Parks With Points

Although I don't have a full total between CashBack bonuses ( link to the Strategy ) with Discover and Chase we defiantly offset the Six Flags passes for 2021. Not a full list but some of the intentional Christmas present buys and the Strategies: Rakuten (My go to for Stacking) I used it online at: GameStop [Stacked with M1] Michaels (Craft Store) Chewy (Dog Medication) [Stacked with M1] Samsung Reebok Dell GoPro (ok - maybe that wasn't a gift but a "business expense") Office Depot / OfficeMax [Stacked with M1] I'll get some totals for my monthly review - coming in just a few days

With Christmas around the corner it's time to remind everyone to get intentional about your spending. This is the time to spend a few extra minutes to check "stacking" deals and Credit Card deals to make sure you start earning for next years Parks. For example: Chase $15 - 50% off Amazon.com ( More info on Chase ) Rakuten.com - Stacking ( More info on Rakuten to stack Points ) Paypal 5% Discover Bonus

No Risk, it's free if you have a Chase Card If you might be flying out of an Airport and need to park a complimentary Platinum status for 2 years can't hurt. Even if you're not sure you need it low risk signed up. I still would rather pay more to fly out of a close smaller airport.

Cell phone discount? Not for me Some times you need to get good at checking the fine print. For example, at a quick glance this AmEx Hilton 5% is a good deal BUT "you must spend a minimum of $100 in one or more eligible US transactions by the last day of each calendar month to be considered eligible for a one-time statement credit" SO, unless you have a $100 cell phone bill you only get the standard card promotions and in my case a better promotion on a different card

Since that AmEp deal from 2 months ago is expired today I'm reloading from Discover. Wasn't able to point stack but did get a Bonus - $20 value for $18

The big chains all now have the deal doing If you have been following I grabbed the Cedar Fair Platinum deal when it came out. Part of my OffYear strategy. Quickly Six Flags added the same deal (HOME PARK ONLY - full show with details here) and finally it looks like SeaWorld added it after Halloween. Plus: Limited-Time Offer: Save 20% online so a better deal than I got it last year.  Yes, if it's not clear if you are getting a pass it's VERY worth it. 

So, guess you can look forward to a #MoneyMonday soon as I fit it into my Park Point Process

Sandal Update - Perfect So, last week I posted that my go to park sandals died and how important what's on your feet So, the Zero's are keepers for sure, once I got used to getting them on (ie slide your feet all the way in FIRST like most minimalism shoes) they worked out great: Super Light Hiking Approved Comfortable at the Park Didn't slip off on the rides Laugh if you want but wet shoes can make or break your day at the park. Although I didn't test on a water ride (all closed) I can tell they are going to be fine Strategies used: PayPal Discover Bonus (5% CashBack) Links: The shoes I reviewed:  https://xeroshoes.com/shop/shoes/colorado-men/ Got them at:  https://gear.com/ to get free shipping (FYI, they came drop shipped from Zero anyway)

Trip Outline: I'm thinking... quick weekend trip to King's Island with a possible stop at the Indianapolis Zoo From Central IL < 3h 15m > Indianapolis Zoo < 2h 5m > King's Island (Time Zone Change) Park Overviews: Hotels Nearby: Lots of options Nature Park(s)/Camping Nearby: King's Island has a campsite

This one is a no brainer, who doesn't use Amazon? Some time #PointsStacking deals just fall in your lap. I'm sure you have something worth $30 you would buy anyway so why not pay with a Discover and get an extra $10? Don't forget to activate the deal  before you buy (The promotion will end on the earlier of (a) 11:59 PT on 10/31/2021)

Shoes matter IF they get wet! Crazy I know but wet socks or shoes are the worst and I have talked about sleeping in my car so shoe can't be off limits. I used to have Keen's and I loved them BUT they don't make my version any more so I'm trying something new more like my Earth Runners  but with close toes. I like them but I just ordered the Xero Colorado 's so I have covered toe's - important for some Parks. Oh, and yes I did some stacking More to come - Do you have some favorite park shoes?

