WEBVTT - Friday Flight - Avoiding Upsells, HOA Hell, & Astrological Investing #843 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:03.320 Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I am Matt, 0:00:03.320 --> 0:00:07.040 and today we're talking about avoiding up cells, hoa hell 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:09.320 and astrological investing. 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:30.480 Dude, I don't think I realized how many folks are 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:33.559 into astrology. Did I tell you about how so our 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.520 local mountain that we like to that we often hike 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:40.159 at the top there, there's it's pretty bare, right, so 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:43.279 it's just a bunch of rock essentially, and there are 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:45.919 like a bunch of crystals that were out with like 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:49.120 some paint and some other sort of interesting stuff. I 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:51.159 was like, what is all this? And somebody was like, oh, 0:00:51.159 --> 0:00:53.760 that's it was like a full moon and folks will 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:56.960 put their crystals out to absorb the energy from the moon. 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.280 I guess, okay, or maybe at certain stars. Have you 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:00.560 ever heard of that kind of thing? 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:02.840 And I mean, I know that there's people who do 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:05.000 that, that it exists, and I think it's been going up 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:06.800 in popularity. It makes me think of when we had 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:09.720 Cody Sanchez. She was into crystals, remember that, Oh that 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:11.640 was like her, that was her sporge. I think was 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:13.759 really buying crystals, that's right. 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:14.000 Yeah. 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:16.080 I don't know much about it though, but we are 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.240 going to talk a little bit about astrology and how 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:22.760 some people are, especially younger folks, are letting the alignment 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:25.320 of the stars impact how they choose to invest, thinking 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:27.240 they might do better in the long run. But before 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:29.360 we get to that, Matt, let's talk about the Built Card. 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:32.360 It's one of the best credit cards out there. We've 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:36.000 talked about specifically for renters. So homeowners, Sorry, you can't 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:39.440 get rewarded for paying your mortgage with a credit card? Yeah, 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:40.800 but renters and can. 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:43.320 And for a while there we were saying, hey, homeowners, 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:46.160 hang time, because maybe this will be something that becomes 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:49.520 an option for you. It's looking like that's less or 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.120 less going to be an option. That's not going to happen. 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:53.640 It's not going to happen. And why is that not 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:56.280 going to happen? Well, it's the reason it's not going 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:59.320 to happen is because the Built Card is losing the 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:02.760 issuing which as well as Fargo ten million dollars a month. 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:05.600 There was a profile in the Wall Street Journal specifically 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:09.600 about this card, and obviously it's been a boon for renters. 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:13.400 They're you know, earning points and significant amounts of cash 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.560 back on a no fee credit card. This doesn't come 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:19.440 with an annual fee, and so for renters out there, 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.520 the bill card is like one you should have in 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:23.840 your wallet. How long will it be around? That remains 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:26.480 to be seen because the bank is getting screwed because 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:30.720 they made prognostications about the type of people who would 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:32.640 open one of these cards up and what they have 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:35.960 found is the folks using this credit card have pretty 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:37.080 healthy finances. 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.000 They aren't keeping a balance well, So. 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:41.040 I think it's less about having healthy find it like, 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:43.440 think about it, like, how do banks actually make money? 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.360 Like yes, like you've got your anual fees, but you 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:48.120 make money on the balances that you don't pay off, right, 0:02:48.200 --> 0:02:51.000 Like you the idea from the bank's point of view, 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:52.840 I'm thinking like an evil bank, right, I got my 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:56.600 monocle in my eye, and you want folks to have 0:02:56.639 --> 0:02:58.200 plastic and go out there and to rack up a 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:00.600 bunch of charges that you're not necessarily planning on and 0:03:00.639 --> 0:03:02.960 then oh the statement hits and you're like, oh, dang it, 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:05.440 I don't have enough money to pay this off. You 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:07.960 carry a balance boom, you're paying interest in the banks 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:08.840 making money, and the. 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:10.320 Bank says you're a good customer. 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:12.960 Exactly. But what charge are we talking about here that 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.359 folks are opening or applying for the bill card specifically 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:20.800 for their rent that is not a surprise payment like that. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:23.239 Literally they're called renters like it's built into the name, 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.200 the name of folks who are renting apartments, and so 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:29.360 it's just I don't think there's any other monthly expense 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:31.880 that folks are so used to paying if you are 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.160 a renter, as opposed to something that you might see 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.720 on the shelf or there's a sale, folks are prepared 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:39.440 to pay off that balance people in every single month. 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.080 People who get that card, they're using it for rent payments, 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:43.960 and I don't think they're using it for a whole 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:44.360 lot else. 