Favorite Credit Card Offers
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa Card from Chase
- American Airlines Advantage Card from CITI
- Delta Skymiles Card from American Express
Discount Airlines
Airfare Tools
- 3:00 PM
- 0 Comments
- 3:00 PM
- 0 Comments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest travel deals!
Favorite Credit Card Offers
- Marriott Rewards Card
- IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) Card
Condo Deals
- ResortCerts
- SkyAuction (search 'vacation rental')
- Red Week
- Airbnb
- VRBO
Timeshare Presentation Deals
- 2:55 PM
- 0 Comments
Disney Deals
- 2:50 PM
- 0 Comments
This 50,000 Southwest Visa offer only comes around once in a while and definitely worth signing up for. Apply now! This is my favorite credit card and one that I hang on to for everyday purchases! The great thing about Southwest Rapid Rewards is that they are so easy to use. You can use them on virtually any flight and Southwest airlines now flys to my favorite international destinations including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
How it works:
You get 50,000 points after charging $2,000 in 3 months. This is a ~$714 in Southwest travel! If you and your spouse both get a card that's 100,000 points! There is a $99 annual fee (that is not waived), but it is well worth it and you can cancel if you want after your points are awarded. Be sure to sign up for Rapid Rewards before you submit your credit card application.
You get 50,000 points after charging $2,000 in 3 months. This is a ~$714 in Southwest travel! If you and your spouse both get a card that's 100,000 points! There is a $99 annual fee (that is not waived), but it is well worth it and you can cancel if you want after your points are awarded. Be sure to sign up for Rapid Rewards before you submit your credit card application.
WTC Review: Rapid Rewards points by Southwest Airlines has been recognized for being one of the easiest frequent flyer programs to use because you can basically use points on every flight. This is the offer we used to book our Disneyland trip and to go to Las Vegas. Points don't expire if you have earning activity every 24 months which you can do by signing up for the Rapid Rewards Dining Program with any credit card.
Disclosure: This page includes affiliate links to the SWA Rapid Rewards Visa Card and the author will receive points if you sign up for this card.
- 2:05 PM
- 2 Comments
Thanks for attending my Facebook Live about how We Travel Cheap to Disneyland! Fill out the form below to get access to all the links I referenced and to get onto my Email Deal list.
- 6:55 PM
- 0 Comments
The IHG Rewards Club MasterCard is one of my favorite hotel credit for many reasons. Their reward values are very valuable meaning you can stay at many hotels for 10,000-20,000 points per night.
The IHG Rewards Club is the world's largest hotel loyalty program. It allows you to use your points at more than 4,600 hotels worldwide at brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites and Hotel Indigo.
Besides the 60,000 bonus points after charging $1,000 to the card in three months here are my other favorite benefits:
- No annual fee for the first year!
- Small spending requirement for the bonus (only $1,000)
- Points are easy to redeem online
- No forgein transaction fees when traveling out of the country
- MY FAVORITE: Free night every year at any IHG hotel! (on the anniversary of your card)
Here is an example of where you could in the Disneyland area for only 15,000 points per night!
- 5:31 PM
- 0 Comments
The wands aren't really magic, but they are interactive. They sell two kinds so make sure you buy the one with the gold lettering at Ollivanders Wand Shop. They are only $8 more than the non-interactive ones. We thought about borrowing a wand from our cousins, but we are so glad our boys had the opportunity to choose their own. We participated in the Ollivanders Wand Experience and then afterwards went to the shop to select a want. It was a hard $50 to swallow for one wand, but our boys were entertained with the more than 20 spells they could cast to make it rain, turn on lights, open a book and more. Be sure to cast your spells in Knockturn Alley too. If you can't find it ask a cast member.
PRO TIPS:
1) Buy your want at the Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley because the wand shop is bigger.
2) The sensor, (I mean the magic) is very sensitive to how you wave your want so if you can't get a spell to work then ask a cast member to help you.
