Hey, hey, hey, it's election day. I'm Tiffany.
I need to be sure recording. Hold on, Yes we are. I am Mandy. Hey, y'all, and this is brown ambition.
Oh my goodness, So riddle me this, mandra Have you ever seen so much a fever for midterm elections before?
I've never felt I was talking to someone today and I was like, I don't even think, and I'll put myself out there. I'm sure I'm not alone. I don't think I've ever voted in a midterm election.
I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I was thinking that to myself. I'm like, have I ever voted in a midterm election? Maybe because my dad's like really civic minded, so like, I know there's definitely times he's like, you go vote. But honestly, when I tell you, I've never seen so many people like young and O. I went to go vote because of course, like I'm eighteen and I still vote in Westfield where I went to high school. Oh, so I had to drive back there.
But the line it was an hour. It was an hour. And they said, since six am, the line has not been shorter than an hour long wait. And I'm like wow, yeah, and I there people are really even like the advertising, Like I just went to Google and instead of Google said go vote, and I'm like, wow.
I mean Beyonce got on Twitter. She got I mean not Twitter on Instagram and endorsed a candidate for Senate in Texas, which I was like, kind of low key, she's a little late, like she posted a couple hours ago. But shout out to her for finally getting her act together.
But yeah, yeah, it was the same.
In New York City. A couple of my the people who work in my office came in just like looking like they were completely harassed. Like the lines were so long. People Like at one load a voting location in Brooklyn, I heard like the the the what do you call it, Like the scanning machines or the vote scanner machines weren't working and there was this massive line.
Yeah.
I just I feel like everyone. It feels like people knew they were gonna was gonna be like a record turnout, but it doesn't feel like the polling locations got the memo or like actually made any changes to make it easier, because.
Yeah, they're already talking about voter suppression. In Georgia, oh yeah, where, Yeah, we're I think it mostly some of the voter machines they didn't bring chords to like to plug them in. And it's only mostly, of course, areas where minorities are. Isn't that so terrible? That guy is the worst in Georgia.
I mean, I cast my vote in New York, but I'm watching I'm watching my homestay. I still consider Georgia because I'm like, please do the right thing, you guys. But also it's really depressing because it's not just like a new thing for Georgia, this talk of voters suppression. Brian Kemp, the Republican candidate, has been actively trying to suppress votes. I mean, he's he literally is on the uh it manages elections for the state. That's like his job.
That's crazy. And then and he's been sued multiple times and found guilty of it, which I'm like, how is he allowed to still manage then these elections?
It's outraged like that that I feel like is the reason there's such I mean, I almost feel like people have had this pent up aggression. I mean since day day one of you know, day one, post apocalypse, post twenty sixteen election night, everyone. We were depressed. You know, there was like this depression that fell over a lot, probably over more than half the country. But then it was like midterms, mid terms. It became like the chant, the chant that we shared like two years, two years,
we can finally do something. And I think that's why we're seeing such crazy turnout. But you know, I just wish it was easier to vote. Man, it should it should be so much easier.
Well, they did a lot of like I saw, like more than ever before that people voted early, like early voting. I don't think New Jersey has it because I definitely would have done it. Yeah, so it was just like I said, I mean usually like my city where my town that grew, Westfield. You know, the turnout it's pretty decent, although like you said, I don't even know for it actually was. There was more people for midterms than it was for the presidential election. For when I went in
and I'm like, wow, people are really not fun. Yeah, well, you know, I mean to be fair, it's not like I go the same time every year. But I don't remember ever waiting that long. I was like wait, And then they had a little ninety year old lady who was like checking everyone in. I'm like, why did they have this lady here? She was super nice, but when I tell you the lie, I was like, oh my god,
Like it didn't make sense. Like have her sit by the actual like like little I don't know, voting booth and just hand you your card because for her to have to find your name sign, I'm like, why did they have grand out grandma doing this? People were looking like what's happening?
