The Hilton HHonors Rewards program will give you one free night at any participating hotel when you get a free Hilton hotel rewards credit card.

Apply for a Hilton HHonors® Platinum Credit Card from American Express, and you’ll get 10,000 bonus points after your first purchase of any size, which is enough points to redeem for one free hotel night.

Plus, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points for each of your first 4 hotel stays, which will earn you 10,000 additional points for a second free night at any of the 2,800 participating hotels.

Participating hotels include Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Scandic hotels worldwide. Although the best hotels require additional points, there are still a wide variety of hotels that offer a free night for 10,000 points.

You’ll also earn 5 points per $1 spent on stays at Hilton Family hotels worldwide and for eligible purchases at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, restaurants, the USPS and for wireless phone bills, and 3 points per $1 spent on all of your other purchases.

That means you’ll earn enough points for a free hotel night each time you spend $2,000 on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, dining, and more.

The Hilton HHonors hotel rewards program also offers free hotel nights at reduced point levels, so you can stay at many hotels for as low as 7,500 points, which makes it even easier to earn free nights at hotels.

Points can also be redeemed for car rental deals, travel rewards and a variety of other merchandise.

The Hilton HHonors® Platinum Credit Card from American Express has no annual fee, and it has a low introductory rate of 2.9% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 6 months.

We don’t recommend balance transfers with this card, as the balance transfer fees will cut into any savings, but it does provide a really low interest rate if you want to do a little extra travel spending and carry a balance for a while.

Just make sure you pay off the balance before the 6 month introductory period expires, because the interest rate thereafter is really high and will cost you much more than just paying for the hotel rooms in the first place.

This is a great opportunity to get at least one absolutely free hotel stay, and if you decide to use this card for your everyday purchases, you will easily earn additional free nights at some really nice hotels.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

MaximizingMoney.com

Many popular restaurants offer online printable coupons and promotional dining discounts.

These are restaurants that you may be eating at already on a regular basis, and just by visiting their websites or signing up to receive special discounts by email, you can print out coupons that will save you hundreds of dollars over time.

It’s a great way to save money when you go out for lunch at work or stop on the way home for dinner, and the restaurants that offer online coupons vary from fast-food restaurants to family dining, so try checking a restuarant’s website before you go, because they probably offer printable coupons.

Here’s a list of some common restaurants and links to the online coupons they offer.

Baskin Robbins

Join the Baskin Robbins email club and receive coupons and special offers like free ice cream on your birthday.

Blimpie

Join the Blimpie club and get coupons by email.

Boston Market

Boston Market coupons can be printed directly from their website.

Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. offers monthly print coupons and other promotional savings.

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese offers online coupons for printing as well as email coupons.

Dairy Queen

The Dairy Queen club provides discounts and special offers by email.

Domino’s Pizza

Find a Domino’s Pizza near you, and order online to receive access to various coupons.

Hardee’s

Print Hardee’s coupons that change monthly.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

KFC coupons can be printed from the Kentucky Fried Chicken website.

Nathan’s

Nathan’s offers buy one get one free hotdog coupons for printing.

Papa John’s Pizza

Papa John’s offers coupons when ordering online and you can sign up to receive coupons by email. They also provide various cross-promotional coupons with other merchants.

Pizza Hut

Locate a Pizza Hut near you for current printable coupon offers.

Popeye’s

Find a Popeye’s near you for online coupons.

Quiznos

Quiznos offers you a coupon for signing up for their email list, which will then send you more coupons.

Red Lobster

The Red Lobster Fresh Catch Club offers a coupon and access to other promotional offers when you sign up.

Schlotzky’s Deli

Schlotzky’s Deli offers print coupons for various discounts.

There are many more offers available from various restaurants, so it’s definitely worth checking your favorite restaurant’s website for printable coupons.

If you’re looking for discounts and savings from more unique restaurants and fine-dining establishments, Restaurant.com offers $25 restaurant gift certificates for only $10 at a wide range of participating local restaurants that are located in almost every city. You simply purchase them online and they are immediately available for printing, and it’s worth visiting their website just to locate new restaurants in your area or to save on dining when traveling.

