I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[disneybirds]

Can I use the gift membership to renew my own membership when it comes due?

Ours renews tomorrow, so I cancelled tonight and bought a gift of prime. I will let you know how it goes when I add it back. I mistakenly sent it to the wrong email address, so hopefully that isn't an issue when I add it back.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

UGH - stupid Raise promo...3-5% off select brands. (No extra discount on Disney - the list of eligible GCs is pretty long though.).

TCB increases to only 3%...

That one is a PASS for me... bummer.

Really hoping for a good cyber Monday deal.

So what are everyone's big Black Friday scores?

We're looking at Arlo Pro 2 cameras from Costco for $279 to replace our old Arlo cameras that eat through batteries like crazy.

Looking at Nintendo switch from Amazon that comes with $25 promotional credit for future purchases.

Need to buy some baby alive toys for operation good cheer child and Target may have best deals on those.

Not much else is jumping out that we need.

I ordered DH a solo stove (fire pit), they had good Black Friday sales this week and the longer I left it in my cart without checking out the more coupons they kept sending. I love that they have free shipping and returns so if he doesn't like it, back it goes. Seems to get really good reviews though and he loves to have a fire pit going.

Don't plan to step foot in a store today, we're off to cut down a Christmas tree in a bit.

we got tons of movies, games, and earring and necklaces for the nieces.
Ended up buying two 29” hard suitcases since they were on sale for 105 each. I can’t afford the expensive suitcases.

 

[disfanforlife]

Ours renews tomorrow, so I cancelled tonight and bought a gift of prime. I will let you know how it goes when I add it back. I mistakenly sent it to the wrong email address, so hopefully that isn't an issue when I add it back.

I hope it works out well for you!

 

[disneybirds]

This is why I always end up with paralysis by analysis whenever I have to buy a major appliance. I read as many reviews as I can, and it seems like for every positive there’s a negative so then I’m just stuck and I can’t buy anything

I am the same way. We need to replace our 25 year old Kenmore washer and dryer, and I have looked online but can't decide. Our Kenmore was just a basic washing machine and I think that is why we have had it for so long. I didn't realize that getting a new one where you choose the water level would be such an issue! Most now have the water sensing feature and it seems that it frustrates some.

 

[disfanforlife]

you can and there's a Doctor of Credit post with details. Basically you have to cancel your membership (so it doesn't auto renew) and then when it expires you use the discounted renewal you purchased. When you cancel your membership you won't loose any time, it will still expire when it would have normally. I decided it wasn't worth the hassle for less than $10 savings but it's great if you're going to gift someone a membership.

Ok, thanks I will check out the post. Sounds reasonable as long as I remember to cancel mine. I just checked and mine renews in September so that a long time from now.

 

[Judique]

We did $500 Disney and $50 Starbucks (gifts) yesterday, and today I have 55 rewards in my account (and we used the Gold with 4x). We don't use the gas rewards because we don't use enough gas to make it worth our while even with both cars Maybe if I bought another couple cans it would work. So instead I will use the rewards on grocery staples and some treats for Christmas.

I'm going to do $200-$300 in Disney Gift cards and thanks for the confirmation that they work.

Points earned in early December should be good through end of January. That's about all the gas I'll be able to use! I filled the Kia in Ashburn, Virginia on the way back from Florida and it's still about 1/2 full 2 weeks later and it only holds 11 gallons and when I've filled it up the most I've pumped is 9 gallons. The van however is another story. I used it yesterday to carry stuff up to daughters house, and let it run down almost to the empty mark but before the warning light because I didn't want to stop for fuel.

I earned enough gas rewards for 5 fills last time there was a good offer and it was too much, so I used them on food items, which wasn't all bad either. And now I'll use much less gas, so I'm trying to be a bit conservative. I think my best bet is to use as gas rewards, and gradually acquire gift cards as I use them. Right now I'm way ahead of the curve and can't wait to get the major part of what I have deposited into my dues account in a couple of weeks.

 

[wendow]

Sorry to clog the thread with so much off topic but it's the biggest shopping weekend and you all are so knowledgeable so....

Any cool gadgets or neat houseware or garage items folks are getting? I like to get a fun (and practical and useful) gift not on their list for my parents. One year I picked up some Martha Stewart kitchen items for my mom and she still uses them. Dad loves tools but hates unnecessary items. I did order him a silly weatherstick that's made from a special twig that changes the way it points as the pressure rises and falls. It looked neat, was cheap, and he loves weather things. Got good reviews too.

I'm thinking of getting the new pioneer woman cookbook for my Mom. We both adore her.

