Our Daily Bread
As a single guy, I have to admit that I am more than a little envious when another single friend partners with someone or even meets someone that could be a person of interest. It is human nature.
The devotional talks about putting aside human nature to be the kind of people that God wants us to be. For example, rejoicing when good things happen to special friends in your life. Putting aside all jealousy and envy so you can share in their happiness. How cool is that? If John the Baptist can do it, then we should at least give it a shot! hehehe
Lord, I want to put aside all selfishness and jealousy so I can be the kind of friend you want me to be.
Travel Thursday
Since the technology scene is horribly boring right now, so I decided to alternate the topic on Thursday between Technology when there is something to write about and Travel. I love to travel! I will write about some of the places I have been, some travel tips I learned over the years and point to some interesting travel related sites. My first entry includes some general tips on how to stretch your travel dollars.
Credit card rewards
Sometimes, using a branded credit card to get points for free flights or other travel discounts can be a very lucrative thing! I used my Southwest Chase Visa to pay for my school in 2009 and then paid off the balances when my company reimbursed me. I racked up thousands of points! Earning points for every day purchases can be a good thing. You usually have to pay a premium for these perks, usually in the form of a higher interest rate, so try not to keep a balance on these types of cards.
Also keep track of special offers through these credit cards as well. In 2010, I earned a $100 gift card for spending more than $1000 for three months in a row. I was already doing that due to my summer travel schedule. I also earned 1000 extra points for filling out a questionnaire for the company as well.
Frequent customer clubs
I am a member of the Hotels.com Welcome Rewards program. They recently upgraded me to their Five Star program as well. In this program, I get a credit towards a free night for every ten nights I book on Hotels.com. Watch out for the "no welcome rewards awarded for this booking" text when you are booking. Some room rates are so low, they can't offer the Welcome Rewards credit in addition to the low room rate. I have earned four or five nights so far. They come in handy. Note that you usually can't "double dip" by getting both Hotels.com Welcome Rewards credit and hotel rewards program points for the same stay. Darn it!
There are other rewards type programs as well, such as Hilton, Marriott, Best Western, Expedia, etc. Check them out to figure out the one that works best for you. I did some Christmas shopping with points I earned from the Hilton program when I was traveling to New York City a lot!
Gift cards for some purchases
I try to anticipate some of my purchases, especially restaurants when I travel. I buy gift cards at Giant Eagle to earn discounts on gasoline (Kroger also has a gas program as well). They have gift cards for some airlines and hotel chains as well. I like to pay as little for the things I need, like gasoline, so I have more money for the things I want, like travel!
Other Stuff
I tried attending the monthly Network Columbus meeting last night. I couldn't stay long. My friends didn't show up. It was a bust for me. I went to church early and prayed instead. It was a better choice I think! D1 was good last night. We have a LOT of reading to do for next week. We have the following Wednesday off due to Thanksgiving weekend.
God is so good. Reading the Old Testament reminds me over and over how much I forget what God has done in my life. It reminds me how impatient I am (and have been). Like I said yesterday, strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord!
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in His loving arms!
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