Liberated Traveler Series #5 - Dining

TWiBT Presents

Liberated Traveler Series - Dining

Chapter 5

Be sure to read Chapter 1, Chapter 2,  Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 of the Liberated Traveler Series to help yourself get started.

Whether at home or abroad, dining out can be a major expense!  I like to eat at a restaurant about once a week or so, but love being able to pay less than the other patrons in the restaurant.  This article is about saving money feeding yourself both when traveling and at home.

TWiBT's Foodie Savers

1.)  South Florida Dines
If you are not in South Florida or not planning a trip here, skip to #2.
I usually go out to eat once or twice per week, always getting 50-75% off.  You can get gift certificates to local restaurants for half price or more.  You're not gonna find any big chains on there, but that works for me because I always want to eat at a new restaurant.  You just need a free login/password with them.  By doing this, I get a credit for referring you.    You get the certificates on the site and print them out to take with you to the restaurant.  You can even get more than half off, but you'll see those on the site as well.  I usually get 75% off, but 50% is the minimum.  I eat out at a different restaurant every week on my date night and rarely ever spend more than $5-$10, sometimes including drinks too.  Sometimes we go out to eat because it just ends up being cheaper than going to the grocery store.  It will literally change your culinary life!  All I ask is that you sign up with my link, they give me a credit everytime I refer a friend (and I love to eat).  :-)

Here's how it works, just do it in this order.
1.)  Click here:  http://www.southfloridadines.com/?ref=92338
2.)  Click "REGISTER HERE" at the top
3.)  Enter your Name, Email, Password, etc.
4.)  Just below that, it asks "How did you hear about us?", PLEASE click "Friend Invite" then my referral code should be in that box, but if its not there, its 92338.

Thats it!  Once you're signed up, you'll see a lot of the gift certificates get sold out, but they are restocked the 1st of every month.
At the start of the month, be sure to check out all the new inventory and buy away!

2.)  Groupon & Living Social sites
As you may have seen, there are countless deal-a-day sites out there.  The biggest ones I've found are Groupon and Living Social.  These cities have different sections for different cities around the country and the globe.  It is good to scan the sites often in case there's a really good deal of something you wanted.  It is not only restaurants, it can be anything really.  I would advise TWiBT readers to monitor the site of places you are planning to visit.  For example, if you are going to Miami in a few months, start checking it daily because you might see something you can use on your trip to Miami.

3.)  Restaurant.com
Personally, I hate this site.  I'm going to list it on here anyways because some people like it.  Restaurant.com sells gift certificates for various prices, but normally expect something like this:
"$25 Gift Certificate | Your Price $10 Minimum purchase of $35. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dine In ONLY. "  If you do the math, that's really not a good deal.  Think of this site more as a way to get coupons for somewhere you are ALREADY going, but I don't jump at anything on that site.  Also, if you google "Restaurant.com 80% coupon codes" you'll find that they pretty much ALWAYS have an 80% discount going.  Perhaps that should serve as proof as to how worthless these can be.  Always read the fine print with these.

4.)  AAdvantage Dining
This site allows you to earn large amounts of American Airlines miles per dollar at many restaurants after signing up.  Excellent choice.  It's a good idea to sign up as you will most likely find yourself at one of these restaurants.

5.)  Chase Sapphire
Chase Sapphire Visa card earns 2x points per dollar on dining out!

6.)  Plan your meals smarter
One thing I learned from frequent visits to Miami Beach (or other hot spots) is to plan your meals smarter!  Many restaurants have less expensive lunch menus, early bird pricing, or other hefty discounts if you avoid the typical dinner hours.  Sometimes it might be smarter to make lunch your big meal of the day, rather than spending more for the same stuff at dinner.  Also, stock up on the free breakfasts at your hotel or hostel.

7.)  Don't eat at tourist restaurants!
In foreign countries, if a place has English signs all over it, they aren't trying to save you money.  Ask a local where they eat.  I find that asking people who actually work in the area can give you the best idea.  Besides, don' you know the best places to grab a quick and inexpensive lunch in your area?

There ya go!  Some ideas to save you $$$ on your grub.  I'd appreciate if you used the links within this article, as many of them are referral links that will give me a small bonus that allow me to keep eating.  I like food.

-Jason of TWiBT

Liberated Traveler Series #2 - Fly for Free

TWiBT Presents
Liberated Traveler Series – Fly for Free
Chapter 2

Be sure to read Chapter 1 of the Liberated Traveler Series first!

Earlier this year, I had taken so many flights and I learned a lot from it.   The pre-flight safety demonstration had become a dance to me.  I started seeing fellow passengers repeatedly.  Airplane food started to taste pretty good.  Even the fish slop served on Aerosvit, that they served twice on the same flight with the bone conveniently left in.  TSA procedures become second nature.  You also learn the shortcuts of airports.  For example, in JFK you can sometimes get to your departure gate faster if you go through a different terminal and take the transfer shuttle!  You also get a weird excitement by putting together your own flight itineraries which maximize the destinations and value you get out of your ticket!

