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Apache is functioning normally

Moving can fire up a rollercoaster of emotions. The early rush of excitement may give way to stress over the looming to-do list of all that needs to happen before the big move.

Like any life transition, moving requires a lot of preparation. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways to help streamline the process.

Below are some tips that could make moving more efficient, including a guide to common costs to prepare for.

How to Streamline a Move

Here are a few helpful suggestions whether you’re easing into a new townhouse, apartment, condo, or home.

Get Rid of Unwanted Items

Moving is a chance to let go of items that have gone unused for months or years.

In addition to being able to get rid of unwanted “stuff,” decluttering can help you cut back on moving expenses. With fewer things to move from point A to point B, there’s less need for packing materials or an extra large moving truck. It may even help make the move speedier and more cost-effective, since there’s less stuff to carry (or pay someone else to carry). What’s more, reducing how much you have can also help ensure your new place won’t feel overstuffed.

Prepare Early

As you declutter, it can be useful to identify boxes and packing materials needed during the move, such as packing tape, markers, labels, scissors, newspaper, and bubble wrap. Why spend money on new cardboard boxes when there are likely unused boxes already lying around your home or at friends’ places? A visit to local recycling drop-off points may be in order, as it’s possible they’ll have free cardboard boxes available there, too.

Consider starting off your packing a few weeks ahead of time, with non-essential items like out-of-season clothes or kitchenware that’s rarely used. And consider taking photos of all valuable items as you go. This way, if anything breaks or movers damage something during the move, it will be easier to file a claim and receive reimbursement for it.

Tie Up Loose Ends

Moving to a new area? Consider making a list of everyone you’ll want to contact once you’re settled in your new place.This may include:

•   Friends and family members

•   U.S. Post Office

•   Employers

•   Credit card companies and other financial institutions

•   Service providers (e.g., water bill or internet)

If you’re hoping to keep utilities or services with a specific provider, it may help to call ahead of time to verify if those services are offered in the area you’re moving to and if the service can be transferred to your new address on or after move-in day.

Keep in mind if you’re starting a new service with a new company, you may need to notify them weeks in advance so they have enough time to schedule a technician’s visit or mail out the necessary equipment.

If you’re leaving the region, you’ll also want to make a note to cancel recurring memberships at local-only businesses, such as gyms and fitness centers.

Organize Moving Documents

From leases to service contracts to quotes from moving companies, there’s a lot of paperwork to manage with a move. It can help to keep all important documents organized in a single folder (and be sure to print out a copy of any documents sent to you electronically). Some paperwork to include in the moving folder could be:

•   Old leasing agreements

•   A new signed lease (if renting again)

•   Invoices from professional movers

•   Receipts associated with the move

The paperwork may even come in handy after you move. Members of the U.S. Armed Services may be able to deduct moving expenses, for example. And some companies will reimburse employees who are moving to accept a new job for common moving expenses. Talk to your human resources department to find out if you qualify and which receipts or invoices will be required for documentation.

Prepare a Tip for the Movers

For those who plan to hire professional movers, setting aside cash in an envelope could help when it comes time to tip. Often, people tip their movers if they’re happy with the job they completed. Taking out cash the day before a move can simplify tipping, as it’s one less thing to think about during moving day.

Recommended: The Ultimate Moving Checklist

Common Moving Expenses

When budgeting for a move, it can be useful to plan for expenses that can add up quickly.

Understanding Professional Moving Costs

If you’re moving yourself, plan on paying an average of $50 per day to rent the truck, and budget more for mileage, gas, tolls, and other expenses.

If you’re hiring professionals for the job, you can expect to pay quite a bit more. An in-town move that uses a team of two movers could cost an average of $80 to $100 per hour, according to Consumer Affairs. Moving to another state? Be prepared to spend upwards of $5,000 or more, depending on how far you’re going and the amount of stuff you’re hauling.

You may also want to consider whether to budget for packing services, which typically runs anywhere from $300 to $500, and moving insurance, which protects you in case your items are lost or damaged during the move.

If you’re looking to save a little money — and your schedule is flexible — you may want to look into moving during the middle of the week or middle of the month, when demand tends to be lower.

Estimating Transportation Costs

In addition to budgeting for the cost of moving your things, it’s good to calculate the expense of transporting yourself to your new home. Be sure to factor in expenses such as flights, lodging, food, rental car, and gas.

