Skip to main content

NEVER Stop Paying Attention to your Bills -Part 3

 ...I'm beginning to think that I should have called this blog 'NEVER Stop Paying Attention'...as it's the gift keeps on giving.  Sadly.

Just this past week, I had two charges-one to my credit card, and one to a hotel stay bill that, had I not been paying attention, I would have likely missed.  So, say it with me folks:  NEVER Stop Paying Attention!

Last Thursday, I had a dinner reservation, and long story short, we ended up not waiting for our table and instead sat at the bar.  Even though the hostess knew who we were-and even seated us at the bar-she said we were 'no shows' to the booking platform, and as a result we were charged $25 each for the no show.  Luckily, my husband is as much of a hawk with our bills as I am, and just the next day, he spotted both the charge for our dining at the restaurant-and an additional, separate $50 charge from the restaurant.  I was able to call and have this removed without much issue.  Luckily (sadly?...), when we paid and were going to leave, I kept the receipt as proof of purchase (table number/ticket number/etc...), as my spidey sense was tingling.   And, as it turns out, it did come in handy.  

Then, on the same weekend trip, as we are checking out of the hotel on Sunday, my spidey sense was tingling again, as we were due various loyalty credits on our account ($100 for booking with a certain credit card, and $15 per person per day for F&B).  Instead of  just asking for the folio to be emailed later (and likely not read until I got home/the next day..), I asked for a printed copy, read the invoice while standing at the front desk, and quickly realized that all of our credits had not been properly applied-leaving us with-what would have been-a charge to our credit card that I would have then had to chase down.  Long story short, I dealt with the issue then, and reduced our bill by another $23.

Between the 'no show' charge and the hotel charge, that's $73 in less than 4 days that either didn't stick or didn't materialize.  All because I NEVER Stop Paying Attention.

Is it a chore?  Yes.  Do I like doing it?  Sometimes, yes, but I'd rather not have to.  But, if I tally up what I've saved this year alone by paying attention, it's probably over $500...which I will happily take.  We all would.

So, say it again:  NEVER Stop Paying Attention!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to Queen of the Discount!

Welcome to my blog, Queen of the Discount! Why 'Queen of the Discount?' you ask?  Two reasons. First: I love a discount.  Who doesn't, right?  But, I mean I *REALLY* love a discount.  To me, getting a good discount on an expense-whether it's a discretionary purchase (like clothing or travel) or even a regular, household bill (like Energy or a household repair)- is like a sport, a hobby, a dance, a thrill-ride, and a passion all rolled into one.  And, second:  I used to work in a profession that regularly created and amplified discounts for the consumers of the brands I worked for.  ...and I loved my job.  Doing this professionally allowed me to see the 'other side' of online couponing/cash back/discount website operations, and I learned a lot in the process. I know the games that brands-and deal and discount sites play because I played those very games. This knowledge is something I've applied to my regular life, and the rest as they say is histor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Credit Cards: When the Fees are Worth It

 With the Super Bowl two weeks away, it's time to turn to that next American tradition:  Tax Season! Kidding. If, like me Tax Season is not your favorite American tradition-especially if you end up owing taxes, I feel your pain. ...and I have a suggestion you may want to consider if that is where you find yourself in the run-up to April 15:  Pay the taxes you owe with your Credit Card.  Not Kidding. It's crazy, I know.  But, bear with me.  As 70%+ of Americans have a credit card that pays some time of reward (cash back, points, etc...), this knowledge drop is for most anyone reading this post. If you're going to keep reading, there are two things you MUST do to make this play pay-off:  1.  You have to read the fine print on the IRS website to understand what the fee will be for your taxes owed to be paid by credit card and 2.  You have to read the fine print of your Credit Card to *accurately* calculate what the rewards/cash back will be on t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Affinity Discounts-Part 1: Military, Nurse, Student, First Responder discounts-and MORE

In honor of this being Memorial Day weekend, I thought it would be a good time to post about a nifty Affinity Discount Platform called ID.me .  If you're a current or former member of the Military, you've probably already heard of ID.me (and probably already have an account).  If you've ever accessed the US Government's Social Security website, you probably also have an account.  You may not have otherwise heard of them-and it's time to learn this trick! ID.me started out years ago as the name of the company somewhat implies-as a way to verify identities for whatever was needed (access to military benefits, social security, etc..), and somewhere along the way, they realized that there are tons of companies out there that offer discounts to Affinity Groups (alumni is always a big one, but think about teachers, nurses, etc...as well).  At best, these companies would have an internal database where they manually track and manage all of their Affinity members.  UGH....
Post a Comment
Read more