Making Me a Millionaire

What Credit Card Do You Use?

So I’d like to know what credit card you folks out there are using.  I’m looking for a credit card with good rewards.  My husband travels for work so it makes sense to get a travel-related credit card.  We never carry a balance but we just use our credit cards for everything so we can take advantage of the rewards!  I know a lot of financial experts warn us against using credit cards but I’ve been using them for over 10 years, have always paid in full on time and just sit back and collect my hotel points. Anyway, I’d love to know what you are using!

My Favorite Places for a Good Deal

I absolutely love getting a good deal.  I sign up for sites that offer deals, I go through them everyday, I use coupons, I’ll go to happy hour, I use frequent flyer miles and I hoard hotel points.

My great accomplishment this week?  Ordering a $100 gift card to the Capital Grille using my Amex points and making the reservations with OpenTable while earning 1,000 OpenTable points (Capital Grille was on their 1,000 point list!).  Since this Sunday is Valentine’s Day (and also my husband’s birthday) it was time for a fine dining experience!  We will use any excuse for an opportunity to eat good food.  It felt so good to know I wasn’t going to spend much (or anything at all) on this eventful dinner and at the same time earn 1,000 points for it (which equals $10)!  So I thought I’d share some of my favorite sites that offer great deals.

1) Slickdeals.net - I check this site everyday.  I have learned of some amazing deals from visiting Slickdeals.  The best deal I ever got was a 3 night stay at the Wynn in Las Vegas for the hubby and I as well as for my parents for FREE!  My parents ended up with a suite too!  We also got $200 in resort credit!  Of course we had to pay for the flight but I’m not complaining!  We’ve also gotten other great discounts but nothing topped the free nights at the Wynn.

2) RueLaLa - What woman doesn’t like to buy designer clothes for 50-70% off?  I don’t usually buy too much designer stuff but if I do, it comes from RueLaLa.  Everyday, there are different boutiques that go on sale for a limited time.  It’s like an online sample sale so you better act fast before items get sold out!  You need to be referred to set up an account so send me a message if you want me to refer you!  Other similar sites include Gilt, HauteLook and OneKingLane (for home goods).

3) ShopItToMe – When you sign up with ShopItToMe, you tell them what brands you’re interested in.  Every week, you’ll get an email with the best deals on those brand items .  I’ve bought several BCBG dresses through this site for less than $100.

4) Groupon – Select your city, and everyday there’s a new sale.  It could be half priced meals at restaurants, discounted spa services, specialty stores, etc.  There needs to be at least a certain number of people who collectively want the deal in order for the deal to be on.  I’ve never actually seen a deal not happen!

5) Restaurant.com – Because my husband and I love to eat, Restaurant.com is a great site for us.  You can browse through all the restaurants in your area and purchase a gift certificate to your eatery of choice.  The standard rate is a $25 gift certificate for $10 which is pretty good…but practically every week they have great sales where you can purchase a $25 gift certificate for just $2!  I’ve used this site many times before and I love that you can print out your gift certificate as soon as you make your purchase.  The only thing to watch out for is to check what kind of restrictions the restaurant has – some will say that the certificates can only be used for dinner or can only be used on certain days.

6) Coupons.com – I love using this site for groceries.  You can browse through a bunch of coupons, select the ones you want, them print them out and use them at the store!

7) OpenTable – OK by now you’ve heard me talk about OpenTable at least a few times. I love having a point system for when I dine and since making reservations is easy through this site (and free) I don’t see why anyone would not do it!  Each city has a list of restaurants that can earn you 1,000 points after dining there.  You can earn a $25 OpenTable dining cheque (to be used at any OpenTable restaurant) with 2,500 points.  This is great because so many good restaurants are on OpenTable and there are some great restaurants on the 1,000 points list too!  I’m currently at 3,000 points so I’m going to save up for a $100 dining cheque and have a nice meal!

So that’s all I’ve got.  Are there any other sites out there with great deals that you’d like to share?

Oh, How I Love OpenTable

The husband and I love to eat.  It’s a great way to just get away, experience different cuisines and have some private time to talk and bond.  Although I’m all for saving money, I just need to eat out at least once a week.  It’s one of those things my husband and I really enjoy and aren’t willing to cut out.  So if we’re going to be dining out, why not earn points towards a free meal in the future?  That is why, I always use OpenTable to make reservations.

Here’s how it works:

1) Make your free reservations at OpenTable.com

2) When you arrive at the restaurant, let the host know you have reservations and give them your name

3) Enjoy your meal

After your meal, you should see points added to your account.  Most restaurants will offer 100 points for dining.  Each city has a list of restaurants that offer 1,000-point reservations.  I’ve noticed in the cities I looked at that there are many good restaurants that offer the 1,000 point reservations.  These are great as they allow you to build up points much faster than the regular 100 point restaurants.

