Harlan Vaughn's Blog, page 64

Must-Haves of Travel: Apple Cider Vinegar

Also see:

Must-Haves of Travel: Coconut Oil

Now I’ve really gone off the deep end, and am suggesting that you pack a spray bottle filled with… vinegar?

Yup!

I’ve written about traveling with coconut oil. I make sure to have a container of it with me every time I travel.

More recently, I’ve started taking a little spray bottle filled with apple cider vinegar.

Here’s why. 

Benefits of apple cider vinegar

Now before I say anything else, I’ll go ahead and address the smell. While apple cider vinegar (ACV) does smell apple-y, it also smells vinegar-y.

But don’t worry, you won’t go around smelling like a salad. The vinegar evaporates quickly and then it kinda smells… like nothing. Faintly apple-y.

If you’re using shampoo/conditioner/perfume or cologne in conjunction with ACV, the smell will be more than covered.

Here are a few of the health and beauty uses of apple cider vinegar:

Facial toner
Hair detangler
Bruise fader
Deodorant (!)
Mouthwash
Foot spray
Detox bath
Scalp soother
Sunburn de-oucher
Zit spot-treatment
Relieve tired/achy muscles

Because it’s a vinegar, it’s acidic. ACV strives to maintain pH with whatever it comes into contact with.

Along with health and beauty uses, it’s extremely versatile for other things, too. You can use it as a household cleaner, disinfectant, fruit and veggie wash, or to treat bug bites, stings, and itchiness.

Because it’s anti-bacterial, it can help rebalance your skin and kill anything that might cause acne later. For the same reason, it helps to kill the bacteria that causes odors – so you can use it as an deodorant, or spray it on your feet / in your shoes to quickly get rid of any unpleasant smells.

In fact, ACV is great for pulling strong scents (like smoke or cooking) out of a room. Leave a little in a shallow container and set it out for a half hour or so.

How to use apple cider vinegar while traveling

Use it as a toner before you use coconut oil to moisturize
“Wake up” and refresh your skin after a flight (or during!)
Rub into legs and feet to soothe tired muscles after a long day of walking around
Spray into shoes to kill fungus and odors while you sleep
Use as a deodorant or refresher to kill odor-causing bacteria
Calm down irritated skin after shaving
Spot-apply to acne to reduce swelling and redness
Out of mouthwash? Use ACV instead, just be sure to dilute with water
Get a sunburn, scrape, or bruise? Relieve and speed up healing by rubbing ACV on it
If you decide to take a bath, add a little to your bathwater to draw out toxins
Rebalance your scalp if you’ve rapidly changed environments. Just spray a little and rinse out after you wash, as a final rinse

Apple is the new coconut

I primarily use ACV as a toner.

After washing up, I spray it on and let it sit for a sec before I do anything else. It works to refresh skin and gives you a healthy glow.

I also must say: it kills odors fast! If you’re sweating a lot, spray it into your shoes. It’ll absorb smells and kill bacteria. Great to have around in summer.

More recently, I’ve been using it as a “pick-me-up” deodorant. I’ll admit: it’s super weird to spray ACV into your pits. But it works.

I don’t completely rely on it to deodorize. Maybe in the winter when I’m not running around in the heat and humidity as much. But it’s standing up to NYC summers quite well.

Why pack this?

For starters, you don’t need a lot.

I have a tiny spray bottle that lasts me about a week when I travel.

It takes up no space in my bag, and I enjoy the skin benefits too much to leave it at home. Also, knowing that it’s good for bumps, scrapes, stings, and insect bites, I like to have it on hand to treat topically.

I often forget to pick up those little TSA bottles of mouthwash. But if I have ACV, I can use a little of that to freshen up and keep teeth and mouth clean. Because it’s very acidic, be sure to dilute it – it can erode your tooth enamel over time, with repeated exposure.

I can also attest that it’s great to rub into tired muscles after running around/dragging suitcases/walking a lot.

It’s a great product with a ton of versatile uses. If you drink it, it can give you a boost of energy by restoring alkalinity to your body’s pH and sweeping away toxins.

I’m just now discovering all the various uses, and so far: I love this stuff!

Other resources

Much has been writ about ACV. Here are a few of my faves:

26 Genius Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar – Greatist
15 Reasons to Use Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day – MindBodyGreen
40 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar – Swanson Vitamins
How Apple Cider Vinegar Can Change Your Life – Mercola (the title’s a bit histrionic, but I like the sentiment)

I always love to find ways to replace chemical-laden products with equally, if not more, effective all-natural counterparts.

If the apple or vinegar smell is too strong for you, there’s an easy fix: add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. I don’t mind the faint apple smell it leaves behind, but if you like vanilla, lavender, mint, whatever… add it!