Still like reams of paper, They're like thumbing through to find your name on the on the list of the voter registration documents. I mean, I just feel like it's
so antiquated and it's been made. I almost like this whole experience of this midterm election voting, even me trying to figure out how to do absentee ballots because we vote in a county thirty minutes north of Manhattan, and I couldn't go vote today because of work stuff, so I went this weekend to try and vote, and like the address on the website wasn't actually the address where you can go pick up the ballots, and it was this whole run around to finally get to the place
where I had to cast my vote and I'm just like it. You know, we talk about voter suppression in the obvious ways, but I feel like the whole the whole like way that. But we have elections set up in the polling process, and the voting process in this in this country is is a form of it, just it naturally punishes people who don't have transportation, who work nine to five, you know, and can't get takeoff work to go vote. And I would I would love to.
I don't know if I just don't think voters rights and voters and the voting process is ever like a big campaign issue, but I wish it was, because can you imagine, like you can get a flu shot at dayne Reid, what if you could vote, you know, at the drug store, or what if you could cast a vote on your phone like you could for American idol
or something like that. I mean, so many studies have shown if But the fact that like voter turnout, you know, is a big reason why we have party lines the way that we do, and it's a big reason why democrats and liberals are progressives often struggle in races like this because the people who would vote for them are the least likely to show up.
Yeah, no, you're right. It's definitely like you know, we're all watching the Stacy Abrams race, We're all watching the Gilliam race. We're all watching just well chat you know, you're just like my I just don't even want to I'm just gonna go to sleep and wake up because the last time we thought we had it in the bag with the Cheeto for president.
I have zero zero hope. I mean I have. The hope that I have is like watching my baby brother in Atlanta who's been canvassing for Stacy Abrams for months now, him and his friends canvassing like this is you know, say what you Obviously it's a terrible situation our countries and right now politically, but I can at least take hope and like the fact that young people are really feeling mobilized to get out there and get the vote out.
And I don't know that Stacy Abrams might have run if twenty sixteen had it happened.
So that's true.
Mm hmm, there's that prize. I got to hope she wins, so I know, I know, come through Georgia, I know.
Oh boy. So other than that, I had to do some real adulting today. My dad was like, because you know, like I mentioned, last week or the week before lasted, I paid out here my mom's mortgage and he was like, you know, I didn't even mind paying my taxes today. I was like, taxes, taxes. I totally forgot Superman, and I have to pay taxes on our property because you know, usually taxes come out with your mortgage, so you don't think about it. But like, we don't have a mortgage
on either of the properties. So I'm like, oh man, So I had to do some real adulting and like add it to like my calendar so that way it can send me a reminder because typically what they do in newerkules I don't know other talents is they'll give you the tax couponts for the year. But who's looking at that, you know. So yeah, so I just went in my calendar and it was like, okay, November, February, whatever the other months are, and I put it as
a reminder. I gave myself the link because you also have to know like your block a lot number, which I guess is like where your property is actually located, and your account number. So I did all of that so as it pops up, I can be like taxes are due. I did it like a few days before they're actually due, so I have time to transfer money if need be. But it was just like such an adulting day, taxes voting. Oh my goodness, what next I'm giving birth? I mean hopefully right, that is hopefully so.
Only it were that simple.
Well, one last, one quick thing. This is just a little gig go because we all gotta have a kind of like an abbreviated show. Did you see the young woman all this was funny, the young woman who created uh pretend go fund me. She was a black college student. She made one hundred and fifty thousand dollars because she wore the red uh you know, Magna had said like mega, yeah, uh huh. And so she said, I can't pay for school, and you know I can't. I can't hide it anymore.
