Should I cancel my Citi Hilton Credit Card?

Citi is transferring all Hilton Honors card holders to new American Express Hilton Honors cards in January. You should have received a letter in the mail alerting you to the change. Citi ended its relationship with Visa and is launching a new relationship with American Express. 

So the question is should you let the transfer happen or cancel your card?

The Visa card is a no fee card and as far as we know the American Express card will be no fee as well. 

There are currently 2 American Express Hilton Honors cards available. We suspect a third premium card will be added next year. 

The no fee card offers 7x points on Hilton purchases and no foreign transaction fees starting in January. 

The Hilton Surpass card will be changing to the Ascend card next year and offer a few more perks like 12x points on Hilton purchases, 10 complimentary lounge passes and if you spend $15,000 in a year, you will earn a free night at any Hilton property. 

That card has a $95 fee and next year no foreign transaction fees. 

American Express and Hilton are gearing up to offer a premium card next year too which will have a $450 annual fee and include perks like a $250 airline credit and $250 Hilton credit on your cardmember anniversary, unlimited lounge access, 14X points on Hilton purchases and a free night on your anniversary.  

We don't know about sign up bonuses for these cards yet so you will need to look at your own situation and decide if it's worth keeping your current Hilton Honors Visa card. I cancelled mine so I could take advantage of whatever is coming  in 2018. 

How to find FREE shipping for holiday shopping

Shipping charges are the #1 reason online carts are abandoned before the purchase is completed. But you can find FREE shipping during the holidays. 

Here's how:

1. do a google search for coupon codes

2. try signing up for www.shoprunner.com - you join for free and then get free shipping at a dozen or so stores. 

3. use a cash back portal like ebates.com and they will list all the promotions being offered right now by that particular store

4. use an airline shopping portal and again, it will list the promotions being offered right now by that particular store

5. increase your minimum spend in order to get the free shipping. Sometimes if you buy another $10 worth of product, your shipping is free so it's worth it. I would rather have more stuff than pay for shipping. 

6. Ship to store and pick it up there

Don't waste your hard earned money on shipping charges, instead spend it on almost FREE family travel. And remember to use the right credit card to maximize those points! 

Get FREE Netflix From Tmobile

If you are a Tmobile subscriber or if you are thinking about becoming one, here's an added perk. 

Tmobile is giving everyone who qualifies Netflix for FREE. 

The fine print says you must have at least 2 active lines on a Tmobile ONE tax inclusive voice plan. The Netflix subscription is a standard one. You can upgrade to premium, but you will need to pay the difference. You must also use the same credit card as your Tmobile autopay. 

From Tmobile:

Before you can get Netflix On Us, you'll need to opt in to it on your T-Mobile account.

To opt in from the T-Mobile app:

1. Make sure that you or someone else isn't currently logged into Netflix. Even if you're creating a new Netflix account, logging out of Netflix will ensure that you're linking to your Netflix account, rather than to someone else's account that might be currently logged into Netflix.
2. Open the T-Mobile app.
3. Tap the menu (the three stacked lines in the upper left).
4. Tap USAGE & PLANS.
5. Scroll down to your name and tap View line details.
6. Scroll down to the Services section and tap Manage Services.
7. Tap the + next to Family and Entertainment, and select the box next to Fam with Netflix ($10.99 value).
   Note: If you don't see the Netflix option, you'll need to change your plan to qualify for Netflix On Us. To go through the process, tap the menu, tap USAGE & PLANS, and then tap Change Plan. (Or, you can contact T-Mobile customer service for assistance.)
8. From the Order Confirmation page, tap the Continue to Sign Up button below Your Account's Now Ready for Netflix!
9. On the next page, tap the Sign Up For Netflix button.
10. You'll be rerouted to Netflix to continue the process:
    • If you're completing this process from a device that you've already streamed Netflix on before, it'll default to an existing customer sign-in page. Or, you can create a new account by selecting the Not yet a Member? Sign Up link.
    • If you're completing this process from a device that you haven’t streamed Netflix on before, it'll default to a new customer account creation page. Or, you can use an existing account by selecting the Already a member? Sign in link.
      Note: If needed, customers may also delete their browser cookies and cache and start this process over.

To opt in through your computer or a browser on your device:

1. Make sure that you or someone else isn't currently logged into Netflix. Even if you're creating a new Netflix account, logging out of Netflix will ensure that you're linking to your Netflix account, rather than to someone else's account that might be currently logged into Netflix.
2. Go to My T-Mobile and log in to your T-Mobile account.
3. Click PLAN.
4. Scroll down to your line and click CHANGE SERVICES.
5. Under Family and Entertainment, click the + to expand the Fam with Netflix ($10.99 value) section. 
   Note: If you don't see the Netflix option, you'll need to change your plan to qualify for Netflix On Us. To go through the process, tap the menu, tap USAGE & PLANS, and then click Change Plan. (Or, you can contact T-Mobile customer service for assistance.)
6. Select the box to add the Fam with Netflix ($10.99 value) feature to your account.
7. From the Order Confirmation page, click the Continue to Sign Up button below Your Account's Now Ready for Netflix!
8. On the next page, click the Sign Up For Netflix button.
9. You'll be rerouted to Netflix to continue the process:
   • If you're completing this process from a device that you've already streamed Netflix on before, it'll default to an existing customer sign-in page. Or, you can create a new account by selecting the Not yet a Member? Sign Up link.
   • If you're completing this process from a device that you haven’t streamed Netflix on before, it'll default to a new customer account creation page. Or, you can use an existing account by selecting the Already a member? Sign in link.
     Note: If needed, customers may also delete their browser cookies and cache and start this process over.

