THIS WEEK’S STAPLES DEALS: The back-to-school onslaught continues! Courtesy of Slickdeals.
- 12-pack Staples #2 Pencils $0.25
- 4oz Staples School Glue $0.25
- 5-pack Paper Mate Sharpwriter 0.7mm Mechanical Pencils $0.25
- 12-pack Staples Pink Cap Erasers $0.25
- 100-pack Staples Paper Clips $0.25
- Slider Pencil Case $0.25
- 4-pack 0.26oz Staples Glue Sticks $1
- 8.5″x11″ Writing Pad (Assorted Designs and Rulings) $1
- Scotch 3/4″x300″ Magic Tape with Dispenser $1
- 200-sheets Staples 5.5″x4.25″ Fat Book $1
HOW TO CANCEL A CITIBANK CARD: For those of you who enjoyed his article on cancelling Amex cards, Matt from Saverocity is back with advice on cancelling Citi cards. If you have any Citi annual fees coming up in the next year, it’s worth a look. My American Airlines card annual fee is due this month, so we’ll see what they offer. Last year they reimbursed the annual fee, plus they offered double miles for the first $750 in purchases every month.
AN AMAZING DEAL FOR ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS: Military Money Manual points out a great deal for members of the military:
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act has a long history dating back to the Civil War and it protects servicemembers’ from many legal and financial troubles that they could encounter while serving their nation both at home and overseas.
The SCRA has several sections covering taxes, lawsuits, and outstanding debt. Credit card companies are only legally required to keep your interest rate below 6% on any outstanding debt you have with them BEFORE you enter military service.
I had never heard of a credit card company waiving fees because of the SCRA so I had to investigate further. Plus I had recently become a cardholder (again) at AMEX and I would definitely remain a cardholder for much longer if I knew I wouldn’t have to pay annual fees.
What I found was that yes, indeed, American Express waives annual membership fees for active duty military service personnel.
AMEX decided that they are going to be a true class act and go beyond their legal requirements. For the duration of your active duty military service, they will waive the following fees:
- Annual membership fees ($200 savings for my two cards)
- Overlimit fees
- Late Payment fees
- Returned Payment fees
- Statement Copy Request fees
Frequent Miler’s not in the military, but he came up with a few thousand dollars worth of fees servicemembers could have waived if they were so inclined.
Incidentally, Military Money Manual is a pretty good blog and seems like the kind of thing I’d be reading if I were in the military–if you or anybody you know is, you might want to pass it along.
FRUGAL SAN FRAN HIPSTERS LIVING IN RVs: Recreational Vehicles aren’t just for retirees driving around the country anymore:
Tynan Smith, a 32-year-old tech entrepreneur, lives in what he considers his dream Castro district apartment. He’s got marble counters, hardwood floors, a cedar closet and gold leaf ceiling. He doesn’t have a roommate. And at $500 a month, you can’t beat the rent.
The hitch is something he thinks is hardly a hitch: His apartment is a 1996 Winnebago. The rent is for a parking spot and a bit of electricity.
His Winnebago Rialto, which he bought for $17,000, is 20.8 feet long, about a foot longer than a regulation parking spot. The vehicle gets 17 miles per gallon – and has been meticulously rebuilt.
The obvious way to one-up these guys is to live in an electric vehicle. (Though biofueled cars may be acceptable as well.) I’m looking forward to a profile of some dude living in a Leaf or a Volt or a Tesla.
I’m sure some of these tech guys are in Volts:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304022004577517022288672972.html
Thanks for getting the word out about AMEX waiving fees for active duty military members. AMEX offers a lot of travel benefits with their cards that military members could use, but the high costs associated with the cards often deter them from using them.
Sure thing, Spencer! Thanks for bringing it to our attention.