I you know, I have to just I just have to say. She said, Oh, her name is a reformed Republican. This is on Twitter. I will not hide any longer. The left has made us feel like if us black Republicans like as if US black or publishers should hide, but not anymore. Blacks for Trump walk away. Maga and then she was like, you know, my parents, thank you so much for your overwhelming support. After seeing my tweet, my parents cut me off and refuse to pay for
my universe situition. So if you could find in your hearts to help this young black Republican pay for school would be appreciated. She started a GoFundMe. This girl raised one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and it was like psych Then she got a little freaked out because I think people were like, you know what, So she actually decided, like, you know what she gave, you know, that was a lot. She even posted fake fake text and so and what now, where is the money gonna go?
Is she gonna donate it to?
I don't know, something, I don't know, she said, I don't know. So this is, oh my god, some of the stuff she said, it's crazy. She said Trump is a racist, homophobic, transphobic, a big and you think my black ass would support that rotten carrot ridiculous. Any black person can put on an ugly hat and say maga, and y'all will instantly up and theigh behind because you
want to prove so hard that you're not racist. And she was like so yeah, so she I don't know how much of the money she's keeping, but I'm like, girl, someone will scam of the century.
But she's not wrong, Like, come on, she's like every white Republicans black. They want to make her their black friend.
They do. And I was just like wow, and I was I just thought that that was hilarious. And I think that I think she said she was gonna give back the money. Meanwhile, she said she refunded most of the donation. No, I don't think she will funded all them. Yeah, so I think that I just thought that that was hilarious, that how quickly people will jump on and give money to a stranger if it supports their racist agenda. And yeah, good for you. You know, I hope you're one of the
people that she got. That's a little I little giggle for the night, little giggle. Thanks for that.
Let's take a quick break and hear from one of our sponsors. Okay, it's time for Brown Bruce Brown break.
Hopefully, by the time you hear this, the elections, we will be celebrating and we'll be all giddy and you'll be listening to this like yes, good things, good things, good things, and even if every one we wanted to win did not win. Still, you know, your vote really matters. And I saw a really great quote that it said, if your vote didn't matter, they wouldn't they wouldn't try so hard to suppress it.
So just remember that, Yes, is that your boost?
Yeah? I guess so.
But okay, I'll give you. I mean, I'll let you get an easy one. I have a slightly off topic boost. I wanted to well this is actually a break. I'm gonna break, but I'll do a little boost just to end on a high note. So, first of all, I came across this survey recently and I just had to mention it. So it's a survey by AARP. And what reminded me of this is my my one of my cousins just sent me a Facebook invite for like her Pampered Chef you know group on Facebook. And I was like,
oh god, not another one. And like another cousin is doing like Lulu what is it?
Lula row?
And then I got the one cousin who was selling like tea, you know, like the make you lose weight tea, and I'm like, oh my god, multi level marketing people, like they're just they drive me crazy, and I just think that, you know, I have a I'm pretty I'm it's pretty adamant that in my mind, at least just from experience or talking to people, that a lot of multi level marketing organizations, you know, where you take a oh, I became a Lula Roe seller and I made five
thousand dollars. So I'll teach you how to be one, and here by all this inventory and then you sell it and you can make a bunch of money. Pyramid schemes is another way that they've been, you know, another term for these MLM organizations. They're just really not the best deal for the people at the bottom of the pyramid. That's the whole point. And now there's a little bit
of proof. So AARP put out a survey and found that among twenty million Americans who participate or who have participated in multi level marketing organizations, ninety percent said they got involved to make money. Obviously, However, nearly half lost money and one quarter made no money at all, no
money at all, which is sad. I mean, this is a multi billion dollar industry in it and I'm especially talking to our listeners because I feel like a lot of The people that are targeted for these type of organizations are often women and often minority women, and it can really you can negatively impact I feel like it's negatively impacting minority women in this country because they're being sold a bill of goods to sign up for these, you know, different organizations and sell this or sell that,
and they're not actually reaping any rewards from them.
You just have to be so careful. I feel like people always target you know, this population of folks. I mean, have you have you heard the other one too, where it's like those sweep steaks. You know those sweepstakes, No, which one the ones where they come to your house with the big clearing house swepstakes.
Oh yeah, publish the calearing house.