 

The best part of all of these flights, I did not pay for a single one.  Even more, the best ones are yet to come.  Upcoming flights over the next year include a variety of trips to Italy, Spain, France, United Kingdom, and Ireland.  Many of these in First/Business class, again for free.  This article is geared towards the TWiBT reader who has no idea on how to accomplish this.

 

Welcome to the world of Frequent Flyer Miles.  Frequent flyer programs offer miles, which can be thought of as points that you can save up and spend on to get free flights.  I advise you to start thinking of frequent flyer miles as currency.  Think of them as a type of money that is used to purchase travel, because that is exactly what they are.  Although they are called miles, they really don’t have any significant geographic relevance.  Ex:  If you have 25,000 frequent flyer miles that does not mean you can fly 25,000 miles on a plane.

 

Frequent flyer miles can be accumulated a variety of ways, some easier than others.  Here’s a short list of the most common methods used:

1.)    Flying – If you pay for a flight, you are able to earn frequent flyer miles on that airline’s program.  This type of mileage is more valuable as it generally allows you to earn elite status on different airlines.  Many people will take advantage of mistake fares or fare wares between airlines to purchase ultra low fares and fly on them with some crazy routings for no other reason than to earn miles.

2.)    Promos – Some companies/airlines offer promos if you complete some activity, you’ll earn some miles for doing so.

3.)    Credit Card Sign up Bonuses – These are the most lucrative.  Signing up for certain credit cards can offer you huge bonuses.  50k, 75k, and 100k bonuses are not uncommon at all.  As long as you are able to manage your spending and credit report responsibly, you will not hurt your credit irreparably.

4.)    Credit Card Spending – Using airline credit cards for every purchase is a great way to accumulate miles.  I don’t spend a dollar unless I am able to earn a frequent flyer mile for it and you shouldn’t either.  Many credit cards have online shopping malls that link out to other sites.  If you login to your credit card’s site, go to the online shopping mall and use those links to go to whatever site you were planning to buy from anyways.  You can also register any credit card with the American Airlines AAdvantage Shopping Mall at https://www.aadvantageeshopping.com/

 

Noooo, not this many!

 

I found out about all of this in 2004, but did not act on it for quite a while later.  The irrational fear of destroying my credit was too great.  Once I finally understood how credit worked better, I acted and have never looked back.  In fact, my credit score has actually gone up since I started doing this.  I have accumulated millions of frequent flyer miles and traveled more in the past few months than some people are able to in their life.

 

Managing all of this is a lot of work, but I’m driven by my passion to travel.  I believe that travel can provide the most enriching and engaging experiences.  Open your mind to the possibilities that you can afford yourself.

 

Here are some common questions you may have.

Q:  What was the first frequent flyer program?
A:  American Airlines launched the AAdvantage Program in 1981.

 

Q:  Which airline programs should I aim to collect miles in?
A:  This varies on your goals.  If your goal is ONLY to fly to Europe from New York, than you probably won’t have much use for Southwest Airlines.  Personally, I collect miles in any program that I can get them for.  I’m not picky.  I end up using them all anyways.  I believe every destination has some travel value to it.

 

Q:  Can I use or transfer my miles to another frequent flyer program?
A:  If the airline is a member of the same alliance, you can usually use your miles for their flights.  Generally, you can’t use your miles to cross into a different alliance.

 

Q:  Do miles expire?
A:  Some do, some don’t.  It depends on the airline’s program rules.  Generally speaking, if you earn or spend a mile at least once per year, the account will stay active, resetting the expiration deadline from the most recent activity date.

 

Q:  How do you keep all these accounts organized?
A:  I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all information from every card.  I monitor my credit scores every 2-3 months or so.  For my frequent flyer accounts, I manage them all at an awesome (and free) site called Award Wallet.  This site allows you to organize and keep track of all your award programs.

 

Q:  When should I use miles and when should I pay for a ticket?
A:  A good rule of thumb is to not use your miles for domestic tickets.  Unless you’re swimming in miles, it is best to save them for international trips where you get the most value.  Besides, First/Business class on domestic flights is usually pretty uninspiring.  For example, a flight from Miami to New York is usually around $160-$200 or 25,000 frequent flyer miles (depends on the airline).  A flight from Miami to Paris can easily be over $1000, but can be had for around 50,000 frequent flyer miles.  Twice the miles, but exponentially more valuable!