What do you do with all these points? You redeem them for Dining Cheques!  They are basically gift certificates that you can use at any OpenTable restaurant.

2,000 OpenTable Points = $20 OpenTable Dining Cheque
5,000 OpenTable Points = $50 OpenTable Dining Cheque
10,000 OpenTable Points = $100 OpenTable Dining Cheque

I always always always use OpenTable to make my reservations.  You can even use it for lunch reservations and small restaurants.  It doesn’t hurt to always check before you head out to eat!

Happy Holidays!

Well, in the last few weeks, we’ve been completely swamped.  After sending my husband off to NYC for his first project, I packed up the house and headed home myself for the holidays.  With all the stress of the holidays looming overhead, I’ve been frazzled and distracted.  So distracted that I left my 4 month old MacBook Pro at the airport!  Luckily, after many frantic calls to the airport, TSA found my laptop (along with 32 other laptops that were left behind that day before noon!) and they will be shipping it to me over here in NY.

What have I learned from this?

1) Always put a password on your laptop

2) Always back it up before you go on a trip

3) Never have auto-login for your email account or anything else

4) Always be thinking about your valuables when you go through a security line at the airport.

We’ve had a crazy busy Christmas this year and spent quite a bit of time with family.  Being around all these babies makes me want to have one soon even more!  Yesterday we also went to see Avatar in 3D at the AMC IMAX theater.  I usually try not to watch movies in the theater unless they’re action movies or visually stunning.  Avatar was both and I would happily pay to watch that movie again.  It was probably the most amazing movie I’ve ever seen and it is definitely one that will revolutionize film making.  If you’re planning on seeing it, just to give you an idea of the costs, you can watch the matinee show (first show of the day) for $10 per person.  Regular tickets go for $14.50 and in Manhattan they are going for $17.50.  I know, it’s expensive!  But definitely well worth it!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the holidays!

Using Elfster to do Secret Santa

My husband and I come from large families so the holiday season is one of stress, chaos and near bankruptcy.  My brilliant sister one year had the idea of doing a Secret Santa exchange for our family and ever since then, that is what we did.  It saved us the stress of having to get gifts for so many different people (especially when we have in laws and coworkers and friends to shop for too) and the financial burden was a bit lighter.  Since we’re not getting gifts for everyone in the family, we’ll do things like send each other cards and give each other stocking stuffer.  Everyone in my family really enjoyed doing Secret Santa and this year we are doing the same with our group of friends.  We’ll have an exchange party and open our gifts there while celebrating the holidays with each other.

So how do we do our Secret Santa exchanges?  We use Elfster!  Elfster works for us because I live far from my family and many of our friends.  Everything is done online.  Here’s how it works:

1) Create an exchange on Elfster. – add all the people who will be part of the gift exchange.  Set a deadline for signing up and set a date for the exchange.

2) Build a wishlist.  Elfster is great in that you can search for products and link directly to them on your wishlist.  Since I have an amazon wishlist, I link directly to that.  I love that you get to create a wishlist because then people will get you something you want rather than buy you a gift you may not like and have no use for.

3) Elfster draws a name for you. This will be the person you need to get the gift for.

4) Throw an exchange party! If everyone is in town, it would be fun to have a party and see what gifts everyone receives.

I don’t recommend doing Secret Santa if there are young kids involved.  It’s more of an adult thing for those of us who already have pretty much what we need and are just looking for gift giving fun rather than stress.

Do you do Secret Santa or White Elephant or any other gift exchanges?  What do you prefer and what do you find to be the most economical?

Is it OK to Give Money for Christmas?

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we’re beginning to plan for Christmas gifts.  My husband’s brothers and sisters all decided to have babies last year so this year we have several nieces and nephews to get Christmas gifts for.  Thing is, they are all around 1 years old and I’m not sure there is any gift out there they would really appreciate.  We were thinking about getting them educational toys or stuffed animals or something but they all have so many toys we weren’t sure if they even needed any more.

After discussing amongst ourselves, we talked with his brothers and sisters to see how they felt about us contributing to our nieces and nephews’ college funds.  I was surprised to learn that they didn’t even have the funds set up yet and thought it would be a good idea to encourage them to open a 529 and contribute money to their college education for Christmas this year.

This wasn’t a very popular move with some people and I can understand why.  What fun is there in contributing to a college fund for Christmas?  I tell myself this will just be the gift of choice while the kids are young and don’t have materialistic wants yet.  Maybe when they hit their teens we’ll get them an ipod or whatever trendy gadget of choice.  It’s funny because both my husband and I think this is such a great idea and we’re excited about it but I can understand why it’s not such an exciting gift.

