a woman with blonde hair and a green shirt

If I Could Only Keep 5 Credit Cards with Annual Fees…

Posted on by . 10 Replies

Good afternoon everyone, I hope your weekend is going well.  A few weeks ago, I wrote these 2 posts:

In those posts, I listed all the credit cards that Laura and I have.  I also justified why I paid $4,588 in credit card annual fees in 2019.  Since that post, there have been a few credit card changes (JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card lost the Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card added Lyft and DoorDash benefits).  A few readers commented and other bloggers linked to the top post and shared which credit cards they keep every year.  As part of my 2020 travel resolutions, I said I wanted to reduce the amount I paid in credit card annual fees.  In this theoretical post, here are the 5 credit cards with annual fees that I would keep…

Continue reading →

a close up of stamps

How to Spend a Long Weekend in Carmel / Monterey, CA

Posted on by . 12 Replies

Good morning everyone.  This past weekend, Laura and I did a mini road trip from the San Francisco Bay Area down to Carmel / Monterey.  If you fly into San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), or San Jose (SJC), it is a 1.5 to 2 hour drive, depending on traffic.  Alternatively, you can fly directly into Monterey (MRY), but that airport has a smaller route network and more expensive flights.  I have been visiting Carmel / Monterey for 25+ years.  Every year for Thanksgiving week, my extended family would drive up from Southern California to Carmel / Monterey and I would spend time with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.  As far as I can tell, not much has changed during that time in Carmel / Monterey.  Here are some of my favorite places to stay, eat and visit.

Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course

Laura and I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel twice in the last 3 years.  This hotel is a category 4 Hyatt which costs 15,000 World of Hyatt Points or you can use your Free Night Certificate from the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card.  As of January 2020, there is minor construction on the main entrance road and outside the hotel lobby.  They are also refreshing the hotel rooms and we stayed in one of the refreshed rooms.  The hotel has plenty of parking (all free) and no resort charges.  It is very easy to get to various parts of Carmel / Monterey within a 10-15 minute drive.  I highly recommend this hotel and plan to come back next year after the construction and room renovations are complete.

a building with a fountain in front of it

Image source: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-regency-monterey-hotel-and-spa-on-del-monte-golf-course/mrydm

Continue reading →

a black text on a white background

Stop Spam & Robo Calls with RoboKiller App (Listen to my 2 Funny Voicemail Recordings)

Posted on by . 10 Replies

Full Disclosure: This post has nothing to do with travel and I have no referral / affiliate relationship with RoboKiller.  Please enjoy the 2 funny voicemail recordings.

Good afternoon everyone.  A few weeks ago, I read about RoboKiller in a magazine and decided to check it out.  RoboKiller is an app that runs on your smartphone that will block spam / robo calls and texts.  One of my favorite features of RoboKiller is the ability to use one of the Answer Bots (basically a recording that pretends to be a real person answering the phone).  When RoboKiller detects a spam or robo call, it will answer the call and play the selected Answer Bot.  The app records the caller and the Answer Bot and allows you to listen to the call afterward.  There are 50-100 different Answer Bots to choose from, but my choice is a 5-6 year old girl who answers the phone.  You can listen to the 2 recordings below to get an idea of how it works.

a black text on a white background a screenshot of a phone

First call is 1 minute and 27 seconds:

Continue reading →

a blue text on a white background

4 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: JetBlue (40%), Southwest (30%), British Airways (30%) & United (75%)

Posted on by . Leave a reply

Good afternoon everyone.  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found a few offers ending soon.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are 4 offers that end this month.  Up first, JetBlue is offering up to a 40% discount, depending on the number of JetBlue TrueBlue Points you purchase.  This offer expires tomorrow – January 23.

a screenshot of a flight ticket

Continue reading →

a black credit card with white text

Keep, Cancel or Convert? US Bank Altitude Reserve Credit Card ($400 Annual Fee)

Posted on by . 27 Replies

Good morning 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.  Last week, I reviewed my American Express Business Platinum Charge Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card.  In today’s post, I will review my US Bank Altitude Reserve Credit Card, which could be my favorite credit card that I never carry (it is my default credit card in my ApplePay wallet though).

Even though the $400 annual fee for this credit card won’t post until March, I have been mentally thinking over my premium credit cards and seeing if there are ways to save some money on annual fees (read I Paid $4,588 in Credit Card Annual Fees in 2019 & Was it Worth it?).  My December credit card statement closed a few weeks ago and I wondered if I get enough value out of this credit card to justify the annual fee.  In 2019, I earned 66,492 FlexPoints (50,000 FlexPoints came from the sign up bonus) and I only spent $8,229 ($4,500 were required to complete the minimum spending requirement).  I will review the credit card benefits and tell you why I think this credit card is a keeper.

a close-up of a credit card

Continue reading →