๐ Hi Reader, Happy Saturday! Hereโs a sneak peek of todayโs newsletter:
I really hope you enjoy reading, and please don't forget to forward this to someone who might enjoy it too! (And if that's you, make sure to subscribe here). Thanks so much! Chris ๐คฉ How to Maximize Your Travel & RewardsI share recent tactics I used to optimize travel and rewards during our trip to Hawaii (which included our new favorite hotel). I also share new ways to earn points, some flight deals, recent airline changes and some Motherโs Day gift ideas.
๐ฐ Tax Season's Behind You โ Time to Get AheadTodayโs newsletter is sponsored byโฆ Geltโ Smart tax planning isnโt just about filing on timeโitโs about building wealth. And with tax season behind us, now is the perfect time to get proactive with Gelt, the modern CPA firm that does more than just crunch numbers. Iโve been working with Gelt for a few years on our personal and business taxes and I love that every client gets: Even if you already filed, itโs never too late to make smarter tax moves. Schedule your consultation today and start using taxes to grow your wealth. ๐ซ Travel, Points & Miles๐ณ Last Call: Welcome Bonus Worth $1,250+ (ends 5/15)I'm resharing this limited-time card offer because we now know it'll be ending at 9am ET on 5/15/25. It's one of the best welcome offers I've seen this year. It's also one of my favorite travel cards. You can read about the offer in this blog post, but the TLDR version is that you can earn 100k bonus pointsโworth $1,250 (or even more if redeemed strategically). ๐ Up to 6,500 Bonus Miles from Shopping PortalsThere are 4 great promotions for earning extra points through shopping portals right now. Since I don't have much I need to buy at the moment, I ended up buying some gift cards from Giftcards.com through each portal. Expiration dates are in parentheses.
๐จ Latest Hotel Promos (Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and More)A ton of hotel programs have launched promos for the summer (and beyond), so make sure to check these out if you have upcoming travel.
๐ค Easy 20,000 Bonus PointsAmex is offering a targeted bonus of 20k points when you enroll in their โPay Over Timeโ feature, which allows cardholders to pay eligible charges over an extended period with interest. The best part is, you donโt even need to use the feature to earn the bonus! Click the link above to see if you're targeted. P.S. Once you earn the bonus, donโt forget to unenroll in a few months. โ๏ธ Alaska Adds Philippine Airlines as New PartnerAlaska Mileage Plan just added Philippine Airlines as an earn-and-redeem partner, offering new ways to fly nonstop to Manila from the U.S. and Canada. I find Alaska miles to be very valuable and seeing them add new partners continues to reinforce that. ๐บ AA Flagship Suites Now Bookable with MilesIn other airline news, American Airlines' new Flagship Suites business class is launching on 6/5 and you can book with miles. However, the initial prices are exceptionally high (especially for domestic flights). ๐ The Ultimate Guide to Singapore KrisFlyerSingapore Airlines is a transfer partner of just about every credit card program and if you want to learn to maximize their miles, this TPG guide does a good job covering earning, redeeming, elite status, and how to get the most value out of KrisFlyer. ๐ค Latest Deals๐ฐ Earn 15x Cash Back or 15x Membership RewardsโRakuten is my default shopping portal because it lets you convert cash back to Amex points, and until 5/12, Rakuten is offering 15% cash back OR 15x Membership Rewards for many retailers, including, Nike, Macy's Lululemon, CVS and so many more! There are also other amazing deals like 100% back on NordVPN or $60 back on Blue Apron (also stackable with card-linked offers). And if you're an Amex cardholder, there's currently an incredible promo for new Rakuten users to get 7,500 points after spending $25, so please use that instead of my referral link. That said, if you don't have an Amex, here's my link for a $40 bonus. ๐๏ธ Free Museum Admission via BoADid you know that Bank of America cardholders have free admission to 100โs of museums across the US, including some popular ones like the Met and the MoMa in NYC. Even a BoA debit card works! ๐ Up to 20% Off National Car RentalsNational Car Rental is offering up to 20% off weekend rentals. This promo is available until 7/19, which is perfect for summer travel! ๐ Grubhub+ Deals + $10 Off + $30 MembershipGrubhub+ members can enjoy four weeks of special deals starting 5/12 until 6/8. During this promo period, Amazon Prime members can use code GOLD10 to get $10 off $20, plus new Grubhub+ members can purchase an annual plan for $30 (regularly priced at $90). ๐ฐ Disney World 2026 Packages on SaleIf Disney is on your bucket list, 2026 vacation packages are now on sale (until 10/31/26). These packages include perks such as free dining for kids, free water park entry on arrival day for summer stays, and more! You can also listen to episode #149 with Disney expert Leslie Harvey for more strategies to save time and money at Disney. ๐ต๏ธ Great Finds๐ฌ Show Recommendation: The Four SeasonsโThe Four Seasons on Netflix is about a group of longtime friends going through life's ups and downs over four seasonal vacations. Is it the best show I've seen? No. But was it entertaining and a funny break from a few of the more serious shows we're watching? Absolutely! ๐ณ The Accidental Birth of Credit CardsFun fact: The first ever credit card (Diners Club) was created after a businessman forgot his wallet at dinner in 1949. Determined to avoid future "embarrassment," he came up with a new way for people to pay without cashโan idea that changed payments forever. You can read the full story here. ๐ฌ Parting ThoughtsAs always, thanks so much for reading! Iโd love to hear your thoughts on todayโs newsletter, and if you enjoyed it, please let me know why! Chris |
Discover the latest and greatest hacks, deals and recommendations to upgrade and optimize your life, money and travel โ all while spending less and saving more.
๐ Hi Reader, Happy Saturdayโhope your weekend is off to a great start! Here's a quick look into today's newsletter: ๐ต Easy $450 U.S. Bank bonus ๐๏ธ Up to 30% off IHG stays + 5k new member offer ๐ชฅ Optimizing your oral health for a longer life ๐บ Big changes coming to Southwest seating ๐ Current transfer bonuses โ๏ธ Flying Blue Promo Rewards for May 2025 ๐ $500+ in card-linked offers ๐ฅ Free movie ticket from Fandango ๐ช Lessons to become an amazing parent and more! As always, I hope you enjoy...
๐ Hi Reader, Happy Saturday! Here are today's highlights: ๐ Airport lounges: access, perks and expert tips ๐ Up to 12% off gift cards (relaunching my site) ๐ธ Best-ever $40 Rakuten bonus ๐ฅจ Free pretzels for National Pretzel Day today โ๏ธ Southwest new member bonus: up to 5k points ๐บ Latest flight deals (including biz class) ๐ณ 5k bonus points on recurring payments ๐ Earn Delta SkyMiles with Uber and more! Like what youโre reading? Pass it along to someone who might love it too. And if thatโs...
๐ Hi Reader, Hope your weekend is off to an amazing start! Here's a sneak peek of today's newsletter: ๐ Become a 10x better, more effective writer ๐ธ Reminder: Limited time bonus worth $1,250+ ๐ฐ $99+ Disney World hotel rooms + 50% off kids park tickets ๐ณ Up to 350k bonus miles with biz card welcome offer ๐ Card-linked offers worth $1,000+ in savings โ๏ธ Free summer activities for kids ๐จ Hotel promos (earn up to 20x bonus points) โ Easy 500 Marriott Bonvoy points with Starbucks ๐คฃ Funny comedy...