As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

Search: membership

How to Work Out Without Over Working Your Budget

This article was written by in Frugality, Health. 13 comments.


This is a guest article by Jennifer Calonia, Junior Editor at GoBankingRates. In the article, the author offers suggestions for staying fit without breaking the bank.

It’s that time again: Beach season is fast approaching and franchise gym promotions are in full swing to lock you and your checking account into a pricey workout regimen. It may be tempting to jump on board the latest exercise trend, but expensive programs and spa-like facilities are not only unnecessary, they’re a hazard to your financial well-being.

Instead of signing up for a pricey membership, consider low-cost fitness options and free workout routines that don’t muscle hundreds of dollars out of your pockets monthly.

Skip the treadmill

Purchasing a treadmill can cost at least $400 (or much more) and an annual gym membership runs about the same amount for a mid-level fitness center. A frugal alternative to the treadmill routine is simply running outdoors. If your neighborhood isn’t necessarily runner-friendly, seek out jogging paths near park facilities or visit your community track (typically you can use a local community college or high school track during off-hours) for a free run.

At most, you’ll want to purchase a quality pair of running shoes (which costs anywhere from $75 to $150) to withstand the rougher elements of the outdoors. Not only do you save hundreds by avoiding a gym contract with free workout routines like this, you also get a more challenging workout due to the added wind resistance and have interesting scenery to look at as opposed to the back of someone else’s head.

Editor’s note: See ten things your gym won’t tell you.

Tap into the web

The internet offers a range of free exercise videos that focus on a variety of muscles and help raise your heart rate. These videos are also a great alternative to specialized exercise studios, which charge upward of $100 per month for workouts.

For example, unlike the financial demands that yoga studios can inflict upon your budget, YouTube can satisfy all your yoga needs with beginner to advanced poses at no cost. A simple search using the keyword phrase “yoga workout” bring up a list of 20-minute to full 45-minute yoga classes at varying skill levels. This workout routine will, at most, require you to buy a yoga mat at under $10 from a local sporting goods store.

If you really must have a more standardized yoga practice, try visiting YogaVibes.com, which offers unlimited yoga class streaming for $20 a month. While this option requires that you join a membership program, it is at least cheaper than the $100 or more you’d pay monthly at a boutique yoga studio.

Join the community

For active bodies that are motivated by the perseverance of others, a community fitness event may be more to your liking. Joining group activities like trail hiking or a community basketball league are great ways to get engaged in a fun workout while meeting new people.

These group settings typically come at a low out-of-pocket cost. For example, I joined a paid basketball league and the registration fee was only $20 for the three-month season. To get the same group atmosphere, you can also visit your local recreational park for a free pick-up game at the basketball or tennis courts.

Keep on swimming

If your apartment facility already has a pool, or if your home has the luxury of an average size swimming pool, you might as well use it as an in to free workouts. You’ll get a low-impact workout that is great for muscle definition, just in time for the summer months.

Workout junkies who don’t have a pool at home can visit public swimming pools in the area. Generally, a low entrance fee of about $5 is collected at the door for each swim.

Preparing yourself for a beach-ready physique doesn’t have to topple your finances. There are legitimate and effective free workout routines and free exercise videos that can be used to achieve comparable results and maintain the motivation you need to reach your fitness and health goals.

{ 13 comments }

Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage Visa Signature Review

This article was written by in Credit, Uncategorized. Add a comment.

If you travel by airplane often, and you find that the best prices for your routes center around one airline, it can often be beneficial to join that airline’s frequent flier loyalty program. In addition, many airlines also partner with credit card companies to offer travel rewards credit cards that help you accrue frequent flier miles faster.

American Airlines is a large airline with a long history, and over that time the company has developed loyal customers. For those who fly this airline often, the Citi® Platinum Select®/AAdvantage® Visa Signature® card offers rewards for credit card users. Right now, signing up for this card means you’re eligible for 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles once you make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months. Here’s a review of the card’s features and how to earn bonus miles.

