The two free nights at the Hyatt continues our Free Money week celebration!

How to Get Your 2 Free Nights

1. Apply for the Hyatt card from Chase.
2. Use the card once.
3. Receive two free award nights at any Hyatt anywhere in the world!

Chase Terms and Conditions

• $75 annual fee.
• One-time bonus offer.
• After qualifying, allow 10 days for your free nights to post to your Hyatt Gold Passport account.
• Valid only for first-time Hyatt Credit Card cardmembers with new accounts.

More on Chase / Hyatt

Blackout Dates. Hyatt says no blackout dates but I did have a bit of trouble booking my rooms initially because no standard rooms were available. However, I called the Hyatt back a week later and the rooms had opened up so I was able to switch the reservation. Just something to keep in mind if you’re making reservations a bit last minute, as I was…

Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum Membership. As long as you are a cardmember, you’ll receive this Hyatt Platinum membership perk. The card also allows you to earn 3 points/dollar when used at Hyatt properties & 1 point/dollar everywhere else.

No foreign transaction fees. No foreign transaction fees are a great perk for people who travel often or who are taking a big trip abroad where those pesky fees will really add up.

How much I saved! The two rooms I needed to book for a wedding were $299/night + tax. Even after the $75 annual fee, I came out way ahead! Hyatt hotels can be pricey so some of you may think this card isn’t useful but I disagree – $75 for two nights at any hotel is pretty great and weddings, honeymoons, etc. may make the savings even more relevant for you.

Not Staying at a Hyatt?

If your travel plans don’t include a Hyatt, you can check out the other hotel credit card bonuses to find the hotels you need:

• Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card
• Starwood Preferred Guest Card
• Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card

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I always knew I would head back to DC to help him pack up and keep him company on the long drive – I figured the trip would also be a good chance to see my friends! If we drive it straight, or even over two long days, I could theoretically fly in on Friday night, leave Saturday morning, and be home in time to go back to work Monday morning. But since he’s starting his first “real” job it will be awhile before we get to take a vacation – especially because we already have three weddings and my college reunion on our calendar for next summer! When we realized that, I decided to take a full week off of work and turn his move into a good old-fashioned road trip. We’ll be visiting at least 4 cities over the course of several days. Below, some of the ways we’re saving money by taking what I’ve deemed our “practical vacation.”

Road Trip Savings Tips

1. No extra gas: Since he would be driving this route no matter what, the transportation costs for our vacation are basically zero. And since Discover is giving an extra 5% on gas this quarter, we’ll save even more!
2. Stay with friends: We’ll be on the road 3 nights for sure, and maybe 4. But for at least two of those nights we’re staying with family members or friends who have generously opened their homes to us. It’s a great chance to spend some time with some of our favorite people who live too far from Texas to see as often as we’d like.
3. Be flexible: As I mentioned, we may be away 3 nights, or it might stretch to 4. We declined to make a hotel reservation for that last night since we might just stretch out a long day of driving to make it home. If we do decide to stay one more night on the road, we’ll find an inexpensive hotel away from a major city and pay less than $50 for it. I didn’t want to book something and lose the money if we pressed on, so I didn’t!
4. Use rewards programs: As I mentioned, we’ll be saving 5% on gas through Discover. I also used hotel rewards points saved from work travel for the one night we’re sure we’ll need one. By staying 5 miles away from the city center, I only had to use 10,000 points instead of 25,000 – I’m frugal even when I’m not spending money! Another good way to fund a road trip is by redeeming gift cards for gas, hotel or restaurants via Swagbucks or MyPoints.
5. Look for deals: Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your normal habits should stop! I have been looking for Groupon and Living Social deals in the places we know we’ll stop – we’d like to take the time to eat at local restaurants and see at least a few touristy spots while we’re driving through parts of the country we’ve never seen!
6. Pack an ice chest: We’ll probably stop for lunch and dinner to stretch our legs and get some fun out of what’s really a move. While it would be cheaper to pack all of our meals, I’m a little worried about cold cuts and such staying good in an ice chest for several days - and I can only eat so much PB&J!  But I still plan to pack an ice chest of drinks and snacks for in-between meal times. It will save us having to pay convenience store prices when a sweet tooth hits!