You may also have access to various online print coupons through your Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit card, as these companies offer discounts at restaurants and other merchants through their websites. If your credit card has a Visa, MC or Amex logo on it, it’s a good idea to preview the savings they have to offer.

Check out more Online Printable Restaurant Coupons that can save you money, as special discounts and promotional offers are available from many popular restaurants.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

MaximizingMoney.com

If you spend $556 or more each month on gas, groceries and quick-service restaurants, you can save over $250 this year at the same locations you are making these purchases now, just by making these everyday purchases with a Free Chase Freedom Cash rewards credit card.

The Chase Freedom card gives you a 3% rebate on all of your purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and fast-food or quick-service restaurants. That includes sandwich shops, coffee houses, hamburger joints, your favorite pizza stop and more. Plus, the cash rebate is good at any gas station or grocery store, so you don’t have to worry where you decide to stop along your busy day.

The 3% rebate is good for up to $600 in spending each month on gas, groceries and quick-service restaurants, which adds up to $216 each year in cash rebates. You’ll also get a 1% rebate on all other purchases with a 0% APR for the first 6 months, so you can get an extra $10 in savings for every $1,000 you spend each year.

On top of that, you get an extra $50 bonus reward check when you redeem $200 in cash rebate earnings. You’ll reach that with your gas, grocery or restaurant spending alone, if you spend at least $556 a month on those purchases.

It all adds up to an extra $250 check at the end of the year that you otherwise wouldn’t have, and another $250 check each time you earn $200 in rebates.

The Chase Freedom^SM Cash Visa® Card has no annual fee, so it won’t cost you anything to apply, but just be sure to pay off any balances before the 6 month introductory offer expires, as the interest charges will quickly cut into your savings at the current rate.

If you spend over $600 on gas, grocery and quick-food purchasees each month or you spend a lot more in one particular category, like on gasoline purchases, you may want to consider a gas rebate credit card.

Then split your purchases accordingly to take advantage of the most savings.

The Chase Freedom Cash card is an excellent option either way, as it will immediately start saving you money on the purchases you are making today.

Check out these other ways to save money on various products and services with Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

MaximizingMoney.com

Sprint and Nextel phones offer a $25 sign-up bonus if you are referred by a current Sprint or Nextel customer, plus they give a $25 referral bonus to the customer who refers you.

This is a great way for you and a friend to get an extra $25 each, if one of you has a Nextel or Sprint phone and the other wants to sign up for their service, and the reward actually comes as a $25 Sprint Referral Rewards Visa debit card, so you can spend it anywhere Visa is accepted.

It’s simple to do, and you don’t even have to receive an actual referral.

All that you need is the phone number of a current Sprint or Nextel telephone customer, and you can apply for the referral bonus within 15 days of activating your new Nextel or Sprint phone. That means it may not be to late if you already purchased a phone.

Here’s how to get a $25 Referral Rewards Visa card for you and a friend.

If you do not currently have a Nextel or Sprint phone, simply Sign Up through this Sprint and Nextel Referral Link.

Then, within 15 days of activation, use your new phone to dial #REF (#733), and make sure you have your friend’s Sprint or Nextel phone number ready.

That’s all it takes for both of you to get the $25 Referral Rewards card, as long as you maintain an active account for 30 consecutive days thereafter.

On the other hand, if you are a current Sprint or Nextel customer and you want to refer a friend so that you both can receive the $25 bonus, simply tell your friend to apply for their phone at sprint.com/get25 and to provide your phone number when they call #REF (#733) within 15 days of activating their phone.

You can also Email a Sprint or Nextel Phone Referral at sprint.com/referralprogram, and the offer is valid at Sprint and Nextel retail locations as well, although free shipping and free activation are provided with online orders.

Once you have a Sprint or Nextel account, you can earn up to 12 referral rewards per year, which is $300 for you and $300 for the friends on your walkie-talkie network.

If you just bought a Sprint or Nextel phone, we encourage you to call people you know to see if they have Sprint PCS or Nextel services. Get their phone number and get your $25 Referral Rewards Visa Card now.

