Many facets of the miles game are not quite what they seem to be at first glance. Spending is not always actual spending. Miles and points are not always rewards for actual travel. And businesses are not always actual businesses. Previously, in my post “business time,” I explained how it is that you are probably […]
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Leap of Faith (Flowchart)
Note: The miles game is constantly changing. As of now you can no longer buy Vanilla Reloads with credit card at CVS, and vanilla brand Visa cards can no longer be used to reload bluebird at Walmart. (6/21/14) Today I was emailing with a friend who also plays the miles game and is […]
Churning Blizzard
Portland has received an uncharacteristic amount of winter weather over the past few days. Usually once every 1 to 2 years there’s a dusting of snow, and the kids sled, and the grown ups drive like amateurs, and then the temperature rises and the snow melts, and it’s back to the gray fog and drizzle […]
Deductive Reasoning
In my view, the miles game is a perfect accompaniment to a frugal living, early retirement lifestyle. Playing the miles game allows one to escape some of the puritanical asceticism that can make the pursuit of early retirement a little bit of a downer for some people. I want to shrink my carbon footprint as […]
Blue Ribbon Prize
I’ve been playing the miles game for about a year now. I’ve completed four separate card churns and have extracted terrific rewards. In the process I have saved thousands of dollars in travel, which I then dutifully invested in my retirement. I was planning my upcoming card churn today and trying to figure out which […]
A Card up your Sleeve
We’ve already discussed the value of hotel credit cards. As I mentioned, however, my hotel strategy, to this point, has not been to include hotel cards in my credit card churns. But obviously I still need a place to stay when I go on vacation. So what has my strategy been? I’ve focused on value […]
Plus One
We’ve already talked about the magic of the classic six card churn. How this simple maneuver can be your ticket to international travel or luxury hotels for nearly free. If you’ve thought it through and you’re deciding that you want to go ahead and take the leap of faith, one thing you might also consider […]
The Other Half
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 […]
Landing Strip
Welcome readers of Million Mile Secrets. Thank you for stopping by. Please, make yourselves at home. If you’re curious about early retirement, please start here. Would you like to hear a unique take on the miles game?, Here’s a good place to start. Are you interested to know what came about from my conversation with […]
Narcissistic Self Reflection
One of my favorite coworkers at the hospital, we’ll call her “the DJ,”made a comment the other day that caught me a bit off guard. I was talking about the miles game (a rare occurrence I assure you,) during a pacemaker implant. And she said something along the lines of, “You know it seems like […]
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