Category Archives: Hotels + Points

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Have You Read My Top Blog Posts from 2018?

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Good morning everyone, happy New Year’s Eve!  What a crazy year it has been.  Based on Google Analytics numbers, here are the top 10 blog posts written in 2018 and the top 10 blog posts of the year (written before 2018).  If you have a favorite post of the year that is not listed, please let me know in the comments.  Without further ado, here is the first top 10 list:

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1: PSA: Do NOT Use Zelle or Venmo to Pay People on Craigslist, eBay or Strangers Online

I’m surprised my Zelle / Venmo PSA post was so popular, but I’m glad that the word got out. It’s important to know what kind of scams exist and how to avoid them. Learn from these mistakes to keep your money safe.

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Who Wants To Be Italy’s Next Dubbing Star? Do You Have What It Takes?

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I love traveling to Italy. Is there anyone who doesn’t? One way I immerse myself in local culture when in Italy is to go see a movie, even if I don’t completely understand the language. I do this whenever I travel and it’s always fun. Movie-going culture is so different and fascinating around the world. I’ve noticed that often movies use dubbing rather than subtitles.

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Maybe You Can’t Avoid Resort Fees, But You Can Pay Less For Your Hotel Room

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Resort fees, destination fees; call them what you want, they all stink. Hotels have a menu (except we don’t get to pick and choose) of junk fees that are attached to our bills for all kinds of “services and amenities” that used to be complimentary or something we could choose to pay extra for. I don’t think any of us really believe hotel claims about why they’re now adding on these fees. From what I’ve read, it seems like these fees enable hotels to still claim their rates are lower and also pay less to travel agents since commissions are paid based on the base rate, not the total rate.

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Keep, Cancel or Convert? American Express Business Platinum Charge Card ($450 Annual Fee)

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Good afternoon everyone.  As part of my “Keep, Cancel or Convert?” series, I like to evaluate and reevaluate credit (and charge) cards to make sure they still deserve a spot in my wallet.  2 weeks ago, my $450 annual fee posted on my American Express Business Platinum Charge Card.  I shared my outrage on the upcoming changes to the card and Shelli added her thoughts too.  I am not going to go into all the nitty gritty details of the current card benefits and the upcoming card benefits, but I have decided to keep my American Express Business Platinum Charge Card until next December when the *gasp!* $595 annual fee posts to my account.  Here is why this card is still worth the $450 annual fee I just paid…

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Keep, Cancel or Convert? Chase IHG Rewards Select ($49 Annual Fee) & Hyatt Credit Cards ($75 Annual Fee)

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Good morning everyone.  Earlier this month, my annual fees posted on my Chase IHG Rewards Select Credit Card ($49 annual fee) and Chase Hyatt Credit Card ($75 annual fee).  The main reason I hold onto these credit cards is for the annual free night certificate.  As a reminder, the free night certificates are not really free, since you pay the annual fee before getting the free night certificate – they are more like prepaid free night certificates with a strict expiration date.  Unfortunately, both of these credit cards are no longer available to new applicants, so if you do not have these credit cards right now, there is no way for you to get them now.  Both cards have been replaced by the new Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card and the new Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card.  Anytime one of my credit cards charges me an annual fee, I take a moment to evaluate the credit card and decide if it is still worth keeping.  Here are my thoughts on both of these credit cards.

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