We’ll be going from DC to Greensboro to Louisville to Little Rock before ending up in central Texas. Any suggestions for fun and frugal stops along the way? Tell me in the comments!

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I was busy with the wedding planning and envisioned my honeymoon melted away my stress into the rolling hills and mountains of the backdrop to the acclaimed movie “The Sound of Music”.

Growing up, I dreamed of my wedding day like any other little girl, and in that wedding day there was whiteness, sunny skies, guests with smiling faces, and of course my prince charming waiting at the end of the aisle for me. But as with anything to do with love and happiness, there are costs and small details to handle, such as securing time off from work, setting up automatic finances so that our bills are paid while we were gone, finding a cat and house sitter, and booking/paying for the honeymoon.

And the big detail I almost overlooked – spending money in a foreign country: credit cards, debit cards, travelers cheques, cash? After calling around to my credit cards and banks, as well as researching options over the internet, I was surprised at just how much it costs to spend money abroad. Here is what I found:

Credit Cards/Debit Cards

There is a fee that may be assessed for use with credit cards that is either called a foreign transaction fee or the currency conversion fee, and sometimes an exchange rate fee. Also, banks who offer debit cards with the Visa/MasterCard logos are charged a transaction fee from Visa/MasterCard, and this charge may be passed onto you as the customer on top of the bank’s own charge. If you use an atm machine abroad, you will be charged your bank’s atm fee, as well as that country’s bank’s atm fee.

However, there are a few no foreign transaction fee credit cards that you can use to avoid foreign transaction fees:

• Citi Thank You Premier
• PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card

Please note that if you will be using your credit cards/debit cards, you should call the number on the back and put a notification on your account for the dates that you will be out of the country to avoid any fraudulent activity transaction cancellations.

Travelers Cheques

Travelers Cheques still exist with all of their pros and cons. These cheques are traditionally accepted almost everywhere, and can be used as currency or cashed in the local currency at banks, currency exchanges, and American Express Travel Service locations abroad. Also, if you write down the serial number of the checks and keep this in a secure location, should someone steal them from you or you lose them, then they are replaced free of charge. Typically there is not a fee to use or cash in your Travelers Cheques abroad. Some of the cons include if you use them for currency, some places like hotels and restaurants are known to give you a terrible exchange rate. Also, some remote locations will not accept them.

The two main issuers of Travelers Cheques are American Express and Visa. You can purchase these before your trip at Triple AAA (free cheques for members, but not every location provides this service), participating banks/credit unions (typically charge a percentage fee of value, such as $1.00 per $100), travel agents, foreign exchange bureaus, and at any American Express Travel Service location.

Travelers Money Cards

These are essentially gift cards that you can load and reload with money and use anywhere credit cards are accepted. However, the fees can be rather expensive. Here is a summary of the fees that applied when we traveled. The fees frequently change, so be sure to confirm the applicable fees just before you purchase them.

• Visa TravelMoney Card: This card was good for 3 years and cost $4.95 to purchase (replacement card fee was $5.95); there was an inactivity charge of $1.25 per month after 12 months; Load and Reloading fees were $10 for $100-$500, $20 for $501-$1000, and $30 for $1001-$1500
• Travelex Cash Passport: Travelex prepaid currency cards (Cash Passport) had an atm domestic fee of $3.00 and a foreign atm fee of $2.00, a loading/reloading commission that varied by agent, and a monthly fee of $2.50 (assessed after 30 days)

After assessing all of these options, Paul and I planned to check out the Travelex Cash Passport card to see if it could meet our needs in Austria. We also planned to be sure to purchase this card only one to two weeks before our trip in order to avoid the monthly $2.50 charge. Our back-up source was our credit cards/debit cards, which I called and put notifications on the accounts.