That's probably yeah, forever. Yeah. And so you know, so there's like this scam that was going on, but it targets These type of things typically target the older population. And so if you've got older people in your life, really checking in on them, because it's very easy for people to get over because you know, you get to a certain age, I feel like you're maybe a little bit more trusting, a little bit more open, I don't know. So this is terrible honestly. So what's the high note, Maandra?
Well, first, Tming, Well, before I get to the high note, I will say, I know this is a very hot topic. I'm sure we'll get some emails who were mad at me for mentioning MLMs. But listen the proofs in the pudding. Okay, less than half of people according to the survey, or not nearly half of people according to the survey, lost money,
and one quarter made no money. So before you sign up for your BFFs or your aunts, you know, to sell this or sell that, just actually look at the math and see if you really will make any wealth from that type of organization.
I'm not gonna lie. I'm I'm unabashedly anti MLM. I don't care if people like will be like, oh but Tiffany, like, I get it, that avon and what is the other one that actually is like a kind of like real Mary Kay, I get it, But you know what the fact is, if you're not most people are the level of work required. Most people don't have the time or the inclination. So even if it's actually like a real company,
which most are not real. I mean they might rea real companies on paper, but like not real company and actuality. Most people don't have the you know, it takes a lot of selling. You have to really have a certain personality for it. So most people are just not built for it. I know, I'm not not for that, not for someone else's company. So it's usually just not a good thing unless for it's almost like one of those things called when you go on that little cheap vacation
and then they try to sell you. What are those time shares? Time share? Time shares work out for like two percent of people who buy them. Yep, you know, like so is a timeshare completely like nobody share buy time share? No. I've literally met a handful of people where worked out amazingly, But for ninety eight point nine nine percent of the people, timeshare has a terrible idea. So I'm gonna make a blanket statement and say, don't do a time don't do it MLM because for most
people it just doesn't work out. And if you're one of the one to two percent that it works out, great, You're at the top of the pyramid. You made your million while everybody else has suffered.
You suck boo.
Petty.
Okay, that was that was my break and I, and I'm interested to see what you guys have to say about MLM, So send us an email at Brand Ambition podcast at gmail dot com, or hit us up on Twitter at the BA Podcast. You can instagram us at Brand Ambition Podcasts. We are everywhere. If you can't find us, it's your problem.
All right.
So my high note, I almost I caught myself from doing my boost during the previous question that we answered about credit cards, but I did want to give a boost to the little workhorse that is a City Double Cash card because it has been so clutch for us. I don't know if well you guys are just starting your renovation, but especially for all the little things that we've purchased for the house. Like I said, there's no
like reward. There aren't very good home improvement rewards cards like you can get a Home Depot card or a Low's card, but they don't have the best benefit, and then you don't get any rewards if you don't shop outside of those stores. So we've been using City Double Cash to get two percent cash back on all purchases you use the card for, and we've made I was just looking at my statement. I think we've made close to eight hundred dollars cash back in just the last
few months. And it's not the only reason that this card is awesome. And it sounds like I'm doing an ad, but I promise this is I'm not endorsing them. We don't get paid by them. It's just a cool car that I like. They also have this feature called City Price Rewind, which have you ever used this card or
this benefit City Price It is so clutch. So my husband has become this amazing deal hound for you know, me buying an oven, or a washer, or a dryer, or even the toilets or smoke detectors or what are these little things that you buy and City Price re one if you buy it with your City Card if the price drops, I think it's I forget what the time period is, but it's a good amount of time
in the future. They will actually they will actually find if a price drops, and if it does, they will refund you the money.
So we have saved I need to.
Add it up, but I know we've saved about five hundred dollars or more, excuse me, from the price of our washer. Dryer dropped a couple hundred dollars at best Buy and you don't have to do anything like it just does the work for you. And then you get an email.
Yeah, but it's it called again, I'm gonna apply.