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:46.240 I think we've talked about it. It's their quote unquote 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.200 rent card, right exactly. And there are other things you 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:51.000 can use it for than be I think like paying 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:53.560 for your cell phone service with the bill card. That's 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:56.160 nice because it comes with that cell phone protection. It's 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:58.080 one of the best credit cards for cel phone protection too. 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:02.040 But yeah, it's the Wells Fargo is shocked that they're 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:03.600 losing so much money, should be shocked though. 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:05.240 That's I guess that's that's what I'm thinking. 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:06.720 I don't know. I think they've inked this deal for 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:08.080 years to come, so they're not gonna be able to 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:10.520 get out of this perpetual money losing situation. It's just 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:13.720 another reminder. Yes, the bank's losing money, but maybe you, 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:15.760 if you're a renter, should help them lose even more 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:18.320 money and go sign up for this card because it's 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:20.400 the only way to actually get rewarded for paying your rent. 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:22.839 There has been no other card before this, and they're. 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:26.159 Probably because they're going to learn from Wills Fargo's mistakes. 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:28.200 It's almost as if the branding worked too well, Like 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:30.880 they branded it too hard as the only car that 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:33.000 you can put your int on, and if you have 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:36.040 siloed that card, it's no wonder that they're losing money 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:39.360 because folks are they're using it as a tool, and 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:42.240 they're like they're using that card judiciously as opposed to 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:45.360 getting sucked into how you would typically spend when you're 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:47.880 shopping online. You know, it's like it's the opposite of 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:51.400 like Klarna or four monthly installments. 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:53.159 Yeah, I'm not shocked at this. I don't think you 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:56.560 are either, but it's just how how badly this has 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:58.960 played out for the banks, and how well it's played 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:01.120 out for consumers is impressive. 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:05.279 Who's losing money more Washington Post on a daily basis 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:07.000 or Wells Fargo with the built card. 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.919 It's probably the Washington Post, but it's it's close. But 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:13.280 we'll actually link to the review that we have up 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:15.279 on how to money dot Com of the Built card. 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:17.600 Matt and I homeowners, we can't take advantage of this, 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:19.960 but if you're a renter, you might still find And 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:21.480 I think there's still a lot of years left that 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:24.560 this that Wells Fargo and built are tied together, so 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:26.200 it's not like it's going away soon, but it might 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:29.440 go away in the future. But while the Sunshine and Maky. 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:31.200 I wouldn't be surprised too. If it's in the find 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:33.560 type that they can change the different payouts. So we'll 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:36.320 see maybe, but for now it exists. All right, let's 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:37.840 move ont. Let's get to the Friday Flight. It's a 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.360 quick sampling of stories we found interesting this week. We've 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:42.000 already kind of started the Friday Flight, I guess, so 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:44.479 that was kind of a time a little more newsworthy. 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:46.640 All right, well, let's talk about one of our favorite 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.520 cheap travel hacks. Now we've talked about this, but we 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.080 haven't talked about it in a long time. Megabus, it's the 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:54.400 one of the cheapest ways to get around the country 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.200 is by taking a bus. We're so used to taking flights, 0:05:57.240 --> 0:05:59.320 and flights have you gone down dramatically in price in 0:05:59.360 --> 0:05:59.960 recent years? 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:00.719 I get that. 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:04.240 I just booked some Southwest flights recently on a sale 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.680 they had a couple of weeks ago. Well, Megabus is 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:10.200 filed for bankruptcy, and a single tear came to my 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:13.000 eye when I read that, because I have enjoyed a 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.720 few trips on Megabus. Myself has been a Megabus patron. Yeah, 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:17.280 it's been a while, but I'm like, I want them 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:19.279 to be around. I'll probably use it in the future 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:22.320 at some point, but unlow you won't You really. 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:24.280 Think you'll use them in the future, Yeah, for sure. Okay, 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:26.360 do they have seats as low as a dollar? And 0:06:26.839 --> 0:06:28.400 it's I think, I just you don't have. 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.760 To go through the rigamarole of security getting the airport, 0:06:31.160 --> 0:06:31.560 if it's a. 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:33.480 Little to get to the actual bus stop. If you're 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:36.159 sitting there, it takes so much longer. Like we always 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:38.240 talk about how your time is worth money, and like, 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.520 I think it's a decent option for folks who might 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:42.839 have a like have some additional time. But like, but 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:44.760 it's not even sometimes you'll give it a shot, all right, 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:46.760 Sometimes it's additional time. 