Canceling your Netflix subscription

If you need help canceling your Netflix subscription billed through T-Mobile, or if you've recently transferred your line between T-Mobile accounts, contact T-Mobile customer service for assistance. If you remove Netflix On Us, you'll need to contact Netflix to update your method of payment to avoid a lapse in streaming service.

Best Websites To Use To Find Additional Black Friday Savings

The countdown is on to Black Friday! Do you have your list ready? You may not need to wait til Friday to nab the best deals. In the last post, we talked about the 5 best products to buy this week. Now let's talk about the best websites to use to layer additional savings.



1. Check out ebates.com to see a lot of the Black Friday ads early so you can plan your shopping. Some of the stores offering deals on the products you want may surprise you. Remember when you shop online, sign into your ebates.com account first and then click to the store you want. Ebates.com will offer you a percentage in cash back. The percentage will be range from 2% to 15%. 

2. Groupon.com  - Over the years, I have liked and disliked Groupon.com. Right now, I put them in the like column again. They offer spectacular savings on products and services. Plus they are listed on Ebates.com so you can spend less and get cash back. Wow! 




3. Airline Shopping Portals - Most airlines offer a shopping portal. Check the earn miles section of the frequent fliers club website for that specific airline. This week in honor of Black Friday, they are offering extra miles for your purchases. 

4. Travel deals - The airlines don't want to be left out of Black Friday so our friends at Skyscanner.com will be posting all the deals so you can nab some great affordable travel. Again, check ebates.com to see if that airline is listed for additional savings. 


Happy shopping and let us know about the great deals you find. That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel. 

How You Can Nab A $99 Fare To Europe

Discount airline WOW Air is starting its Black Friday sale early this year with $99 fares to select cities in Europe. The $99 fares are from cities on the East Coast like Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Miami. WOW Air is offering $129 fares from cities on the West Coast like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
European cities include London, Brussels, Dublin and Amsterdam. Travel can be for anytime Dec. 2017 through May 15 2018 with limited offers from Miami.
I did a quick search for fares from Los Angeles to Dublin and came up with just a couple of dates in April with the low fares. Most of the fares were $219 unless you signed up for a WOW pass. However, I could not find any information about how much the Wow pass costs.
WOW air allows stopovers on your return flight in Iceland so that's a bonus.
Watch out for extra fees for baggage and seat reservations. Plus remember there is no in flight entertainment or food/drink included though they will sell it onboard.
Bottom line, if you can nab a $99 fare, it may be worth it. But remember this is a discount airline, so pack light and lower your expectations.

5 Best Products To Buy Pre Black Friday

You don't have to wait til the day after Thanksgiving to get the best deals. The pre Black Friday sales are sometimes actually better than the ones offered on Black Friday and you don't have to fight the crowds. Only 53% of consumers think Black Friday deals are good. 

So here are the top 5 products to keep your eye out for: 

1. Electronics - every year, it's the best deal and this one is no different. Check around to see who is offering the lowest price. 

2. Computers and laptops 

3. Appliances 

4. Books, movies and music 

5. Video Games

Check out this graphic from our friends at Wallethub.com  

Next post, I'll talk about some great websites that offer additional deals and how to layer them to get even more savings. 

Top 5 Portals To Use For Your Holiday Shopping

One of the best ways to earn airline miles or cash back is with shopping portals. And now as we head into the holiday season, the portals are offering bonus miles so it's easy to earn free plane tickets and hotel rooms. 

Here are my top 5 shopping portals:

1. American Airlines shopping portal - right now, you can earn up to 4,000 bonus miles if you spend $1200 by November 19th. 

2. United Airlines shopping portal - right now you can earn up to 5,000 bonus miles if you spend $1500 by November 19th. 

3. Southwest Airlines shopping portal - right now, you can earn up to 3,000 bonus miles if you spend $1,000 by November 20th. 

4. Dining reward programs where you link your credit card to the dining program offered by an airline like United or Southwest. Any time you dine at a particular restaurant that is in the program, you earn bonus points. 

5. Ebates.com for cash back on purchases. When we went returned home from Europe, ebates.com sent me a check for $54. Nice. 

Remember, always set your credit cards on autopay and pay them off each and every month in full. That's how we do almost FREE family travel.