I like the Bragg brand because it’s all natural, organic, and very good quality. Check out the comments for testimonials and ideas for other uses!

Bottom line

I’m still figuring out new ways to incorporate ACV into my life and travels. So for now, I’m experimenting with my own swamp witch variety.

I’ve also started drinking ACV along with a little raw, organic, unheated honey every day and am having a great time exploring all the health benefits of this concoction.

And of course you can cook with it!

What other product can you use to clean your countertops, spray on your face, and then drink?

If that’s a little too “out there,” remember this: it’s a great facial toner and it quickly kills bacteria and odor. I have a little spray bottle that I keep handy, as it has so many great uses for travelers.

Does anyone else use ACV? Would you consider taking it with you on a trip?

Any other travel must-haves?

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

DTMFA: Barclaycard Arrival Plus. Still a good card?

Also see: 

Yes! Just got the Barclaycard Arrival!
One Year(ish) Later: The Barclaycard Arrival. Keep or toss?
Seeking kindreds on the Barclaycard Travel Community

So torn. Always kinda have been.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus. I’ve always wondered what it was, in the sense that it was a bit of an enigma.

In the crosshairs

I got this card in May 2013. The annual fee was waived for the 1st year.

I got a retention offer the 2nd year.

I just paid the $89 annual fee about a month ago. I want to cancel this card. But it has 1 good use left in it…

Is is worth it?

My instinct says, “Dead to me”

“Loyalty” is a funny thing in 2015. The economy is doing well and the airlines/hotels/credit cards don’t care if we’re loyal or not. Chase said eff you. Why not Barclays?

Their card offerings have always been lackluster. Which is why I wanted to see how they would position the Arrival Plus within an already crowded market.

Their answer: don’t compete. Make it harder to use. And strip away a couple of benefits while you’re at it!

A far cry from 2008-20012 where we had points thrown on us at every turn (US Airways Grand Slam, Hyatt BOGO, record-high sign-up bonuses, etc.)

The only reason I’d keep the Barclaycard Arrival Plus at this point is for the chip-and-PIN.

That’s it.

Otherwise, it can go the way of Club Carlson, as far as I’m concerned.

Thoughts on the changes

I don’t really care about the increased award redemption. While it does mean I have to save up more points, I’m not bothered by it.

The free TripIt Pro? 

That stings a little more. I’m grown to like ol’ TripIt Pro via the free subscription. I don’t think it’s worth $49 a year. Maybe $15-$20 a year.

I’ve enjoyed the flight change and gate change alerts… a lot. Especially when I have to run like hell through an airport and don’t have time to scan the screens after a US Airways/”new American” flight is late again.

But I can live without it. There are other apps out there.

I won’t comment on the new “travel” definition because I have zero interest in theme parks.

What gives me a red rump is the decrease of miles back from 10% to 5% (I’m sure there’s a more eloquent wording in there somewhere.)

It’s also the “death by 1000 cuts” factor.

So many little changes. At what point does the frog jump out of the boiling hot water?

Creeping normality is scary. But increased competition usually fixes this, especially in the credit card world.

When I heard the news, I was ready to grab scissors and cut.

But then I thought of the 1 saving grace.

True chip-and-PIN capability

Dammit.

It has PIN capability. So does the Chase British Airways Visa, but I dumped that MF, too.

And the Chase Sapphire Preferred is wishy-washy with its PIN roll-out, although I’ve heard that ANY random 4-digit combo will work at an unattended ticket machine or gas pump in Europe. But that’s not assurance enough for me.

The chip-and-PIN was a lifesaver during Eurotrip 2014.

I was able to buy train tickets to the Vienna metro. There was no ticket window. I would’ve been, as the French say, le screwed.

But…

Is it worth $89?

Let’s be honest. The Arrival Plus is basically a glorified cashback card. And you can only redeem for travel (which is fine). I mean, you could redeem for other stuff, but you’d get a terrible rate.

2.2% is fine. It’s a tad more than the usual 2% cashback cards (.2%, to be precise).

But is .2% more cashback and a chip with PIN capability worth $89 a year? 

No. It’s not. 

I have a balance on the card right now. After I pay it off, I’m going to call and ask for a retention bonus.

I’ll keep it if they refund the annual fee or throw me some Arrival miles.

And if they don’t… I’m going to DTMFA!

Oh, and I got BANNED from the Barclaycard Travel Community. So there’s that.

F U 2!

Guess they didn’t like me seeking kindreds. But now I’d need a lot of kindreds anyhow, to build up to an award redemption.

Bottom line

Get the Fidelity Amex and call it a day. It’s a better card and has plenty of uses. And it has no annual fee.