If you don’t know anybody with a Sprint or Nextel phone and you still want to receive a $25 bonus card, email MaximizingMoney@gmail.com to request that we send you the necessary information, and we both will benefit.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

MaximizingMoney.com

Budget rental cars is currently offering up to 20% off their weekly and weekend rates, plus they’ll donate $1 for each rental to help underprivileged students go to college.

Budget also has ongoing savings of 10% off car rentals, and if you’re planning on a long-term rental of 60 days or more, you can get $50 off and a free upgrade.

Preview the offers by following the links below and take advantage of these summer savings while they last.

Save up to 20% off weekly and weekend rates, while helping Budget donate $1 per rental to assist underprivileged students in pursuing their educations!

Get 10% off car rental with Budget!

Save $50 and get a Free Upgrade on Budget Rentals of 60 Days or more.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

Blocking your credit files from identity theft is probably one of the most important things you can do to protect your financial future from identity thieves.

Protecting your identity can also save you $1,000’s in identity recovery costs and hundreds of hours you will spend trying to clear your name. You can avoid all of this by taking 3 simple steps that are absolutely free and will guarantee your credit is blocked from identity theft.

The 3 simple steps are setting fraud alerts at the 3 major credit bureaus with only one phone call, ordering and monitoring your credit bureau reports once a year, and blocking pre-approved credit offers from being delivered to your house.

Here’s how to do it.

First set your fraud alerts.

Fraud alerts can be set on your credit reports at the 3 major credit bureaus, and they require any creditors that are reviewing your credit reports to verify your identity before issuing credit in your name.

That means any company that reviews your credit report, such as a bank or credit card issuer, must make a reasonable effort to verify your identity in order to issue you new credit, increase credit lines, arrange loans or create new accounts for services like utilities and cellular phones.

So when a thief applies for a credit card in your name, the issung bank will either call you, write you or verify your identity by some other means, and when you notify them that you did not apply for a credit card or they discover a discrepancy in the identity on the application, they will then immediately cancel the process and block the thief from ever receiving a credit card in your name.

You will also become aware that your identity has been compromised, and you can notify the proper authorities to take the necessary actions. Meanwhile, the thief never receives access to your credit or identity, because they can’t apply for credit in your name. Once they realize this, they’ll probably just move on to the next victim anyway.

Fraud Alerts are very simple to set, and they only need to be reset every 90 days, plus it takes just one phone call to set your fruad alerts at all 3 bureaus.

You just have to call one of the major credit bureaus, because once that agency processes your fruad alert, they will notify the other 2 agencies, which then must set fraud alerts as well.

You can set all 3 fraud alerts by calling Equifax at 1-888-766-0008.

It’s a simple automated process which will result in fruad alerts being set at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

You should probably give them your cell phone number so that you can be contacted easily, but if you prefer not to make your cell phone number publicly available, choose a number where you can be contacted during regular business hours.

You can also request fraud alerts online with Experian:

Experian Fruad Alert Form

Make sure that you receive a confirmation letter from each of the credit bureaus stating your fraud alerts have been set. It should take about 2 weeks. If you do not receive a notice within 2 weeks, call that credit bureau to inquire about your status and possible errors in your credit file information.

Equifax: 1-800-685-5000
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Then just remember to reset your fraud alert every 90 days and you’ll be protected. No thief will ever be able to access credit in your name.

The second step is to order and monitor your credit reports.

Order your reports from all 3 major credit bureaus including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, once every 12 months.

The credit bureaus are legally required to provide consumers with one free credit report each year, and if you are denied credit for any reason, you are aso entitled to a copy of the report that was used to review your credit history.

You’ll want to check your reports for errors and inaccuracies, such as credit accounts you don’t recognize or mistakes in your current credit accounts. You’ll also want to double-check your personal information, as an incorrect address or other mistake could result in your fraud alerts not being set properly.

Your initial reports are probably the most important to review, just to make sure everything is accurate to begin with, and once you set your fraud alerts, it will be easy in the future to confirm that no unexpected activity is occurring.

Order your reports online from all 3 credit bureaus in one step.

Just visit the official website for obtaining your free Credit Reports from All 3 Bureaus.

Then just remember to return once a year to order them again.

The third step is stopping pre-approved credit offers from being delivered to your home.