Other Supplies and Expenses

You might already be loading up on bubble wrap, packing tape, boxes, and labels. But there may be other moving-day essentials to consider.

1.    Cleaning supplies: Many landlords expect outgoing tenants to leave a property just as they found it: clean and empty. Be sure you have a mop, broom, cleaners, and sponges on hand.

2.    Repairs and renovations: Whether you’re patching holes in your old place or making upgrades in your new home, consider budgeting for any renovations or repairs.

3.    Furniture and other home items: You may find that when you move into your new space, you need to buy some new furniture. You may want to set aside a little extra for these purchases.

4.    New license and vehicle registration: If you’re moving across the country, you may need to calculate the cost of getting a new driver’s license and registration in a different state. Fees for getting a new license and vehicle registration vary by state.

Recommended: Things to Budget for After Buying a Home

The Takeaway

Whether you’re relocating across town or across the country, moving can be exciting. But it can also be stressful and expensive. To help streamline the process, you can remove and donate any unwanted items, assemble your supplies and the movers’ tip ahead of time, organize all the moving documents in one place, and alert family, friends, employers, and creditors of your new address.

It also helps to prepare your budget. A DIY move is often the most affordable option — on average, it costs around $50 per day to rent a truck, which does not include mileage, gas, tolls, and other expenses. A professional mover costs substantially more. An in-town move that uses a two-person team may cost around $80 to $100 per hour, but that price could climb into the thousands for an interstate move.

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Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Source: sofi.com

Apache is functioning normally

I shared a list of my favorite books about money once before, but that was over two years ago. I’ve read dozens of books since then (and thumbed through dozens more). Here is a revised list of 25 great books about money.

These are all books that I found entertaining or influential. There are still many “big name” books that I haven’t read, such as “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” and “The Intelligent Investor,” and I’ve left off some perennial favorites such as “The Richest Man in Babylon” and “The Wealthy Barber.”

These books are grouped into sections, roughly following the financial progression of the average person (from debt to financial independence). I’ve linked to the Amazon page for each book, but, as always, I encourage you to borrow the titles that interest you from your public library. If you prefer to read on a device, get to know Overdrive, which allows you to borrow e-books for free.

Debt Reduction

For those in the first stage of personal finance, debt reduction is the most important task. I know from experience that this can seem like a long, lonely battle. But others have fought it before, and have lived to document the process. Here are three books that describe different approaches to winning the fight:

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey — Ramsey is an anti-credit zealot. He made a $4 million fortune by his mid-twenties, and then lost it to bankruptcy. Now he runs a personal-finance empire. He takes a lot of criticism for his support of the debt snowball, which he describes in detail here, but the thing is, his methods work. If you’re struggling with debt, there’s no better starting place than this book. Ramsey’s advice is permeated with his Christianity, but you can get a lot out of this book even if you’re not religious. [My review.]

Debt is Slavery by Michael Mihalik — Debt is Slavery is a deceptively simple book. It’s short. Its advice seems basic. And it’s self-published, so how good can it be? Well, I think it’s great. In fact, I found myself wishing that I had written it. Mihalik’s advice is spot-on, and he covers a lot of topics that other authors shy away from, such as the effects of advertising, the weight of possessions, and the soul-sucking misery that comes from a bad job. This book may be short, but it’s sweet. Especially great for recent graduates, I think.

How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously by Jerrold Mundis — How to Get Out of Debt is built on the principles of Debtors Anonymous, a twelve-step program founded in 1971 to help those who struggle with compulsive debt. Mundis was himself a debtor, and he based this book on his own experience. This isn’t purely theoretical information from the mind of some Wall Street finance whiz who has never struggled; this book contains real tips and real stories from real people. If you’ve tried Dave Ramsey without success, read this. It’s 20 years old, but the information is timeless. [My review.]

Everyday Personal Finance

After you’ve defeated debt, you enter the second stage of personal finance, mastering the everyday habits that allow you to build wealth. The books listed here offer a wide view, discussing many aspects of money. They offer advice about saving, investing, and frugality. They don’t go into much detail about any one subject, but they provide motivation to get started. And that’s what’s most important.

Your Money or Your Life by Dominguez, Robin, and Tilford — A classic, and one of the foundation books for the simplicity movement. The authors play off the concept “time is money” in a very literal sense. They encourage readers to sort out priorities, to cut expenses, and then to seek passive income in pursuit of financial independence. A little New Age-y in spots. An excellent book, and a huge influence on many prominent personal-finance bloggers. I hope to review the new, revised edition of YMoYL soon.