What forms of payment have you used abroad? What do you find is the best in terms of convenience and low fees?

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And I can’t thank you, my wonderful readers, enough! I took with me all of the data points that readers shared tips for making lowball offers.

We finally found a vacation home, that will also double as a rental when we aren’t using it. But it’s not a done deal yet.

Viewing the Properties

We viewed the properties with the developer and the lots available to build on. The developers price ranges: $160,000 to $230,000. After viewing all of the options and getting our questions answered he asked about our decision.

I asked if he was willing to negotiate on price. He said no. (What? In this market?) I politely thanked him and the negotiations ended (or never started depending on how you look at it).

We saw a few other properties and a for sale by owner property. But just before leaving we found out about one final property for sale that was bank owned. They’ve had no offers and it’s been listed for nine months. The bank is very motivated to get the property off their books and would like a closing in 30 days. They listed the property at $150,000.

We viewed the property and it was in almost perfect condition because the rental company has been maintaining it even though it went through foreclosure.

Searching for Comps

Even though the developer is still selling at his full price, after digging around at the county clerk’s office, we found one private party comp for $93,500. In addition, there was a recent property transfer that we had reason to believe sold for around $98,500, but there is no record of the property transfer yet, nor was anyone willing to disclose the price. I spoke with the buyer of the latter one, and it was a fast sale, but did need updating.

The annual rental income is about $9,000 gross and there are some vacation home tax savings I’ll cover another day. This particular vacation home did not need any updates or work done, so we actually felt it was worth slightly more than the comps.

Our Offer

Knowing the bank was planning to counter our offer one time, we hoped that a quick closing, with no financing contingency would help support a lower price.

We put in an all cash offer for $83,500, about 10% below the comps and 44% below the list price, with a closing date in few weeks and a few contingencies.

Before reading that readers had success with offers 40% below list price, I would have never felt confident putting in such a low offer! I’m so glad I discussed it with you before we went down to look at the properties!

Their Counteroffer

The bank quickly countered back at $96,000 and stripped out some of the meaningless contingencies.

We countered with our final and best offer at $90,000, with plans to walk if they do not accept it. Now we wait….

Update: Our Offer Was Accepted!

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While I chose to not purchase the Timeshare, in the process of doing my own research I found some really neat websites and resources for people looking to sell their timeshares and get out of their contracts, or people wishing to purchase or rent a timeshare at a fraction of the cost.

Considerations When Selling

Most timeshares come with maintenance fees that you need to pay each year, and if you are no longer using the property, then you are wasting money. Your best option is to sell your timeshare as resorts typically will not purchase them back from you. Unfortunately, most timeshares sell for 25-50% of the original price you paid for it. If you are still paying on your timeshare loan, you may not be able to pay off what you owe by selling, which means you will have to put money into the sale. If you cannot afford to sell the timeshare, Tug2 suggests trying to refinance to get a lower interest rate (for mortgage-type loans). For consumer timeshare loans, you may be able to sell without owing anything. In the meantime, you can list your timeshare week(s) to rent and recoup some of the maintenance fees. Another great idea offered by Tug2 is to donate your timeshare and take a tax deduction should it not make financial sense for you to sell it.

Finally, be wary of any sites that charge a large upfront fee in order to list or sell your timeshare. Any fees you incur upfront should be between $10-$50.

How to Sell a Timeshare

There are several auction sites where you can auction off your timeshare week. Bidshares has a free membership and is fee-free as well. EBay has become a popular place to sell timeshares; just be aware that you will have to pay a $70 fee to do so and other fees may apply. You can also hire a broker to sell your listing. Try finding a timeshare broker on Licensed Timeshare Resale Brokers Association.