Thieves steal these applications out of your mailbox or your garbage when you throw them away, and they then use them to apply for credit in your name. They won’t be able to do that with the fraud alerts set, but why give them the chance. Plus, it’s a great way to cut back on a lot of the junk mail you receive.

Just call the consumer credit reporting agencies opt-in and opt-out service.

Opt-Out Number: 1-888-567-8688

You can stop receiving pre-approved credit offers for 2 years for free, and just set a reminder to call back every 2 years.

You can also Opt-Out of Pre-Approved Credit Offers Online.

That’s it. Those easy steps can protect your identity from thieves and save you $1,000’s of dollars. Plus, you’ll have the added confidence that comes with knowing your credit is truly protected, so you can make your purchases and transactions with a little less apprehension about some unscrupulous employee stealing your information.

The best part is that all this protection comes for free, and just takes a few moments of your time.

It’s important to point out that none of the credit monitoring services can provide this type of protection. All those credit monitoring companies do is monitor your credit files and notify you after an unexpected change occurs.

That means that some thief is already out on a spending spree by the time your credit monitoring agency notifies you that something “may” have happened. Your only hope in that case is that you can call and cancel any accounts before the thief has a chance to use them.

The best option is to block the thieves before they have access to your credit.

The only company that offers this service (and the inspiration for this article) is LifeLock Identity Theft Services.

LifeLock Identity Theft performs all of the above actions for you and maintains this protection for $10 a month ($9 with pc code cj), and they provide discounts for yearly subscriptions. They also offer a $1,000,000 guarantee if identity theft ever does occur.

You can also get 30 days for free and an annual $21 discount if you use the LifeLock promo code RD4 when you register.

Just enter promo code RD4 on the enrollment page. If you prefer to not enroll online, you can call 1-877-LIFELOCK toll free. Just mention LifeLock promotion code RD4 to receive your discount.

Some people may wish to pay for this service to avoid the hassle, but as we stated, it can be done absolutely for free with some very simple steps that only take a few minutes.

Either way, it’s a good idea to start protecting your credit files today, because the longer you wait, the more time thieves have to steal your identity, and then it’s just a matter of statistics and time.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing money.

MaximizingMoney.com

Citibank is offering a $50 cash bonus to open a new Ultimate Savings Account by August 30, 2007.

The Citibank Ultimate Savings Account has an APY of 4.75%, and if you open both an Ultimate Savings and a regular checking account in one of Citibank’s relationship packages, such as the Citibank EZ Checking package, both of your accuunts will be absolutely free of maintenance fees, and there will be no minimum balance or direct deposit requirements.

As long as you are a new Citibank deposit account customer and you apply for your Ultimate Savings Account by August 30, 2007, you’ll also get the $50 bonus deposited into your savings account within 90 days.

This is only available when you apply by phone at 1-877-695-9400 or when you apply online, and you must mention or enter the promotional code CY52. If you apply online at the following link, the promotional code should automatically apply, but make sure.

The Citibank Ultimate Savings Account $50 bonus will expire soon, so take advantage of this offer now, and remember to apply for a relationship package to be free of fees.

Thanks and enjoy these other banking promotions.

Citibank is offering a $50 Bonus to open an Ultimate Money Savings Account by August 31, 2007.

The great thing is that when you apply online or by phone for both a Citibank Ultimate Money Account and a regular checking account in the Free Citibank EZ Checking Package, your accounts will be free of monthly maintenance fees and per-check fees. There will also be no minimum account balance or direct deposit requirements.

The other benefit to the Citibank Ultimate Money Account is that when you make 2 payments per month at citibank.com, Citi Mobile or Citiphone Banking from your linked checking account, you’ll get a high APY of 5.00%.

If you choose not to pay bills online, you will still get a 4.5% APY, so you can earn some pretty nice interest on your savings either way.

However, the best part of the deal is the $50 bonus offer.

As long as you’re a new Citibank deposit account customer and you apply for both the Citibank Ultimate Money Account and a regular checking account in the free Citibank EZ Checking package before August 31, 2007, you’ll get the $50 bonus deposited into your account.