All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi — I didn’t like All Your Worth when I first read it. The book takes a dim view of frugality and thrift, and it contains some wild assumptions (like 12% stock market returns). But with time, I’ve come to appreciate the strength of All Your Worth, not just for those struggling to shake off debt, but also for those of us who are beginning to build wealth. This book’s balanced money formula is probably the single most important part of my current financial plan. There’s good stuff here, though you may need to filter some of the authors’ rhetoric. [My review.]

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi — This book is great, but it’s not for everyone. It’s targeted almost exclusively at young adults. If you’re under 30 and single, and if you make a decent living, this book is perfect. But if you’re 45 and married with two children, and if you struggle to make ends meet, this book is less useful. Plus, Ramit has a strong authorial voice. He’s bold, sarcastic, and even a little sassy. Not everyone likes this. If you’re turned off by his blog (or by his guest posts at Get Rich Slowly), you’ll be turned off by his tone in this book. These caveats aside, I Will Teach You to Be Rich is packed with solid advice, cites its sources, and provides scores of tactical tips for managing money. [My review.]

The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn — “The Tightwad Gazette” was a newsletter published during the early 1990s by Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced “decision”). Eventually the back issues were collected into a series of books, which were in turn collected as The Complete Tightwad Gazette. Dacyczyn wrote articles like: “Used Shoes: Are they Good or Bad?”, “Budget Bug-Busting”, “Tightwad Toys”, and “Saving Money on Your Mortgage”. Sounds just like a personal finance blog, doesn’t it? This book has thousands of tips, many of which were contributed by readers of the newsletter. (You won’t find any info on investing here. This book is about frugality!)

Investing

Learning to invest your money wisely is one important aspect of the middle stages of financial development. Wall Street is not friendly to the small investor. It’s designed to part you from your hard-earned dollars. These books can help you develop an investment philosophy that will let you improve your odds of retiring wealthy.

The Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein — I’ve read dozens of books about investing. Of these, The Four Pillars of Investing is probably my favorite. Most investing manuals espouse one sure-fire method or another. Four Pillars does that to an extent, but the author provides a great deal of depth and color to support his argument. I love that Bernstein takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to the subject, not just looking at the theory and business of investing, but also looking at the history and psychology of investing. This is a great book. [My review.]

The Random Walk Guide to Investing by Burton Malkiel — Malkiel is best known for his classic A Random Walk Down Wall Street. This book is shorter, written in plain English (there’s no investing jargon), and easy to understand. But that doesn’t mean it’s simplistic. This is an excellent book, filled with advice based on sound financial principles. It covers risk tolerance, asset allocation, diversification, and even a little behavioral finance. An excellent guide for beginners. [My review.]

The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias — Andrew Tobias is an entertaining writer. His jocular, conversational tone will keep you interested as he describes mutual funds, bonds, and treasury bills. There’s a good section on how to handle a windfall (lottery, inheritance). My favorite bit from Tobias is his three-step budget: destroy your credit cards, invest 20% of everything you earn (and never touch it), and live on the remaining 80% no matter what. Awesome. This is a classic introduction to the subject of investing, though at times it seems a little dated. (You can read Andrew Tobias every day at his blog.

The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing by Larimore, Lindauer, and LeBoeuf — You want expert investment advice? You can’t beat the info found here. These devotees of Vanugard founder John Bogle are big on slow, sure investments like indexed mutual funds. They tap their decades of experience to teach about diversification, inflation, and asset allocation. It’s not nearly as boring as it sounds. This book covers a broad range of topics, though its primary focus is investing. Highly recommended.

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach — There’s more to David Bach than just “the latté factor”. The system he recommends here is excellent — an automated approach to managing your personal finances. If you’ve been meaning to open a Roth IRA, but have never actually done so, then read this book! He’ll explain how to set it up so that it’s painless. The only caveat I’d note is that this book is several years old now, and because it contains specific recommendations for financial companies, it may be be in need of an update.

Financial Independence

This next group of books may be my favorite. These volumes cover topics related to Financial Independence — that magical point where you no longer have to work. This is the final stage of money management. For many people, this means retirement. But it doesn’t have to be that way. These books offer solid advice for how to create a future that matches your dreams.