Citi® Platinum Select®/AAdvantage® Visa Signature® cardAs mentioned above, to start you off, new Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage Visa Signature cardholders will receive 30,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $1,000 on the card during the first three months of card ownership. That’s less than $350 a month; just putting your monthly groceries on the card and paying them off before the bill is due might put you close to that amount. The 30,000 bonus miles is worth more than a round-trip economy ticket within the continental U.S. (including Alaska) and Canada, if you can book one of the restricted MileSAAver award seats. When you redeeem AAdvantage bonus miles, you also earn 10% of those redeemed miles back as new AAdvantage bonus miles, up to 10,000 bonus miles in a calendar year.

On an ongoing basis, the rewards program for the Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage Visa Signature is fairly straightforward. Spenders earn two AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and one AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent on other purchases. Miles earned by this card will never expire as long as one of the three following criteria are met every 18 months:

  1. You redeem American Airlines AAdvantage® miles,
  2. You earn miles on an American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection carrier, or
  3. You earn miles through an approved American Airlines AAdvantage participant

Every card membership year in which you make at least $30,000 in purchases, you also receive a $100 flight discount redeemable towards an American Airlines, American Eagle, or AmericanConnection carrier ticket originating in the U.S., or towards a ticket booked with a oneworld partner or on an American Airlines codeshare flight.

Frequent American Airlines fliers will appreciate that this card lets you check one standard eligible bag for free (normally $25 for a domestic flight). Also free are the first checked bags of up to four traveling companions, as long as they’re traveling on the same reservation as the primary cardholder — a nice benefit for family travel. Cardholders and up to four companions on the same reservation also get priority boarding for flights.

The interest rate for the Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage Visa Signature — currently a variable APR of 15.24% for purchases — is above the average for rewards cards. The cash advance APR is 25.24%, but for most responsible cardholders, cash advances will not be a consideration.

Unfortunately, there is a $95 annual fee associated with this card, but the fee is waived during the first year. Plus, if you usually check a bag on your American Airlines flights, the first-checked-bag-free benefit would more than cover that annual fee within one round-trip itinerary for two people.

When you look at the Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage Visa Signature from top to bottom, the card appears to come off as average or perhaps below average. This card is best for people who can pay their balance in full each month and who are American Airlines frequent flyers, both because the bonus miles you earn for initial spending adds up to a free flight and because of the travel perks that can make each American Airlines flight a little more pleasant. Only frequent flyers of American Airlines should consider owning this card. To apply, visit the Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage Visa Signature application.

{ 0 comments }

The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards, May 2012

This article was written by in Credit, Featured. 16 comments.

It’s time to plan your holiday travel. That may mean cashing in the travel rewards you’ve accumulated on credit cards — or it may mean starting to use a travel rewards credit card. Chances are you spend money on some necessities, and when you do, tailoring the rewards you receive to your travel needs could end up financially benefiting you and your family even more than a cash back credit card might. Keep in mind, of course, that increasing your spending just to earn rewards doesn’t make sense, and it would be worse if you had to pay interest on your balances.

When you have controlled spending that you can afford, and you pay your credit card bill in full and on time every month, you can offset your costs of travel by earning rewards. Using the travel rewards credit card that best matches your travel needs for the spending you would be doing anyway could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime. For example, some cards offer free flights and hotels while others can soften the blow of foreign transaction fees.

Listed below are the best travel rewards credit cards available today. If you’ve got a card you think deserves to be on this list, let us know and we’ll add it.

Editor’s choice

Chase Sapphire Preferred CardChase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card. The Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card offers a bonus if you spend at least $3,000 on the card in the first three months. That reward comes in the form of 40,000 bonus points, which can be redeemed for $500 in travel booked through Ultimate Rewards. When you book through Ultimate Rewards you can get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises. Additionally, you can earn double rewards on travel and dining purchases. The Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card carries no annual fee for the first year, $95 thereafter. There are no blackout dates or restrictions of any kind when using your rewards points.

For more about the Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card 40,000 bonus points introductory offer, visit my Chase Sapphire℠ Preferred Card Earn 40,000 bonus points review.