I’m also going to sign up for the Discover It card in late July. Also better cash back.

$89 for this card, even with its chip-and-PIN considered, is no longer worth it. 

Plus, I can get TripIt Pro free for another year, anyway.

Instead of using a PIN, for now at least, I’ll get some Euros and/or deal.

Are you gonna DTMFA? Or am I being dramatic again?

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Targeted Citi AA Cardholders: 2X Miles in Bonus Categories / 10X Miles with Apple Pay

Just saw this and wanted to put it up.

Keep an eye on your mailbox. It seems Citi is targeting American Airlines credit card holders for bonus offers:

Letter from Citi

Here are the deets: 

Earn up to 2,500 bonus miles
Earn 2X miles in certain categories (below)
Earn 10X miles if you pay with Apple Pay
Promo runs through 9/30/15

2X / 10X categories: 

Grocery stores
Gas stations
Drugstores
Restaurants
Commuter transportation

Couple of thoughts. Citi is going after Barclays in the promo department.

And they’re going after pretty much every other card with the categories. Including drugstores?

If you max out the 10X with Apple Pay, that’s only $250 in spend. So it’s not stellar.

However, Citi sometimes mixes up their promos and sends different offers out.

Did anyone else get one of these recently? Was your offer different? 

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

SmarterBucks & Radius Bank Unlimited 1% Cash Back Toward Student Loan Debt

In my exploration of new MS techniques, I stumbled across something else that could be potentially useful for some.

I’ve written about the whole PayPal debit card/My Cash/RadPad combo.

As you guys know, the PayPal Business Debit MasterCard earns unlimited 1% cash back in your PayPal account. It does work with RadPad and does NOT work with Evolve Money (in the sense that you’re charged a 3% fee for using it).

But some peeps don’t like the PayPal-ness of it all, as they’ve been known to shut down accounts after sending warning emails.

So enter…

SmarterBucks and Radius Bank

In my internet wanderings, I randomly stumbled across SmarterBucks.

SmarterBucks

It’s a site that earns cash rewards that are only good toward paying down student loan debt.

You can pay any student loan.

I was able to add Mohela, my student loan tormentor provider

But you can NOT cash it out. You can only use the service for student loan debt repayment.

So far, they have:

A shopping portal
A place to take surveys
A rewards checking account

Wait, what was that last one? A rewards checking account?

Radius Bank’s Unlimited 1% Cash Back

Normally I wouldn’t care about 1% cash back. But debit rewards cards are going the way of the dodo, and you guys know I’m on FIRE to pay off my student loans. So it was kind of a perfect storm/sign from universe to find this:

1% back eh?

I had to investigate.

Hmmmm?

Here are the features of the checking account and debit card:

No fees, ATM rebates, online bill pay. Check, check, check. (Click to enlarge.)

I really like no ATM fees and rebates, no monthly fees, and online bill pay.

Good perks

I tried to find any hidden fees or “gotchas” and nothing was a red flag. It seems to be legit.

So then I thought about…

How this could be useful with RadPad and Evolve Money

These are assumptions. They may or may not work.

BUT.

If the debit card works with RadPad, you could get 1% back from your rent
If the debit card works with Evolve Money, you could get 1% back from bill payments

Assuming your rent is $1,000 per month and your other bills are $200, that’s $12 back per month, or $144 per year in free student loan payments.

Now, I use RadPad a lot to pay rent on my Airbnbs.

And, Mohela (my student loan company) is listed on Evolve Money.

So if it all works, I could get 1% cash back from paying my student loan – to pay more of my student loan.

For every $1,000, that’s a free $10.

No, it’s not earth-shattering. But if you’re paying your student loan out of a checking account, might as well get a little something. It falls into that “better than nothing” category.

Now the real kicker would be how to pay student loans and earn credit card points at the same time.

(That’s how I found SmarterBucks – I was by digging into the dark interwebs for new MS strategies.)

Deets you gotta know

If you’re thinking about opening this checking account, here are a few things you need to know:

It’s a soft pull on your credit
You must fund the account with at least $10 and you can use a credit card (no idea if it’s coded as a cash advance)
To sign up, you must use the link on SmarterBucks (so you have you sign up for SmarterBucks, and then the checking account)
To get the cash back, you have to use the card online or run it as a credit card
You must accumulate $10 in cash back rewards for Radius Back/Smarter Bucks to make a payment to your loan

Highlighting mine :)

 A couple of other things I want to share
Don’t do the savings

Radius Bank also offers a high-yield savings account. Don’t do it.

The APY is only .85%. You’re better off getting .90% with American Express or 1% with Barclays.

Barclays is a better online savings account

Unless you just really want all your funds together.