If you wish to make your own listing to sell your timeshare, make sure you competitively price your timeshare. Conduct pricing research by looking at listings on eBay timeshares or BidShares. Consider a contract with your buyer that includes all of the specific information involved with your timeshare, such as maintenance fees, the week(s) it includes, the selling price, deeds, etc. You will also have to involve your timeshare company so that the property title can properly be transferred (you will owe all maintenance fees until the title is transferred). In order to cover all of your bases, you may wish to use a timeshare closing service, such as Timeshare Transfer, Inc., or JRA Services, Inc., which will cost you approximately $350.

Timeshare Rentals and Resales

You are in luck: purchasing a timeshare resale from other owners will save you roughly up to 75% off of the costs if you were to purchase one through a timeshare presentation. While shopping around on any of the sites listed above, be aware that you will also be responsible for annual maintenance fees and add this into your total cost to see if it makes financial sense for you to purchase one.

Also, carefully look into all of the details of the timeshare you are purchasing. Is the timeshare linked with RCI, which allows you to exchange your timeshare week for one in hundreds of different countries? This could add considerable value to you.

Once you find a timeshare that you want, it is in your best interest to have a contract with the seller. The contract should specify all of the details of your timeshare. You may also wish to have an escrow account involved for a smooth transfer of funds, deed, and title.

Timeshares have a bad rap, earning the timeshare scam name, for reasons such as the way they are sold, the exorbitant upfront cost, the maintenance costs, etc. But if you could purchase one at a severe discount, it may make financial sense for you and your family, if a vacation home isn’t what you are looking for. And for those of you stuck with a timeshare contract that you purchased for full price, there are ways to unload your property or at least produce a little rental income in the meantime.

Does anyone own a timeshare? What are the pros and cons for you and your family?

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How to Get Your 30,000 Miles

1. Sign up for the CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Visa card.
2. Make $750 in purchases in the first 4 months of being a cardmember.
3. The AAdvantage® miles will appear as a bonus in your AAdvantage® account within 8-10 weeks.

Citi/AAdvantage Terms and Conditions

• The $75 Annual Fee is waived for the first year of card membership.
• This offer is valid only for first-time CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® cardmembers who apply pursuant to this offer for an account.
• The maximum number of American Airlines AAdvantage® miles you can earn from purchases using this card is 150,000 AAdvantage® miles per calendar year, although different AAdvantage statuses and bonus miles are excluded from the limit.
• Miles don’t expire provided that once every 18 months you (i) redeem American Airlines AAdvantage® miles or (ii) earn them on American Airlines carriers or (iii) earn AAdvantage® miles with an AAdvantage® participant.
• American Airlines has no restricted dates for award travel but seats for award travel are limited and may not be available on all flights.

More on AAdvantage

Multiple ways to earn miles. You can earn miles via purchases on the card, flights on American Airlines or their partners, purchases through the AAdvantage shopping mall and bonuses at partner hotels, car rentals, florists, etc.

Individual applicants. Don’t forget, you can use your individual name and select sole proprietorship as the type of business to qualify for a business card.

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There are about 600 frequent flyer miles between my family and I, and so we are still racking up the points on holidays and mid-year trips (learn how to rack up more frequent flyer miles without ever leaving the ground).   

Even if you are not a regular traveler, frequent flyer programs are a great tool, and generally the memberships are free. You can even trade in your frequent flyer miles for magazines, gift cards, etc. in case you do not earn enough miles to take a free flight before they expire.

However, not all frequent flyer programs, or airlines, are created equal. Below is a comparison between the major frequent flyer mile programs, listing the pros and cons to each, as well as how many frequent flyer miles you must earn before receiving a free flight.

How Many Frequent Flyer Miles to Fly

Which is the Best Frequent Flyer Program?

Determining which program is the best will be based off of your own traveling habits and needs. For instance, if you do a lot of short trips, using Southwest Rapid Rewards is great because you receive the same amount of credit for short trips as you do long trips. When you receive your reward ticket, book a flight across the U.S. to take the most advantage of this!

Delta SkyMiles may make sense for you if you do not plan on earning enough miles for a reward ticket because you can use the miles you have accumulated to partially pay for a ticket.

Also, be sure to check out the best airline credit card to see if you can earn free miles towards your next flight or consider the best day to buy airline tickets.

As for Paul and I, we enjoy Southwest Rapid Rewards the most. I earned a free ticket that I used last March for a mini-weekend vacation to the Northeast, and am working my way towards a second free ticket probably mid-year 2010. I have also earned free tickets on American Airlines through AAdvantage, as well as US Airways through Dividend Miles.

Which frequent flyer program works best for you?

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Adding it up definitely made me feel bad – in fact, when I told my mom I had taken a cab she said “don’t blog about it!” I tell you this story for two reasons: one to show that even people who write about money aren’t perfect, and two to show you that travel expenses add up VERY quickly.

If you’re taking to the skies or hitting the road, between now and the start of 2010, heed these tips on your journey. I will be doing so, and promise to spend less during my Christmas travel than I did over Thanksgiving!

Frugal Travel Tips

1. Get a ride or use public transportation: If you’re flying out of town, don’t spend money on airport parking (up to $25/day or more!) or a cab ride. Ask a friend or family member to drop you off and pick you up, or use public transportation when available. I know it’s tempting to opt for convenience when you’re dealing with luggage and/or bad December weather, but your wallet will thank you!
2. Bring entertainment from home: This is applicable to both car and plane trips. If you know you need something to keep you busy during the trip, bring a book or some music from home, or visit the library for some new material. On the road, you’ll have a limited selection and may end up paying more for something you’re not even that interested in.
3. Eat before you leave: If you’re going to be gone for awhile, this could have the double effect of using up groceries that would go bad before you come back and saving you from buying food on the road.
4. Pack snacks: If you don’t eat before, or will be traveling for several hours, pack a small bag of snacks. Nuts are a somewhat healthy snack that don’t take up much room at all. You can also take raisins, dried or fresh fruit, or even a sandwich.
5. Bring an empty water bottle: If you’re flying, you know that you can’t take liquids through security. But bottled water can be $2.00 or more for a 20 oz. bottle. Instead of paying that, bring an empty bottle and fill it at the water fountain once you pass security. Of course if you are driving you should just bring your own drinks from home.
6. Pack efficiently: Wear your bulkiest items, like a winter coat and boots, and pare down the rest of your luggage to only the essentials. I read once about a woman who picks two-three complimentary colors for each trip (say black, yellow, and white) and only brings items in those colors so that everything can mix and match. Doing something similar can help you cut down on the number of bags you need. This in turn can improve gas efficiency if you’re driving, or save you luggage fees on planes.
7. Carry on your luggage: Speaking of luggage fees…in case you weren’t aware, almost every airline is now charging $15 or more to check a bag. Across major airlines, the only exception to this that I am aware of is Southwest. If you can possibly fit everything in a carry-on bag, do so. Even buying a larger carry-on bag might be worth it if you travel frequently. I’ve been able to fit up to 6 days of clothes and toiletries in a small roll-on, so it can be done!
8. Consider shipping gifts ahead: If you are traveling with lots of gifts for family and friends, shipping them ahead using ground or flat rate shipping may be a more frugal option than checking extra bags to bring them via plane. Check rates at USPS.com, UPS.com, or FedEx.com.
9. Utilize rewards programs: If you belong to MyPoints, Swagbucks, or a flexible credit card rewards program, you may be able to get gift cards to use during your travel. Look for gift cards for your favorite hotel chain, restaurants on your route or at your destination, or gas cards. I’ve been able to get gift cards for all sorts of items, saving $50 or more per trip.

If you plan ahead, you can take a trip without spending any more than you would at home – but of course the key words there are “plan ahead.” If you’re traveling this year, set aside a few minutes right now to put together an action plan for saving money: print out this post and highlight the tips that apply to you. If any of them require planning ahead (like ordering gift cards or scheduling a ride), write down the date you plan to complete that item. Then stick to your plan! You’d be surprised at how little travel can cost.

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Budget Travel Tips

Flying and accommodation are two of the biggest travel expenses people have when they plan a trip. The cost of these two are the biggest financial barriers to going away. People look at the cost of these two and think “I can’t afford a trip this year.” However, there are many easy, simple, and convenient ways to cut the cost of flights and dramatically cut the cost of accommodations.

I’ve been traveling for over three years. I fly about 10 times per year and I spend a lot of time in hotels, hostels, and bed and breakfasts. If I traveled like how most Americans think they need to travel, I could never afford it.

Here are some big ways to save on flights and accommodations so your trip becomes more affordable and a closer reality.

Flights

Traveling is always a fun experience when you get your plane tickets at a discount and luckily, the global recession has made flying a lot cheaper than it used to be. Airlines need to fill seats and they are looking to do so through steep price cuts.

Book in Advance. When booking your flight, book about 6-8 weeks in advance. The best time to buy is around 8 weeks before you travel. If you book too close to your trip, airlines know they can charge you a lot because you need the flight. If you book too far in advance, airlines raise prices to hedge against rising costs.

Fly Round Trip. Tickets are always cheaper if you book round trip. The airlines give a “discount” to round trip tickets because they know they will have seats filled. Even if you are only going one way, always book a return portion to save money.

Travel Midweek. Avoid traveling on the weekends since this is when people have off work so are looking to fly the most. Airlines raise prices on the weekend because they know they can make more money. Therefore, the best time to fly is between Tuesday and Thursday when flights are at their lowest capacity and flights are the cheapest.

Accommodations

Accommodations are one of the biggest day to day expenses people have. No matter what your accommodation tastes may be, one thing we can all agree on is that we all want to save money on it. Most people stay in hotels but hotels are the most expensive option on the road.

Stay in Hostels. A good alternative to hotels is hostels. People often think of hostels as for young college students who want to share showers and sleep in 20 bed dorms. However, hostels are for all ages. All of them have private rooms with showers, free wi-fi, and breakfast cheaper than hotels. In New York City, that kind of room cost me $90 per night in Times Square, and the room was cleaner than any similar priced hotel and even came with TV!

Try Couchsurfing. If you are looking to pay nothing, consider using Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing connects travelers with people around the world who let them stay in their home. You get a bed or a couch to sleep on. It’s a very safe service too. People are scared to couchsurf but the people who use this service are usually very open minded people and nice people. The couchsurfing website take steps to provide security for their users. They provide various levels of verification and allow users to rate and leave comments on people’s profiles. There’s never been a problem with this service and you can see if people are worth staying with by their reviews.

Rent an Apartment. If you plan to stay in a city a long time, renting an apartment can be a good option. These furnished apartments are usually cheaper than hotels and give many more amenities like a kitchen, laundry, and TV room. You’ll get the comforts of home without spending a lot of money like you would at a hotel.

By using the above methods, you can save hundreds of dollars on your next vacation without much effort. There is a myth that travel is expensive but that is because the travel industry wants you to believe it is so you will spend a lot of money. But travel is not expensive and there are many ways to travel cheap and, as people who want to save money, we can all appreciate that.

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I’m a big fan of frequent flier miles. We used miles for our honeymoon to Hawaii. What better way to travel, than for free?

As with all the credit cards I highlight, I’ll keep the list updated so you can bookmark it and check back in the future.

