How to Buy the Best Diamond Engagement Ring for Your Budget

And Avoid Making Two Mistakes That Can Easily Cost You Over $1,500

If you happen to be on the verge of buying a diamond engagement ring, this post is for you. Most of you probably aren’t in that situation, however. In that case, this post is for the friend or brother or son of yours who is getting close to popping the question.

Man proposes to woman with diamond engagement ring

For most people, purchasing an engagement ring presents a challenge. On the one hand, you want to get something really nice—something that your girlfriend will be happy to wear even many years from now. On the other hand, your budget is limited, especially when you’re just starting out.

Fortunately, there is a way to get a fantastic ring for much less than most people pay. I used this approach to buy my wife’s engagement ring more than 10 years ago. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. Why? Because it isn’t about being cheap. It’s about getting the absolute best ring you can for your budget. Here’s how to do it: (more…)

How to Make the Best Purchase Considering Quality AND Price

Use My “Product Decision Tool” to Decide Quickly Between Similar Products

Imagine you are looking to buy a refrigerator, a web cam, or a printer. Odds are you will find many products with very similar features. The question then arises: should you buy whichever one is highest-rated, regardless of the price? Or should you buy whichever one is cheapest, regardless of its quality?

I believe that quality and price are both important. And I’ve developed a method for using both criteria to decide quickly which product to buy when comparing products with similar features.

I’ve used this method to decide which refrigerator, washer, or dryer to buy—“big ticket” items where I didn’t want to make a mistake in terms of money or quality. But because the method is so easy, I’ve also used it to decide between “small ticket” items like web cams, printers, and blenders.

Here’s the method, which you can use to make a great purchase whenever deciding between two or more similar products: (more…)

Which is Better: To Earn Money or to Save It?

This post is from contributing author Matthew Houtsma. Matthew and I have been friends for over 30 years. We attended school together from kindergarten through college, have traveled together in Europe, and co-founded an SAT prep company. Matthew is always looking for ways to save money, particularly when it comes to travel with his wife and three boys. The tagline of this blog is “helping you have more time and money for what matters most.” But many of us overlook key factors in how we value money. In this post, Matthew talks about one such factor and how a proper understanding of it can help you have more money and time.

Would you rather get a $1,000 bonus at work or save $900 on plane tickets for an upcoming trip you have already decided to take? Or, would you be better off earning $1,000 driving for Uber or negotiating with your cable and phone company to save $720: $60 per month for the next 12 months, say?

Man holding glass jar with money in it

While you might think the first option is obviously better in both scenarios, for the vast majority of working adults, the second option is preferable. The reason why is simple but important to understand and keep in mind: (more…)

Last Chance to Get $1,075 from these 2 Credit Cards?

These 2 Cards May Disappear with the Marriott/Starwood Merger

Marriott and Starwood are in the process of merging. One likely outcome is that Chase and AMEX will discontinue a couple of currently available Marriott/Starwood credit cards with nice signup bonuses (worth $488-$587 in travel). If you’re interested in these cards, you should consider grabbing them before they’re potentially gone.

2 credit cards stuck in the sand

Here are the cards that folks in the know speculate will disappear: (more…)

How to Get Roadside Assistance on the Cheap

And Why I’m Cancelling My AAA Membership After 25 Years

Have you ever locked your keys in the car, ran out of gas, or found out your car’s battery is dead? Those are frustrating situations. And when they occur, it’s nice to get help. That’s why I’ve been a member of AAA for—gasp—25 years: because AAA offers great roadside assistance. But I had to decide by today whether to renew my membership or let it lapse.

Roadside service technician changing a tire

After a quarter of a century, I finally got around to researching whether the cost of membership is worth it. And for my wife and me, I’ve decided that it is not. Following is why I’m cancelling my AAA membership and, more importantly, how you can get roadside assistance on the cheap—even for free. (more…)

My Top 10 Posts of 2017

Get Outsized Value from These 10 Most Popular Posts

As 2017 draws to a close, I wanted to recap for you the 10 most popular posts on my blog this year. You should be able to get outsized value from these posts, especially the #1 most popular.

Here are the top 10 posts, starting with the most popular: (more…)

Is the Apple Watch Worth the Cost?

My Thoughts after One Month with the Apple Watch

Last month I got an Apple Watch. The questions I repeatedly get asked about it are: “What do you use it for?” and “Do you like it?” And there seems to be a third, unspoken question: “Is it worth the cost?”

A watch on an apple, as a play on the words "Apple Watch"

In this post I answer those questions. My aim is to help you decide whether you would find it useful, whether you would like it, and whether you would think it worth the cost. (more…)

How to Get the Best Seat on a Southwest Flight [Complete Guide, 2019]

Whenever you fly, you want to get the best seat on the plane for your money. With Southwest, getting the seat you want is more complicated. That’s because there are no assigned seats on Southwest flights. Rather, as passengers board the plane, they may choose any unoccupied seat.

I'm holding my son Michael on a Southwest flight

My son Michael and I on a Southwest flight last summer

Over time, I’ve given an inordinate amount of thought to how to get the seat you want on a Southwest flight. Here’s a complete guide to scoring your desired seat, whether that be an exit row, an aisle, or a window. (If you prefer the middle seat in the back row near the lavatories, you can stop reading now.) (more…)

How to Get a Spectacular Hotel Room Upgrade for Free

This Approach Has Worked for Me 9 out of 9 Times

The weekend before last, my wife and I stayed 2 nights at the historic Hotel Del Coronado, just south of San Diego, CA. Using Hilton points, I booked a free stay for us in a standard room, which sells for around $350/night. I wasn’t excited about the room. It wasn’t on the ocean, didn’t have a view, etc. But we were upgraded for free to an Oceanfront Tower Resort Suite on the top floor of the hotel. That room sells for over $1,500/night. It was 900 sq. ft. large. And it had the two features that I wanted: a spectacular ocean view and a balcony to enjoy it from.

View from the balcony of our hotel room upgrade

The view from our upgraded room’s balcony at Hotel Del Coronado

The upgrade was a gratuitous gift from the hotel. That said, I took certain steps to ask for the gift. I’ve now taken those steps to try to secure an upgrade on 9 separate occasions in three different countries. In all 9 cases, I succeeded in receiving a free room upgrade. Some of the upgrades, such as the one my wife and I just received, have been jaw-dropping. Others have been more modest, but still extremely meaningful to me, providing larger rooms, connecting rooms, better views, etc. Each upgrade has added substantial value to my family’s trip without costing a penny.

In all 9 cases, I booked the rooms for free using points prior to asking for, and receiving, an upgrade. Most people might be hesitant to ask for an upgrade on a paid stay and would be downright embarrassed to ask for an upgrade on a free room. But I have no shame in asking. And neither should you. Worst the hotels can say is “no.” But that’s not what they say.

Here’s how to get hotel room upgrades—sometimes incredible ones—for free: (more…)

Why Insurance is Never a Good Deal

And 4 Times When You Should Pay for It Anyway

When you purchase a computer, should you buy insurance in case it breaks? Or should you purchase travel insurance for a trip? What about car insurance, health insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or life insurance? You can save a lot of money over a lifetime by answering these difficult questions well.

Building destroyed by Hurricane Irma on St. Maarten island

Properly understood, insurance is always a bad deal. But there are 4 times when you should get it anyway. Let me explain. (more…)