It all adds up

1% cash back doesn’t seem like a lot, but the truth is that everything counts. Even small payments can help.

Check with your loan company, but with mine, any extra payments are applied to the principal. So every $10 I pay is $10 I no longer have to pay interest on. So over time, that $10 is worth much more than $10.

Never forget the power of interest. It can work for you or against you

Not that I want to have the loan forever or anything like that. But any progress is good. Even $10.

Don’t use their shopping portal

Earlier I mentioned that SmarterBucks has a shopping portal. Yeah, no. It’s not worth it.

Payouts are 1% in almost every case. For online shopping, I still want Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Airlines miles.

Or heck, if you really want to pay down your loans with online shopping, try Upromise. But not this one. There are better portals in the world.

Bottom line

SmarterBucks offers a checking account through Radius Bank that comes with an unlimited 1% cash back debit card. But you can only use the cash back to pay down a student loan.

Normally this is “meh” at best, but if it works with RadPad and Evolve Money, it could be scaled up and therefore be useful if you have loans to pay down.

Anyway, I signed up for an account so I’ll be testing it out with both services this month and will report back.

This will hopefully be useful to some!

What do you guys think about SmarterBucks and this cash back card?

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Hotel Review: Hilton London Tower Bridge

Also see: 

Booked: London on Virgin Atlantic in October
Trip Report: Economy on Virgin Atlantic JFK-LHR
Assessing the Benefits of FoundersCard

Oh man. Talk about a blast from the past.

I stayed here in October 2013 and never got around to writing a review about it. However, I still remember it all so clearly…

It was right after I used Delta miles to fly on Virgin Atlantic. It was my first time on that airline, and my first time at the Wingtips Lounge @ JFK T4.

It was also my first time staying on the “other side” of the River Thames, as I’d always stayed closer to Soho/Hyde Park. So staying in Southwark was a totally different experience.

And I’ll never forget the wonderfully curated, breathtaking Paul Klee exhibit at the Tate Modern and walking around overwhelmed by the artworks afterward.

I went to see the Tori Amos musical “The Light Princess” at the National Theatre. Anyway, suffice it to say it was a good trip. And the Hilton London Tower Bridge was a big part of that.

Arrival and check in

After flying in to Heathrow, we took the metro all the way to the Southwark Station.

Location of the Hilton London Tower Bridge

We got there around 11am, but they were able to check us in early.

My Hilton Gold status was recognized, and we were told about the free breakfast and given access to the club lounge (which ended up being a lifesaver!), although this policy is only at select properties.

You can get Hilton Gold status by having either the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card or the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass card.

The 2 Hilton cards that’ll give you Gold status

You can also get Hilton Gold status through FoundersCard, which I’ve written about many times.

A huge benefit of Hilton Gold status is the free breakfast. You can also get the occasional upgrade… and I was given access to the lounge at this particular hotel, where I imbibed many drinks. I must’ve saved at least $150 on breakfast for 3 days plus all the drinks and snacks I had. So it was well worth it to have status in this instance.

The room

London is one of those cities where if you have a nice hotel room, that’s great and all, but you’ll probably never be in it.

That was the case here, as I was out in Hyde Park, seeing shows, meeting up with friends, and doing touristy stuff.

So this room was a great launchpad, and we came back often to get snacks and drinks, but were mostly gone.

That said, it was clean, an OK size, and had a functional bathroom layout.

View upon walking in

The bed

Bed and chair

Desk

Toilet

Shower

Bathtub

Toiletries

The room was perfectly neutral. And the staff were courteous and attentive throughout.

The wifi was free and blazing fast, and the free breakfast was great!

The property

I… didn’t take any breakfast pictures or lounge pictures. Maybe that’s why I never wrote this review. Damn! :/

I have a picture of some half-eaten pastries and an Old Speckled Hen beer on the balcony though.

Scones and cakes and beer

View of the balcony

Nice lounge.

Just know that you can go in any time for beverages, but they lock up the beer between official “snack” hours. And it is locked up all day on Sundays. Maybe something to do with the drinking laws?

Breakfast was the usual hot and cold items, pastries, fruits, and smoothies. Really nice spread. I know it’s lame saying that with no pictures, but it definitely helped get the day going.

Between the breakfast and lounge, I snacked often.

We came back to the room a few times to base out. I loved Southwark.

A *little* off the beaten path. Plenty to do and see at all hours of the day and night. Lots of bars, and beautiful views of the city on the other side of the river.

I forgot the tube would stop running at midnight so had to take a taxi back one tawdry evening. The London metro is NOT 24 hours, so be sure to check your stop on the timetable for the last tube.

Lobby seating

Lobby bar

Lobby restaurant

Overall, a lovely property in a really cool location. I’d go out of my way to stay here again.