So it's the City I don't it's a City Price Sorry, it's a City Double Cash card and the future is called City Price Rewind and they may offer that benefit for other city cards. I'm not entirely sure, but definitely on the City Double Cash Card they do. And it has been awesome.
No, because I remember I signed up for the you know Chase what is it really really called the Chase, the one where like one hundred thousand points? Oh?
Yeah, the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Yeah, so I signed up for the Chase Sapphire. Ooh you know what? I think I told Genie by the wrong thing. Oh well, anyway, because I was all on the real she was asking me like, what card do you have? You know me? I'm like, why are you asking me questions that I have to remember things? I was like the Venture. She said, you like that better than the Reserve. I was like, yeah, girl, of me, while I don't have the Venture anyway, she should be fine. I shouldn't be your Jesus of credit card.
She's not called the credit card needs to you guys.
But it wasn't online. It was just like her personally. But anyway, I got that card, and I Superman was just saying, we need to get because we're starting to get into the like right now, the thing that the contractor is doing. We haven't had to buy anything yet, so but you know, we're getting into the stage where we're gonna like, we have to buy a tub and we have to start getting tile, and so I think it's time for us. So Superman wanted to get a home Depot card, but I think I like this better
because we're not just getting things from Home Depot. So hmmm, City double cash card. He's gonna be so pissed when I some Mandy suggested. He's gonna be like I suggested we get a card of like I know, but the wrong one, you know how like I always follow advice from other people, sometimes more than you know the source. Eventually, and yeah.
That's okay, don't tell him, I said it. Just just be like, oh, remember when you said that's a really smart thing.
And I'm learning, right, I'm gonna be like, you know what, you were totally right. So I started to look into cards, and I said, well, what set up that looks you get this. You're just so smart. That's exactly what I'll do. See look at us wiping one on one.
And I will note. Because we know that the Chase out Fire Reserve has a high annual fee four hundred and fifty dollars to say double cash. What makes it even better is that there's no annual fee and there's no foreign transaction fee either. So if you need if you're looking for a no annual fee travel card, I mean it has. It's just a great all around card. There's even I think an intro balance transfer offer. It's
pretty dope. I don't know what took me so long to sign up for this card, but I love it, love it, love it, and that is my boost.
Okay.
I carry the way that that Brown Boost Brown Break today you did.
That was that was the.
Let's get let's get into this this email inbox and answer some questions. How about that? Okay? So you guys know you can hit us up at Brandambisson podcast dot com. Okay, and uh I left it. I'm like opening, like the goalpost is open. All they gotta do is bring it home to brandibision podcast dot.
Com dot com.
Got it and ask us anything on the website, where you can email us directly at brandibision podcast at gmail dot com with your questions. Yeah, we have a couple of awesome questions for today. What should we start with? Okay, so this one, this law school unit. I think I like her questions, so we'll start with her. She as remain anonymous. Her question is a cry for help. She says, Hello, I'm a first year law student at a prestigious law school.
I'm twenty two years old and we'll be approaching twenty five when I graduate. I currently have eleven thousand dollars in student loan debt from my undergrad but I'm on track to have one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in debt from law school. I'd like to know what I can do to become more knowledgeable about finances so I can make the best financial decisions in law school and after. My goal is to be debt free by thirty and my credit score is currently seven hundred and thirty.
Help. So how much does she currently have or he currently have?
He only has eleven thousand dollars in debt right now from undergrad but she's on track to have so over three years, it's not unusual. Actually, three years of law school, she'll have one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in debt, which a lot of it like many law school students. She doesn't say, but I'm assuming a lot of that is going to be private school debt, because well, I think you max out a certain level of federal student loans you can take. Or maybe I'm wrong, but it
could be federal or private. But one hundred and fifty k. So let's talk about her options, because she's nos she's graduating with this debt. She wants to get ahead of it.
Honestly, I would put a lot of work and I didn't do this, and I'm kind of disappointed because I'm sure I could have gotten least some assistance. I would put, like, I'm assuming you're not in law school yet, so whatever that kind of six months a year breakup. I guess I don't know from when you graduate UNDERGRADU to when you enter law school she is.