3) The sensors on the tip of the wand sometimes gets scratched and has to be magically repaired. Our boys had to get their wants repaired at Ollivanders about once a day.
2. Ride the Hogwarts Express both directions.
To qualify as a passenger on the Hogwarts Express you must purchase the park hopper ticket. The train takes you links you between the parks from London, King's Cross Station Platform 9¾ and Hogsmeade Station. The Hogwarts Express is amazing! It's just like riding in the train from the movie. You sit in a fully enclosed cabin compartment that seats up to eight guests and as the train moves there are visual effects out the window and silhouette out in the hallway. The experience is completely different each direction so make sure you go both ways. Also enjoy your time at Platform 9¾!
3. Go on the rides first.
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is the main attraction in Diagon Alley and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main attraction in Hogsmeade. When you get to either park head straight for one of those rides. The earlier you can get to the park the better. You'll want to be one of the first ones on the ride to avoid lengthy wait times later on. Also sometimes the rides breakdown and you'll want to make sure you get at least one ride.
PRO TIP:
1) Be sure to put all your belongings in a locker at the front on the ride. The lockers open and close with your fingerprint. Make sure you remember your locker number and locker station. I suggest taking a picture of it with your phone. Locker rental is free while you ride.
2) Both rides offer single rider options if you don't mind being split up on the ride.
4. Go in all the shops.
Looking in the shops is half the fun at the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They are all decked out with props that look like they came straight out of the Harry Potter movies! Of course Ollivanders is the bustling want shop and Honeydukes is the candy store, but there is also Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods near the exit of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. If you look in the rafters of this shop you will see all the things Filch collected from the Weasley's. Dervish and Banges is another shop with all kinds of wizarding merchandise including the brooms, robes and our favorite The Monster Book of Monsters.
PROTIP:
1) Remember anything you buy needs to fit in your locker if you want to go on the rides. Wants in their boxes do fit in the lockers.
1) Remember anything you buy needs to fit in your locker if you want to go on the rides. Wants in their boxes do fit in the lockers.
2) Most things sold at the stores at the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter can be purchased for cheaper elsewhere online.
5. Take your time.
Don't be in a hurry during your visit to the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Take time to enjoy the details in the surroundings. Let your kids explore the shops and window displays. Go to the restrooms in Hogsmeade to listen to Moaning Myrtle and dial MAGIC in the red telephone booth outside King's Cross Station. While you're waiting in line pay attention to the details in your surrounds. Enjoy the magic in the air and make it a memorable day!
- 10:13 PM
- 2 Comments
Our boys are HUGE Harry Potter fans they are the perfect ages to take them to the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. January is a great time to go to Orlando because it one of the slowest times of the year.
How to stay cheap in Orlando:
Every time we go to Orlando we find a vacation deal in Ebay that includes a stay at a luxurious condo and park tickets to either Disney World or Universal Studios for $300 or $400 depending on how many nights you stay. We've done this about six times! This is an incredible deal because park tickets alone are more than $100 each! The catch is you have to listen to a 90 minute sales presentation, but really it isn't so bad and is a small sacrifice for the huge savings.
This trip we stayed at the beautiful Silver Lakes Resort that borders Disney property. We had stayed there before and knew it was a great family friendly resort with a huge pool, private theater and other nice amenities.
This is the first time I've ever seen an Orlando condo promotion on Ebay that included 2 adult 7 day park hopper tickets to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The park tickets alone are valued at more than $500!
I booked this promotion through allgoodvations on Ebay. They can customize your vacation package for you if you call them at (423) 245-8200. They were able to setup our vacation for 5 nights with the 2 adult - 7 day Universal park tickets. The total was $435 plus $10 per night for tax. Where else can you stay in Orlando for $485 in a one bedroom condo PLUS Universal Studio park hopper tickets?
Pro Tip: Be sure to read the eligibility requirements on the Ebay listing to make sure you qualify for the condo and ticket promotion. This promotion usually doesn't work if you're traveling in a group with another couple or family.
P.S. Don't ruin your vacation by buying the timeshare they will try and sell you at the presention. It's really not a good deal!
Disclaimer: Ideas in this blog post are from my own personal experiences and actual results may vary based on offers available at the time. This is not professional advice.
- 1:54 PM
- 0 Comments
We take pride in helping people plan the best vacation possible at the cheapest price. Vacation planning can be overwhelming, especially when you're trying to keep it cheap.
We're here to help!
Vacation booking and consulting services starting at just $49 per trip.
Services include:
- Detailed vacation consultation
- Detailed vacation consultation
- What miles, points and tips you'll need for your vacation
- Where to get your miles and points
- How to book using miles and points
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!
If we don't save you at least $49 on your vacation then we'll give you your money back!
- 10:24 PM
- 0 Comments
 |
| Our FREE day at the Magic Kingdom, February 2013. |
For $199 you get 4 days/3 night at Holiday Inn Maingate East plus two Disney World tickets. You can save $50 if you use promo code 'deals' or 'travel 50' so the price drops to $149! The $149 is for the entire package including hotel, tickets and transportation. The two Disney World tickets are valued at almost $200 alone so you can see what a great value this is! We love booking these packages when we go to Orlando and we've done it at least five times!
Here are the package details:
To get such a great deal you are committed to attend a 120 minute resort presentation. This does cut into your vacation time, however it's time well spent when you consider the retail price of this package is $611! You're saving $462! That makes it well worth it for me.
Here are some tips about having a positive resort presentation experience:
|
Disclaimer: Ideas in this blog post are from my own personal experiences and actual results may vary based on offers available at the time. I don't receive compensation for any of these credit card offers. This is not professional advice.
- 10:29 PM
- 2 Comments
 |
| This is a sampling of what we take with us when we go to Disneyland. |
 |
| Food from our Costa Rica trip | May 2012 |
When traveling within the US or abroad you can spend a significant amount of money on food. It can be difficult to know 1) where to eat, 2) what to order and 3) if you'll even like what you ordered. We don't like to leave restaurants hungry feeling like we overpaid.
Several years ago we decided to take food with us when we traveled. This included cookies, crackers, granola bars, peanut butter and my personal favorite, gummies! We have been known to pack entire suitcases full of food when we've traveled abroad. We usually stay in nice condos (for cheap) that have kitchens so we are able to make sandwiches and cook if we need to.
 |
| These Nabisco Snack Paks are on sale at Smith's right now for $1 and are the prefect travel food! |
When we're on vacation one of the cultural highlights is to go to the grocery store to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, cheese, cold cuts, eggs and bottled water. For breakfast we'll eat yogurt, fruit and toast, for lunch we'll eat sandwiches and then we'll usually eat a nicer dinner.
Enjoy your vacations, bring food, buy food and always eat dessert first!
- 10:10 AM
- 1 Comments
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for even more travel deals! Scroll to the bottom to see more Disneyland posts.
Here is the perfect formula for a cheap Disneyland vacation . . .
- Flight: ~10,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards miles per person roundtrip from SLC to LAX plus $5 per person in tax.
- Hotel: 15,000 IHG (Holiday Inn) reward points per night (60,000 points for 4 nights) + $0.
- Park Tickets: The Disney Premier Visa Card can get you a $200 Disney gift card that can be used towards park tickets. Other discount tickets are hard to come by, but check with friends who work on a military base or consider buying an annual pass.
- Sign up for the Southwest Airline Rapid Rewards Visa card. (It's a good idea for a husband and wife to each sign up for their own card, that way you'll get 50,000 rewards each. That's 100,000 Rapid Rewards for your family!)
- Spend $2,000 on your card in your first 3 months of opening your account. ($69 annual fee not waived.)
- After you spend at least $2,000 on your card, your 50,000 Rapid Rewards should be awarded in 6-8 weeks.
- Sign up for the 'Click 'N Save' Southwest Airlines e-mail alerts.
- Wait for the lowest fares on Southwest Airlines and then book your flights.
- Don't forget about the Hidden City trick when booking your flight.
- Sign up for the IHG Rewards Club Visa card. (It's a good idea for a husband and wife to each sign up for their own card, that way you'll get 60,000 rewards each. That's 120,000 IHG Rewards for your family!)
- Spend only $1,000 on your card in your first 3 months of opening your account.
- After you spend at least $1,000 on your card, your 60,000 IHG Rewards should be awarded in 6-8 weeks.
- When you're ready to book your hotel go to the IHG Rewards website and search for the Holiday Inn Buena Park-Near Knott's Hotel. (This hotel is 7 miles north of Disneyland, but includes a free shuttle, wifi and weekday breakfast. It only takes 10-15 minutes to get to the park. The hotel is also located near a Target and Stater Bros grocery store.)
- You will be able to book this hotel for only 15,000 IHG Reward points per night.
Here's what you need to do to get the $200 Disney gift card.
- Sign up for Disney's Premier Visa.
- Spend only $500 on your card in your first 3 months of opening your account.
- After you spend at least $500 on your card, your $200 Disney gift card should be awarded in 6-8 weeks.
Note: This card has a $49 annual fee that is not waived.
Happy Travels!
Note: Since all three of the credit cards are offered by Chase you may want to apply for two of the credit cards on the same day. That will increase the likelihood of being approved for both cards. Then wait 3-4 months before applying for the third card.
Checkout my other posts about Disneyland:
- Disneyland: Tips, Secrets and Successes
- When Driving is Cheaper than Flying to Disneyland
- FastPasses Explained
- Disneyland Park FastPass Secrets and Tips
- California Adventure FastPass Secrets and Tips
Disclaimer: Ideas in this blog post are from my own personal experiences and actual results may vary based on offers available at the time. I don't receive compensation for any of these credit card offers. This is not professional advice.
- 10:13 AM
- 2 Comments
Studio 5 aired a clip with me and Megan last week about my secret Lego collection in our basement. It was a fun story we filmed with KSL about three weeks ago. CLICK HERE.
- 10:13 AM
- 1 Comments
 |
| Source: MyFico.com |
Check your credit score
I recommend using www.myfico.com to check your credit because they provide you with your credit score AND your full credit report. They offer a 10 day free trial and once you’ve pulled your credit and saved your report you can keep the service or cancel it. There are a lot of websites that claim to check your credit score and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) entitles you to a free copy of your credit report once a year at your request from annualcreditreport.com. The problem with a lot of these free credit reporting sites is that they only give you your credit score, but don’t give you your credit report (that costs extra). MyFico.com gives you both your score and your report with the 10 day free trial. It is recommended to check your credit report once a year.
 |
| Source: MyFico.com |
Review your credit report
Once you’ve checked your credit from MyFico.com carefully check every item on the credit report and make sure you recognize outstanding debt and credit cards. If you see any discrepancies work on getting them fixed or removed from your credit report.
Understanding your credit score
FICO score is another name for credit score. This chart details how a credit score is calculated. You can see 35% of your credit score is based on your payment history. You want to remember to all your outstanding debt on time and to avoid late fees and late reports on your credit report. Then 30% of your credit score is based on amounts owed or outstanding debt that still needs to be paid off. It’s important not to keep a hefty balance on credit cards because this affects your future credit card approvals. You can see new credit only has a 10% impact on your credit score.
 |
| Source: MyFico.com |
Credit card applications
When you apply for a new credit card you are always asked for your social security number. The reason for this is that the credit card company is going to pull your credit to see how much outstanding debt you have, if you pay your bills on time and the amount of credit they should offer to you. Typically when a credit card company pulls your credit it will take 3-5 points off of your credit score. The good news is that over time if you keep the credit line open, pay your bills on time and don’t keep a balance on the card then you get these points back in addition to other points.
“In general, credit inquiries have a small impact on one's FICO score. For most people, one additional credit inquiry will take less than five points off their FICO score.” - From MyFico.com
My credit history
I pulled my credit in October 2012 at MyFico.com and I had a huge credit report! I had over 30 items on the report and over 25 of those items were credit cards. Eight of those credit cards were the same card for one airline and another five were credit cards for another airline. My score in October 2012 was in the 790s. I recently acquired some real estate and my lender pulled my credit a few weeks ago and eleven months later my score is one point higher, even though I’ve applied for several credit card this year. Credit scores range from 300-850.
Wise ways to apply for credit cards
There’s no doubt that frequent credit card application frenzies can negatively affect your credit and that you shouldn’t apply for every credit card offer you see. Use prudence and be conservative. I recommend applying for only 3-4 credit cards per year, but that my still be too aggressive for some people. Usually it takes about 3 months to fulfill the spend requirements for most credit cards anyway. Here are some additional credit card tips.
• Pay your bills on time
• Pay off your balance in full each month
• Pay off debt rather than moving it around
• Space out credit card applications (3-4 year)
• Don’t open credit cards if you’re buying or refinancing a home soon (180 days out)
Keep them or close them?
Most travel cards have an annual fee and some credit card companies waive that annual fee for the first year. I recommend keeping the credit card open for as long as possible until the end of the year and then either keep it, cancel it or convert it to a card that doesn’t have an annual fee. One of the benefits beside the miles and points to opening credit cards is it can positively build your credit history, especially if you pay your bills on time and card a low balance.
Final Thoughts
Your credit is an important personal asset and should be protected and handled carefully. From my perspective a few points off my credit score for applying for a travel credit card every few months and making family memories is worth it! Be cautious about opening new lines of credit when applying for a mortgage or other major loans. You'll want to make sure to keep your credit above 740 to get the best interest rates. Talk to a loan officer or financial pIanner to get more information about your current credit situation. I welcome your comments and feedback!
Final Thoughts
Your credit is an important personal asset and should be protected and handled carefully. From my perspective a few points off my credit score for applying for a travel credit card every few months and making family memories is worth it! Be cautious about opening new lines of credit when applying for a mortgage or other major loans. You'll want to make sure to keep your credit above 740 to get the best interest rates. Talk to a loan officer or financial pIanner to get more information about your current credit situation. I welcome your comments and feedback!
- 10:29 PM
- 0 Comments
Cruises seem like such a great deal on the surface, however by the end of the cruise it’s easy to feel like you’ve been short changed. There are so many extra travel expenses and fees that are commonly overlooked when planning a cruise vacation.
I’ve cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival and I think everyone should go on at least one cruise, but beware of all the costs associated with cruising. The base price of the cruise can seem like such a great deal before you begin adding tax, port fees, tips, travel, excursions and transfers.
Below I’ve outlined expenses that could be incurred with a $149 inside cabin on a 4-night cruise. When I’ve booked cruises I’ve always been surprised by how much more the price per person ends up being by the time you get to the payment screen. There are many costs associated with cruising that every traveler should know.
Some of the fees shown above are optional, however by the time you pay your taxes/port fees, tips and transpiration or parking you have virtually doubled the price of just the cruise ticket. To find out the true cost of the cruise I recommend you call the cruise line to ask what the required expenses will be on your cruise ticket. You'll be amazed by how quickly the cruise ticket price will double and sometimes triple from the base price.
In terms of traveling cheap, I haven't found a way to really take a 'cheap cruise vacation' because of fixed costs that can't be discounted. I've found the best deals by going to beach resorts and even all-incluseive resorts at a fraction of the cost of cursing. I haven't used miles and points on a cruise because I don't feel like you get a very good value by using them on cruise tickets.
I'd be interested in your feedback, whether you think cruises are a good deal or if cruise 'deals' even exist anymore.
- 9:00 AM
- 1 Comments