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:49.000 But guess what, when you're on a bus, you can 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:50.920 do a lot of other productive things. And there's Wi 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:52.839 Fi on that bush. So you do that on a 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:54.760 plane too, you can, but then you've got to go through, 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:56.360 like I just said, the security all that kind of 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:58.280 stuff depends how far you're going. If you're going on 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:01.000 like a five or six hour bus ride, well versus 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:03.840 a plane trip, well, the economics are better of the 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:07.480 bus and the time is about equal. And so yeah, 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:12.040 post COVID, the airline travel bounce back, but bus travel 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:14.760 hasn't seen the same resurgence, and so that is why 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:17.360 megabus is dealing with these financial issues. The good news 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.080 is though Megabus is going to remain in service while 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:22.520 they're filing for bankruptcy. So I don't know. I think 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:25.080 it's good. I think for regional travel, don't forget about 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:28.320 bus travel. And some people, Matt, they are cheaper like me, 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:31.320 and they're willing to, like, hey, save fifty bucks because 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:34.560 that's how much less expensive bus travel is. And guess what, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.400 I can sleep on the bus, or I can get 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.520 some work done because there's a Wi Fi too. I 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:40.200 don't know. I think when you're taking trips in that 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.560 four to eight hour range, bus travel can be better 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:44.440 than driving in flying. 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:45.960 Well, I'm just gonna point out you can do work 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:47.560 on a plane. You can also sleep on a plane. 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:50.120 I would say better, perhaps even on the plane, because 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.600 you kind of got that nice plane drone going on 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:54.960 that somehow just puts me to sleep. And you mentioned 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:57.280 the one dollar like because you know they've got it 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.800 painted on the actual buses, and like the fact is, 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.440 like those seats are incredibly limited, like sometimes it's only 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:06.640 like a single seat on an entire bus route in 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:08.160 order for them to be able to advertise that. 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:10.480 I just looked up a recent round trip fair though, 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:12.040 and it wasn't dollar seats, but it would have been 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.160 forty bucks round trip to the destination. I was thinking, 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:16.000 I guess, I'm like a similar plane flight could have 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:18.280 been one to eighty So you're talking about a significant gap. 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.320 Possibly, Yeah, I guess for folks though, who have a 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:24.280 like a solid vehicle, like you're going to take your car, and. 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.800 So specifically a lot more than that smifically multitask in 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:28.440 the same way in a. 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:30.600 Car like that's per ticket, right, And so if. 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:32.400 You're because you're not interested, and it doesn't mean other 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:33.040 people aren't. 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:35.040 I think other people might. But also if you have 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.520 your own vehicle, like the convenience of having all your 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:40.480 stuff in your own vehicle, especially the more people you 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:42.240 pile into the vehicle, like it makes me think of 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.599 like in college, like when you would go on a 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:46.679 road trip. The more the merrier, because that's just another 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.320 person that can ship into the cost of gas. But 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:51.319 I think especially for folks who might live in a 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:53.920 bigger city who don't have a car, this is the 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:56.960 affordable option absolutely. But for folks who have a car, man, 0:08:57.080 --> 0:09:00.199 I can't imagine there are too many folks who are thinking, oh, yeah, 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:02.000 I want to catch a ride an uber, get a friend, 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:03.600 drop me off at the bus stop so I can 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.280 save twenty bucks, when instead I can just hop in 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:07.800 the car and it's gonna be more than twenty bucks. 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:10.960 It just it depends. It can be expensive and run 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:14.559 the numbers. But bus travel underrated all right, Speaking of traveling, 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:16.680 the mat. If you are traveling by plane and you're 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:19.800 thinking about going internationally, it's crucial to check your passport 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:24.200 expiration date. My older sister found herself in a conundrum 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.920 the other the other day she bought the plane ticket 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:29.600 for herself and for her son to go travel down 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.680 to Panama, and her son got stranded at home because 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:37.800 they had an updated his passport. And so it's really 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.360 crucial to do well in advance of your trip, because, yeah, 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:42.360 you don't want that money to go to waste. We 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.079 talked a while back about the State Department allowing for 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:48.400 the online renewal of passports, and I actually got in 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.439 on that during the very small window that they had 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.040 that available. It was like this short lived pilot program. 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.240 But they have resuscitated it. It's back and it's a 0:09:57.240 --> 0:09:59.160 big time saver. So you got to be over the 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:00.959 age of twenty five to have had a passport for 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.319 at least ten years. And the State Department says they're 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.360 going to have a limited number of slots available for 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.640 online renewal each day. So our advice to you is 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:12.440 to get up early, get that application submitted if you 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.400 need to renew your passport. It's so much better than 0:10:15.480 --> 0:10:17.960 driving somewhere waiting in line, which is what you had 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:20.840 to do, sadly, Matt. So it is the online. We 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:23.040 can do so many things online now, renewing the passport. 