Airline Rewards Credit Cards

Gold Delta SkyMiles(R) Credit Card from American Express

• Earn 30,000 bonus miles toward Award Travel when you spend $500 on the Card in the first three months from account opening
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
• Check your first bag FREE – for up to 9 people on your reservation – on every Delta flight
• Receive double miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile for all other eligible dollars spent
• Priority Boarding and 20% In-Flight Savings

ALL-NEW United MileagePlus® Explorer Card

• Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles & first year free, a $95 value*
• Check your first bag for free on United and Continental-operated flights, up to a $50 value round trip
• Board your flight before general boarding with priority boarding privileges
• Visit the United Club with two complimentary day passes every year, up to a $100 value
• Earn 2 miles for $1 spent on tickets purchased from United and Continental and 1 mile per $1 everywhere else
• Enjoy exclusive access to once-in-a-lifetime events through Inside Access from Chase
• Your miles don’t expire and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn

Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®

• Earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $750 in purchases within the first 4 months of cardmembership* – more than enough for a round-trip domestic flight award*
• Earn an additional 10,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases during the first 6 months of cardmembership*
• Receive a one-time $100 statement credit for the first eligible American Airlines purchase you make within the first 12 months of cardmembership*
• $85 annual fee waived for the first 12 months*

Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card

• Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles & first year free ($95 value)*
• Now with priority boarding privileges on Continental and United flights
• Check your first bag for free on Continental and United flights, up to a $50 value
• Visit the United Club with two complimentary passes every year, a $100 value
• Earn 2 miles for $1 spent on tickets purchased from Continental and United and 1 mile per $1 everywhere else
• Your miles don’t expire and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card – FREE FLIGHT

• NOW! Earn a FREE FLIGHT after your first purchase
• Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary – that can be redeemed for a $50 Wanna Get Away® Fare
• Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.
• Earn unlimited FREE FLIGHTS – 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on EVERYTHING else
• Your Bags Fly FREE! No Blackout Dates, Points Dont Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats!
• No Change fees – if you need to change your flight, you won’t be charged a fee
• September 11th Security Fee Applies

Chase Sapphire℠

• Limited Time Offer! – Earn 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months – that’s $250 toward a flight or any other reward!
• 2 points per dollar spent on dining & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn
• Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
• 24/7 direct access to expert service advisors (No voice recording)
• No annual fee!

Chase Sapphire℠

• Limited Time Offer! – Earn 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months – that’s $250 toward a flight or any other reward!
• 2 points per dollar spent on dining & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn
• Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
• 24/7 direct access to expert service advisors (No voice recording)
• No annual fee!

Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card

• Limited Time Offer! – Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that’s $625 toward travel!
• 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Use 20% fewer points when you redeem for travel. Just book your flight, cruise, or other travel through Ultimate RewardsSM
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn a 7% annual points dividend – even on points already redeemed
• Transfer points you’ve earned to participating frequent traveler programs at a 1:1 value
• 24/7 direct access to expert service advisors (No voice recording)
• No Annual Fee for your first year – A $95 value

Escape by Discover® Card

• Earn up to $250 in travel rewards–1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first 25 months
• Double Miles on every $1 you spend
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% – 16.99%*
• No restrictions on travel–fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
• Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
• Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty–15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

Miles by Discover® Card

• Earn up to $120 in travel rewards–1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first year
• 1 Mile on every $1 you spend – Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% – 16.99%*
• No restrictions on travel–fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
• Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty–15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

Visa® Black Card™

• Limited Membership
• 24-Hour Concierge Service
• Exclusive Rewards Program
• Luxury Gifts
• Travel Lounge Priority Pass (unlimited visits)
• 1% Cash Back
• Travel with No Blackouts or Restrictions
• Patent Pending Carbon Card

Blue Sky from American Express(R)

• No annual fee
• Travel rewards with no blackout dates or travel restrictions. Redeem with any airline, any car rental, any hotel – anytime
• Pay your bill all at once, or over time. It's up to you.
• Blue Savings Program: big deals on big brands, all the time
• Rated “Best Airline Credit Card” by Card Ratings Consumer's Choice Awards in 2010
• Get approved in 60-seconds

Starwood Preferred Guest(R) Credit Card from American Express

• Starpoints(R) Bonus: 10K with your first purchase and another 15K when you spend $5k within 6 months – enough for up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel
• Free nights, free flights: Redeem Starpoints with over 350 airlines through SPG Flights and more than 1,000 hotels and resorts worldwide. No blackout dates
• 2011 SmarterTravel(R) Award for “Best Travel Rewards Card”
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65

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Taking time off and traveling is fun, relaxing and sometimes stressful. Planning ahead and getting your finances in order before you travel will allow you to get the most out of your vacation and leave some of your worries at home. Here’s a checklist to guide you through the financial preparations needed before leaving home.

