Harlan Vaughn's Blog, page 36
September 20, 2017
Free Food for Atlanta / Dallas / SoCal: $20 Off $35+ in Groceries at Aldi (And $5 Off Booze Delivery for Everyone Else)
Saw a deal I couldn’t pass up – had to share!
If you’re in Atlanta, Dallas, or Southern California, see if these Instacart deals will work for you. You can get $20 off an order of $35+ with promotion code “ALDIDELIVERY” – that’s over half off your groceries!
Irresistible! Even with the 10% service fee, I still saved over 50% on groceries
Instacart does add a service fee. But even with that considered, I still saved a heap on groceries. Can’t beat free food!
Plus, your first delivery is free!
Instacart $20 off details
Link: Sign up for Instacart
This deal is good through October 1st, 2017 on Aldi orders shopped through Instacart. Be sure to add promotion code “ALDIDELIVERY” to trigger the discount.
You can get anything you normally would buy – a shopper selects items for you. And you can choose what time and day you want your items delivered to your door.
I got lots of fresh fruits and veggies
At one point, my shopper even texted me to ask if I wanted an item replaced.
Text from my Instacart shopper
The spend threshold for the deal is over $35, so I made sure my total was $35.25.
The promotion code worked perfectly. And the delivery fee was waived because this was my first Instacart order.
I got 2 huge bags of produce, milk, and meat for ~$17. That was a real savings on things I was going to purchase anyway. Plus, I used my Citi AT&T Access More card to get 3X Citi ThankYou points for the online purchase.
Free food. This is an awesome deal. Stock up!
Enter your zip code to see if there’s an Aldi delivering near you
Apparently, the deal only works in Atlanta, Dallas, and Southern California according to SlickDeals. But it may be worth a try if there’s an Aldi near you – you never know! Just enter your zip code to check.
Oh and if you see anything about signing up for an Instacart subscription, just click “No thanks” to bypass the screen – you do NOT need to sign up for it to get this deal.
Or, Save on Booze Nearly Anywhere
Link: Drizly
Link: Top Cashback
Link: BeFrugal
Another service I’ve been using here and there is Drizly. They partner with local liquor stores to provide a delivery service – with no added markup to the alcohol prices. Although they do have a delivery fee.
Drizly is a godsend if you don’t feel like going out
I’ve used it a time or two and had positive experiences. The site is very clean and easy to shop.
You can buy beer, wine, liquor, and even mixers
I found the prices to be very reasonable.
Same price as shopping in person
And, you can get $5 off your first delivery with promotion code “WINYJ“.
Boom
But it gets even better. If you’re new to Drizly, you can get 15% cashback on your first order if you click through Top Cashback or BeFrugal (or 5% back if you’re a repeat customer).
And get 15% cashback!
Not a bad deal at all. You CAN stack the promotion code with the shopping portal bonus – really nice savings there if you’re in the mood for a drink.
Bottom line
Link: Instacart
Link: Drizly
No reason not to hop on one or both of these deals. Easily save half off $35 in groceries at Aldi via Instacart when you add promotion code “ALDIDELIVERY” – if you’re in Atlanta, Dallas, or SoCal.
Or, get $5 off alcohol orders at Drizly and sweeten the deal by shopping through Top Cashback or BeFrugal to get 15% cashback on your first order.
I have done both of these deals myself and can confirm they work! Especially for the Aldi grocery deal – seriously a no-brainer. Free food is awesome!
Let me know if the Aldi promo works in other places. And how your experience was with either deal!
September 16, 2017
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail. 
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
MoviePass + Theater Rewards Program = Heaven for Movie Lovers
I had a MoviePass back when it first came out in… 2012? I was in New York at the time. And IIRC, it cost $30ish a month. But in New York, that was still a great deal… when it worked.
The service was glitchy AF. For one, you had to be within 100 yards of the theater to activate the card. That’s fine, except the GPS back then couldn’t locate me properly. Other times, I’d check in via the app but the card would be declined and I’d end up paying for the movie myself.
It’s baaaack
If you have an issue, they say to “chat” them through the app – which simply is NOT practical when you’re standing in a line with a movie about to begin. Worse, if you call, they say to leave a voicemail.