To get the $50 bonus offer, you’ll need to mention the promotional code CYJE when you call 1-877-624-9600 to apply for the account or make sure to enter that code when you apply online. The above link should automatically apply code CYJE when you apply online, but make sure.

You’ll also get up to a 5.00% APY with absolutely no maintenance fees on either of your accounts. It’s a great way to start your banking relationship with Citibank.

If you already have a Citibank checking account, you can choose to link your current account to your new Ultimate Money Account to receive the high APY of 5.00%. However, you must be a new Citibank customer to qualify for the $50 bonus cash offer.

You can also check out these other banking promotions to see if you qualify for a cash bonus at a different bank.

Thanks and enjoy Maximizing Money.

PNC Bank is offering up to a $100 cash bonus when you open a free checking account by July 31, 2007.

When you open a Free PNC Checking Account, they’ll give you a $1 bonus for each purchase transaction you make with your free Visa Check Card until September 30, 2007, for up to $100.

PNC Free Checking accounts can be opened with a minimum of $25, and there are no monthly fees, no direct deposit requirements, and no minimum balance requirements.

You’ll also get free, unlimited online billpay, and with your free Visa Check Card, you’ll earn $1 for each transaction you make before September 30, 2007, up to $100.

Depending on when you read this, that’s about 2 months to make an extra $100 for each transaction you make with the card. You’ll have to consider how long it will take for you to apply and receive the card before you can start earning the bonus, but even if you only have 30 days to earn the bonus, you could still at least be getting an extra dollar for all of your purchases.

Plus, as stated, the PNC Free Checking account is FREE, so you’re not going to lose anything in the process.

You’ll also be able to enroll your Visa Check Card in the Visa Extras rewards program, and take advantage of additional rewards and bonuses.

Thanks and enjoy mazimizing more money.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card will give you up to 3 Free Hotel Nights when you sign up and make a purchase of any size within one year.

Here’s how it works. You apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express and make a purchase of any size within one year to receive 10,000 Bonus Starpoints.

Then just redeem your points for up to 3 hotel nights at any of the participating Starwood Hotels including Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, W Hotels, Westin, Loft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, element, and St. Regis.

You can actually get up to 5 separate hotel stays with the Starwood Card at the current exchange rate, as certain hotels offer free weekend nights at a rate of just 2,000 points per night. However, you would only be able to stay up to 3 nights in a row.

Of course, not all of the hotels will qualify for the best exchange rate, as top-tier hotels require between 10,000 - 25,000 points per night, but you’ll still be able to get between 3 - 5 stays at great hotels like Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and Westin at the optimal exchange rate, or just use all 10,000 of your bonus Starpoints and treat yourself to a really nice night at a top-rated hotel.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card does have an annual fee of $45, but that fee is waived for the first year. You could always cancel the card before the first fee-free year expires, but you probably won’t want to, as this card offers all types of ways to earn additional free hotel stays.

For example, the card is currently offering an additional 15,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 in 6 months.

The card also offers a low introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers, but we recommend that you pay off your monthly bills in full thereafter, as any balance that you carry on the standard interest rate will definitely cut into your savings.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

• Earn 10,000 Starpoints® with your first purchase — enough for up to 3 free nights
• *Winner – “Best Affinity Credit Card” at the 19th Annual Freddie Awards– voted on by frequent travelers
• Use Starpoints® for free nights and upgrades at over 825 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries
• Transfer Starpoints® — almost always on a 1:1 basis — to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 major airlines
• Earn one Starpoint® for every dollar you spend and double Starpoints® at participating Starwood properties and retail partners
• First year fee-free and $45 thereafter

Apply Now!

Take advantage of this great offer from American Express and Starwood, and you’ll also have access to other American Express Shopping Discounts.

If you need a cheap weekend getaway at some nice hotels or you want to save some money while you’re on the road, take advantage of this offer while it lasts.

If you want a card for your business trips as well, apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express, which offers the same great bonus offer for free hotel stays as the consumer card.

Get both cards, one for business trips and one for personal trips, and you’ll get up to 10 separate hotel stays. That’s an incredible opportunity to save some money when you’re traveling.

Thanks and enjoy maximizing your money.