Perhaps I get this from my own parents.  In high school, my mom would get me SAT prep books for Christmas and stuff my stocking with things like batteries, underwear, pens and things that are considered “practical”.  I rarely got “fun” stuff.  After I started working at age 16, for Christmas every year my dad would give me an envelope with a note inside that said “I’m contributing $100 to your Roth IRA account”.  At the time, I had no idea what a Roth IRA was and I would whine and tell my parents they were the worst gift givers.  Today, I have over $16K in my Roth IRA account thanks to dad and I am very very grateful for what he did.  I guess I’m hoping that one day our nieces and nephews will be just as grateful that their crazy aunt and uncle decided the gift of education was the best Christmas gift.

So here’s my question:  Is it OK to give money for Christmas?  Is contributing to our nieces and nephews’ college funds a good gift?  Or should we supplement it with a “real” gift and also get them a small toy?  Would you rather get a “real” gift or would you rather receive a monetary gift such as a gift card, money, contributions, etc.

Are Tips Required?

I just read this article about college students who were arrested for not paying a $16.35 tip at a restaurant.  They argued that service was terrible (and if you read the article it was pretty bad) and that the tip was not deserved.   Restaurant management argued that the menu clearly states that 18% gratuity is automatically added to the check for parties of 6 or more.

I was shocked when I read this article.  I truly believe that you tip for service.  And when service is excellent you tip more than the standard amount but it goes both ways.  I don’t believe in tipping people who are rude to me or don’t do their jobs.  If you’re doing a poor job then all you deserve is whatever the restaurant pays you.

I once had to wait over an hour for my food and when I tried to flag down the waitress she just gave us a dirty look.  We were fed up with all the waiting and the rudeness so we gave her a penny in tip.  I’ve also had the experience of receiving excellent customer service once on the day after I got married.  We told the waiter we had just gotten married and he brought complimentary dishes and champagne for us, and was very polite and attentive.  We tipped him $100.

I believe tipping is optional and should be given to those who do their jobs and are respectful of patrons.  What do you think?  Should those students have been arrested?  Should tipping be mandatory regardless of service?

Things I’m Glad I Spend Money On

I try to be frugal as often as possible and for me, being frugal does not mean skimping on quality.  It’s important to me that the products I purchase are good quality and long lasting.  I will gladly put down a large amount of money for something that will offer me much in return.  With that said, here are some of the best big purchases/pricey items I’ve made.

1. My Tempur-Pedic Bed. I used to think it was crazy to spend almost $2000 on a mattress.  Back then, I would never splurge so much on a mattress.  When a friend of ours moved across country, he sold us his Tempur-Pedic mattress for $700 along with a whole bunch of other stuff.  My husband and I had just gotten married and were furnishing our place so we took it all.  The mattress did wonders for our sleep.  I had never slept so well before in my life and when I woke up in the morning, my back never hurt.  We loved our mattress so much we went out and bought 2 Tempur-Pedic pillows to go with it.  We loved those just as much.  Today, we’ve been using the mattress for about 5 years and still love it.  I will never go back to a regular mattress again and we both agree that if the time came to get a new mattress, we will gladly plop down the $2000 for it.  Good sleep and a healthy back are so important to feeling good during the day!
2. Organic, non-processed food. Not all my food is organic, but most of my produce (especially the ones that have the most exposure to pesticides) are.  I’m a firm believer in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and if there’s anything I can do to improve the quality of my life and avoid major illnesses, I will do it.  If I can prevent cancer in the long run by cutting down on the amount of pesticides, preservatives, nitrites, high fructose corn syrup, and so on, I will do it.  Who knows, maybe I’m not genetically predisposed to cancer anyway and I could have eaten all the chemical compounds I wanted but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
3. My Gym. I used to go to LA Fitness for $30 a month until the place got so crowded that you had to wait in a line to use the treadmills even at 6AM and you had to show up 45 minutes before a class just for a chance to fight for a spot.  I had had enough of showing up at the gym with no machine to use so I decided to quit and join the other local sports club by us.  This was definitely a nicer and more expensive gym and I was hesitant about joining at first but decided I had no other choice because I was NOT going back to LA Fitness.  I always hear people say that you should cut out your gym membership if you’re trying to save money but I will give up many other things before I give up this gym membership.  Why?  Well, first of all, being healthy is important to me.  But second, with the amount we pay for this membership, we get your typical gym equipment, indoor and outdoor tennis, indoor and outdoor swimming, volleyball, a rock climbing wall with instructor, racquetball, squash, basketball, and all sorts of classes (none of them ever full) such as spinning, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, step, belly dancing, water aerobics and so on.  The list is endless.  With access to all these activities, we rarely pay for activities outside of the gym.  If we’re bored on a weekend, instead of heading to the mall, we can go play tennis or go rock climbing.  In the past, we would go watch endless movies on the weekend or go shopping and easily spend $100.  Now, we do one of the many activities offered at our sports club.  So yes, it’s expensive, but it’s worth it!
4. LASIK. The best surgery I’ve ever had.  OK not that I’ve had any other surgery other than getting my wisdom teeth removed, but this is a surgery worth having.  For a little more than a Tempur-Pedic mattress, you can have perfect vision and never have to deal with contacts or glasses again.  You can also pay for LASIK surgery with your FSA account so it is tax deductible!  The procedure is painless and there’s about a 3-4 hour recovery time.  After having this done 4 years ago, I still am amazed at how good perfect my vision is.
5. Travel. My husband and I love to travel.  It’s a great way for us to spend more time together and enjoy our lives.  Sometimes we travel with our college friends and those are always memorable trips.  Yes, travel is expensive, but the experience we’ve gained and the memories we’ve made together are priceless.  There’s no better way to open your mind than traveling.  We do always try to be frugal when we travel though.  We will use points from our credit card for hotel stays and try to research dining options before we go.