September 15, 2017
DENIED! No 3rd Discover It Card for Me
Also see:
Get an Easy $600 with the Discover It Card
Discover It Is an Amazing Cashback Card (For the 1st Year at Least)!
Yes! Just Got My $1,100+ Discover It Cashback Match (The Dublin)!
Right after I got a 2nd Chase British Airways card, I trotted over to the Discover website hoping to pick up a 3rd Discover It card.
Last week, I had 2 Discover It cards. So I closed Discover It #1. With Discover It #2, I’m expecting a sweet $800+ cashback match next month:
#ReadyForIt
Last year, I got back $1,100 in cashback match. So Discover has been generous to me, doubtlessly.
But, you can only have 2 Discover cards at once, so if I wanted #3, that meant #1 had to go.
I checked to make sure over a year had passed since I opened #2.
Good to go?
I waited until September 8th passed, and then a few extra days to be on the safe side. Then, with zeal in my little eye, I prepared my grubby mitts for a new Discover It – and a new year of that sweet cashback match.
PWND! No Discover It for you!
Palms clammy, I was assured of approval. I even picked the new rainbow design for the card I was so certain to get:
Wants
But then:
Crying
So I called the number and spoke to a representative. I pointed out that it had been over a year. Not by much, but past the year mark surely.
She kept saying “at this time” “at this time.” So I asked how long they’d like me to wait before I apply again. She said there’s no specific timeframe but I am welcome to apply “at a later date.”
I don’t know if that means next week, next month, or what.
What does this mean for Discover cards?
Last year, peeps weren’t sure if you could even get a second Discover It card with cashback match. And this year, there were similarly no data points if you could get a third card. But, I just tried, and was denied without much explanation. And the Discover rep couldn’t give me any specific information. Though she did invite me to apply again “at a later date,” which is vague.
So basically, nothing to take away from the experience other than… no means no. It should still be possible to get a 2nd card though, as long as a year has passed since you got the 1st one.
I will always love the Discover It card (for a year)
Link: Get a Discover It card
If you’re never had the Discover It card, OMG huddle forth. It has practical 5% cashback categories that rotate quarterly. Here are/were 2017’s bonus categories:
I used/will use them all this year
That’s nice and all, but the real magic lies in the cashback match – which I lovingly call The Dublin.
After the 12th billing cycle, Discover matches all the cashback you’ve earned and gives you a lump deposit on your 13th billing statement. That means all the cashback you earn from the 5% bonus categories effectively doubles to 10%.
I love Discover’s shopping portal
Even better, anything you earn from the fantastic Discover Deals shopping portal, any referrals you make, and the $50 sign-up bonus – are all doubled too.
That’s why I say this card is amazing – for the 1st year at least. In fact, this card is criminally underrated. Discover is a generous bank, the card is fantastic, and approvals are generally easy.
If you’re over Chase 5/24 and pecking around for a decent card to earn some rewards with, I heartily recommend this card. After all, I wanted 3 of ’em!
If you sign up with my link, you’ll get $50 in cash back after your 1st purchase made within 3 months of account opening. And of course that’s doubled after your 12th billing cycle, in addition to everything else you earn.
Bottom line
Thought I’d share in case others are in a similar situation. While I’m sad to lose another year of The Dublin, I did enjoy the $2,200 I got in Year 1 and the $1,700 I got/will get this year (Year 2). But alas, it looks like Year 3 is out of reach… for now.
I’m oddly fine about it because soon enough, I’ll have $20,000 in spend to complete on the Chase British Airways card. So that’ll keep me busy for a while. Maybe by the time that’s done, Discover will let me squeak by for that 3rd year.
If you’ve never had the Discover It card, it’s one I highly recommend for the:
Usually excellent quarterly bonus categories
Access to Discover Deals shopping portal
Fairly reliable $10 per month Kohl’s coupon
Ability to stack portal payouts with bonus categories to earn even more
Bonus category backup in case you max it out with Chase Freedom (like I did this quarter with restaurants)
Fact that it’s not a Chase, Citi, or Amex card
Another part of me is like… whoa, the good deals are getting more scarce. I can’t say I’m surprised by Discover’s decision, but it does sting a little. Especially because I do carry the card with me so frequently. Ah, well. Smile because it happened, right?
I’ll have to revisit this card after my second Dublin next month…
