Savings Saturday #1 : Target

Target is one of my favorite stores to shop at. However, my Target location is around 30 minutes away from my house. Driving that distance really eats into the savings I pick up from shopping there. Here's the two simple steps I use to save up to 25% off on my purchases at Target:

• First, instead of shopping in store I shop on Target.com or use the Target app. 

Shopping online allows me to shop from home or when I'm on the go. This saves me valuable time and gas money. Shopping online also allows me to use the subscribe and save 5% purchase option. Subscribing to products you regularly buy can save you a lot of time and save you 5% each time you get an order. Also, when you buy online don't forget to take advantage of the many free gift card offers Target has when you buy 2 or more health or cleaning products.

• Secondly, I use deals websites like EBATES and RAISE to stack my savings.

Click the link above to get $10 when you use EBATES for the first time!

Currently, EBATES is offering 15% off on purchases made at Target! This is incredible and this cashback can be stacked in addition to any coupons or promo codes that you may have found online. Also, I check Raise.com before I make my purchase to see if discounted gift cards can offer me a greater value than paying with my REDcard (which saves me 5%). Right now you can save 6.5% on Target gift cards purchased at Raise.com.

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I hope you save yourself a lot of money when you shop at Target! If you haven't already signed up for EBATES or Raise you can earn $15 by using my sign up links in the bullet point. If you like Savings Saturday check my website next weekend for another savings breakdown and please follow me on Twitter @DNicolasL

Chase Sapphire Reserve: $300 Annual Travel Credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card made headlines last year by launching with the most features and benefits from a credit card released to date. The amount of benefits is staggering! I wanted to write a guide to help you get the most from your Chase Sapphire Reserve.

[I will now refer to the Chase Sapphire Reserve as the CSR]

The first benefit lauded on the CSR website is a $300 annual travel credit. This is the official description of the benefit from Chase:

$300 Annual Travel Credit: A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for purchases in the travel category, up to $300 in statement credits annually (“annually” means the year beginning with your account open date through the first December statement date of that same year, and each 12 billing cycles starting after your December statement date through the following December statement date). Purchases are when you, or an authorized user, use a card to make purchases of products and services, minus returns or refunds. Buying products and services with your card, in most cases, will count as a purchase; however, the following types of transactions won’t count: balance transfers, cash advances, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, any checks that access your account, overdraft advances, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable. We do not determine whether merchants correctly identify and bill transactions as being of a certain type. For more information about Chase rewards categories, see www.Chase.com/RewardsCategoryFAQs. Statement credit(s) will post to your account the same day your travel category purchase posts to your account and will appear on your monthly credit card billing statement within 1-2 billing cycles. Qualifying purchases made by authorized users on your account will be included in the $300 Annual Travel Credit. Maximum statement credit accumulation for the Annual Travel Credit is $300 annually. The Annual Travel Credit will be issued for the year in which the transaction posts to your account, through your December statement date. For example, if you pay for baggage fees, but the airline does not post the transaction until after your December statement date, the cost of the baggage fees will be allocated towards the following year’s Annual Travel Credit maximum of $300.

Here's how the description can be interpreted in plain terms. You will receive upon being approved for the CSR $300 in travel credits. This credit will expire at the first December statement date after approval. For example, if you sign up for the CSR in October you will have to use the $300 statement credit by your December statement date. After the first December statement your $300 annual travel credit will be based on the upcoming 12 consecutive billing cycles (December to December) to redeem. To redeem your travel credit you or any authorized user must charge on purchases coded as travel. These are the purchases that qualify as travel by Chase:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages. Please note that some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, merchants within hotels and airports, and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. In addition, the purchasing of points or miles does not qualify in this category.

To clarify, gambling and theme park admission will not qualify as "travel".

Now you don't have to spend your $300 all at once. You will receive statement credit for whatever amount you use. I used my entire $300 on one purchase. I was credited my entire $300 annual travel credit on the statement that my travel posted to my credit card. You are credited on the statement in which your travel credit posts which is not necessarily the statement in which you book your travel.

This was the first post in my deep dive of the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I really believe that the CSR is the BEST credit card for travelers. I will continue reviewing each of the benefits of this credit card so you can get the most out of it! If you have any additional questions please leave a comment.

(I am not compensated for this review.)

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast (Podcast Pick)

Listening to a past episode

If you like to travel you've probably thought about taking a cruise. I'm anxiously counting down the days to my next cruise. Royal Caribbean is the cruise line that I am loyal to. When I want expert cruise advice from knowledgeable insiders I listen to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast. The podcast is a companion to royalcaribbeanblog.com. This fan created podcast features interviews from cruisers along with guests from the Royal Caribbean company. Each week you'll get a new episode that is around 30-45 minutes discussing Royal Caribbean news, reviews of cruises, advice, and listener questions and emails. The host is Matt Hochberg who is a cruising enthusiast. I've found his commentary and experience to be invaluable. Each week I get excited when I see a new episode arrive in my feed! Even if you haven't cruised before or thought about it I encourage you to subscribe and see what all the fuss is about. If you are a fan of Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, or another line still give this podcast a listen. You'll be able to compare what Royal Caribbean offers with your favorite cruise line. This is how I got started on cruising and its been a great journey! Who knows maybe I'll see you at sea!

How to listen to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast:

1. The official website of the podcast: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/podcast

2. iTunes:   https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/royal-caribbean-blog-podcast/id685427740?mt=2

3. Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ivzhqk4apf244bja3v54p2pzpaa?t=Royal_Caribbean_Blog_Podcast

4. Pocket Casts: http://pca.st/UNVE

5. In other podcast clients search: Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Enchantment of the Seas (my last cruise)

The Clark Howard Podcast (Podcast Pick)

Overview

Do you want to learn how to save more, spend less, and avoid ripoffs? If you do I suggest you subscribe to The Clark Howard Podcast. The Clark Howard Podcast is a daily podcast ( Monday - Friday) that takes Clark Howard's nationally syndicated radio show and packages it for distribution as a podcast. Each episode is approximately an hour and 15 minutes long.

Radio Shows as Podcasts?

I find podcasts to be an excellent format for consuming radio shows that you can't listen to for one reason or another. Podcasts can be like a DVR for radio! I've even discovered new radio shows by listening to their podcasts!

Summary

Clark Howard has vast knowledge on funding your retirement plan and building/rebuilding your credit. Clark has put his vast knowledge to use in his own life as proof of its value. Still, Clark doesn't claim to give perfect advice. For example, occasionally a segment called Clark Stinks will be played. Clark Stinks covers when listeners feel that Clark didn't give the best advice. Clark covers these audience concerns on air. I find it refreshing to listen to a true consumer advocate that is focused on helping his listeners have a more enjoyable life. I listen to every episode of the podcast and highly recommend it as a Podcast Pick.

Links

Clark Howard's Official Website: here

Clark Howard On Demand app (Android): here (iOS): here

Pocket Casts (Android & iOS) link to subscribe: here

iTunes link: here

Broadcasting

I love to research, study, and learn. The topic that is interesting me right now is: broadcasting. I have become fascinated with broadcasting because I have been relying on broadcast services for my entertainment. Meanwhile, I've noticed that Silicon Valley has been pushing streaming services on the general public. These streaming services and ala carte video services offer lots of choice to the public. One downside is the cost. Streaming services require an internet subscription and many times internet plans aren't unlimited which will restrict how much content you can consume. Many people have overlooked AM/FM radio and over-the-air (OTA) TV as valuable sources of entertainment. All you need is a tuner (a radio or a televison) and an antenna to receive the content being broadcast 24 hours a day over the airwaves. While I am researching this topic I will continue to share little bits of my research. 

Do you listen to or watch any content from a broadcast network? If you do leave a comment!