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:25.080 It just makes sense and it's going to, like I 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:27.480 think it's going to make renewing your passport much less 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:27.960 of a hassle. 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:29.800 So yeah, I think I waited close to an hour, 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:32.160 although that was last year when travel was super hot. 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:35.120 Travels down this year. So if you don't happen to 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:37.640 be able to do it online, maybe it won't be quite. 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:38.920 As bad for you, but at least look into it. 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:41.440 But while we're talking about traveling, the Journal just wrote 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:45.520 about how good airlines are at upselling their passengers. They've 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:48.679 been decoupling the price of the ticket as well as 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:52.599 extra conveniences for years now, and the price of the 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.000 ticket now gets your button the seat, but it doesn't 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.160 get you a whole lot else. If you want to 0:10:57.200 --> 0:10:59.599 be able to pick your specific seat, that's going to 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:01.720 be an extra or twenty bucks. If you want to 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:04.240 be at the front of the line, well you're gonna 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:07.040 pay for that as well. The cost of a something 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:09.880 beyond like a small backpack that you can shove into 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:12.800 the little metal box that's obviously going to uh if 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:14.280 you do it there at the gate, is going to 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.280 cost you, like even maybe more than the ticket. 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:17.920 We saw that in our last trip. A couple of 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:20.600 yesaw their bags fit, they didn't quite fit, and then. 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.079 They had two additional bags, like eighty bucks a pop. 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:25.040 No, it was one hundred. They spent two hundred bucks. 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:27.640 A lot of money. But here's the thing we're not 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:30.720 We're not highlighting this because we dislike it. Actually, personally, 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:32.320 I think this is a great thing because it gives 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:33.359 you optionality. 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:35.400 Like in our our backsit we didn't have to pay well. 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:38.880 Because we knew ahead of sign But the ability essentially 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:40.920 to not pay for a bunch of extras that you're 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:43.840 not going to take advantage of gives people the ability 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:46.240 to travel for less when maybe otherwise they would not 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:48.200 be able to take that flight. Like if you are 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.160 the one taking advantage of all the goodies, all the extras, okay, 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:53.960 well maybe you're actually making out like a bandit, But 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.439 like I don't necessarily want to subsidize a guy in 0:11:56.480 --> 0:12:00.520 front of me, like chucking cokes or like the supply 0:12:00.600 --> 0:12:03.720 of snacks on like a three hour flight when instead 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.320 I might go with an option that allows me to 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:09.439 decouple the price of the ticket from those additional perks. 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:12.760 And really what that means is for savvy travelers, more money. 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.320 You're able to save more money you can funnel towards 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:18.280 additional trips. If that's your jams right, all right, So 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.160 this is not a dental advice map, but on the 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.600 note of travel, people should consider open jaw to save money. 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.440 We talked about open jaw very much. No, yeah, it 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:29.360 sounds like something a dentist would take you to open 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:31.440 your jaw. Well, what is an open jaw trip? 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:33.400 Actually, no, the dentistas that close your jaw like you're 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:34.720 supposed to breathe through your nose. 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:36.840 No, but they have to open it so they can 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:39.480 open your mouth. Yes, they can clean it if you're close. 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:41.800 If your jaw is closed, they can't really do much 0:12:41.800 --> 0:12:44.120 with your teeth, right, gotcha, got you gotta do some work. Well, 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:46.400 open jaw flights or when you fly into one city 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:49.480 and out of another, and it can save you hundreds 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:53.120 of dollars taking this strategy. This could work particularly well 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:54.880 for like, let's say a trip to Europe that you 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.440 might be planning because that way, not only does it 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.520 potentially save you money, but you don't have to navigate 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.200 back to starting city if you're planning on bouncing around 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:04.880 to multiple spots. And yeah, the money saving is the 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:06.360 thing we care about the most, because all it takes 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:10.720 is some planning, some flexibility, some creativity in searching four 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.959 flights to and from multiple destinations on a site like 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:16.360 Google Flights that can help you take your trip for 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:18.199 far less than you might have thought on the front end, 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:21.640 like hey, yep, I'll maybe I'll fly into Rome and 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.880 then I'll fly out of Amsterdam and check and seat 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:28.640 like some do some searches, like spend thirty minutes checking 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.120 a bunch of destinations to and from and you might 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:33.960 find Wait, I thought my trip to Europe was gonna 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:35.800 cost me nine hundred and fifty bucks. Oh, it's only 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:37.600 gonna cost me six to fifty if I plan it 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:40.679 out this way. And I think, yeah, that incentive makes 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:41.800 me want to do some creative search. 