Unbelievable Deal: Get Ten Percent Bonus on Top of Your Tax Refund

Get extra 10 percent bonus on  your federal refund in Amazon gift cards

It’s April, and that means tax time.  This year, we took advantage of an unbelievable, limited time offer from TurboTax.

If you purchase the tax preparation program from Amazon.com before January 25, 2014, you can get ten percent on top of your federal tax refund, when you file with TurboTax and use some (or all) of your federal refund to purchase an Amazon.com gift card from TurboTax.

Use some (or all) of your federal refund to purchase an Amazon.com Gift Card** and TurboTax will tack on up to an extra 10%—so $500 could become $550.

The Amazon.com gift card offer is for federal tax refunds only.

Limits apply:   $2000 per e-card, maximum $10,000 per customer.  

The offer available only for certain versions TurboTax Online or CD/download versions sold and shipped, or downloaded directly from Intuit or Amazon.

Here are the details:

  • Use some (or all) of your federal refund to purchase an Amazon.com Gift Card** and Turbo Tax will tack on a bonus
  • The remainder of your refund will be deposited to your bank account
  • As soon as your refund is received, TurboTax will email you your Amazon.com Gift Card claim code
  • Receive an extra 5% with TurboTax Basic – So $500 would become $525
  • Receive an extra 10% with TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, and Home & Business – So $500 would become $550
  • TurboTax Business is not eligible for this offer

Amazon Prime members get $10-15 off the purchase price of the Turbotax software.

What’s amazing about this offer is that the limits are so high — $2,000 per e-card, $10,000 per customer.  As the ad copy below says, 10 percent is more than your savings account pays in interest!

I and most people would prefer to receive their income tax refund in cash.  This year, I will have to give careful consideration to how much I am likely to spend at Amazon.com and whether the 10 percent bonus is worthwhile.

Here’s a screenshot explaining the offer:  

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Whimisical and Nostalgic 2014 Travel Calendars

This is New York 2014 Wall Calendar When we were in New York City over Thanksgiving, we visited Rockefeller Center and went up to the “Top of the Rock” for a glimpse of the illuminated city.  What really caught my eye, however, was a classic children’s book in the gift shop.  This is New York, the iconic children’s illustrated travel guide, first published in 1960, has been reissued in book and calendar form!

When I was seven, I travelled to Edinburgh, in my mind.  Friends of my parents gave me a copy of This is Edinburgh by Miroslav Sasek as a souvenir from their trip overseas.Miroslav Slovic  The beautifully illustrated book told me everything I needed to know to get to Edinburgh, and what to see when I got there.  Even though I never have been to Scotland, the images of Edinburgh from that book are still etched in my mind.

Along the way, I also acquired This is London.  But I never realized that this was a whole series of children’s books covering over two dozen great cities of the world.

When we got home, I looked for the New York book on Amazon.com, and was pleased to discover that dozens of Miroslav Sasek’s whimsical books have been reissued in the last couple of years.  This is London 2014 CalendarThese books make great gifts for kids pre- or post trip.

What’s more, several of the books have been published in wall calendar form.  The wall calendars are only $9.99.

I immediately ordered a 2014 wall calendar for myself and one for a friend!

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Miles and Points for the Sandwich Generation

I’m a member of the Sandwich Generation — with extreme challenges supporting both a child and a parent, while running a small business.  Can you feel the squeeze?

Collecting miles and points helps my family hold it together.

In 2013, miles and points coupled with some other travel tricks kept us afloat and allowed us to travel “in style.”  Our style is value domestic travel — free flights and Priceline rooms to enable family visits.

I learned a lot about miles and points by reading other travel blogs — but stories about trips to the Maldives were not relevant to my situation; there are too many other places I want to go.  Frankly, if I make it to Paris, I’d be more interested in checking into a 2 star hotel in a funky neighborhood, than in staying in the Grand Hyatt Vendome.

Fishing4Deals is blog about travel for real people and for real families who must work within the constraints of limited time and money.

2013 was a great year for our family.  Using miles and points, earned largely through travel rewards credit card bonuses, we made more than a dozen cross-country flights and several road and train trips.

Here are the highlights:

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Shoot for the Stars — Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival
Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

This contest for a trip to the 2014 Sundance Food Festival sure got my attention!

I was in Utah last January but didn’t have the chance to check out the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.

It sure sounded like fun, though.

Enter this contest by January 7, 2014 for a chance to win a VIP trip to for you and a friend to this year’s Sundance Film Fest.

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New Years Eve Priceline Coupon Code

Priceline Coupon CodeI love reeling in a good deal! 

That’s why I enjoy bidding for “name your own price” hotels on Priceline

On December 31, 2013, for one day only, Priceline is offering an extra 5 percent discount off “name your own price” hotel rooms.

The coupon code is JE27MES7.

The discount applies only to two night reservations for two star hotels and above.

When I book Priceline hotels, I like to use my Barclaycard Arrival™ World MasterCard® credit card, which earns two times points on Priceline reservations.  This no annual fee travel rewards credit card offers a $200 signup bonus (worth $220 because of a 10 percent bonus on redemptions).

We stayed at the Sheraton Times Square in NYC over Thanksgiving.   We booked the room through Priceline, and paid with the Barclaycard Arrival™ World MasterCard®.

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Today Only: Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2014 – Free on iTunes

Lonely Planet's Best Travel 2014

Best in Travel 2014 by Lonely Planet offers an inspiring collection of travel tips to plan your adventures in the coming year.

Not only does it rank the top ten countries, regions and cities to visit . . . the 200 page guide also details 17 top travel lists such as:

  • best value destinations
  • best family travel
  • best honeymoon destinations
  • best adventure travel
  • best beaches and small islands
  • best Beatlemania
  • best luxury boot camps
  • best classic car rides
  • hidden foodie highlights
  • best sites for cat lovers, and more!

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Congrats to the Winner of Two United Club Passes!

IMG_0472Thanks to everyone who commented on their favorite travel guide.

I enjoyed reading all the suggestions and hope you did too!

The prize of two United Club passes goes to Ola, who was selected by the Random Number Generator.

Congratulations, Ola!  Please email me your snail mail address [see contact info] so I can send you the club passes.

Be on the lookout for more giveaways in 2014!!!

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Attention Travel Bloggers and Foodies: This Vacation Contest is for You!

 Travel bloggers and foodies, it’s time to take a vacation!

Freelancers Union is running a contest for a trip to San Francisco and dinner at Chez Panisse!

Chez Panisse, in Berkeley California, is foodie heaven.

Chef Alice Water’s pioneering restaurant showcases mouth-watering, organic, locally grown, fresh-from-the-farm meals.

This contest is worth entering for a meal at Chez Panisse alone — but the contest offers more:

Quick Holiday Giveaway — United Lounge Passes

New York City at Christmastime
New York City at Christmastime

It’s time to spread a little holiday cheer with a quick giveaway contest!

Up for grabs is a pair of United Club Lounge Passes, good now through June 30, 2014.

This contest is easy to enter.    

Just leave a comment below indicating your favorite travel guide.  It can be an independent guide, a series of guides, or even a travelogue.

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