Want to use Mastercard at Costco instead of Visa? Upgraded to Economy, November 10, 2022 Fun fact: Yes, it is possible to use Mastercards at some Costcos. What’s the catch? It has to be at a Costco in Canada. Did you know that your Costco membership, no matter where it is purchased, gets you access to any Costco in the entire world? In Canada, only… Continue Reading
Credit Cards Why you should never cancel a credit card Upgraded to Economy, November 10, 2022November 28, 2022 Ever think a credit card has no more use for you? While it may seem like canceling or closing that credit card is a great way to close that chapter of your life, it actually causes more harm than good. In short, credit cards should never be canceled because the… Continue Reading
Pre-booking flights for weekend trips Upgraded to Economy, October 19, 2022November 28, 2022 After a recent long weekend trip to San Francisco, I’ve become quite amenable to taking more trips on weekends. As I live in Seattle, Alaska Airlines has become my primary go-to airline, since this is their primary hub. Combined with my AAdvantage Platinum status, which is oneworld Sapphire, I get… Continue Reading
Discover it® Cash Back Card finally becomes useful again for 3 months Upgraded to Economy, October 19, 2022November 10, 2022 For the last 3 months of 2022, those of you with the Discover it® Cash Back Card that gives 5% back on rotating quarterly categories will find the cash back category finally widely applicable and generally useful. From October to December 2022, in addition to 5% back on Amazon purchases,… Continue Reading
Why Global Entry rocks for land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 19, 2022July 25, 2024 Take a look at the line I passed at the Peace Arch. Continue Reading
How to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 14, 2022July 25, 2024 Watch this video for a demonstration on how to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings. In this example, I am using the NEXUS lane with my Global Entry card. Continue Reading
The best airline phone customer service shortcut Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2022November 28, 2022 Something I realized in 2021, when I had to stay on the line with American Airlines customer service for long periods of time before I could reach someone, is that I didn’t have to wait for those long periods of time. In fact, I didn’t even need elite status on… Continue Reading
Flights How I got AAdvantage Platinum in January 2022 during the double dipping period Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2022July 9, 2023 I’ve been enjoying the wonderful benefits of AAdvantage Platinum and oneworld Sapphire since January 2022. While I had qualified for AAdvantage Gold back in October 2021, I was going to be making a 2 month trip to Europe and I realized it would be really handy to have the additional… Continue Reading
Driving How to save money flying to Canada if you’re renting a car Upgraded to Economy, July 26, 2022July 25, 2024 If you’re flying to Canada from the United States, chances are, you’ll probably be visiting (or at least starting your journey in) one of its larger cities: Toronto, Montréal, or Vancouver. Then, you might rent a car for your trip. Only problem is, it’s much more expensive to fly to… Continue Reading
Why you should apply for a new credit card every six months if you’re building credit Upgraded to Economy, July 19, 2022 Want to build credit? The best way is probably going to be by applying for one new card every six months (give or take a few months—it doesn’t need to be precisely this long). While this may seem excessive, it actually is a great rule of thumb to live by… Continue Reading
Credit Cards Why you should never use a debit card ever again Upgraded to Economy, July 18, 2022November 28, 2022 After I got my first credit card, I started saving money on my transactions because I got at least 1% cash back on each purchase. Once you get your first rewards credit card, in general, you should never use a debit card ever again. Why? By using a debit card,… Continue Reading
My most useful credit cards Upgraded to Economy, July 18, 2022July 29, 2022 While I have 7 credit cards as of June 2022, I only use 4 credit cards on a day-to-day basis. The 4 cards I consider to be most useful for me (and the 4 I use the most) are, in no particular order: Chase Sapphire Preferred Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase… Continue Reading