Miles by Discover® CardMiles by Discover® Card. The Miles by Discover Card offers the opportunity to earn 12,000 bonus miles during the first year you own the card. The card provides 1,000 miles for each month you make at least one purchase. You can earn double miles on your first $3,000 in combined travel and restaurant purchases each year and one mile on all other purchases. Unlike many travel rewards credit cards, the Miles by Discover Card carries no annual fee for the life of the card and has an introductory offer of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for up to six months.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American ExpressStarwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express continues to be one of the best travel rewards credit cards you can find. 25,000 bonus Starpoints can be yours in two easy steps. First, you earn 10,000 bonus points after making your first purchase, then 15,000 more bonus points can be earned if you spend $5,000 on your new card in the first six months, which is enough for a six night stay at a category 1 or 2 hotel.

With this card you can earn up to 5 Starpoints at hotels and resorts participating in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. When redeeming your points you can select from over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries and for flights on more than 350 airlines, all with no blackout dates*. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express carries no annual fee for the first year, $65 thereafter.

Premier Rewards Gold CardAmerican Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card. The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card offers 25,000 points when you spend at least $2,000 in the first three months. You can earn membership points three times as fast when you book airfare using this card and twice as fast when you purchase gas or groceries. The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card carries no annual fee for the first year, $175 thereafter.

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® CardPenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card. The PenFed Travel Rewards American Express Card is like no other in terms of rewards, offering consumers 5 points for every dollar spent on airfare. If you spend at least $650 within the first three months of card ownership, you’ll receive 20,000 points, enough for $250 toward a round-trip ticket. At least one reward point per dollar will be earned on all other purchases. The PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card does not have an annual fee. There is an introductory APR of 4.99% on balance transfers made between April 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012, and there is no balance transfer fee on transfers made between April 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. However transfers made after that time will cost a relatively low 3% balance transfer fee with a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $250. You must be a PenFed member to be approved for this card, but if you are not associated with the military, the American Red Cross, or any number of qualifying organizations, a one-time $15 or $20 membership donation will do the trick.

Capital One® Venture Rewards Credit Card. You earn 10,000 bonus miles on your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card after you spend $1,000 in the first three months of owning your card. You can earn double miles on every purchase, making this card one of the best travel rewards credit cards available today. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card carries no annual fee for the first year, $59 thereafter, and Capital One is the only issuer that does not charge foreign transaction fees for any of their cards. This means if you spend money on international purchases, you won’t receive the typical 1% to 3% fee.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

Photo: Kossy@FINEDAYS

{ 16 comments }

Best 0% APR on Balance Transfers Credit Cards, May 2012

This article was written by in Credit. 5 comments.

Credit card debt is never fun, and developing a plan to get yourself out of the debt can be exhausting. Credit cards commonly charge interest rates of 20% or more, and if you miss a few payments the default rate can be even worse. Fortunately, if your credit is still decent, there is a way to make payments on your credit card without paying any interest. That’s through a solid 0% balance transfer offer provided by a new credit card.

0% APR balance transfer offers are commonly provided by credit card issuers to attract new customers. Credit card issuers rightfully assume that if they can attract you to their product by offering to house your debt for 0% interest, you’re likely to generate new debt after you’ve paid off the old debt. The trick in taking advantage of a balance transfer offer is to pay off the entire debt during the 0% introductory offer, then pledging never again to get deep into credit card debt. It’s easier said than done for many.

Many top credit cards offers now have balance transfer fees, but even with a fee, you could save thousands of dollars of interest charges by taking advantage of 0% APR balance transfer offers. Below you will find the best credit cards available for balance transfers as of May 2012. If you have a favorite balance transfer offer not included on this list, let me know and I’ll add it.

