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.

  • I Tried “Build Your Own Chipotle” and It Was a Pretty Good Deal!

    I Tried “Build Your Own Chipotle” and It Was a Pretty Good Deal!

    A few weeks ago, Chipotle announced its latest offering. Now, you can order a “Build-Your-Own Chipotle” pack using the fast-casual dining chain’s online ordering platform. Billed as feeding four to six people, this is meant to be an option somewhere between ordering a la carte and getting catering. Well, being the diligent personal finance reporter…

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  • Cava Wants to Match Your Hotel, Airline, or Restaurant Status

    Cava Wants to Match Your Hotel, Airline, or Restaurant Status

    In the past, I’ve highlighted different “status matching” opportunities from airlines, hotel brands, and even casinos. However, this is the first time I’ve seen the practice employed by a fast casual chain restaurant. That’s right, Cava has launched a new status match promotion — and a wide-ranging one, at that. To celebrate the launch of…

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  • More Weather Protection: Allbirds Now Has Waterproof Shoes

    More Weather Protection: Allbirds Now Has Waterproof Shoes

    For years now, I’ve been a fan of and written about Allbirds shoes — specifically their Mizzles line. In fact, I just cited them as the shoe component of my favorite travel outfit. Because of this, I’m always interested when they launch a new product. On that note, this week, I got an email from…

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  • Andrew Yang is Launching a Mobile Service with a “Data Dividend”

    Andrew Yang is Launching a Mobile Service with a “Data Dividend”

    Since running for President back in 2020, entrepreneur Andrew Yang has managed to keep pretty busy. On the political side, he helped form the Forward Party (which has endorsed candidates in nonpartisan races as well as both Democrats and Republicans who adhere to the party’s core beliefs). Now, he’s founding a new mobile provider with…

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  • How I’m Already Adjusting to the Updated Amex Platinum Card

    How I’m Already Adjusting to the Updated Amex Platinum Card

    Well, it happened. You may recall that, when we got word that the American Express Platinum card would receive a refresh, I admitted that I was quite nervous about the prospect. So, now that we have all of the details (including the increased annual fee), what are my feelings on this revamp? Honestly? I’m positively…

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  • How I Tapped My Amex Airline Credit for a More Comfortable Trip

    How I Tapped My Amex Airline Credit for a More Comfortable Trip

    For as much as I love the American Express Platinum card and get positive value from the card’s credits, that doesn’t mean that every credit is so simple to use. I’m not even talking about the $300 Equinox credit that barely covers one month of the gym’s membership fee. No, I’m speaking of the famously…

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  • Amazon Just Killed the Way I’ve Mooched Free Shipping For Years

    Amazon Just Killed the Way I’ve Mooched Free Shipping For Years

    I don’t remember the last time I paid for shipping on Amazon. When I head to the site to buy something, I just expect it to be shipped for free. In fact, long ago I’d stopped even looking for the Prime shipping logos on listings. Yet, all this time, I had never actually paid for…

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  • American Express Platinum Refresh Rumors Are Heating Up

    American Express Platinum Refresh Rumors Are Heating Up

    The day before Chase unveiled the overhauled version of its flagship Sapphire Reserve premium card, American Express teased that a major update to its iconic Platinum Card was also in the works. Since then, we haven’t heard any solid (read: official) updates — but rumors about some possible changes have become more pervasive in the…

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  • Anker Has Several of Its Travel-Friendly Products On Sale

    Anker Has Several of Its Travel-Friendly Products On Sale

    Traveling in 2025 often means packing a lot of chargers. I know that whenever I’m getting ready for a trip, I have a long checklist of devices I need to make sure I can power up while I’m away. On top of that, it’s always a good idea to have a backup power bank to…

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  • Time to Think Small? Why Hank Green is Adjusting His Investments

    Time to Think Small? Why Hank Green is Adjusting His Investments

    I take my YouTube algorithms very seriously. In fact, if there’s a video I want to watch but that I don’t want to be served more of after, I’ll open the link in Incognito or an alt account (even sacrificing my ad-free Premium privileges in the process). Similarly, if I’m going to check out financial…

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  • Solis is Offering a Limited-Time Discount on Its Solis Go Bundles

    Solis is Offering a Limited-Time Discount on Its Solis Go Bundles

    As the summer season starts to wind down, Solis is offering a limited-time discount that’s perfect for your last-minute getaway. From now through August 10th, you can save 10% on Solis Go bundles. The Solis Go is one of the brand’s newest devices — and also happens to be their most affordable. This pocketable hotspot…

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  • Disney+ Fans — These American Express Cards are For You

    Disney+ Fans — These American Express Cards are For You

    In 2025, there is certainly no shortage of streaming services to choose from. And while I have subscriptions to a few, speaking as a Disney fan, my favorite has to be Disney+ (coupled with Hulu). Of course, with the costs of these services adding up, it’s always nice when you can claim a discounted or…

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Featured Articles
My Wife Just Discovered the Magic of Bank Bonuses
One of the reasons why my wife and I have enjoyed such a successful marriage is that we were quick to get on the same page about money. However, while we agree on how we spend and save our money, when it comes to credit card rewards, my wife's been more apprehensive than me. It's...
The Internet is Going Wild for This Lucrative Offer from Paze
You may not have heard of Paze — but there's a good reason why you'll want to familiarize yourself with it now. This week, the digital wallet (which comes from the same company behind Zelle) launched an offer that could be worth $100 or more. Currently, when customers use Paze to pay at qualifying online...
Travel Tuesday: When is the Best Time to Book a Hotel Room?
I don't know about you, but for me, one of the most stressful parts of booking a trip is finding the right time to make my purchase. While part of me wants to lock my plans in as I make them, another part of me knows that being a bit more strategic can yield good...
How Chase Just Got Me to Keep My Sapphire Preferred Card
A couple of weeks ago, my wife received replacement cards for our Chase Sapphire Preferred in the mail. This served as our reminder that, if we did want to downgrade the card as we'd been talking about for years, now would be the time. See, I'd convinced her to get the card while it was...