If you have been reading my blog for some time, you have probably noticed a recurring theme that can be summarized by the KISS philosophy (keep it simple, stupid). Not to suggest that any of you are! Au contraire, I’ve interacted with some readers and wonder what you can possibly learn from my blog.
The points earning strategies in this hobby are getting more complicated by the day. I think in part, it’s due to the competitive nature of miles and points collectors. Where is in the world in general, people are trying to outdo each other by having more money and possessions, in this hobby it’s all about having the most miles and points.
Just head on over to Flyertalk and read some discussions. Reminds me of a Lana Del Rey song, called “National Anthem” and the tongue-in-cheek line that goes: “Money is the reason we exist. Everybody knows it, it’s a fact, Kiss Kiss.” But replace “money” with “miles” instead and the word ‘kiss” is here just for rhyming purposes.
In my blog I always encourage readers to go after the “big fish.” Concentrate on the areas where you get the most bang for your buck, whether credit card sign-ups or category bonuses. It’s easy to get completely swamped by this hobby and chase after every puny promotion.
That’s why my strategy mostly involves using my limited spending towards sign-up bonuses continuously throughout the year. Partially, it’s due to the fact that I have a husband who hates this hobby and because I’m busy with 2 small kids and this blog, which I consider my third baby.
However, there are times where it pays to go out out of your way to collect even relatively small rewards.
I encourage you to check special offers for your existing cards and not discard them, just because at that time you are chasing after a specific bonus. I’ve recently got an offer for my Citi Thank You Preferred card, where I would get 10 Thank You points per dollar on grocery store, drug stores and gas purchases, through June 30th.
It said, I could get up to 2,500 extra points. The card already earns 1 point per dollar in those categories, so I interpreted it to mean that I had to spend $278 to get the maximum payout. $278 X 9 = 2502 points ( I rounded it off ). All I had to do is get an Amazon gift card at CVS and voila!
The bonus points could be redeemed for $25 Wal Mart gift card or potentially $30 in airfare, since I can combine them with my Premier Thank You account. That is certainly a compelling reason to channel some of the spending, even though I’ve just signed up for several new cards.
This offer is just too good to pass up, so I will stop at CVS at some point when I’m doing errands anyway. It would even be a good deal to get a Visa or MasterCard, since the bonus points would more than make up for the $4.95 fee.
On occasion, I even buy Amex gift cards, especially if the payout incentive is 4 percent cash back, like the deal I mentioned in my yesterday’s post. Potential hassle is worth the $51 profit (on $1500 worth of gift cards) I’ll make after the shipping fee is deducted.
Sometimes even a small size fish is well worth the effort to catch it!
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
It sounds like we have a similar strategy. I mostly just pursue signup bonuses for points throughout the year and don’t do much MS. However, I do get a lot of signup bonuses because there are four of us who churn- my husband, myself, and our two businesses. Of course, my husband is clueless about it and leaves all the heavy lifting to me!
Holly, we are very similar indeed, including our husbands! Except, you seem much more organized than me, based on your posts. That is something I need to work on, as it doesn’t come naturally to me. I still mostly track minimum spend in my head, which is terrible. Gotta get that spreadsheet…