Chase (JPMorgan Chase & Co.) Slate® from Chase – No Balance Transfer Fee. If you have excellent or good credit, the Slate® from Chase – No Balance Transfer Fee offers a 0% introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfers for fifteen months, without charging the dreaded balance transfer fee on transfers made within 30 days of account opening. All other transfers will be charged $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. The Slate® from Chase – No Balance Transfer Fee also offers a low standard APR of 11.99%, 16.99% or 21.99% variable, depending on your credit history. The card comes with Chase’s Blueprint feature, which allows you to watch your spending like a hawk, paying down the purchases you want as soon as possible.

You’ll avoid the 3% surcharge when making a balance transfer within 30 days of account opening, so if you can pay off your credit card balance in the fifteen month time-frame, the total cost of fees and interest is zero. The Slate® from Chase – No Balance Transfer Fee also has the benefit of being annual-fee free, so depending on your needs, this card could represent the highest amount of savings.

Discover® More® CardDiscover® More® Card. Discover More Card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for fifteen months and a 0% introductory APR on purchases for fifteen months. Discover has a balance transfer fee of 3%. With this card you’ll earn other benefits such as 0.25% cash back on your first $3,000 in annual purchases then 1% cash back thereafter. The opportunity to earn 5% cash back on rotating categories, subject to a maximum spending limit and quarterly enrollment, is also present. There is no annual fee.

Discover Motiva CardDiscover® Motiva® Card. With the Discover Motiva Card, the 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers is in effect for fifteen months. The balance transfer fee is 3%. After the introductory period expires, the regular APR is 10.99% to 20.99% variable*, depending on your credit history. The Discover Motiva Card also includes a cash back rewards feature, in which card holders earn 0.25% cash back on the first $3,000 spent on the card and 1% cash back thereafter.

Chase Freedom® Visa - $100 Bonus Cash BackChase Freedom® Visa. The Chase Freedom® Visa offers account holders a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for fifteen months and carries a 3% balance transfer fee ($5 minimum). The Chase Freedom® Visa provides 1% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on rotating categories, subject to a maximum and quarterly enrollment, and is therefore one of my favorite cash back credit cards. With the current offer you can earn $100 bonus cash back after you spend just $500 in the first three months of card membership. The Chase Freedom® Visa also offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for fifteen months and does not have an annual fee.

For diligent credit card users, balance transfer cards can be efficient tools for keeping your bank account balance intact, making better use of your cash than spending your own money for a large purchase. In great economic environments, you could earn interest on your money while paying off your expenses with a 0% interest rate. The proliferation of balance transfer fees makes this type of arbitrage more difficult, but with a few fee-free offers being available today, you might be able to earn interest on your card issuer’s money if you don’t fall into any traps.

{ 5 comments }

Barclaycard Ring MasterCard Sets Its Features Through Crowdsourcing

by Flexo
Crowd

Barclaycard, a credit card issuer that primarily furnishes branded credit cards, like the Best Western Credit Card and the Carnival Credit Card, is experimenting with a new business model with a brand new card called Barclaycard Ring. I have to wonder if the “Ring” in the name of the credit card refers to a circus, ... Continue reading this article…

8 comments Read the full article →

Expense Report, February 2012

by Flexo
Expense Report, February 2012

I mentioned a few months ago with my year-end balance sheet that I would soon be changing the way I report my finances publicly. These monthly reports have been a relatively consistent part of Consumerism Commentary since I founded this website in July 2003. One of the original purposes of this website was to help ... Continue reading this article…

14 comments Read the full article →

The Best Small Business Credit Cards, May 2012

by Flexo

Small businesses often require a substantial line of credit early on to survive the start-up stage. In a perfect world, everyone would have the cash to fund their start-up but it’s not always that easy. These days, finding a bank that can lend to small businesses is extremely difficult, so one of the alternatives is ... Continue reading this article…

7 comments Read the full article →

Church Health Insurance: Effective in the Amish Community

by Flexo
Horse and buggy

The Amish community is exempt from the health insurance mandate that is now federal law. Members of this community rely on each other for taking care of their health, rather than relying on insurance companies. It’s an interesting approach to healthcare, and it is effective for communities where people rarely leave or enter. I visited ... Continue reading this article…

7 comments Read the full article →
Page 1 of 1412345···Last »