I got a very interesting response in the comments section of my post “philosophy of miles.” Reader Mark shared his perspective on the miles game as a working-class individual living in a rural area who endeavors to collect miles as well. He expressed frustration with the lack of a working-class perspective in the blogosphere, and […]
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Philosophy of Miles
My original idea to write a post discussing the miles game with someone who was suspicious of the endeavor, really came from a place of wondering how anyone could possibly have a problem with it. I see the miles game is a huge win-win proposition. Not only is my family traveling everywhere for free now, […]
Conversation with a Miles Skeptic
One of my friends is pretty into the miles game. Credit card churns, manufactured spending, planning trips, he’s all in. In our conversations he’s confided in me that his wife (aka “Mrs. skeptic”) is not a such fan of the miles game. She remains dubious. So I thought it would be interesting to have a […]
Cash Backing, an Alternative to Travel Hacking
Playing the miles game is such a win-win situation. On one hand you learn new skills; Organization, creativity, and attention to detail come to mind. On the other hand you save thousands of dollars and are able to expand your world with amazing travel experiences to exotic destinations. As an ordinary working stiff, you can […]
Don’t Pay, Do Play
In the field of manufactured spending one of the most common metrics is “cents-per-mile-earned.” The idea here is that if you’re doing manufactured spending, there are always some costs associated with the exercise, and those costs can be quantified if you divide the total cost of the manufactured spending in cents by the total number […]
Code
Just as fences make good neighbors, a little structure makes your life easier to live. An example: I am by nature a procrastinator. But if you procrastinate too much at work as a doctor, It can all snowball pretty quickly and you can end up with a mountain of unfinished charts . So I instituted […]
Family Values
Playing the miles game is a very different endeavor if you are a free agent, or a married without kids couple. In that instance leveraging credit card bonuses and manufactured spending into dream vacations is quite a bit easier than stealing candy from a baby. (And for the record, I’ve never been convicted of any […]
Speed Bumps
My friend David just completed his first six card churn. Like I did six months ago, he went all in. The bluebird is coming in the mail, as are five new credit cards. He’s ready to manufacture some spend. He’s very excited. And so am I. I can’t wait until he and his wife fly […]
Simply Miles
One of the more frequent bits of skeptical feedback I get on my miles posts goes something like this: “I don’t think I can do that manufactured spending stuff. It’s way too complicated, and way too much work.” I heard this very statement today from heart failure specialist Alicia Ross MD. Now keep mind, this […]
The Icky Side Of Miles
The miles game is a wondrous thing. Travel for nearly free, by leveraging (dangerous/predatory) credit card sign up bonuses, and improve your credit score in the bargain… You had me at “free travel.” But full disclosure: it’s not all sunshine and lollipops. Nothing is without cost. One of the most distasteful aspects of this […]
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