And writing makes me kinda miss London.

Hopefully this review didn’t suck too bad. 

Bottom line

I usually like to write my reviews a little, uh, closer to the date I stayed. I think I was finding footing with Out and Out around that time, and didn’t take as many quality pictures as I would’ve liked.

But I think about this Hilton often (that sounds weird to say), and wanted to post this for posterity. It’s also a nice reminder of all that’s happened since then.

Maybe I’ll visit again soon and can post an updated review.

Staying at this particular property enhanced my overall time in London. The Hilton Gold status was invaluable, and I’d love to explore Southwark and the other side of the River Thames a bit more.

If you’ve stayed here, how does your experience compare?

And, side note, does anyone find the Hilton credit cards worth having? 

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Airbnb by the Numbers: Q2 Update

Also see: 

Airbnb by the Numbers: Q1 Update

When last we spoke of this topic, I was a little down in the dumps. Q1 was tough.

But I’m happy to report that Q2 was much better.

Good vibes

I’m expecting Q3 to be the best this year, and Q4 to match Q2, maybe exceed it a bit because of the holidays. And then back to where we started in January 2016: Q1 again.

New acquisition

The theme for me with Airbnb since I started has been “Oops, I did it again!”

I talked about straddling the line between smart debt and dumb debt. I got a 4th Airbnb apartment and plunged headlong into plain ol’ dumb debt. That was in May.

Directly after, I aggressively started repaying the debt.

No more new ones until well after summer is over. I need to take a breather. Plus, considering all of my units have window units for ACs, the electricity bills alone are gonna be tremendous.

But I’m happy to report that I should be out of credit debt in another month or two. After that, I’m launching headlong into FIRE.

That means paying off my student loans, saving up to buy a home, and padding out my financial future.

The numbers

I’m not including the 4th apartment in any of these calculations.

Why?

I have that one linked up directly to my savings account.

Rent is auto-payed through that account and anything it earns gets to stay in there.

Except for a monthly $500 Roth IRA contribution. I’m expecting the 2016 Roth IRA contribution to go up to $6,000 for the year, so @ $500 a month, I can max that out. I can always pause it if I need to, like to make room for the free $240 I’ll get from my Fidelity Amex.

But the newest acquisition is purely for my FIRE.

Also note that 20% has already been deducted for taxes. I’m paying quarterly tax payments out of a separate, online-only savings account (this one, which has been fine), so this is “after tax” (because I’m withholding taxes for myself).

And numbers do not account for rent and expenses, so let’s take those out now.

Rent: $18,150 ($2,150 x 3 + $2,300 x 3 + $1,600 x 3)
Utilities: $1,350 ($150 x 3 x 3)
Consumables: $300 (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, laundry service, extra dishes, etc.)
Upgrades: $250 (new sheets, new comforter, extra mattress pad, new decorations)

Total: $20,050

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

$29,940 – $20,050 = $9,890 / 3 = $3,297 per month in profit

In my Q1 update, I projected that I’d make $3,200 per month in Q2 and Q3.

So I got pretty dang close, and even exceeded it a little.

Expectations for Q3 and Q4

I expect July, August, and September to be the best months by far. 

I think I’ll exceed Q2 by a few hundred bucks per month or about ~$1000 for the quarter.

And October, November, and December are wild cards.

I already have some bookings for October and we have the trifecta of holidays in those months (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year) which could prove to be a boon. But I expect it to at least match Q2.

The year

Considering I only made $500 in all of Q1, how does this average throughout the year?

Let’s just go ahead and throw Q1 away.

Q1: $0
Q2: $9,890
Q3: $11,000 (Q2 + $1,000, rounded up)
Q4: $10,000 (to match Q2 / account for holidays)

Total: $30,890, or ~$2,575 per month

While of course I’d love to exceed this, an extra ~$31K per year for a side hustle is pretty good!

And once I get my student loans (~$53K!) paid down, I’ll really be in the clear. If I decide to leave NYC, I don’t know what’ll happen to this side hustle.

If all it does is pay off my student loans, I am 100% OK with that.

Also, I am not factoring in my newest 4th Airbnb into any of this. That one is purely for my savings and retirement. I reasonably expect that one to bring me an extra $10k to $12K a year that I’ll touch when I have enough for a home down payment. I’m enjoying the “forced savings.”

In my Q1 update, I expected to make an extra $32K to $40K a year. With the 4th property considered, I’m definitely hitting that. Which is really cool.

Other considerations

I’ve addressed the legal, moral, and ethical issues of running Airbnbs. And I understand this could all go kaput at any moment.

Even still, I’m staying positive and have good intentions.

This is by far one of the most “out there” things I’ve ever done, so I’m looking at it as one big experiment.

