This weekend I came away with a nice stash of points. I spent Saturday driving to Daly City, where I had absolutely zero luck at every CVS/711 store I stopped in. I didn’t feel like driving into San Francisco to my trusted sources on Market Street and instead headed to a quirky town down the … Read more
UPDATE: Shopkick is no longer offering kicks for spend. The option to earn kicks for scans and walk-ins is still available. A few weeks ago I wrote about how to meet $40,000 in spending requirements next month. In it, I outlined some possible ways to generate lots of manufactured spend. One of them involved reloading … Read more
For those of you who travel frequently and enjoy lounge access either from elite status or credit cards, keeping track of which lounges you have access to can be challenging (what a nice problem to have!). LougeBuddy is an app designed to make these decisions easier. In addition to providing reviews and photos of club … Read more
Hyatt Gold Passport’s Category 5 has some of the most aspirational properties of any hotel chain. Many of these properties are in prime locations in major tourist destinations throughout the world. Whether it’s a weekend getaway in New York or a relaxing beachfront vacation in the Maldives, Hyatt’s Category 6 offers a great redemption value. … Read more
Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Maui‘s Swan Court was always nice. While the lines got long on some mornings, they moved very quickly. Even though there were so many of us, we still managed to get a table without a long wait. I’m not an omelette person, so I easily avoided the long lines at … Read more
World of Hyatt Category 5 hotels require 20,000 points per night for a standard room, 27,000 points for a Regency/Grand Club room, and 32,000 points for a suite. The number of properties is significantly less than in previous categories, with no hotels in Africa and limited options elsewhere. Here are the best Hyatt redemptions for … Read more
After plans for an Asia trip fell apart this summer, I booked a last-minute trip to Maui. I wanted to go some place warm, peaceful, and serene. My sister was headed to Maui with her husband and toddler. My family decided to join them, so I booked two rooms at the Hyatt Regency Maui. At … Read more
A few weeks ago I met up with Michelle from Miles, Points, & Mai Tais. She’s a mom who travels frequently with her toddler and had some horrific stories about the way fellow passengers and even the airlines react to having a child on board. A major issue seems to be around families sitting together. … Read more
Jaws drop when I tell people I generate $40,000 in manufactured spending each month. For newbies this sum is unfathomable. For a seasoned vet, this is a drop in the bucket. With new prepaid cards popping up every month, it’s becoming easier to meet large credit card spending requirements through manufactured spending. Manufactured spending cost … Read more
Things have been slow around here, mainly due to my new responsibilities as Managing Editor of Frugal Travel Guy. It’s been a bit hectic, but I do have a series of posts lined up for the coming week and am learning how to better manage my time. One of the things that has kept me … Read more