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 […]
Rick Rolling Your Way to Riches
This may date me. But when I was growing up I actually listened to records. Starting with tale spinners records of Cyrano de Bergerac, and Puss n’ Boots, moving onto a long love affair with all with my parents Beatles albums, and culminating with my very first purchased 45 (Talking In Your Sleep by The […]
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 […]
Swimming Upstream
One of the exhortations I find myself writing most frequently in this blog, is “read some books.” Specifically, this comes up when I am talking about the importance of reading books on investment theory in order to develop your own personal investment strategy and portfolio. What’s the thinking behind this? It’s not just that […]
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 […]
Warts and All
Just got off of the phone with one of my favorite people. My friend Keiki and I were medical interns together. And he’s one of those people who when I think of, I think: “That guy is just a better person than I will ever be.” (I know, I know, there are higher bars.) He’s […]
Are You and Miles a Good Match? Celebrity Flowchart Edition!
Are you considering the miles game? If so, is it really a good idea for you specifically? If not, what’s your hang up? Is there a rational reason for you not to proceed? These are the questions I attempt to address with the below flowchart. Consider going through this chart with a fine tooth […]
Looking in the Gift Horse’s Mouth
I had an interesting conversation at work today. One of my friends (let’s call him “the Spaniard.”) works for a large company. It turns out his company gives him a pretty sweet deal. Every year he is able to buy up to 5% of his salary in the companies stock. The sweet part of the […]
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 […]
Putting Down Pennies
In a previous post, I acknowledged the sad fact that investing is not that interesting to everyone. If you are one of those incomprehensible beings who would rather think about art or sports or fashion or celebrity or literature rather than the nitty-gritty of investment theory, I confided in you that that was okay. I […]
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