Keurig

I started my morning at 7:15 a.m with a 10 ounce cup of coffee from my Keurig coffee machine. I really like how quick and easy it is to operate the Keurig line of  products. The products aren't perfect and a few issues have been magnified since Keurig switched to its new 2.0 system. For example, I got irritated when I put one of my favorite K-cups in the brewer and it wouldn't brew. This is because Keurig 2.0 systems have digital rights management (DRM). This means that in a 2.0 brewer a K-cup won't brew unless it is made specifically for the 2.0 system. I didn't know this and I got disappointed when my stash of K-cups were seemingly useless. All hope isn't lost if you have a collection of older K-cups. Your first option is to brew all the cups with your original brewer before switching to the new machine, or you can buy this chip that will trick your Keurig 2.0 into thinking all K-cups are compatible with it.

The coffee I've been drinking recently is called The Original Donut Shop which is a medium roast coffee. I use the most diluted setting on my brewer which is 10 ounces per K-cup. I'm not a coffee fanatic so I can't go into great detail on flavor but it has a good slightly bold coffee flavor without needing much sugar or creamer. When I price shopped the K-Cups I found that a cup of coffee was about .66 per cup which is a bit expensive but the instant coffee is so convenient that I find it worth the extra cost compared to operating a traditional coffee machine.

So even though the Keurig HOT beverage system has its flaws I still like it and use it to kick start my mornings.

(The blue words are links to the products they describe)

My First Pet

Humans are naturally attracted to watching and playing with animals. This fact is why we often want pets with us in our homes. I've always had a special love of animals. When I was seven years old I got my first pet. My first pet was a fish I named Rainbow. Rainbow was a male Betta Splendens (more commonly called a Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish). Betta's were trendy pets in the late 90's. You would often see them in bowls or vases with houseplants growing out of the top. The attention surrounding this species of fish attracted me and my parents to bringing one home. We only brought Rainbow home after we had made sure we had the necessary supplies to take care of him so he would live a healthy and long life. Even though it has been over 15 years I can remember feeding him and watching my mom do the maintenance of changing his water and cleaning his bowl. The experiences I had with my first pet grew my love of animals. Since then I've expanded my fish keeping hobby from having one 2.5 gallon bowl to having four aquariums! Having a pet also helped teach me responsibility. I learned that certain tasks needed to be completed at certain times for Rainbow to stay healthy. These tasks included feeding him and changing his water. Rainbow lived for over three years because my parents were involved with his care and I'm grateful for that. A child shouldn't be left to care for a pet without any oversight. While pets can teach responsibility we also have a responsibility to take care of them when we bring them home. I'd love to hear the story about your first pet! You can share your story in the comments below :)

Walking: A Beneficial Exercise

Walking is a beneficial exercise. Walking regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight. Walking can help you prevent or manage heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Walking can build bone strength over time. Walking can improve your balance and coordination. My favorite benefit of walking is that it makes you feel better and happier. With all those benefits you probably want to quit reading and walk right now. That sounds like a great idea! You can walk and come back to finish this article later.

Many people don't walk because they don't know where to walk. Usually you can walk around your neighborhood. However, if you don't have sidewalks or you live in a high traffic area you could consider other options. You don't have to buy a treadmill or gym membership to go walking. You can go to your City Hall and find a list of local parks. Usually a city park will contain a walking path. Every once in awhile you can mix things up and enjoy walking a nature trail at a state park or forest. (Some state parks may have a small entrance fee.)

The most important equipment you need when walking is your shoes. Make sure your shoes are sized correctly, not excessively worn, and support your feet. If you will be going on a long walk or the weather is warm consider taking a small water bottle to stay hydrated.

I like walking to relax. Here's a tip: Keep your phone in your pocket. I find that walking offers a nice time to collect your thoughts and disconnect from the high stress world that we live in. By being observant when you walk you'll get to enjoy the natural scenery. It's amazing how seeing a butterfly or a squirrel can brighten your day if you're feeling sad. If you are feeling really anxious listening to some easy listening music may help you as you walk. Be careful walking with noise cancelling headphones. You should always be aware of your surroundings to stay safe from any form of danger.

