#budgettravel
Unveiling the Hidden Gems of South Texas: A Local's Perspective
Welcome to South Texas! In this travel blog, I invite you to start a journey through the enchanting South Texas region, primarily the Rio Grande Valley, sharing my personal perspective as a local travel writer. Tangentially inspired by "The Case Against Travel," I believe that exploring local attractions can provide deeper insights and more authent
04 Jul 2023 • 6 min read
Our First Trip to Las Vegas
Our first trip to Las Vegas, NV back in 2017 was a unique experience that we'll never forget. We went for a timeshare presentation by Bluegreen Vacation Club, which is associated with Choice Hotels. They lodged us for a couple of days at the Tuscany Suites & Casino. We flew out of McAllen International Airport (MFE) to McCarran International Ai
22 May 2023 • 4 min read
Changing Cards With American Express
This has been an unusually active month between me and American Express. I have upgraded one card, opened up a new card, and am having another replaced after a fraud alert. An Old Personal Platinum Card Business Platinum Card Upgrade First, I upgraded the AMEX Business Gold card to a Business Platinum card. When I first got the Gold card, I was ce
10 Dec 2022 • 6 min read
AMEX Wish List
We have written about our relationship with American Express over the years, the good and the bad. We fell out of their good graces for a while. Now we are rebuilding our relationship. At the moment, we have opened four cards with them since April 2022. We expect that we will open more cards at some point. But, before going into that, let's go over
03 Jul 2022 • 8 min read
Watermelon Festival in Falfurrias, Texas
The City of Falfurrias, Texas is a small community in South Texas. It is a two-hour drive south from San Antonio, and a one-hour drive north from the Texas border with Mexico. Falfurrias is on the way between many destinations. But, it is not often a place people intentionally choose to visit. Falfurrias Historical Marker Admittedly, Falfurrias is
17 Jun 2022 • 3 min read
Choice Privileges Visa Earning Breakdown
As travel is starting to bounce back after two years of lockdowns, I decided to take a closer look at the Choice Privileges Visa card, which we have had for several years without scrutiny. About Choice Privileges Choice Privileges is the Choice Hotels loyalty program that awards points for stays, which can be redeemed for free stays. As with most
16 Jun 2022 • 3 min read
I Got The AmEx Green Card
Image from AmericanExpress.com Yesterday, I decided to apply for the American Express Green Card. I made the decision for several reasons. First, I have never had the Green Card, which means that I still qualify for the signup bonus. Second, I have an American Express card through my job. One of the benefits of having a corporate card is that I get
30 May 2022 • 5 min read
Hilton Honors Fifth Night Free Benefit
The Hilton Honors loyalty program has a benefit that can prove useful for long stays. The benefit is that you can get a fifth night free stay when you book with points. This means that you are getting a 20% discount on your stay with points. The only requirement to take advantage of this benefit is that you need to pay for the full stay with Hilto
09 May 2022 • 3 min read
A Visit to Ruidoso, New Mexico
Our 2021 family vacation took us to Ruidoso, New Mexico. We had never heard of the place prior to planning our trip. We chose to stay in Ruidoso because it is in the portfolio of the timeshare we purchased. Although it is possible to get great deals from RCI Last Call Vacations, they are often only for single bedroom accommodations, which is fine i
27 Jun 2021 • 8 min read