1. Pay your bills ahead of time. If you use automatic bill-pay, confirm that all the payments will be sent before the due dates.
2. Make a checklist of financial needs for your trip. Hit the ATM for cash, exchange some money into the needed currency if you are traveling abroad, or purchase traveler’s checks if you plan to use them.
3. Evaluate time-sensitive purchases. Eat all the food that will spoil before leaving home to avoid wasting it (and coming home to the smell of rotted food).
4. Leave a key with someone you trust. You never know when you might have a financial emergency, and someone may need to get into your house to retrieve information or paperwork.
5. Don’t try new financial organization methods. Now is not the time to try to switch to automatic bill-pay in case something goes wrong. Save changes for when you are home and have time to follow-up.
6. Double-check rates. Confirm your flights, hotels and car rentals. If prices have gone down re-book or ask for a credit… yes, even some airlines will issue a credit if the rates drop.
7. Arrange for someone to pick up your mail or have it held. Don’t let mail with your personal information sit in your mailbox while you are gone.
8. Enroll in rewards programs. Look up the frequent flier programs for your airline and rewards programs for your hotels. Enroll before you go to get all your points and miles without hassle.
9. Consider infrequent bills. Remember to check the due dates for car titles, annual insurance payments, homeowners dues and other bills that you don’t pay regularly.
10. Research your destination. Tripadvisor has a great resource that people can review restaurants, attractions and more. Use the reviews to find great places at your destination without spending a fortune.
11. Pay bills for an extra week. Just in case your vacation is extended unexpectedly, you’ll want to have your finances in order.
12. Have fun. Knowing that you don’t have to worry about your finances while you are gone will allow you to relax and enjoy your vacation.

Once you get home from vacation, check to see that everything went smoothly and all your bills were paid on time. If there were any problems, follow up immediately. Open your mail as soon as possible to check for time-sensitive correspondence. Since you planned ahead, you should be able to pick right up where you left off before vacation.

This article is featured in: Carnival of Personal Finance.

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Photography: Oia by Wolfgang Staudt

I don’t know what it’s like in the US, but here in the UK, it’s reasonably common for people to take a gap year between finishing school and going to University. The typical gapper will spend several months working in a menial job, and then take off for a few months travelling the globe with the traditional route through Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.

Now, it could be argued that people would be better served by going to Uni as early as possible, getting their degree as soon as they can and then getting out into the workforce to earn, save and invest for a rich future. And, I shouldn’t really argue since that’s more or less what I did – although not deliberately.

But, I think that’s missing several important points. Firstly, the life experience gained by travelling is immense – even though most people spend most of their time in developed English speaking countries, nearly everyone goes to a less developed country at some point – if only because it’s so cheap. Coping with different cultures at the age of 18, certainly helps you grow up and makes you more self-reliant. On starting Uni, it’s always easy to pick out the very independent ex-gap year freshers.

Secondly, the very act of travelling independently on a budget is good practice – you learn to cut costs, snaffle out good deals and save money on the less important things so that you can afford to go bungee jumping in Queenstown, New Zealand. Not only are these skills useful for life as an impoverished student, they’re invaluable in the rest of your working and non-working life too.

Finally, and most importantly, the money for a gap year trip is saved up by the 18 year old themselves. They work hard for the money, and they need to make sacrifices in order to go – because there’s only a year to do it all in, and if there isn’t enough money then the trip will have to be cut short. The discipline of saving up for the things that you want to do, and paying for everything in cash, is one that everyone needs to learn at some point, better at 18 than at 30, or 40, or even later.

And a round the world trip as a lesson in personal finance is certainly one of the more enjoyable ways to learn.

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