She says, I'm a first year law school student. Sounds like she's already in school.
Yeah, okay, because honestly, one of the regrets that I made when I went when I got my master's degree is that I didn't put hardly any effort into looking for like scholarships and assistants, you know, And even if it was ten thousand dollars, like over time of the interest that that ten thousand dollars recruit and what I owe now, it would have saved me a lot of money. So it's not too late, obviously, but I you know, I would set aside some time to look to see
what kind of assistance you can possibly drum up. Because student loan forgives they've already changed. I was reading an article, but forgiveness is not the same. Like, you know, the President had been threatening to dismantle student loan forgiveness at least as we know it, and for the most part he has. So the the ability to get your loan forgiven is not the You just don't have the same opportunity to do so. And I just I mean, one of my mentees is as a law a lawyer now.
But I remember when she first graduated, her her loan payment, Mandy was like nine hundred dollars a month, and I was like, wait, I've heard worse I've heard I don't even know what that means. She was like, so, I'm never I'm just never gonna move out of my mind. I'm just I'm just going to live here forever. And thankfully she opened up her scope of where she could work as she's from Jersey. She ended up finding a job in Connecticut. I want to say that paid really,
really well. So one of the things I remember, she wanted to get a really fancy apartment and I talked her into not doing so. I think the apartment she wanted to get was like twenty two or twenty three hundred dollars a month, and I was like, mentee, I hear you, but then you're just going to be beholden to that apartment. So I was able to go online and find like a less expensive apartment. I think we found one for like seventeen hundred, but it was still
really nice. It was actually really close to where she was working. So if you can't find assistance, like with your actual loans, just making sure that you're making the right choices with how you're spending the money. Cause I'm assuming right in law school that some of that money is used for like housing and all that kind of stuff. Correct, Oh, I don't know.
I don't know what law school. No, I don't know, so I'm assuming it's for tuition and room and board, but I don't know for sure. I want to say, with law school one, you're entering what I don't know what your focus is going to be, but what could potentially be a really high paying job. And the law school grads that I know, A couple of my friends in New York have managed to pay off their student loan debt and it was six figures as well, within
a few years. Because with law schools private law firms, you have the opportunity to make bonuses and really fat signing bonuses even sometimes, and then you get like annual bonuses that help pay off those student loans. So it's different, you know, a law school grad versus like I don't know a teacher with one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
you know, student loan debt, it's almost less scary. I mean, it's still obviously a ton of debt, but because of your profession, you may be set up to pay it off a lot more quickly than other professions. And t
if you mentioned loan forgiveness, programs. There are a lot of states offer loan assistance programs for lawyers, if you're willing to like nurses or teachers, if you're willing to work in certain areas, less desirable areas or areas where there's higher poverty rates, they sometimes offer loan forgiveness through those programs. And there's a website called the Equal Justice
Works Directory. I'm getting this information from our Magnified Money's Guide to Loan Forgiveness where we break it down by profession.
So I'm happy to send this your way because there are some state programs maybe you want to look into for loan forgiveness and you can't, I know, if they're private student loans and you have you graduate and they have pretty high interest rates, you can look into refinancing your student loans to get a lower interest rate, especially if your credit score, like you said, is seven thirty.
That's awesome, and you may be able to refinance and get a lower rate after you get out of school and stay on top of those.
Yeah, I mean it's hard. I mean because luckily you're in a profession that does tend to pay, you know, pay really well. But you're also entering into into a profession that we're it garners just a lot of debt, So just being mindful of how much you're borrowing, that you're you're not borrowing more than you need, and two afterwards, making choices that are going to allow you to pay that debt off faster.