I ordered two air fryers from target today. They’re on sale plus an extra 15% off today only. Plus red card and my dd’s employee discount. One was $37 after discounts! I’m going to research both and then return one but sale is today only so I wanted to jump on it. It looks like something we will use, unlike the instant pot I bought two years ago

Love pioneer woman too!! She used to post on homeschool forums years ago when I was first homeschooling. I was a fan of her recipes then and been hooked ever since!

 

[Haley R]

I have to say, I love being able to wear a t-shirt & shorts to watch fireworks and a parade when it’s almost December

 

[CyndiLouWho]

We bought our oven from the Sears Outlet a couple years ago. I can't remember how much we paid, but I don't think it was more than $600 and it's a nice convection oven. It's crazy how fast it cooks things. I'm not sure what about it is "scratch and dent" other than maybe one wonky foot on it, but it doesn't wobble or anything.

The Sears outlets near us (no actual Sears anymore) carry stuff that is not damaged. I’m guessing discontinued models, last years, etc. The floor models are even cheaper but not by much.
I have a friend whose SO is a chef and swears by convection for everything from pizza to cookies and cakes. I find it cooks things likes cookies way too fast and too Brown. Even the regular bake setting, I sometimes turn down 25 degrees.

 

[chattadisser]

Love my Bosch dishwasher. It was pricey, but I’ll never go back again. I’ve had it for about 10 years. Not one problem, and it cleans dishes spotlessly

I also have a Bosch. I got the very bottom level and so the price was comparable to other brands. I do love mine too! It’s rare something isn’t perfectly clean. I’ve had mine for 6 years. It’s also super quiet. Sometimes I can’t even tell if it’s actually running.

I have a Bosch also, it was pricey but like theirs, it's so quiet, you can't even tell it's running half the time. Thank goodness for the little red light that shines on the floor while it's running.

@WVMomof3 Our neighbors recently got a Bosch and they are in love. They put dishes in without any pre wash and they come out clean. I'm not sure I could ever not rinse my dishes but it's amazing how they get clean no matter what.
Glad to hear all of the other positive reviews for Bosch. We have a GE profile that works fine but is noisy (it's running now). Bosch will be on our radar when it stops working efficiently.

Another Bosch dishwasher lover here! I mine. You don't ever have to pre-wash, which is still hard to get used to, and I just choose the extra dry setting and everything is dry. Well anything plastic is still a little wet but everything else is dry. I specifically bought mine because it is so quiet. I love that you can't hear it, I would buy it all over again.

 

[amcc]

This is so me. Ughhh I was looking at the Bosch. My mom has one she likes but I hate loading the dishes in it. I don't think the rack configuration is the best. I do like the top 3rd rack but I was reading it makes wine glasses not fit in the top rack. Hello, what am I supposed to do with those? lol I also read tons of reviews about it not drying well and just as many saying it drys fine. We have been in this house 21 years, it is about 25 years old. I think this will be our 3rd, possibly 4th dishwasher. They don't seem to last. The current one is a Kenmore Elite and it is 8 years old.

I have the third rack, and my middle rack is height adjustable, so I have it low enough that I have no problem fitting my wine glasses in.

I’m going to be shopping for new appliances now during our home construction. I had already planned to take my plates, mugs, and wine glasses with me when I shopped for the appliances. I can’t stand designs that don’t allow efficient loading - we have a lot of dishes and cups...so many cups...every day.

 

[bernina]

I have a friend whose SO is a chef and swears by convection for everything from pizza to cookies and cakes. I find it cooks things likes cookies way too fast and too Brown. Even the regular bake setting, I sometimes turn down 25 degrees.

Our convection oven auto adjusts down 25 degrees when the convection bake or roast option is used. Things seem to cook fine at that setting and trays of cookies always come out evenly cooked. One tip I found with our oven is to use the broil setting to pre heat. If I were to just put the oven on bake 350 it would take close to 15 min to come up to temp. I put it on broil and in less than 5-7 minutes it's fully up to temp and I just switch it to the normal bake/roast setting before putting my food in.

 

[MKTokyo]

Picked up our Phantom tickets for tonight which I bought through Chase UR. We got pretty good seats. Orchestra left section, 5th row (C), two left most seats (so closest to Orchestra Center). Last time DD saw Phantom it was at the Kennedy Center and she said she couldn't see what was going on.

We did Top of the Rock today (pretty cool), lots of shopping (I now know what Brandy Melville is but I still don't get it), couldn't do the Circle Line tour (sold out) so we went to Madame Tussaud's which was fun. My sister said I was trolling her of my photos of me with the Kardashians!

There is nothing to get because the clothes are absolute garbage with poor designs & fit The popularity lies in exclusion. Everything comes in one (small) size & being able to wear it elevates your social status. That's it. That's why girls want to wear it. I used to shop at Hollister in high school for the same reason. It felt like the cool club. BM is even worse, though, because I think Hollister at least went up to size 7. Maybe size 9.

