This week’s money news

This week’s top story: How to cope debt and chronic pain. In other news: Maximize your credit card rewards with minimal effort, what to do if your hospital drops your Medicare Advantage plan, and how a global pandemic made us richer four years later.

Debt and Chronic Pain Can Be Connected. Here’s How to Cope
Study data points to an association between owing money and pain, but you can find support and strategies to manage your debt.

Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards With Minimal Effort
If redeeming points intimidates you, don’t worry. You can enjoy your rewards without getting too intense about it.

What to Do if Your Hospital Drops Your Medicare Advantage Plan
Why this might happen — and how to handle this change to your coverage if it happens to you.

Economist: How a Global Pandemic Made Us Richer Four Years Later
An author discusses how a massive stimulus in response to the pandemic emergency was key to the quick economic rebound.

Visiting Troyes, or “You had me at half-timbered.”

In a previous post, I discussed one of the best ways to stretch your travel dollars in Europe: visiting “second” cities, the somewhat less-traveled metropolises that allow you to experience a country’s culture and sights without the huge crowds and high prices of its capital cities. 

Here’s one to consider adding to your list: Troyes (pronounced “twah,” like the French number three) in the Champagne region of France.

If you’ve never heard of Troyes, don’t feel bad: neither had I until a recent road trip out of Paris. Even our Parisian friends looked puzzled when I mentioned Troyes, perhaps because this small city is best known today for its outlet stores.

But Troyes is well worth a visit, particularly if you like medieval old towns with narrow cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings, or fascinating one-of-a-kind museums, plus a rather excessive number of Gothic churches. (One source says there are 11, another six, but I only visited three before I’d had my fill of stained glass, sad-eyed statuary and worn-away ledgerstones, those tomb coverings set in the floors of old churches.)

Troyes used to be an important trade center in the Middle Ages and standardized the unit of measure known as the troy ounce. It was also a big-enough deal in the art world that there is a “School of Troyes” style of painting and sculpture (featured in one of those museums I just mentioned).

But unlike other French cities, which grew and eventually knocked down most of their half-timbered construction, Troyes entered a long economic slump. As a result, its old town still has hundreds of these old buildings to see and explore. 

One of the prettiest – with a huge inner courtyard and a turret – is the Hôtel de Mauroy, which houses one of the coolest museums I’ve ever seen: Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière. Translated, that’s the “house of tools and workers’ thought.”

Who cares about tools? I don’t, much, but I spent a couple of fascinating hours looking at thousands of hand-made tools from the 17th and 18th centuries collected by a 20th Century Jesuit priest. The museum offers a handy printed guide as well as an audio guide which I’m sure are chock-full of great info about the workers and trades who used these tools. I was content just to look at the beautifully lit, artistically arranged display cases – including one with dozens of hand trowels arranged like schools of fish. 

Other must-sees include a stained glass museum and a small-but-mighty apothecary museum. Turns out the pharmacists of old relied on stuff like ground-up mummies and the skulls of men who died violently to cure the ailments of the living. Also, check out Ruelle des Chats or “cat alley,” a lane where the half-timbered buildings nearly touch, making it easy for cats to hop from one rooftop to the next.

Troyes is about two hours south of Paris by car or train. I stayed in the central, historic Best Western Premier Hotel de la Poste and Spa, which I highly recommend. 

Do you have another “second city” to recommend? Please do so in the comments below. Thanks!

Europe on a budget: The best affordable hotel chains

If you’re a frequent traveler in the U.S., you probably have a favorite affordable hotel chain. It’s the one you book when you don’t want to spend a fortune for a single night but still want a decent experience. (We’re fans of Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express, for example.)

Finding similar options in Europe can be a little daunting, since some of the brands we know and trust don’t exist there. Here are a few to consider for your next trip:

Best Western. I associate Best Westerns with road trips through the American West, but the chain has some terrific properties, often in historic buildings, throughout Europe. My favorite so far: Best Western Premier Hotel de la Poste & Spa, housed in a former post office in Troyes, France. 

My CitizenM room felt like a spaceship pod, in a good way.

CitizenM. This “affordable luxury” chain offers small, well-designed rooms in prime locations. You won’t find bellboys or concierge desks. Instead, there’s a self-serve check-in desk that’s part of a larger “living room” that includes a bar, breakfast buffet and hang-out spaces. I stayed at CitizenM’s Copenhagen hotel, nicely situated on a public transit route near the train station and just steps from the old part of town, including Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

Moxy. This Marriott brand started in the U.S. and spread to Europe, where it emulates some aspects of the CitizenM experience, including compact rooms combined with large common spaces. Moxy locations tend not to be as centrally located as CitizenM’s, but if you need to stay near an airport or don’t mind a little extra travel time from an outlying neighborhood, the savings can be worthwhile.

Ibis Hotels. This is a budget brand from France’s Accor Hotels that you can find throughout Europe. If you need extra room for a family, look for Ibis Styles hotels, which offer slightly larger rooms (and included breakfast). I saw some Ibis hotels in great, central locations and others that were miles away from anywhere most tourists would want to be, so check a map before you book.