Meeting travelers and creating welcoming spaces is definitely a reward unto itself.

Looking forward to being debt-free, and to saving for my future, is definitely my biggest motivator.

Bottom line

More real numbers. 

It’s beneficial to see it all typed out and added up and divided into quarters.

Starting a side hustle and reducing expenses is the #1 best way to get out of debt. Lots and lots of baby steps.

Drew from Travel is Free posted about his love/hate relationship with Airbnb, which was an interesting read for me. He makes a lot of good points.

I’ll post another “by the numbers” update this fall after Q3 is up!

Would you consider staying at an Airbnb on vacation? 

(Here’s my link for $25 off your first stay if you decide to sign up!)

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Mexico’s Supreme Court Ruled in Favor of Gay Marriage, Too

Happy Pride Weekend!

LOVE!

Just wanted to put this out there. I normally don’t take to this platform to share these things, but thought this one was important.

A few weeks before our Supreme Court declared same-sex marriages are legal across the country, Mexico’s Supreme Court did the exact same thing.

Yay progress!

Canada has had same-sex marriage for 10 years by now, but this month – June 2015 – saw the other major North American countries finally align with that freedom.

Yeeeees ,bravo mexico #equality #matrimoniogay #quiensequierecasar

A photo posted by Victor Amarillas (@victor_amarillas73) on Jun 16, 2015 at 9:01pm PDT

Also see: 

Washington Post
HuffPo

Huge congrats to Mexico (and to us!). I just didn’t want their victory to fly under the radar. Instead, we should celebrate our progress together!

Bottom line

The US isn’t the only place to finally join the 21st century. Same-sex marriage is the law in Mexico now, too.

Stay scrappy out there! And congrats to everyone. I am so happy about our victories and progress!

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OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Giveaway: 5 Pairs of Admirals Club Day Passes ($100 Value!)

It’s been real being featured on BoardingArea this week. I’ll be going back to Prior2Boarding after this weekend, but wanted to throw something out to express my gratitude.

To 5 lucky winners, I’ll be giving out a pair of Admirals Club day passes. Each pass is worth $50, and 5 winners will get 2 passes. So take a buddy along and save a deuce!

Win a pair of passes to the Admirals Club

How to enter

To enter, leave a comment below.

In it, tell me: what’s your favorite Admirals Club AND favorite airport and why? If you’ve never been to an Admirals Club, just let me know your favorite airport and why it’s your fave.

Even though I won’t be featured on BoardingArea after Sunday, June 28th, the contest is open until 11:59pm ET on Saturday, July 4th. (Whoo hoo independence day!)

I’ll pick winners on Sunday, July 5th. So be sure to leave me your email when you comment, because I’ll notify you via email.

Da rulez

Must be 18 years old or older to use the pass and One-day pass visitors must hold a same-day ticket for airline travel that allows clearance through security for flight departure and access to the Admirals Club lounge
Only one comment per person
Must be a US resident
Winner will be determined via random.org and will be notified on Sunday, July 5th, 2015
Admirals Club pass doesn’t expire until 12/31/15

I just requested the passes, so it might take them a week or so to get here. I’ll aim to get them in the mail in early July, so be sure you don’t need them until mid-July or after.

Ways to keep up with the blog

Facebook page
Twitter
Instagram

Twitter and Instagram are my personal accounts, and I post on those the most so be sure to follow me on both!

Follow @harlanvaughn

I often write about things I find handy or ways to save money.  There are two ways to ensure you never miss a blog post:

Subscribe with RSS on a reader like Feedly, Digg, Pocket, etc. (I prefer Feedly.)
Sign up for daily emails. Only receive an email when I post – and if more than one a day, you get only one email. Never any spam.

Ways to support the blog

If you like what you see here, I appreciate any kind of support, whether it’s using my links for services I like, or to pick up a new travel rewards credit card.

I’m aggressively working toward paying off my student loans so any clickage is infinitely appreciated!

Bottom line

Giveaway! Feel free to share the link anywhere you like but remember only one comment per person.

I’ve had a blast on BoardingArea this week.  Follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you’d like to keep up with my travel adventures.

Check out services I like, or pick up a new travel rewards credit card if you’re in the market for one (or more!). All support is mucho appreciated!

Good luck!

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Assessing the Benefits of FoundersCard

Also see: 

FoundersCard Membership: Is it worth it?
Details about FoundersCard benefits (Cathy Pacific, Avis, hotel discounts)

So you guys know I’m been working toward FIRE (financial independence, retire early) lately. And part of that means ruthlessly cutting out extraneous spend.

So far, I’ve gotten rid of my gym membership, canceled credit cards that no longer serve me, and have cut back on my eating out (more trips to Costco!).