The Millionaire Next Door by Stanley and Danko — The authors interviewed and surveyed a pool of millionaires, attempting to find common connections among them. They discovered that millionaires live below their means. They budget. They let their adult children make it on their own. This book introduces several key concepts, including degrees of wealth accumulation. It’s a bit tedious in spots, at least in the audio version. This is one of just a few books to cover both sides of the wealth equation: saving money and earning money. [My review.]

Yes, You Can…Achieve Financial Independence by James Stowers — Yes, You Can…Achieve Financial Independence is informative without being dense. It’s accessible without being condescending. Its advice is solid. The book is filled with investment advice, but it gives equal time to thrift and savings. Best of all, it asks as many questions as it provides answers. It prompts the reader to think, to evaluate her priorities. Its message is that yes, you can achieve Financial Independence, but you can’t get there overnight, and you can’t get there without setting goals and making sacrifices. [My review.]

The Incredible Secret Money Machine by Don Lancaster — This hard-to-find volume from 1978 looks like a get-rich-quick book. It’s not. It’s all about starting and running small businesses, especially craft businesses. To Lancaster, a “money machine” is any venture that generates “nickels”. Nickels are small streams of revenue from individual customers. If your goal is simply to earn a comfortable income for yourself by doing something you love, then this book can help you explore the idea of business ownership. One of my Dad’s favorites, and one of my favorites, too. [My review.]

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss — The 4-Hour Workweek is a frustrating book. A lot of the advice seems impractical and out-of-reach for the average person. But on the other hand, it’s filled with inspirational anecdotes and provocative ideas about how you can make the leap from desk jockey to the pursuit of your dreams. In my review, I wrote that this book “is like a kick in the head”, and it’s true. The flow of ideas is relentless. Despite its flaws, I think this is a great book. [My review.]

Work Less, Live More: The Way to Semi-Retirement by Bob Clyatt — While Financial Independence is my long-term dream, semi-retirement is my more immediate goal. Clyatt describes techniques for leaving the workaday world years (or decades) before the traditional retirement age of 65. Work Less, Live More includes sections on defining your goals, learning to live on less, putting your investments on autopilot, and more. This book is like a toned-down, practical version of The 4-Hour Workweek. I like it. A lot.

The Psychology of Money

I firmly believe that success with money is more about mind than it is about math. We all understand the arithmetic behind personal finance — to build wealth, you must spend less than you earn — it’s mastering the emotions and habits that causes us trouble. These books explore your money and your brain.

Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes (and How to Correct Them) by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich — In this short book, Belsky and Gilovich catalog a menagerie of mental mistakes that cause people to spend more than they should. What might have been a boring topic becomes fascinating thanks to an engaging style and plenty of anecdotes and examples. This book covers more than a dozen psychological barriers to wealth and explains how to prevent them from sabotaging you. [My review.]

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz — I just finished this book the other night, and hope to provide a full review in the next week. It’s fascinating. Schwartz argues that the vast array of choices available to us in the marketplace actually make us less happy. We’d be better off with two options for a wide-screen plasma television instead of twenty. Too much choice doesn’t just make us unhappy — it prevents us from making smart decisions. Fascinating stuff.

Kids and Money

Many parents are unprepared to teach their children about money. You needn’t be one of them. These books suggest methods for getting kids to understand how money works.

Living Simply with Children by Marie Sherlock — Sherlock offers tips for how to raise children that aren’t part of the consumerist culture. She encourages strong family ties as a counter to the relentless purchase to acquire “stuff”. Sherlock is also a proponent of using family rituals to replace consumer-oriented cultural activities. There’s some great advice here (the book is strongly influenced by Your Money or Your Life), but some readers may be put off by the author’s philosophy.

Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids by Gail Karlitz — Growing Money has good chapters on banks and bonds, but most of the book is devoted to stocks. The book also contains chapters on the history of the stock market, how investors make money, and how to buy and sell stocks. This is probably my favorite book for children, but it does have some weak spots. Only one page out of 120 is devoted to mutual funds. Because the book is aimed at children, taxes are barely considered. Still, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. It’s the sort of book to buy for your nephew, but read yourself before you pass it on. [My review.]

What Color is Your Piggy Bank? by Adelia Cellini Linecker — This slim volume is a great choice for kids from 10-14 who are beginning to show an interest in entrepreneurship. Linecker covers the world of jobs, setting up shop, and how to manage money.