These are some basic suggestions I wanted to share so you can be happier and healthier by walking . I'd keep writing but... I'm lacing up my shoes to go walking. 

Criminal (Podcast Pick)

I enjoy crime mysteries and if you do too Criminal is a podcast you should listen to. I've been binging out on Criminal and now I've listened to all 26 episodes. I completed this binge in less than two weeks (I enjoy it that much!). The production quality of Criminal is top notch and has been increasing ever since Criminal joined the Radiotopia network. Phoebe Judge narrates Criminal and even interviews people of interest. Phoebe Judge is easy to listen to and she asks excellent questions that make you think. What I like about Criminal is that most of the episodes resolve the mystery or case. However, even though a case may be resolved curiosity will move you to do more research to find what material didn't make it into the episode. I've enjoyed hours of free entertainment from listening to Criminal and doing further research on these cases. New episodes get released every three weeks and each episode is about 20 minutes long. Each episode covers a different case so you don't have to listen in order. My favorite episodes are 1,2,5,8, and 12. What's your favorite episode? You'll have to listen to find out! If you click the link you can go to the official website of the podcast and listen online, download episodes, or find links to subscribe in your podcast app.

Criminal (official website) http://www.thisiscriminal.com

2 Questions to Consider Before Moving Out!

On August 1, 2015 I'll be moving out of my parents home and living on my own for the first time. I've talked to a lot of my friends and have spent months researching online to make this move as stress free as possible. Here are some things I had to consider:

How much can I afford to pay per month on a home?

This question is the most under examined budgeting question. One often cited figure for housing is the "30% rule". The "30% rule" is based around the assumption that you should not spend more than 30% of your income on housing. While the "30% rule" is often disputed I believe in it. I have five years experience in the Florida housing market and almost every time someone extends themselves past 30% (housing/income) a financial collapse shortly follows. Housing costs also include more than just your rent or house payment. Utility costs should be compared between potential dwellings. I often see a scenario where two houses of the same size can have drastically different utility bills under the same use scenario. If you are tempted to move into an older or less efficient home consider: Are you willing or allowed to make energy efficient upgrades to the dwelling you choose? Is it cost effective to make these upgrades? The cost of maintenance should also be considered. With home ownership you are responsible for maintenance costs that aren't covered under insurance. However, renting doesn't always mean that you are free from maintenance expenses. Often times air filters, lawn maintenance, and pest control are not paid for by landlords. Sometimes even small repairs are required to be paid by you. Thoroughly read over any application and lease before signing and compare it to the landlord/tenant law statutes governing your area.

Where will I live?

Which location is convenient to locations that matter the most to you? Is the neighborhood safe? Before settling on a location drive through the area at different times during the day. Does the area around your dwelling flood when it rains? Once you settle on general location you can start finding which dwelling fits inside your financial requirements.

My Decision

I chose to rent a three bedroom/two bathroom home. This house gives me plenty of space for my home office and has a guest bedroom. The house has been remodeled and is EnergyStar and WaterSense compliant. The property has an attached garage along with a fenced yard for security. Due to maintaining my own privacy I won't share the address or the rent amount. The rent amount does follow the "30% rule" and I look forward to saving towards owning my own home in the future. Housing is the first issue (after employment) to consider when moving out. As I encounter more experiences I'll post about them. I hope this post helps you if you're considering moving or  moving out. Please comment to share your experiences with me!

How to Reduce Water Use in the Shower by 50% for ONLY $8

Are you trying to conserve water or are the increasing utility rates putting a strain on your budget? A families showering can use and WASTE thousands of gallons of water per month. I've found a product that can really help conserve water and your hard earned money. The Niagara Earth Massage 1.25 gallon per minute low flow shower head will reduce the amount of water you use in the shower by 50% or more (based on a traditional 2.5 gallon per minute shower head). You will also conserve whatever energy you use to heat your water because you'll use half as much water as before! If you sometimes run out of hot water in the shower this product will double the amount of showering time before your hot water runs out. I purchased the Niagara Earth Massage shower head a few weeks ago and I've been so pleased with the results that I purchased one for my parents. Both of my parents endorse this product. But the real question is...

