big savings but charge you a per-bid fee. That’s…
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Use Your Amex Platinum Credits Even If You’re Not Traveling Yet
With Christmas now past, we are dangerously close to the end of 2025. That also means that your days are numbered if you want to use up your American Express Platinum card’s credits — including the monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual ones. And while claiming your Lululemon, Resy, and Digital Entertainment credits may be straightforward…
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My First Retention Bonus Offer — And Why I Turned It Down
When I downgraded from the American Express Gold card to the Green card last year, I had a feeling I might be canceling the card altogether once renewal time came around. Sure enough, this past week, I went ahead and closed the card. But, before I officially did so, I achieved a credit card enthusiast…
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It’s That Time Again: Starbucks for Life is Back — Enter for Free
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That’s right — it’s Starbucks for Life time (what did you think I was talking about?). I’m aware that I’ve already overhyped this, but this annual promotion does mean that there’s an easy way to potentially win some free coffee or other prizes, which is pretty exciting.…
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Bilt Just Debuted a Double-Dipping Opportunity for Flight Bookings
For years, credit card issuers and others have put a heavy emphasis on their own travel booking portals. From increased rewards for those who book using those sites to offering credits that can only be redeemed on them, the likes of Chase, Capital One, Amex, and others have been pushing them hard. This leads to…
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Black Friday Deals 2025: Offers on Products I’ve Reviewed
Am I the only one who waits for Black Friday to buy things I want for myself? Well, whether you are picking up items you’ve had your eye on or actually shopping for others, there are often some sales worth checking out. So, once again this year, I’m highlighting available discounts on products I’ve reviewed…
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Audible is Offering a Stellar Deal is You Love Audiobooks
If you’ve ever looked at books on Amazon or listened to a podcast, you’ve surely heard of Audible. But just in case, I’ll explain that the platform is the leading provider of audiobook content. What’s more, they have a subscription service where you can get an audiobook credit for the title of your choosing each…
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I’m Getting Another Credit Card — But I Didn’t Apply for One
Well, it looks like I’m getting another credit card. Yet, in this case, it’s not because I sought one out. Instead, one of my cards is essentially splitting into two (like rewards card mitosis, if you will). Let me explain. Just last week, Bilt revealed new details about its move to Bilt 2.0, including a…