Financial Journalism

This final trio of books won’t help you get rich — at least not directly. These don’t contain overt stock tips or advice for frugal living. Instead, they tell real-life stories about certain aspects of finance.

Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart — It’s not just Bernie Madoff. Wall Street has fallen prey to all sorts of unscrupulous men over the course of its history. In Den of Thieves, Stewart takes us inside the high-finance worlds of Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and Dennis Levine. These men were embroiled in the insider trading scandals that shook the market during the 1980s, and through their stories were able to see just how corrupting the influence of money can be. A little dense at times, but a great way to learn about the market.

Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein — It’s no secret that Warren Buffett is one of my financial heroes. In this biography of Buffett, Roger Lowenstein describes the events that shaped his life, starting as a boy in the early 1930s. As we follow Buffett’s growth, we learn about the development of investment theory. There’s plenty of information here about Buffett’s investment philosophy. Entertaining and educational.

Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel — Writer Studs Terkel published Hard Times in 1970. It features excerpts from over 100 interviews he conducted with those who lived through the 1930s. Terkel spoke with all sorts of people: old and young, rich and poor, famous and not-so-famous, liberal and conservative. By including the perspectives of so many different people, Terkel is able to paint a richer picture of what things were like. [My review.]

Bonus! The Worst Book About Money

Over the past few years, I’ve read many bad books about money. But none can compare to to the idiocy contained in The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. This book promotes all of the wrong messages, and encourages readers to believe that if they simply wish for something, it will come true.

The Secret contains tips like:

  • “It is helpful to use your imagination and make-believe you already have the money you want. Play games of having wealth and you will feel better about money; as you feel better about it, more will flow into your life.”
  • “The only reason any person does not have enough money is because they are blocking money from coming to them with their thoughts.”
  • “Visualize checks in the mail.”

“This kind of crap is dangerous,” I wrote in my original review. “It’s get-rich-quick drivel of the worst sort. It doesn’t help people address their money issues. It puts them into a pattern of wishful thinking.”

This book is awful.

Final Thoughts

Few personal finance books are perfect. For most, you need to employ personal filters. Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover is a fantastic book on debt reduction, but if you’re not Christian, you’ll have to tune out the Bible verses. All Your Worth contains a great plan for achieving financial balance, but you may need to ignore its constant disparaging of frugality and thrift.

Because I’ve limited myself to 25 books, I’ve had to leave a lot of great titles off the list. Please feel to share your favorite books about money and explain why others should read them.

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

Apache is functioning normally

It’s the summer of Barbie. The movie release date is set for July 21, but the celebration of the iconic doll is going all season with pop-up exhibitions and hotel promotions.

If you want to travel to your own Barbie dream world, here are the best Barbie-inspired trips you can take this summer:

1. World of Barbie: Santa Monica, California

(Photo by Meghan Coyle)

The World of Barbie in Santa Monica, California, is a temporary exhibition that takes people into Barbie’s world, including a real-life version of her Dreamhouse, camper van, space shuttle and TV studio. There’s also a gallery portion with vintage Barbie dolls and cars on display.

The exhibit is mainly a giant photo opportunity, with some interactive activities for kids, like a ball pit, and even a salon with real stylists on certain days. If you want a unique souvenir, consider building your own custom Barbie set from scratch for an additional fee.

Ticket prices run from $35 to $50 per adult and $25 to $32 per child. The exhibit is open through early September.

2. Malibu Barbie Cafe: Chicago and New York

(Photo courtesy of Bucket Listers)

Barbie apparently eats rainbow pancakes, beach burgers and candied bacon at the Malibu Barbie Cafe. The Barbie-inspired restaurant is operating in Chicago and New York with a menu by Chef Becky Brown, who was a semifinalist on MasterChef.

And there’s more to do at the Barbie restaurant than just eat. At the Chicago location, there’s a roller skating rink. Both sites have a gift shop, plus plenty of Instagram-worthy sets designed for you to have your own Barbie-inspired photo shoot.

Both restaurant locations are temporary, with tickets available through mid-September.

3. The Barbie room at The Curtis Hotel: Denver

(Photo courtesy of Hilton)

You can book a Barbie-themed hotel room at The Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver. Though the hotel has a boutique feel, it’s actually part of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand.

This hotel has standard rooms as well as themed rooms, including one dedicated to Barbie. The themed rooms typically cost about $50 to $60 more per night than standard rooms, according to hotel spokesperson Tamara Atkin.

The Barbie room is decorated with images of the iconic dolls and has a salon chair inside. And unlike the other temporary offerings, The Curtis Hotel’s Barbie room is a permanent fixture. Though, for a limited time, guests also receive a complimentary makeup case and a voucher for a martini from the hotel bar when they book.

4. The Don CeSar: St. Pete Beach, Florida

(Photo courtesy of The Don CeSar)

This beachfront resort isn’t officially considered a Barbie hotel, but the Don CeSar is known as the “Pink Palace.” It exudes historical charm with a famous pink exterior.

Ron Sandel, general manager of HotelTonight, said in an email that the hotel has seen a 30% increase in bookings this year versus last.

“With Barbie mania in full effect this summer, we’re not surprised to see HotelTonight users book the pink-walled hotel,” he said. “In addition to being steps away from one of the best beaches in the country, we love Don CeSar for its 1950s-style ice cream parlor.”

5. The Ken Dreamhouse on Airbnb: Malibu, California

(Image courtesy of Airbnb)

Only a handful of lucky people will get a chance to stay in what might be the ultimate Airbnb: Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse. The oceanfront mansion includes a disco dance floor and infinity pool.

Airbnb has run promotions for the glitzy house before, and this time, the vacation rental is decked out in honor of Barbie’s beau, Ken. It’s available to book for just two nights this summer, July 21 and July 22.

Anyone can request to book the Malibu Dreamhouse for a one-night stay for up to two guests each. While Airbnb says the bookings aren’t a contest, stays are free of charge, aside from taxes and fees. The booking window opens Monday, July 17, at 10 a.m. PT, so be ready to click.

(Top photo courtesy of World of Barbie)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

Source: nerdwallet.com

Apache is functioning normally

Apache is functioning normally

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Barclays is offering up to 50,000 miles on the Frontier card after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days

Card Details

  • $89 annual fee waived first year
  • Card earns at the following rates:
    • 5x at flyfrontier.com
    • 3x on restaurant purchases
    • 1x on all other purchases
  • Earn 1 qualifying mile for every $1 spent
  • Family pooling
  • $100 flight voucher after you spend $2,500 or more on purchases during your card member year

Our Verdict

Previous best offer was 60,000 miles but the annual fee wasn’t waived. The issue with Barclays cards is getting approved. With huge bonuses on the American Airlines, Wyndham and Hawaiian it might be worth focusing on those offers. You can read these things everybody should know about Barclays cards by clicking here. We will add this new offer to our best credit card bonuses.

Hat tip to reader Diggs

Source: doctorofcredit.com

Apache is functioning normally

Apache is functioning normally

“Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, due to the weather and necessary routing, we are currently having a weight and balance issue and are looking for three volunteers with flexible travel plans to come to see me at the front of the plane and take a later flight to New York in exchange for $1,000 in future United credit each.”

The gate attendant who had stepped onto the delayed plane with this “bad news” had barely finished saying those words before my seatbelt was unbuckled and I was shooting toward the front of the plane.

I was flying with my two kids, and that $3,000 credit was the right price for the three of us to get to New York City a few hours later that night.

And as promised, once we grabbed our carry-on bags and quickly hustled off the plane, United quickly processed each of our flight credits (good for the next 12 months) at the gate, booked us on the next flight to New York and threw in $20 in vouchers for each of us for dinner at the airport while we waited for the next flight.

This wasn’t a fluke.

On our flight home from LaGuardia Airport two days later, the gate agent again needed volunteers to take a later flight back to Houston.

This time, the flight was oversold. The flight credit offer started at $500 per person and increased to $750 when there weren’t takers at the lower amount. Unfortunately, we couldn’t participate this time as the next available flight wasn’t until the next day and airspace in the Northeast was shaping up to be a hot mess.

However, this trend of too-full flights and opportunities to earn flight credit by being flexible will likely play out at gates across the country for the next few hot, busy travel months.

Related: Best credit cards for built-in travel protections

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There will be opportunities to get flight credit to take a later flight

It’s no secret that summer is a busy travel season, with weekends, such as the one we were traveling, ranking as some of the busiest days of the year to fly.

So with full flights (some with more tickets sold to passengers than there are seats on the plane) and weather that can necessitate flying with fewer passengers than the maximum number of seats on the plane, the situations that played out on our recent flights will happen again numerous times this summer, especially during the busiest travel days.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Airlines prefer to find volunteers rather than bump passengers involuntarily

Overbooking flights and denying boarding to passengers as a result is not illegal, but it doesn’t win airlines many points in the court of public opinion.

So, when more people show up for the flight than anticipated, or if the airline can’t use as many seats on the plane as it had planned for whatever reason, airlines typically start asking for volunteers who are willing to give up their seats, usually in exchange for something.

While involuntarily bumping passengers isn’t illegal, certain monetary amounts must be awarded per U.S. Department of Transportation rules — assuming your situation falls into the prescribed definition, which does have caveats.

If you are involuntarily denied boarding, and the airline can’t get you to your destination within an hour of the original schedule, you are entitled to 200% of your one-way fare or $775, whichever is lower. If the airline can’t get you there within two hours (four if it’s an international flight), that amount increases to 400% of your one-way fare or $1,550, whichever is lower.

However, those rules don’t apply if the airline can find volunteers to willingly give up their seats, as we did.

There are no rules for what is required to be awarded to volunteers, so the only real threshold is what passengers are willing to raise their hands and accept.

A good sign your flight might be heading for an oversold situation is if, when you check in for your flight, there’s a screen that asks if you might be willing to volunteer to take a later flight. It’s possible the airline won’t ultimately need volunteers on that flight, but it might.

LU SHAOJI/GETTY IMAGES

Things to know about getting voluntary bump compensation

Every situation is unique and different airlines handle these things in their own ways, but many options are on the table when the airline needs your seat.

The more it needs it, the more likely you will get a yes to your requests. Here are some things to remember if you volunteer to be bumped to another flight in exchange for compensation.

Be ready

Make sure you’re physically close to the gate and/or ready to quickly step up if you want to volunteer when the airline needs passengers to take bump compensation in exchange for a future flight. Typically, the order in which you line up to see the gate agent (or at the front of the plane, in my case) to volunteer is the order they will go in. You can also go up and ask the gate agent when you first arrive at the gate and let them know you’re willing to help out if they need your seat if you think the flight may be (too) full.

Do a little homework

Research other available flights if you think your airline may need volunteers to take other flights so you’ll have a good idea of what’s possible. Some airlines will rebook you on other airlines while others will not, but check everything to see what might work best.

Get confirmation

Be certain about when the next confirmed seat to your destination is available. Don’t accept standby tickets or say yes to being a volunteer until you are certain you have a confirmed seat to get you where you want to be by the time you want to be there.

Know what’s offered

Have a clear understanding of what is being offered. It’s probably not cash but is most likely future flight credit or potentially a gift card. For example, Delta Air Lines has a program where you can choose the retailer for your gift card. However, understand the type of credit and any restrictions before you say yes.

Negotiate

The amount of flight credit is negotiable. It’s normal for the offer to increase over time if there aren’t takers at the lower amounts. For example, if there are no nibbles at $250 in credit, it may go to $500, etc. You can also politely ask if more is available, which there may or may not be based on whether the airline can find volunteers at the amounts it first offers.

Offers may increase

If the amount the airline offers increases to get more volunteers, everyone who volunteers may get that higher amount. This isn’t guaranteed and may change as more airlines experiment with using a reverse bidding-type process in their apps for oversold situations. However, in the traditional way, where everyone is at the gate until the airline gets enough volunteers, it’s still likely all of them will get the highest amount.

Try for first class

You can ask for first-class seats on your new flight. Again, there are no guarantees this will be a yes, but if they can accommodate you in first class on another flight, they might. In our case, we lost two of our three upgrades on our new flight as it was simply already full, but if we wanted to wait for a flight with first-class seats, I imagine we could have.

Ask for extras

It’s also fair to ask for meal vouchers, a hotel room (if requiring an overnight stay) and cab rides to and from the hotel or to an alternate airport if required.

Be kind

As always, be nice. A flight that’s too full is likely a stressful situation for the agents who are working the flight. The nicer and more understanding you are, the better for all involved.

Save your voucher

Take photos of your voucher and keep it in a safe space so you don’t do all of that for nothing!

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Related: Can it be too hot to safely fly?

Bottom line

It’s busy, it’s hot, and if you fly enough this summer, you just might get the chance to make a split-second decision like we did and give up your seats on the flight in exchange for future flight credit — and sometimes even more.

We got to New York City about two hours later than originally planned and, in exchange, have $3,000 to spend on United flights for the next 12 months — and I’ll be keeping my ears open for a chance to do that again.

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Source: thepointsguy.com