In the end, I think having balance is important.  We try to be frugal in many ways in our lives but I do believe there are times when splurging is a good idea or even necessary.  What are some things you spend money on that you will never regret?

Christmas Photo Cards For Cheap

Today I just picked up my photo Christmas cards and paid only $9.99 for a set of 50 with envelopes!

Costco.com allows you to pick a holiday card and insert whichever photo you like.  You get a set of 50 for $14.99.  Great deal considering most photo cards cost more than $1 each.  If you look at the current Costco coupon book, you’ll find a coupon for $5 off the photo cards.  Now this is an excellent deal!

Of course, you can go cheaper and get a pack of cards for less (and even lesser if you shop after Christmas season for them) but I like to send out more personalized cards since the Christmas season is all about family and giving.

Ways to Use Up Your FSA Money

Last year around open enrollment time, my doctor “saw something” in an MRI that I got done.  He told me not to worry but it could be a tumor.  Well of course I worried and since we had til the end of the week to decide how much money we were going to put into the FSA account, we chose to max it out since there was a chance I’d be spending an awful lot of time with medical treatments.

Well luckily that “something” turned out to be nothing and we were left contributing $3,000 to the Flexible Spending Account.  Now that the end of the year is coming, we had to scramble and think of creative ways to spend this money.  Here are some things we did:

• Go to Costco. By doing this, I will reach my goal of spending $2500 to make up the extra cost in membership fees a little faster and I will be using up my FSA money.  Killing 2 birds!  The great thing about the Costco Pharmacy section is the items that are FSA eligible are labeled “FSA eligible” so you don’t need to carry around a list with you or anything.  Just walk down the aisle and go spend happy.  We stocked up on Nyquil, Tylenol, Thermacare, Anti-itch creams, Lubricant Eye Drops, Allergy Meds, Tums.
• Go to a pharmacy. I went to Walgreens.  All FSA reimbursable items are listed on the price labels here.  I went and bought hand sanitizer (yes they are reimbursable!), Vicks eye wipes (it wipes allergens and makeup from your eye), a basal thermometer, fertility tests, and tons of pregnancy tests.  It was a little embarrassing standing at checkout with a cart full of fertility products but I figure they would come in handy one day when we decide to have kids.
• Lasik. My husband and I actually got this done a few years ago and yes, getting Lasik is reimbursable.  This alone will probably use up most of the money in your FSA account.  We paid $2400 per person and honestly, it was the best thing I ever did for my eyes.  Before that I had a real hard time with contacts (they were always irritating my eyes) and glasses were just inconvenient.  I am very grateful for this procedure and what it has done for my life!
• Go see a chiropractor. I started seeing my chiropractor every week just to have him loosen up my muscles, help me with stretching and correct my posture.  It felt great and was a very easy way to use up more money.
• Get a note from your doctor.  I suffer from allergies and asthma.  So when I went to see my doctor for a refill on my inhaler, I asked him if he thought getting a humidifier and an air purifier would help.  Of course he said yes, so I asked him to write me a note so I could buy one and get it reimbursed.  You don’t even need to see your doctor to get the note.  If your doctor knows you have allergies or asthma, you can simply call him and ask him to mail you the note.  After I got the note from him, I went and bought a $200 humidifier, then bought a $560 air purifier from Costco and then spent another $200 on 3 years worth of filters for the air purifier.  All of it was reimbursed.
• Get your teeth cleaned. I get my teeth cleaned every 6 months and am pretty good about keeping them cavity free.  I had a very traumatic experience as a kid with cavity fillings and because of that, I will do whatever I can to avoid cavities.  Taking care of your teeth can save you money and pain in the long run.  I once got a quote for fillings for my cavities (which I did not have but we’ll save that story for another time) that totaled $1100.  That’s how costly it can be!  I’ve never gotten a root canal before but I imagine those are pretty expensive too.