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 […]
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Cutting the Cord
One of the nice things about the miles game is that credit card companies usually waive the first year fee associated with the credit card bonus.This means that with a little bit of elbow grease, a touch of organization, and a can-do attitude, you can rack up literally hundreds of thousands if not millions of […]
X Marks the Spot
One of the fun things about the miles game is that every day consumption becomes a big puzzle. Every purchase becomes an opportunity to flex your savings muscles. Mundane things like filling up your gas tank: Goldmine! Buying toilet paper? 5% cashback baby. At its worst the miles game can seem like a mental gymnastics […]
Fossil Fuel
Short post tonight: I’ve been burning the midnight oil this week doing late cases at the hospital. But the show must go on…. One of the quirks about using miles is the all-important fuel surcharge. This is one of the most crucial factors in determining the absolute value of any specific airline currency. And one […]
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 […]
Points Landscape
There are seemingly hundreds of different flavors of miles and points. Every airline, and virtually every Hotel group has its own loyalty currency. Even some credit card companies have their own currencies. So how to categorize this United Nations of miles and points? I would argue that there are three main flavors (nationalities?) of miles […]
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 […]
Oxymoronic Commandments
If early retirement is a personal goal, then shopping probably can’t be your main hobby. If the idea is to whittle away at that which is unimportant, in order to focus on that which is important, then buying a bunch of stuff that you don’t need for the sake of fleeting moments of entertainment, really […]
The Skills to Pay the Bills
I had always hated to pay my bills. Getting a thick envelope from the credit card company, the power company, or the phone company, had given me a slight sense of unease. I wanted to procrastinate, to put off the drudgery of sitting in front of the computer to dispense money to all of my […]
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