BM uses the same tactics as Hollister did. Make basic (or honestly, at times, quite ugly) clothes, market them aggressively to teens & tell them that's what cool kids wear in California (why is it always California?!), convince them that they actually like the clothes when what they really like is the emotional reward of being able to buy them, hire aloof/snooty employees, and maintain "brand image" by excluding as many people as possible. I wish I didn't fall for it!

 

[elgerber]

Another Bosch dishwasher lover here! I mine. You don't ever have to pre-wash, which is still hard to get used to, and I just choose the extra dry setting and everything is dry. Well anything plastic is still a little wet but everything else is dry. I specifically bought mine because it is so quiet. I love that you can't hear it, I would buy it all over again.

Mine doesn't have any dry settings LOL

 

[mmmears]

There is nothing to get because the clothes are absolute garbage with poor designs & fit The popularity lies in exclusion. Everything comes in one (small) size & being able to wear it elevates your social status. That's it. That's why girls want to wear it. I used to shop at Hollister in high school for the same reason. It felt like the cool club. BM is even worse, though, because I think Hollister at least went up to size 7. Maybe size 9.

BM uses the same tactics as Hollister did. Make basic (or honestly, at times, quite ugly) clothes, market them aggressively to teens & tell them that's what cool kids wear in California (why is it always California?!), convince them that they actually like the clothes when what they really like is the emotional reward of being able to buy them, hire aloof/snooty employees, and maintain "brand image" by excluding as many people as possible. I wish I didn't fall for it!

DD was given some a few items from some friends for her birthday back when she was in HS. Thank you for explaining it all, since when I did find the store nearby I just didn't get the hype. I did drop a fortune at A&F over the years, though, because their stuff fit DD so well since she was still wearing kids sizes until she was a sophomore in HS (and the kids places like Gymboree and Gap Kids didn't have stuff that looked right for a kid in middle school). At least I bought it all on sale or at the outlet. I don't think their business model is any better.

 

[Mswiza]

I am going to upgrade my Freedom to a CSR, I have some pending charges in the 5x categories. If I upgrade before these charges post, does anyone know if they will count towards the 5x?

 

[MountainsAreCalling]

And, I'm sure someone posted that Safeway Gift Cards are 10x until Dec 3rd, plus Home Depot at Safeway is 10X until 12/13. The exclusions are mostly the cash products.

My question is has anyone done this deal with Disney gift cards yet? If my math is correct 10X for $100 is 1000 points which equals 10 rewards ie $25 off 25 gallons of gas at the Safeway gas bar and 4x on Rose Gold - best I've seen. My other car - the van is a gas guzzler and is almost empty. So, I'll bring a couple of cans and put maybe 15 gallons in the van.

I didn't get a disney gift card but ... I went to Safeway today and got a $150 Lowes gift card. This got me 10x rewards (1500 points). So 15 gas rewards. Then on select gift cards there was a $25 off $25 coupon that prints out at check out. I have till 12/7 to use the coupon. The coupon states it was from gift card mall and that it "excludes RX and items prohibited by law". Guessing this mean buying a gift card. I might have to test to see if I can buy a Disney gift card with the coupon.

 

[bernina]

I am going to upgrade my Freedom to a CSR, I have some pending charges in the 5x categories. If I upgrade before these charges post, does anyone know if they will count towards the 5x?

As soon as the upgrade is processed you can use the "old" freedom and it will act just like a CSR until your new card arrives.

CSR only has 3x categories for dining and travel, not 5x.

 

[orangecuse]

So we just got a google wifi router and nest point for $39. Router from Kohls with Kohls cash for $9 and point for $30 from Target with GCs we got for buying diapers the last few months (so money we’d spend anyway).

 

[GlamMistress]

There is nothing to get because the clothes are absolute garbage with poor designs & fit The popularity lies in exclusion. Everything comes in one (small) size & being able to wear it elevates your social status. That's it. That's why girls want to wear it. I used to shop at Hollister in high school for the same reason. It felt like the cool club. BM is even worse, though, because I think Hollister at least went up to size 7. Maybe size 9.

BM uses the same tactics as Hollister did. Make basic (or honestly, at times, quite ugly) clothes, market them aggressively to teens & tell them that's what cool kids wear in California (why is it always California?!), convince them that they actually like the clothes when what they really like is the emotional reward of being able to buy them, hire aloof/snooty employees, and maintain "brand image" by excluding as many people as possible. I wish I didn't fall for it!

I just had to google Brandy Melville. Never heard of it before. I'm that old I guess.