 

Q:  Should I use my miles to pay for hotels?
A:  On pretty much any given date, you will find over 2,000 hotels in Paris that have vacancy.  If you also add in hostels, pensions, guesthouses, campsites, Bed & Breakfasts, vacation rentals, or vacation sublets, your choices increase exponentially.  There are not thousands of flights everyday to Paris from your city.  It is much easier to get an awesome hotel deal than a free flight.  Save your miles for flights!

 

Q:  If an airline offers high, medium, and low-level awards, how can I get the low-level awards?
A:  Search their partner airlines sites, try different dates, route through different cities, search one segment at a time, use stopovers and layovers.  Be creative!

As always, read everything, listen, read it again, and ask questions!  I am by no means an expert, just a guy who loves to travel.  I'm here to help you out and collaborate with you on ideas of your own!

Stay tuned for another exciting edition of the Liberated Traveler Series!

-Jason of TWiBT

Liberated Traveler Series #1 - Travel for free?

TWiBT Presents
Liberated Traveler Series – How to Travel for Free
Chapter 1

 

Wanderlust [wan-der-luhst] –noun.  A strong desire to roam and travel the world.

Whether you are an unemployed college kid, an everyday 9-to-5 office worker, or a business owner tied to their responsibilities, we have all suffered from wanderlust.  There are many things that stop us from taking our dream journey.  The most common reasons I hear are time and money.  While I won’t be talking too much on time management in this article, I will speak on money since that is the focus of this site!  Travel does NOT need to be expensive.  In fact, I look forward to my trips because I actually spend less on the road than I do at home!

What if money was not an issue?  Where would you go?  What if your hotel was free?  Where would you stay?  Would you go in total luxury for a short period?  Would you sacrifice a bit of luxury to stay for an extended trip?  Many people can toss those questions around in their head all day, but end up nowhere.

“What in the world is this all about!?
There is really no word for what we do, but I see it as learning to become a liberated traveler.  Becoming a liberated traveler is about learning strategies to see the world for free or for less money than you might have thought possible.  In my experience, it changes the size of the world and brings everything in much closer reach.  You gain a sense of freedom that you cannot imagine!  Basically, the term refers to a series of strategies and tactics most commonly used by only the most savvy frequent flyers and business travelers.

The goal?  To fly, stay, and eat for either free or cheaper than you’ve probably thought possible.  I have seen myself as a liberated traveler for quite a while now, freed from the chains that my small budget has restrained me to!  The freedom to go anywhere at anytime is the most liberating feeling I have ever felt.

“This sounds too difficult.  I don’t have time to figure this out!”
I’m not going to lie though, this stuff can be confusing and there are people debating issues in this realm day and night.  You have a choice, spend some time to learn to travel for free OR just keep working at your job to save up the money for it.  However, I can assure you that it is indeed worth it, you just need to pay attention and KEEP AN OPEN MIND!!!  Skepticism is always the first thing newbies feel.

Here is the thought process that you may go through:
1^st Thought:  I know what frequent flyer miles are, they're useless!
2^nd Thought:  I’m not able to spend/get enough miles to go anywhere. 
3^rd Thought:  What?  That’s too much work, it sounds fishy, and that is stupid!
4^th Thought:  Well, whatever, we’ll see how this goes.  I’ll just try a little bit.
5^th Thought:  Wow, that wasn’t such a big deal.  I need to show my friend this!
6^th Thought:  Where do I want to go?  OMG, I’m gonna fly first class!
7^th Thought (on the plane):  Ok, I’m in Seat 3A in First Class because I RULE!  Ooooh, this is the life!
8^th Thought (on the plane, when everyone is finding their seats):  All these people are looking at me!  They’d die if they knew what I paid…err, didn’t pay!
9^th Thought (back home):  Hey guys, check out these photos from my trip.  You guys should really try this!
10^th Thought:  Why are my friends such skeptics!?!?  I’m a genius!

 

“Ok, what do I have to do?”
This short series will go over some of the various aspects of becoming a liberated traveler.  What you do with it is up to you.  While some people take this to the extreme, others just prefer to take one international trip per year.  The beauty of this you have the freedom to pick and choose what level you want to participate.  We all value our time different.

I have my balance of how much time I consider worthy to put into this endeavor.  I’m not rich and I work full-time.  Given that, I generated around 2 million frequent flyer miles and hotel points in about 8 months time.  Keep in mind, there are plenty of opportunities that I passed on for whatever reason.  To put this in perspective, a flight from Miami to Europe can start at as little as 40,000 frequent flyer miles, depending on itinerary and airline.

I am excited to share these skills with all of you.  Living in Miami, the cheapest way for me to play in the snow was to drive up to North Carolina to play in the slush and the snow that is man-made with those giant machines.  Although it was fun, it is now cheaper for me to go skiing in the Swiss Alps than to make that drive again.  Open your mind and learn the basics!  This won’t be easy, but you’ll thank me when it is over.

Stay tuned!  There’s more to come in later postings!

-Jason of TWiBT

 

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu