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| View from a Southwest Airplane |
I love Southwest Airlines for their low fares and wide range of destinations in the United States, but I am not a fan of their seating plan. I have no doubt that there are many others that feel the same!
I've taken a little break from collecting personal finance articles to read, and I'm back! Here are my latest favorite finds:
From financialsamurai.com: The Rise of Stealth Wealth: Ways To Stay Invisible From Society If You Have Money
From bitchesgetriches.com: The Dollar Bill Game: What You'd Do if Money Were No Object Says a Lot About You
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| Paddling on the 4th of July with the family. |
From retirebeforedad.com: The Problem With a "Forever Home" Mindset in Retirement
From apurplelife.com: Cheers To 6 Years Of A Purple Life!
From routetoretire.com: The Realities of Adventure: Are The Headaches Before And After Worth It?
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| Getting chased by hungry ducks while kayaking on the Allegheny River in PA last week! |
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Who doesn't enjoy a getaway trip during Spring break week? Armed with a new signup credit card bonus from Southwest Airlines and a good number of Ultimate Rewards points from Chase, I researched high and low about where we should go.
The choice this year for Spring break travel was Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona! I researched the average temps for early April and saw they were generally in the 60 degree range. Sounds great compared to the generally cold, rainy weather of our home in the northeast.
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| Sedona, Mescal Trail View |
I set an alarm for the day that Southwest Air flights opened for the end of March/ early April, seeing that my usual experience was that it would be cheaper to buy tickets earlier when they were offered vs later. So, on August 3rd, the plane tickets were purchased, including Early bird check in. For 34,000 points each round trip x 3. A very good deal, in my opinion. Total other cost was $133 for taxes/EBCI. Ok, step one done in our vacation plan!
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| Sedona, Mescal Trail View |
Still waiting for Spring weather here in Western New York.....
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| Fresh snow for my hike Tuesday. |
From abandonedcubicle.com: Is There an Airbnb Bust?
It has been my experience that the earlier I booked my tickets on Southwest Airlines, the lower the price I would pay. Sometimes this isn't true!
In January, I booked a trip for September for 35,000 points round trip. Two months later, in March, I checked the price and the same round trip ticket was now 28,000 points, a 7,000 point difference!
Southwest Airlines does NOT automatically refund you if the price drops after you buy your ticket. I had heard that you CAN get a refund of the price difference, but wasn't sure how.
After doing some research, here's how to get your refund:
Aldi prices are generally cheaper than Wegmans, most of the time. Is it worth your time to shop at two different grocery stores? Let's see how much I saved!
I am fortunate where I live that there is an Aldi store right next to a Wegmans store. If I have enough time, I will go to Aldi and get what I can, and then take the quick drive to Wegmans and finish my list.
I buy my cats' Iams food products at Wegmans since it's not available at Aldi. I mostly buy my meat products at Wegmans. Some paper and vitamin products won't be available at Aldi. (Think bathcups, daily vitamins)
My Reading List of Personal Finance Blogs for Tuesday, 3/19/2024
Happy Tuesday! I hope the weather is nicer where you are. Here in Western New York it's 32 degrees and snowing! Dreaming of spring and summer.....
From Retire by 40: FIRE The Greatest Gift for My Son
From Rich & Regular: Is F.I.R.E. really... a movement?