Hilton AmEx Deal Stacking This Money Monday we are highlighting Google Storage plans . Right now the Hilton American Express can be stacked with the Google One deal so you get 20% cash back, 10% credit for Google products, and you earn points for a free Hilton stay. If you have been looking for a family cloud storage plan, VPN on your Android devices, access to Google experts, and some other extras, now is the time. Personally, we use this service to back up all our pictures and devices, and use the google drive to act as share drives on the PC. Strategies Used: Cash Offset - help pay for parks Points Stacking - Earn more leveraging more deals

Trip Report Coming We just got back and we had a few snags but overall did the plan we posted in the Let's Plan   Summary: Red Rock Canyon Death Valley National Park - Didn't get as far as we would have likes Sequoia National Park - was mostly cut off due to the fires King's Canyon National Park - was mostly cut off due to the fires California's Great America (Cedar Fair) Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - learned that ticket sales and line entry stop an hour before close currently Discovery Kingdom (Six Flags) Yosemite National Park Magic Mountain (Six Flags) Knott's Berry Farm (Cedar Fair) Buffalo Bill's - I know Desperado was closed but I still wanted to see it

I never turn on auto refill - look for a reload option when your low There will almost always be a reload deal This one is for AmExp (Hilton Card) and expires 10/4/21 If you don't have an AmExp you could also do PayPal Discover deal for the same cash back minus the Points (no Points Stacking) I know, save your money from coffee but I use Starbuck more on the road for a road trip office I know I cut this one close

LEGO - 10% Cashback You can often find Disney items on sale but LEGOs are not as easy to find at a discount. Even better that you can stack with your credit card points earning. shopDisney.com lego.com If you don't have a Rakuten account it doesn't cost you anything so check it out

Trip Outline: I just booked a flight for a week Road Trip with my Dad to hit some National Parks and, of course, the bigger coaster parks. Parks: Red Rock Canyon Death Valley National Park Sequoia National Park King's Canyon National Park California's Great America (Cedar Fair) Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Discovery Kingdom (Six Flags) Yosemite National Park Magic Mountain (Six Flags) Knott's Berry Farm (Cedar Fair) Couldn't fit in Joshua Tree National Park, Sea World San Diego, or Channel Island National Park - just ran out of time. Also, the list may need to be changed because of wild fires in the area (dry September 2021) Anchor Airports: LAS (Los Vegas) -- I know, not really an anchor for the coasters but only direct flight we could get LAX (Los Angeles) SFO (San Francisco) Any thoughts/ideas? Sound off in the comments....

Trip Report - My First HHN2021 Summary: A quick Florida trip to Universal   Halloween Horror Nights and the SeaWorld parks that I haven't been too in 10+ years. We lucked out, with only a little rain and shorter than usual lines. HHN was by far the best Halloween event I have ever been to, and I can see why it's so well known. IoA had both VelociCoaster and Hagrid's, so two amazing new rides for me. Parks: Universal Islands of Adventure[IoA] Universal Studios Florida [HHN] Busch Gardens Tampa SeaWorld Orlando Type: Extended Weekend Costs: ~ $350 Park -- 2 Universal tickets (~$200 friends passholders discount) and SeaWorld I used my Platinum Pass Food -- Only had one meal at the Park ($12.50)  (total for food ~$100) Hotel -- N/A, Stayed with friends Transportation -- Direct Flight on Allegiant Air [$0 w/  Chase Points  and got the 25% bonus]          Car --  Chipped in on gas/tolls only (~$50) Trip Report: #LogeRideApp Coa...

