Travel hacking is cool. It can also be complicated… if you let it be. I was going to try to write a guide to travel hacking but I realized why do it myself when I can ask a pro? (especially since I’m not a pro!) The first person that came to mind was my friend […]

I write a handful of checks each year. It’s far easier to use a credit card but some places don’t accept them because of the fees. Once you learn, it’s hard to forget how to write a check but if you’ve never written one before it can be a little intimidating. Don’t worry, I have […]

When you’re establishing credit, it’s very hard to get a credit card. It’s a classic catch-22. Credit card companies don’t have enough information about you so they’re hesitant to give you a card. You can’t build credit without having some credit… so what can you do? Fortunately, credit card companies make allowances for students. They […]

“Money doesn’t buy happiness.” It’s one of the often repeated phrases in personal finance (second only to “spend less than you earn!”). There are studies that show you aren’t happier when you make more money after a certain point. A Gallup survey of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009 showed that “day to day contentment” […]

I love buying gas from Costco. I love Costco gas mostly because it’s insanely cheap. Like 20-25 cents cheaper than my local gas station, which is arguably somewhat pricier than average because it’s in a weird location and super convenient for people who live near the weird location. I try to go when the warehouse […]

Homeownership is great… except you end up shelling out quite a bit to get things done to and around your home. We live on a wooded lot with lots of tall trees. Just recently a maple fell and it measured a little over 4′ in diameter with the main trunk that was easily 10′ tall. […]

We’re planning a vacation to England and one of the things we’ll need is cash. In previous visits, we’ve relied on the partnership between Bank of America and Barclays. I could use a Barclays ATM to withdraw British Pounds without paying a fee while getting the most up to date currency conversion rate possible. More […]

Did you know that you’re limited to just six (6) transfers out of a savings account each billing cycle? If you go over, you could get in trouble. Most banks will even fine you. Bank of America calls it a Withdrawal Limit Fee and will ding you $10 for each withdrawal or transfer above six […]

Did you know that you could earn 10% cash back on purchases from Amazon.com? It’s true. The Amazon credit card only gets you 5% and that’s if you’re an Amazon Prime member. The Discover it Card gives you 1% cash back on all purchases and then offers 5% cash back on bonus categories that change […]