You Ken Travel

Whenever I think New York, I think pricey.  I'm probably going to take a bus up from DC then I need to hop on Priceline or AirBnB to find a cheap place to stay and that's just to get there and stay there.  Unless I plan on starving myself and sitting in a corner, there's a lot more money that needs to be spent.  New York is so great with so much food and fun but it comes with a cost.  However, the story changes when you have some points to help you out. Cookie from Levain Bakery. Today I'm going to share with you guys how I managed to use points to redeem a trip to NYC worth over $1,000 for free!  My wife was already going up for a work trip from Tuesday to Thursday, but we wanted to stay a few extra days to maximize our DINK (Dual Income No Kids) fun before the baby girl comes in May! Technically, it isn't quite fair that she had a free roundtrip Amtrak tickets.  Nevertheless, I extended our trip so we could stay Thursday to Saturday and g...

When the news broke last summer that Amazon was set to buy Whole Foods, rumors were floating around about the potential of this acquisition.  People were dreaming of drones delivering grass-fed beef, lower priced avocados, and so much more.  I'll admit, I was one of these dreamers too.  Unfortunately, a few months have passed and it seems like nothing has changed for an average consumer like me.  The only thing I've noticed is that I can buy an Amazon Echo Dot, Red Boat Fish Sauce, and Halo Top Ice Cream at one store. Photo by Whole Foods But it looks like things have changed.  Two weeks ago, I woke up to an email telling me that my Amazon Prime Rewards Visa now gives me 5% cash back at Whole Foods.  In case you didn't know, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa is a credit card affiliated with Amazon provided by Chase.  Today we're going to take a deeper look at this credit card! The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa is not a travel rewards credit card. ...

What happens after the signup bonus? That's a valid question.  As I wrote it my review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred , the 50,000 point signup bonus can be worth up to $800.  So what about after it comes and goes and you don't have any points left?  Is it time to keep opening as many cards as you can and just accumulating signup bonuses? Sunsets at Victoria Peak. Wow. Short answer is no.  While it is definitely one way to go about it, it is not effective when you think long term.  One of my favorite things to cook in a crockpot is pulled pork carnitas. It takes 8 hours to break down the toughness of the pork shoulder into something that tastes amazing.  But enough food talk.  Same concept applies here.  Don't rush it. Follow these 3 basic principles to move past the honeymoon phase of the signup bonus and buckle down to maximize your points earning. 1.  Get Lean and Focused What's wrong with this picture? Too much stuff and...