Cedar Fair - Family of 4 I often get the comment 'why didn't you stop at park x' when people are looking at my trips. BUT... $870 is why I rotate years with some chains. I need to do a whole post on the 'OffYear,' as I call it.  Wow, I have to say it again, it adds up quickly. On Friday I posted about opening a card for this purchase but... I wasn't approved. I was rushing, so guess I opened that cash card to close and Chase cards are usually the pickiest, but still my favorite. What I get for a last minute move, better to plan ahead. So... back to what I did. I used the Discover 5% cash back with PayPal and broke up the payments. So, this gives me $9 earned off the top and the option to move the payments to another card and/or pay it off at any time. Since Cedar Fair doesn't charge any fees, this gives the most flexibility. Did you buy at 2022 CF Pass? Sound off in the comments and let us know if you're planning a trip.

Mid Aug and you get the rest of 2021 with your 2022 pass First off, the "rest of 2021" is why I take every-other-year off from Cedar Fair Parks. The passes are a bit pricey unlike Six Flags we always get yearly. Planning.... At $200/person and a family of 4 that's enough money it's worth thinking about a new card sign on bonus [SOB]. Since I have continue to max out Chase and Hilton looking onto an less flexible card that can fit into a strategy for the passes. If you don't have Chase you might still be able to get that 100K offer with lots of flexability. For me I'm looking into: SpringHill Suites at Carowinds in Charlotte, NC (Marriott) since I'm looking into a loop Stay tune

Monthly Credit Card Update I keep thinking some day I will get a Balance Transfer offer that's worth it but... Na Today prepping for my monthly report-out I looked into my Citi Custom Cash, my new card and quick look says not bad, 0% for 15 months - I'm in....  BUT Sadly fine print is a 5% fee to move the money and if I slip up - BLAM 17% Bottom line, It's not worth 5% for the risk Every time I look at something like this I fine it's not worth the risk if a screw something up - How about you? Fine something that works for a balance transfer? Sound off in the comments....

I starting to move my investments to M1 and only posting because I use the debit card cash back to offset park expense. Now it looks like there are adding a credit card soon so more to come on M1. Read more about offsetting park cost here

Crazy Quick Trip?  Summary: I'm taking Amtrak up but once I'm already downtown can I leave after work and make it to Six Flags for dinner and some rides? This way I can still work a bit on the train and don't have to worry about traffic. Plus, I don't usually have my car with me in Chicago. There: Looks like if your near Union Station down town Chicago you can use google maps to find the route. For this test I would take Train UP-N , Ogilvie Transportation Center to Waukegan, 4:00 - 5:07 PM then Bus 565 , Sheridan Rd & Washington St to Grand Ave & Lawson Blvd/Six Flags Pkwy, 5:17 - 5:39 PM  Back: To get me back around 10:30 I would need to catch Bus565 , Grand Ave & Six Flags Pkwy/Lawson Blvd to Waukegan Metra Station, 8:39 PM - 9:01 PM then Train UP-N , Waukegan to Ogilvie Transportation Center, 9:05 PM - 10:23 PM I downloaded the Ventra app and it looks like I can use the phone to get on/off everything.

Trip Report - Six Flags Great America Summary: My evening trip to SFGAm via public transportation  will have to be tested on a different day. Amtrak's site went down and after showing the rudest   Amtrak employee the site was down and I was not able to show my multi-pass I "got" to drive to Chicago Park -- SFGMa via Season Pass (1 meals & 2 snacks via food plan) Lessons: Take a screen grab of your ticket if you have a multi ride pass, rude employees don't care you have a real ticket and Amtrak app only works if there website is up Trip Report: #LogeRideApp Maxx Force 3 Raging Bull 4

Lets Plan After a review like this at a park so close I have to plan a trip: Trip Outline: I'm thinking... Ext Weekend, Pick up Safari Land on the way to Six Flag Great America (Chicago, IL) Tentatively we will be up end of July so I need to look up hours and see how this would go. Have you been or know of a deal? Let me know or sound off in the comments. Anchor Airports: Chicago, IL (United Hub)