New Chase credit card bonuses

Edit: this deal is now expired

I did not have much time to monitor for new credit card deals while on vacation. While this may be old news to many, I figured it was still worth sharing.

Earn 50,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.

This is a hot deal because for the longest time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred sign up bonus was 40,000 points.

Without a doubt, the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is one of my favorite cards. You can earn 2x points on travel and dining at restaurants. There is also a 7% annual points dividend on all new points earned on purchases throughout the year. There are no foreign transaction fees. 

This deal gets even better because you can earn an additional 5,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months.

Our trip to Asia

As you may have noticed, I haven't been able to post lately.  I have previously written about our free* trip to Asia here:

We just finished our 5 day stay in Seoul, South Korea and are now spending our time in Taipei, Taiwan. In a few days, we will travel to Hong Kong.

I will return in a few weeks to return to regular blog postings. I will also update this post with some pictures.  Here are some pictures:

Korea

Taiwan

Hong Kong

Macau

*Free flights usually have some taxes and fuel surcharges attached, a small fraction compared to the cash value of a booked flight.

Eating IN for lunch

I've noticed an interesting trend over my last few years of working.  It seems like those who often complain about money seem to consistently eat out the most.  It is ironic that these are the same people who are always waiting for their next paycheck so that they can "pay their bills.”  They are always complaining that "they can never get ahead.” 

To make matters worse, they often eat lunch at the most unhealthiest of locations: McDonald’s, Tommy’s burgers, and Panda Express.  It’s also common to see these same individuals come into the office with Starbucks coffee in hand or McDonald’s Egg McMuffins and Hash Browns in the morning.

I’d estimate most people who eat out are spending $7 to $10 per day on food, drinks, taxes, and vehicle expenses.  When it comes to some office workers, they are essentially spending the first hour of each workday to pay for lunch.  These people truly believe that the only way to get rich is to win the lottery, marry rich, or get an inheritance.  

Maybe you’ve noticed this trend at your office?  Are you are part of the trend?