With Bonus, Buy Amtrak Points Now and Redeem for Train Tickets Later

In general I don’t recommend buying points for travel, since the points needed in order to get a ticket are often more expensive than just getting a ticket outright. But with bonuses, that might not be always the case. Throughout the month of September 2011, Amtrak is offering a 50% bonus for any point purchases [...]

More on the Zipcar Deals

Yesterday I wrote a post on three current Zipcar offers: a deal from LivingSocial, an $80 referral bonus from Zipcar, and a reimbursement for residents of the City of Alexandria. It looks like LivingSocial has extended its Daily Deal for another day, so you now have until tonight at midnight to get a Zipcar membership [...]

Three Zipcar Deals to Go Around

It took me a while to join Zipcar. The problem was that I would look into signing up whenever I needed a car right then and there, but Zipcar membership doesn’t go through immediately since they have to verify your driver’s license information for insurance purposes and get the Zipcar card (which unlocks the car [...]

What the Airline Tax Holiday and the Tax Reinstatement Mean for Your Wallet

The short answer: probably nothing. On July 22, 2011, Congress failed to extend the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) budget and, along with it, airlines’ authority to collect taxes to fund the FAA, leading to a lot of questions and concerns about air travel in the US. Among these were whether this would bring furloughs for [...]

Bikes on a Plane

In a recent conversation with a friend, I learned that she was considering taking a 9-hour-or-more bus ride from Boston to Washington, DC, to bring her bike down. The alternative, she thought, was limited to having it sent through Fedex or UPS. Little did she know that most airlines actually allow you to check-in a [...]

DC Area: Today, Get a Little More for Donating Your Clunker

If you are in or close to Washington, DC, today might be the perfect day to donate your clunker and get a little bit more for that.  In general, donating your car can be a good deal, as it should ideally lower your gas and maintenance cost and offer a hefty tax deduction through itemizing.  [...]

Parking Wars

Parking Wars is a reality television series that follows “the everyday people on the front lines of parking enforcement in Philadelphia and Detroit.”  While most of our parking violations won’t even be half as dramatic, I hope none of our readers has accepted a parking citation without putting up a fight. The first thing you [...]

At the Showroom, Don’t Forget the Deduction

As 2010 car models start creeping into showrooms and auto dealers lay on incentives in the hopes of beating the continued decline in car sales, buying a new car may start looking like an attractive option again.  And even with the end of the Cash for Clunkers program, the US government is still willing to [...]

Open Season to Get Some Tax Savings

The annual open enrollment period is upon us once again.  Over the past and in the coming weeks, you should receive information packages from your employer on your benefit enrollment options and instructions for this year.  Now is the time to evaluate the benefits you have and decide which to keep, change, or remove.  The [...]

In Europe, Have Your Age Subsidize Your Travel

If you are planning a trip to Europe and are 25 years old or under, make sure to look for discounts not only at attractions that commonly offer student discounts such as museums and performances, but also on transportation.  In contrast to the American standard practice, in Europe most discounts are available for people aged [...]