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.280 It's funny that you mentioned in Italy because that's literally 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.720 turns out I've been an open jaw travel did you 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:49.800 didn't share why it's called open jaw? So it's called 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.680 open jaw because imagine like a sideways V, like a 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:56.480 greater greater than symbol, Like basically you're flying in and 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:58.599 out of a different city essentially, so it kind of 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:01.000 looks like an open mouth. That's exactly what I did 0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:04.280 when we backpacked Italy back when I was in college. 0:14:04.320 --> 0:14:07.280 We flew into Milan because at least at the time, 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:10.600 that was the absolute cheapest flight, and then we popped around, like, 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:13.720 we checked flights out of Italy from different cities, and 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:15.880 it turned out that flying out of Venice was going 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.079 to be the most affordable option. So we're like, boom, 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:21.440 that's what we're flying in and what seven days later 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:23.200 we're flying out of there? Yeah, what we do in 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:23.840 the middle. 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:26.240 So it's up to us, Right, that's totally the way 0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:28.760 to do it. Just because most people book straight up 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:31.520 round trip to and from the same destination. Just because 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:33.320 that is the norm doesn't mean it's the way you're 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:34.280 going to save the most money. 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.920 All Right. Here is some news that actually may not 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:39.080 be news to you if you are a part of 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.600 an HOA, but they can be unpredictable, especially if you've 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.160 I don't know how to run in with your hoa. 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.600 If you still got your Christmas decorations up, you deserve 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:48.840 the notices you're getting. 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:52.320 All right, This is an extreme example, but Yahoo Finance 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:56.440 they published an article about a Florida condo association that's 0:14:56.560 --> 0:14:59.960 levying a six figure special assessment. 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:00.960 Hundred thousand dollars. 0:15:01.200 --> 0:15:04.480 It's like one hundred and thirty four thousand dollars per unit. 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:07.640 There's a new law in Florida and they're forcing older 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:11.680 condo complexes to shore up their structural or potential structural issues. 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:14.400 This is, of course, in the wake of the surf 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.520 Side condo collapse. Gosh, how long ago was that now a. 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:18.080 Couple of years. 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:22.840 But those updates they can be insanely expensive, causing many 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:26.840 to just leave to vacate their condos instead of forking 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:29.440 of a massive chunk of change because they can't afford it. 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.840 But then on top of that, potential buyers they're wary too, 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:36.520 which means sales price are shrinking. So we are We're 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:38.600 pointing this out because sixty percent of new builds these 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:42.960 days come with an HOA, and depending on your opinion, 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.080 like there are certainly pros to having an HOA, but 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:49.600 there's cons too. Of course, the financial side of it, 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.720 and so we want folks to be careful. Look at 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.360 the financial standing of your HOA, look at the reserves, 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.200 make sure there are reserves. Maybe even talk to somebody 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:02.000 that's either on the board, maybe talk to other residents 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.560 that are under that HOA before you move forward, because 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.600 if not, it could come back to bite you. 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.160 And it might sound nice that, oh man, the monthly agoafe, 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.120 it's so small. It's one hundred and twelve dollars a 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:15.480 month or something like that, and look at all the 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.160 amenities it comes with, but that could be an artificially 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.440 low amount. Makes My mother in law bought a condo, 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.640 like I guess, this was probably ten years ago in Atlanta, 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:27.520 and she found out quickly that that low hoafe, well, 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:29.240 they hadn't bumped it up in a long time, and 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:31.080 so then they had a deferred maintenance, a lot of 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:34.520 deferred maintenance, and then they had the levy a special assessment. 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:36.560 Not six figures fortunately, but I want to say it 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:38.920 was like six thousand dollars. So if you're not planning 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.200 for that, it can derail you. Right Like most people, 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.000 they're not equipped to handle that. And you have to 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:47.840 realize that's a possibility with homeowner associations. We actually have 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:49.880 a new article up on the site that we'll link 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:52.560 to about the pros and cons of hoas it can 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:55.800 potentially help protect your property value, but can also on 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:58.640 the flip side, cost you a lot of money and 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:00.720 you might get hit with a giant bill that you 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:01.360 weren't expecting. 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.040 Yeah. Plus, so we're talking about the financial side of it, 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:05.919 but don't forget about like all the drama side of 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:09.000 things as well. Oh yeah, you're signing up for There's 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:10.960 just a whole lot more that goes into it. And honestly, 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:13.800 that is hoa's or I always say, the lack of 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.080