All these brands have frequent traveler programs. Best Western and Moxy allow you to book with points you accumulate in the U.S.

Do you have a favorite good-value hotel chain in Europe? Please share your experience in the comments.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: How to approach buying home insurance for the first time. Also in the news: How to get PrEP with or without insurance, could this be the summer of debt forgiveness, and these credit cards come with sweet airport perks.

How to Approach Buying Home Insurance for the First Time
Proactive research will make the home buying process easier.

How to Get PrEP With or Without Insurance
Here’s what health care experts say about how to get PrEP for HIV prevention, with or without insurance.

Will This Be the Summer of Student Debt Cancellation?
The “will he, won’t he” summer of student debt cancellation is upon us.

These Credit Cards Come With Sweet Airport Perks
You may already have access to a fancy airport lounge and not even know it.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Skipped college in 2021? Enroll this fall. Also in the news: Kickstarting your online clothing reselling gig, getting on board with travel subscriptions, and what it really costs to propose on the jumbotron.

Skipped College in 2021? Enroll This Fall
If you didn’t enroll or reenroll in college during the pandemic, this fall is the time to get back on the path to higher education.

Millennial Money: Kick-start your online clothing resale gig
With the recent rise of resale apps like Depop and Poshmark, the idea of selling old clothes online is becoming more fashionable.

Subscriptions are coming to travel, should you get on board?
Welcome to the Netflixification of travel.

What It Really Costs to Propose on a Jumbotron (and Better Ways to Spend That Money)
Financial literacy takes many forms, and sometimes it’s about the money you don’t spend.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Why many new cars are cheaper than used. Also in the news: Do this if you’ve already refinanced your student loans, how to find a COVID test to return to the United States, and how the student loan pause has played out for borrowers.

Why Many New Cars Are Cheaper Than Used
Due to the lack of new-car inventory, the average used car now costs more than a new one.

Do This if You’ve Already Refinanced Your Student Loans
Time to refinance again.

Ask a Travel Nerd: How Do I Find a COVID Test to Return to the U.S.?
You need a negative result within one day of your return flight to the U.S. Have a plan for getting tested.

How the Student Loan Pause Has Played Out for Borrowers
New data show many borrowers have used that extra room in the budget to shore up their overall finances.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Crushing student loan debt prompts parents to consider postponing their retirement. Also in the news: Who should and shouldn’t consider using a personal loan to pay off holiday debt, the number one insurance claim filed by homeowners in the winter, and will employees be able to travel more this year?

Crushing student loan debt prompts parents to postpone their retirement
A federal program allows parents to borrow the full amount of a college education for their child, which could take decades to pay off.

Who should — and should not — consider using a personal loan to pay off holiday debt
How best to get a personal loan if it makes sense for you.

The number one insurance claims filed by homeowners in winter
If a winter weather disaster strikes would you know what to do?

Will you be able to travel more this year?
Working remotely from abroad is still a roll of the dice—should you do it, or just unplug?

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: 8 rules for saving, borrowing, and spending money. Also in the news: How purchase plans pay advances could change in 2022, how to find the hidden costs of starting a small business, and 1 in 5 Americans are saving less for retirement due to Covid.

8 Rules for Saving, Borrowing and Spending Money
The best personal finance advice is tailored to your individual situation.

How Purchase Plans and Pay Advances Could Change in 2022
BNPL and paycheck advance companies may draw the attention of competitors and regulators in 2022.

How to Find the Hidden Costs of Starting a Small Business
Discover some of the expenses to plan for when launching a business and how to learn about industry-specific costs.

1 in 5 Americans are saving less for retirement due to Covid
For those playing catch up, there are ways to get back on track, and free resources to help.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: Is a new job the right financial move? Also in the news: How businesses of all sizes can drive positive change, how to benefit from corporate pledges to minority businesses, and plan your flu shot around these cash coupons.

Is a New Job the Right Financial Move?
Look at current and potential salary, benefits and outside factors so you can effectively compare and negotiate.

How Businesses of All Sizes Can Drive Positive ChangeBusinesses have three primary assets they can invest back into the community: time, money and expertise.

How to Benefit From Corporate Pledges to Minority Businesses
Since the start of 2020, companies from Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase to Google and Twitter have pledged billions of dollars to support entrepreneurs of color.

Plan Your Flu Shot Around These Cash Coupons
https://lifehacker.com/plan-your-flu-shot-around-these-cash-coupons-1847718870

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Today’s top story: 6 ways to budget using your bank account. Also in the news: Checking your finances now to avoid falling behind, how video games can level up kids’ money skills, and four questions to ask yourself before any big purchase.

6 Ways to Budget Using Your Bank Account
Your bank account can do more than store your money. It can help you control your spending, too.

Check Finances Now to Avoid Falling Behind
Financial experts recommend taking a close look at your retirement savings, planning for 2022 goals and more.

How Video Games Can Level Up Kids’ Money Skills
These four conversations can help your video game-loving kids learn about money.

You Should Ask Yourself These Four Questions Before Any Big Purchase
You need a game plan.