You can stay

FoundersCard is $395 a year, which is a little “ouch.” I’m nearly due to the pay the annual membership dues again to keep the card for another year and I looked at it with an eye to cut it.

But, I’m going to keep it for another year.

Here’s why.

The AT&T Benefit

This benefit alone makes up exactly 1/3 of the annual fee for me.

15% off my cell phone bill

I save ~$11 per month automatically.

~$11 right off the top

$11 per month is $132 per year, which already brings the annual fee down to $263.

By far the most practical benefit. Set it and forget it. It gets applied automatically each month.  Great if you have AT&T as a cell provider.

Free TripIt Pro for a year

If you have the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, you already get this for free.

FoundersCard has a lot of the same ancillary benefits as a lot of premium credit cards. Like 10% British Airways flights, free Hilton HHonors Gold status, and free Avis First membership – benefits of the Chase British Airways Visa, Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve, and American Express Platinum Card, respectively.

TripIt Pro is $49 a year

I’m thinking about dumping the Barclaycard Arrival Plus, but I really do like TripIt Pro. So I can keep it for free.

This’ll save me $49 the first year and give me a 20% discount afterward.

Re: the Barclay card… I dunno, I’m really assessing it. Wondering if it’s worth it. More thoughts in a future post.

Anyway, following the math from above, this brings my annual fee down to $214.

Free Hilton Gold Status

I don’t stay in Hilton hotels often, but I might more now that I’ve dumped Club Carlson and recently picked up the Chase IHG MasterCard.

The last time I stayed at Hilton was at the Hilton London Tower Bridge when I went to see the Tori Amos musical “The Light Princess.” (I really should review that… the hotel, not the musical. The musical was fabulous.)

Free breakfast and internet!

I was upgraded to a junior suite and given free breakfast and internet. And lounge access! Yup.

Needless to say, I drank my ass off at the club lounge, and started each day with a hearty breakfast (why does free food taste so much better?).

I want to value this at $200 a year if you stay at Hilton hotels often. But I’ll go with $150.

That brings my annual fee down to $64. (I don’t have any Hilton credit cards. I only have status through FoundersCard.)

Other perks

K, so $64 isn’t that much when you consider the events (though I’ve never attended – the timing has always been terrible) and other perks that will definitely add up to more than that.

Like:

10% off British Airways flights

No AARP discount or Chase British Airways Visa needed!

Free Cathay Pacific Silver status

And a fare discount!

That can get you lounge access to oneworld lounges.

Free Virgin Atlantic Silver status and 20% off flights

AND a fast-track to Gold

Doesn’t that get you extra miles when you fly on Delta?

Free AA Platinum Challenge

They always have good AA perks!

This’ll save you $240. I did the challenge in 2013 on my flights to Easter Island in LAN business class.  Be sure to read the Wiki before you sign up!

Waived Zipcar application fee and 50% off yearly membership

I love love love this. I use it all the time, so maybe I should’ve added it above. But whatever. You get free application fee (usually $25) and yearly membership for $35 a year instead of $70 a year.

Love this perk too

And they’ll start you off with $15 in driving credit and give you 20% off weekday rentals. It all adds up!

I use this for my monthly Costco runs

You’ll also get:

$18 worth of free razors from Dollar Shave Club
A free subscription to Entrepreneur magazine (I read it on the train)
Preferred pricing on Apple products
UPS discounts
Free Hertz #1 Club Gold membership and 15% off rentals
Lots of other stuff

ALL the rest

Here’s everything. If you want to know more about a specific perk, ask me in the comments below. Because when you use my link to sign up for $395 a year, you can’t see the website. You can only see a sign-up page.

FoundersCard travel benefits

FoundersCard lifestyle benefits

FoundersCard business benefits

Bottom line

FoundersCard is geared toward travelers and entrepreneurs.

I was looking for a reason to dump them because I’m aggressively cutting expenses right now to pay down my student loans. But in the end, I decided to keep it because I get more value from the discounts and travel perks than what the membership costs.

If you wanna sign up, you’ll be locked in at $395 per year for life, which is good to know that it’ll never go up.

They have lots of interesting startups that are part of their offerings. And I’ve managed to find ways to maximize the membership beyond the annual fee. Perks are always being added.

In particular, I like that the AA benefit changes quarterly (in the past they’ve offered 5% off fares).

Oh and I forgot to mention: you get free Caesars Total Rewards Diamond status. Good if you are into Caesars hotels or take advantage of their partnership with SPG. (This shouldn’t be in the bottom line but I’m leaving it here anyway.)

Pretty cool if you’re into it

Feel free to ask questions!

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.