Yes, ma'am. And don't start living that high paid lawyer lifestyle as soon as you just start getting paid, because remember you haven't actually earned the money yet, you know, like take it paycheck by paycheck, and don't just don't forget about that debt and any you know. She mentions that if you're in law school, you can get a good summer internship that may net you up to thirty
thousand dollars in one summer. Okay, great, So see if you can go ahead and make payments on your student loans to get ahead of it, because she says that that one hundred and fifty thousand dollars is already starting to accrue interest, So if you can make a payment even while you're in school, that would obviously be even better.
Yeah.
Yeah, but good luck, And let me know what area of law you go into. Maybe I'll give you a call one day and maybe be a client who knows. Thank you for your question. All right, next question. This comes from another anonymous listener. Okay, she says another. Our last episode last week was a little bit about financial fomo. She has kind of a credit card fomo experience, she says. One of my coworkers recently shared with me how she's been able to fund all of her fabulous trips with
her husband with travel and rewards credit cards. I'd like to sign up for one so my husband can take more trips, but I'm not sure which is the best option, and also I don't want to have too much open credit available. We're in good financial standing with eight hundred plus credit scores, but don't want to jeopardize our position by overextending ourselves. Question is is there a certain number of credit cards that are too much? And what is the best option if we're looking for travel and rewards
credit cards to maximize points for travel. Sincerely, Anonymous.
Well, I understand not wanting to have too much credit cards open. I don't know that there's like a specific number. I mean, there are like those super travel hacker guys who have like a ton. I feel like two or three. It's fine, I guess I mean three or less, but I don't. I feel like it really all depends on how responsible you.
Are, unless I have like ten, I don't know ten, but I have ten.
But I mean, also you're responsible, so it's kind of like, well, to me, it really depends on your level of responsibility. So you know, you you could have a ton of cards and you've got this great utilization rate because you're not utilizing as much credit as you could, and that's fine, and you can have one and be like, I'm good to rock out with this. I feel like it really just depends on it's not so many how many cards,
but how you're using them. And honestly, the best way to use cards if you're wanting to use it for travel, if you are responsible enough to do this, is to put your bills on one on that travel card and then paid off in full every month, and then that way you're earning as many points as possible paying things you were going to pay anyway. But to me, that's like, you know, graduate level usage of credit cards, because what you don't want is to put your bills on a
card and not be able to pay. So now you owe bills and you owe credit card but if you're you know, you've got a great automated system, and you're like, you know, the household bills are you know, three thousand and five thousand dollars a month, and we could pay that off every month because we paid the bills anyway, you know, you could certainly try that. I know people who do that and get one or two trips a year.
What I do, because I have a business, is that one of my marketing cards is a travel rewards card, and so I spent a lot of money on marketing, and so it can earn me anywhere from sometimes three trips a year, certainly enough for flights, like three or four flights a year. So that's the way I use that, because we pay my business pays off it's credit card every month, so I earn a good amount of trips. Plus two, I travel a lot, and so I use I earn a lot of money and or a lot
of flights and points. So that's what I would suggest that there's nothing wrong with a credit card I use wisely. But the only way you're going to really earn enough points to do so is that if you actually use that card and actually use it a lot, and the easiest way to use it a lot is to use it for things you're paying for anyway.
Yeah, if traveling, I would say the best travel credit cards out there are ones that give you the most points for traveling, So if you don't already travel consistently, it can be difficult to accrue enough points to make
the card really worth it. And there are cards that maybe you can spend enough to earn that sign up bonus, which is nice, and maybe you'll get like fifty thousand points and you can take a trip somewhere, But then after that you may find it hard to accrue enough points to really make a meaningful debt and travel expenses unless you're really continuing to spend a large amount in the key categories where you earn the most points, which you know, for like the top cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve,
for example, you only get three points back on travel related purchases or not travel and dining purchases, So if you don't travel a lot or eat out a lot, then maybe it wouldn't be the most, you know, wouldn't make the most sense for you. There's like flat rate cash back cards that maybe yeah, if you're not you know, if you don't have any specific spending in any one category.