How much money can you save?

In my circumstance we are using this shower head as a family of 3. The shower head costs about $8.50 after tax (depending on where you live). Water costs $8.74 per 1,000 gallons where I live.There are approximately 45 minutes of shower use per day in my household. Using this shower head saves my family 1,687.5 gallons of water per month (compared to using our old 2.5 GPM shower heads). This equals a savings of $14.75 per month (plus the taxes that would be charged on that usage) on my water bill and a 50% reduction in water heating expenses (Natural Gas). This shower head pays for itself in only 2 weeks! My family will save over $200 this year alone from this inexpensive upgrade that only cost about $8.

Want to watch a review?

Here's an in-depth video review. You can see how the product and how it performs!

Where can you buy this shower head?

Amazon.com has the best distribution for this product and it has consistently been in stock.

My New Web Address!

I love my new address! I'm not talking about my mailing address; I'm talking about my web address. Now you can read my blog by simply going to NicolasLaBarre.com. I think everyone should pursue owning a domain, and especially the domain of their name if it is available. Leo Laporte "The Tech Guy" has recommended owning your own domain for years. Why? When you own your domain you have ownership and control of the content you create. You don't have to worry about a website changing its privacy policy or terms of service on you. Also, you can prevent being confused with someone who shares the same name as you. Have you ever tried to tell someone your username on a social media site and they can't find you? By linking to your social accounts from your website you can ensure that followers find YOUR account! I was able to purchase my domain through Google Domains for $12/a year. The interface is simple and you can be up and running in 5 minutes. I'm considering moving to a more rich site design by Squarespace, but for now I'm using Blogger to host my site for free. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments section.

The Simpler Happier Life (Podcast Pick)

Are you stressed out by your financial situation? The media tries to tell us that we have to be rich and have lots of material things to be happy. I've learned that living a simpler life is much more rewarding. I have been listening to The Simpler Happier Life podcast and I really enjoy it. The podcast is updated weekly by hosts Mark and Lauren Greutman. Mark and Lauren have seen first hand how debt saps your happiness and how family values are what make you truly happy. Each Wednesday you'll learn about real ways to save money, get out of debt, and get financial independence. Here is a link to their site markandlaureng.com/podcasts where you can see if this podcast is for you. I can't wait for Wednesday to come so I can listen to their next episode!

Podcasts: FREE entertainment

Have you ever got tired of listening to the same old songs on Pandora and wanted something else FREE to listen to? I introduce you to the world of podcasts. Podcasts are audio recordings which are released in episodes. Some podcasts are as simple as cut together versions of radio shows (NPR has many podcasts). The amazing thing about podcasts is that you can find niche content that caters to your interests. Whether you like aquariums, gardening, golf, sewing, or and endless number of other genres I guarantee there is a podcast for you. I love listening to several podcasts every week! So how do you get started listening?

First, grab your smartphone and go to the store where you download apps

Then, search for "Podcast"

Download a free or inexpensive client.

(Many use Stitcher Radio [Android and iOS]) I use Pocket Casts $3.99 [Android and iOS])

When the application installs browse the categories section. When you find a podcast you like tap subscribe. Then when a new episode comes out you will be notified!

You're all set now! There's a reason I didn't show any screenshots of my podcast app... Come back tomorrow to find out what my favorite podcast is at the moment!

Hello!

It looks like you found my first post. Maybe one day this blog will have hundreds, thousands, or even millions of readers. But right now I just want to share my interests with everyone and to have an archive of my thoughts. I do enjoy posting to social media but long form and rich content doesn't fit on those platforms. I'm working on lots of different posts now so you can follow this page or follow me on Google+ or Twitter to see my new content.