Hotel Review: Radisson Blu St. Helen’s, Dublin

Also see: 

Hotel Review: Radisson Blu Royal, Dublin
Hotel Review: Radisson Blu, Galway
Hotel Review: Radisson Blu, Limerick
Special Guest Review: Exploring Ireland’s Radisson Properties
Club Carlson-ing my way through Europe

Ireland was my last hurrah with the Club Carlson program, which is now dead to me.

After leaving the Radisson Blu in Limerick and kissing the Blarney Stone, we drove into the city of Cork, and then looped back up to Dublin to stay our final night at the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s in Dublin.

Arrival and check-in

The hotel is located in an area that is rez. ee. dent. shul. OK?

That means that traffic is terrible at rush hours, because people are going to or from work.

It’s about 3 miles (~Whatever kilometers) from Dublin proper, but there is free parking in a huge lot right in front of the hotel. For late night escapades, you can easily get a taxi to the city center and back.

The reason I chose this location was because:

It was a new property for me
It was near the M1 which goes right to the airport
The property looked gorgeous

Because I had an early-ish flight back to Boston on Aer Lingus, I wanted to hop right on the highway and get outta there.

I knew the traffic would be bad, and I budgeted time for that, but wow. It was really bad. We were stuck on the same 3-block stretch for over 20 minutes.

Anyway, arrival and check-in.

We parked in the rain after a lovely day in Cork, and walked in.

You’re instantly transported to some other era, where opulent mansions still exist.

Upon opening the door to the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s

Indeed, this property is a 1700s estate converted into a hotel. And it is lovely.

The desk agents checked us in within a few minutes and told us how to climb through a maze and get to our room.

Hallways of the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s

Again, no upgrade to a business class room, but we figured we’d eat in the lounge at DUB and then again on the flight over. So whatever. Ireland was 50/50 with the upgrades for Gold status elites in the Club Carlson program (through the US Bank Club Carlson Visa Signature which is now deep in a sock drawer and will never be used again).

The room

We were assigned to room 333.

Door to Room 333

The property was kept up well, as were the rooms. Nothing huge, but definitely a nice place to spend a night or two.

View upon walking in

Unlike the Radisson Blu Limerick, the decor really matched the overall feel of the hotel. Still felt like an old estate in a lot of ways, which was really fun.

The bed

Desk

Coffee area

Closet

Seating area

View of the room, from the window

Robes, safe, ironing board, hangers, extra pillows

Bathroom

This Works toiletries

Our room overlooked the parking lot and faced south. The reason these pics are blurry/dark is because we checked in after a full day in Cork, which was such a fun city.

And the next morning, as we drove to the Dublin airport, we did so in a torrential downpour, so we never got to see the room in the daylight. I bet it’s a beautiful sight, though!

Wifi was fast, staff were courteous.

Oh and I got chocolates and fresh fruit as a welcome amenity.

Fruit

Chocolate on the bedside table

But what really struck me was…

The property

Man, this hotel is beautiful.

We went down and had dinner in the Italian restaurant in the hotel. The service was impeccable and the food (and drink!) was delicious.

Ambiance of the restaurant

Our meal. The picture doesn’t do it justice

Afterward, we explored the property a little more.

Huge marble staircases

The check-in desk

Each floor had large open seating areas beyond the elevators

More lounge seating

Then we went to grab a drink from the bar and drank it in the lobby.

The bar in the lobby

Bar seating

The lobby with its chandelier, box seating, marble columns, and beautiful details

I had a blast just sitting in the lobby and having a beer. The property is simply gorgeous.

I really wish I’d had time to explore the grounds, but was only there for one night. And we had to jet (literally) so didn’t get to have breakfast, which I bet is lovely.

If you’re into the dimly lit estate feel… this is it.

Bottom line

The only downside is the distance into “the city” (AKA touristy stuff). This hotel is located in a residential neighborhood. The streets are a bit hard to navigate and you may prefer to taxi into town and back, which wouldn’t cost much.

If you want touristy Dublin, this is not it. But if you want a beautiful hotel for a night or two, man, this was a really lovely hotel.

It’s often a little less expensive than the Radisson Blu Royal in Dublin, too.

This property was also my goodbye to Club Carlson.

I’m still salty about the way they gutted their program and co-branded credit card.

They’re trying to be Hilton but they’re just… not. They’re a little hotel chain with a few good properties. Hyatt is a little hotel chain with a lot of good properties.

So… there ya have it.

Oddly enough, Ireland is Radisson-rich. So I had a great time burning through my Club Carlson points here.

RIP, Club Carlson. Hotels like the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s are the ones that’ll make be miss the program.

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update! Thank you for using my link when considering a new credit card on creditcards.com

OUT AND OUT - Investing. Positivity. Oh, and travel.