You know, a flat back, a flat cash back card like a City Double Cash card, or ally has a new credit card I think gives you two percent cash back on some purchases. There are there's I like having a good and I'll tell you through this. Through our renovation, for example, we have been charging everything because it's not like it doesn't fit any particular rewards category. The spending like for tile and for toilets and crap. Unfortunately there's no toilet credit card.
But we've been.
Using a flat back, a flat rate cash back car the City Double Cash and we've made hundreds of dollars back in our in our spending so far, which is nice. And then I have my travel card for travel related purchases that I use strategically there and if you're looking, I knows you want I know you want the best option. There's so many. I'm gonna send a link to a couple of roundups on best travel credit cards and then you can maybe pick the one that's right for you. Yeah, that fits your lifestyle.
So depending on basically what kind of spending you do. So you know, Mandy's right. Sometimes you're like, oh and and too. You know, as you as you start to travel more, if the card does work, really get loyal to an airline because that's going to help maximize your card. So look, wherever you fly out of typically, what airline has a hub there. So for me, I live in Newark, so nine times out of ten, I'm flying out of Newark, and the hub for United has their hub in Newark.
So I'm loyal to you, not because of United in particular, but because I know that I'm gonna have to fly United anyway typically, so I'm able to earn points. So even if like I just came back, I just taped the real in La So even though I didn't pay for my flight the producers did, I still got to earn points. So I always remember to add my points, so that way I'm adding earning points from the actual
airline and I'm earning points from the actual card. And so when you know, when it's the next time I go to travel somewhere, sometimes I'll buy my points with my airline points, and then I'll buy my husband's flight with his with the with the card points, and so that way everybody wins.
That's awesome. Yeah, and if you've made purchases for your office too, it's a good chance to earn rewards.
And Groupon is your friend. Have you ever have you ever gone to a group on trip Mandy?
Yeah, I did once we went to Turkey using a group on, like in twenty thirteen.
Did you like it?
Oh? I loved it? Yeah, it was. It was cool, it was and you know what, it was funny because we we got like a package tour of Turkey where it was like airfare, travel, lodging, all that included. And then we were mentioning the group on because I just assumed everybody used the group on, but like a lot of people didn't use the group on. They just poked it through the and they got really mad. We if we payed like a thousand bucks less.
Yeah it was yeah. Yeah so that too. Think about you know, like you could get really creative with travel, like what I've been on like three or four group on and I've never had a bad time and I've never had like a scammy time. And too, there's a if you're looking to travel to Europe. I love European destinations dot com. I found like I did Greece and Turkey.
One year. I think it was twelve fifty and included all flights, all hotels, and you get to pick your own hotels, so I made sure to pick hotels that had breakfast included for twelve hundred fifty dollars. I think we were gone. It was my sister and I. I think we were gone for I don't want I want to say it was seven to ten days. I think it was about so it was, and it was amazing.
So we got to go to Athens, we got to go to Santorini, Greece, and we got to go to Istanbul, Turkey for twelve hundred dollars and like I said, included flight from from New Jersey. No, I think we left from New York to Greece and from Greece to Santorini which is also Greece, and Santorini to Istanbul and then back home. So there are deals out there, even if it's not like free vacations, there are definitely deals out there to be had.
Exactly, And I'm gonna send you that link to a couple of you know, good travel rewards card options. And again these are the cards that you know if we mentioned credit cards on the show, They're just the cards that we like. You know, you've got to find the card that's right for you, and we don't endorse any particular card for any reason other than that it fits our lives and we like it right this, Yes, like.
My get up and go you better go ahead Chase card. Remember I could never get the.
Name right the Chase Good Time cards, get.
You a flight Chase card. I'm like, wait, what part is that? It sounds like those are those commercials that they do. They do the to focus like on their black demographic, so they have to get extra like hey hey, hey, got you a car Chase card. And you're like, you didn't have to do all of that, or they make a hip hop beat for it. You're like, you know, I like country music, but okay, yeah, you want to take one more question? No done?
Those are the two I chose.
No, that's fine by me.