Personal Finance Blog, Your Guide to Financial Fitness
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Jason Steele
Jason Steele
Rising gas prices have everyone talking about the best way to save money at the gas pump. One of the most effective methods is to find the right credit card to help you and your family save money on gas. In fact, you can save up to 5% on gasoline and other gas station purchases with credit cards.
If you don’t have one already, here are the top gas credit cards you can use to earn valuable rewards and save.
Jason Steele
As gas prices rise, one of the few business strategies keeping airlines afloat is selling their frequent flyer miles to banks. This way, the banks can offer them as rewards to their credit card customers.
Of all the airlines, Delta is in a class by itself because of its relationship with American Express. There are five distinct Delta-Amex products that you can use to earn SkyMiles.
While very frequent flyers may benefit from the perks offered by the Delta Gold, Delta Platinum, and Delta Reserve cards, Delta doesn’t ignore the occasional travelers who want to get in on the rewards and miles. For their entry-level market segment, they offer two of their least expensive credit cards: the SkyMiles Options card and the classic Delta SkyMiles card.
Jason Steele
If you pay your credit card balance in full and on time every month, a credit card is merely a method of payment, not a method of financing.
There is a credit card designed for those who never carry a balance. The American Express Gold Card is a charge card that must be paid in full every month. The card offers considerable rewards, but they do come at a price.
Jason Steele
In spite of the dangers of excessive credit card use, we are still fortunate to have a very competitive credit card market that offers a nearly limitless choice of products. In fact, choosing the best credit card can be an overwhelming task. The key to finding the right one is to determine what kind of person you are when it comes to managing your personal finances.
Are you the type to pay off your balance in full every month? Or is your balance so big that you can only afford minimum payments? Do you use your credit card to provide yourself short-term loans? Or do you regularly transfer balances to avoid expiring introductory APRs?
Jason Steele
Throughout most of human history, people gathered at traditional markets to trade goods. The amount paid for those goods was always determined through the process of negotiation. In fact, the price tag is a relatively recent invention.
Today, negotiation is a lost art as few modern Americans remain skilled at the practice. We see a price and expect to pay that amount, with the exception of negotiating when buying cars and homes. But even in those instances, you may end up paying more than you should, if you don’t know how to drive a hard bargain. The bottom line is, if you want to save money, you need to learn how to become a skilled negotiator. Here are 11 ways to do just that.
Jason Steele
Gift cards, both cash cards and store specific ones, have become popular for birthdays, graduations, and all other “gift giving” occasions. They present a handy way to personalize an individual gift, while still allowing the recipient to pick out what they like.
In this article, we’ll go over the different types of gift cards, why retailers offer them to customers, and how you can get the most for your money when buying them or using them for yourself.
First, make sure you understand the two different types of gift cards:
Jason Steele
I always use my credit cards when I am traveling internationally. They offer convenience, security, and protection that just isn’t available when using traveler’s checks or foreign currency.
In addition, I receive generous cash back and travel rewards of 2% or more every time I use my credit card.
Using a credit card when you travel internationally is a wise choice, but there are also many important factors you must consider when using credit cards in foreign countries.
Jason Steele
It would be nice if we lived in a world where our bosses judged us solely by the quality and quantity of our work. However, the reality is that personal impressions are very important.
In the workplace, impressing your boss can often make the difference between maintaining your position and getting a promotion. In a down economy, it can even be the deciding factor between keeping your job and getting laid off.
Jason Steele
LED stands for light-emitting diode. This technology is not new, but it is revolutionizing the way we live, work, and play. LEDs are special because they create light instantly while producing very little heat and consuming a fraction of the electricity of a standard light bulb.
In fact, they are even more efficient than compact florescent (CFL) light bulbs. You can buy an LED light bulb to replace a standard bulb.
You can also find LED technology applied to many other devices as described below.
Jason Steele
The CARD Act of 2009 eliminated almost all of the traditional tricks and traps that banks used to employ to separate you from your money. However, one of the last remaining fees that banks are still allowed to charge is the foreign transaction fee.
The foreign transaction fee is not a currency exchange commission. In fact, purchases in U.S. dollars made outside the country are usually subject to this fee, meaning you don’t even have to leave home to be ripped off. You’ll also pay the foreign transaction fee on some purchases that are merely processed in other countries.
Jason Steele
My wife and I thought we were doing well with our Subaru wagons since we had avoided the purchase of a gas guzzling SUV. Our “Subies” are fun to drive, hold lots of stuff, and usually see about 22 miles to the gallon.
Nevertheless, our Outback was starting to get up there in miles and was generating repair bills that were uncharacteristic for a Subaru. Being fascinated with hybrid technology, we finally decided to take the plunge and replace the old Outback with a newer hybrid.
Jason Steele
The price of cell phone plans has been out of control for a long time. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to pay over $100 a month to their provider.
That is an astonishing amount of money that can even eclipse other utility bills, such as electricity and heating costs.
In my family, we pay an average of about $20 per phone per month for our plan with a major provider. Here are several tricks to help you reduce your monthly cell phone costs.
Jason Steele
Have you ever heard someone talk about how they use their credit card and just had to shake your head? Though the Internet is filled with good advice on how to use credit cards and rewards wisely, some people are just not getting the message.
Of course, what’s really going on is they’re getting a different message; they’re listening to what credit card companies want them to do. And because credit card companies are out to make a profit – a profit off your hard-earned money – that is generally a very bad idea.
Jason Steele
I’m currently a satisfied customer of T-Mobile, and hopefully, I’ll remain one. But since the time may come when I want to switch providers, it pays to have an exit strategy.
If you have already reached that point, here are some ways to get out of your T-Mobile contract without paying the early termination fee.
Jason Steele
American Express offers dozens of cards that are targeted at both consumers and businesses. What you may not realize, however, is that you don’t need to be a business owner to receive a so-called business credit card. In some circumstances, it may actually make more sense to have a business card for your personal use.
A good example is the American Express Simply Cash Business Card, which can be used by people who aren’t business owners and which returns substantial benefits for certain types of purchases.
