It's been 4 years since I sent out my first newsletter. I'm thankful for this journey and the transformation that this newsletter and content creation has brought to my life.

And this is my 200th article!

Wow, I didn't know there was so much someone could write about travel.

I've said this many times:

If I had known how much work this was going to require, there's no way I would've started this. But I'm so glad that I didn't know.

I feel that saying "Ignorance is bliss" on a new level. LOL

In the next issue, I will discuss what I've learned in my 4 years as a travel content creator. But for this week's topic, let's dive in.

I'm sharing my tips on making the most of your credit card points. While I've collected tons of points and find them super valuable, it's important to approach point management with a strategy without getting overwhelmed.

A good place to start

If you want an overall good travel card, I recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It has great travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, and it's just an awesome card. Though I used to be a fan of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I'm waiting to see how the new advertised changes take effect before making up my mind.

Every spend has a multiplier

Make sure everything you buy has a point multiplier. When I spend money at restaurants, I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve where I get a 3x multiplier. For internet and phone spending, I use my Chase Ink Business card. 

Without even thinking about it, I'm racking up points that I can use on my trips. In the past, I've traveled for over a year without spending a dime on flights, just by using my points. Eventually, you'll be traveling the world on the cheap and your friends will wonder how you're able to travel so much – they might even think you're moonlighting as the Kingpin!

Don't change your habits

Credit card benefits often trick you into spending more by including perks if you shop at certain stores or services. In my opinion, don't go out of your way to do special things just to maximize your points. We all have important stuff to do, and I have enough complexity in my life already. So while that $50 credit for Saks Fifth Avenue may seem like a good benefit, if I don't normally shop there and then have to spend 4 hours trying to figure out what socks I want to buy, it's just not worth my time. But hey, if you enjoy doing this type of thing, that's your cup of tea.

Key guidelines for managing your points

Keep points with your credit card initially instead of transferring to airlines.

• This is because once you transfer your points to an airline, they're stuck there forever. If you keep the points tied to your credit card, you still have the ability to transfer them to an airline later on. 
  
  Here's another thing to consider: Airlines frequently devalue their points, so you don't want to fall victim to this. Therefore, if you find a flight that interests you, only transfer your points when you've found the specific flight for your trip and are ready to book.

Ensure good value when redeeming

• Not all point redemptions are considered equal. Sometimes, you can redeem points at a crappy valuation. You don't want this to happen because your points are essentially money. At the bare minimum, you want to aim for at least one cent per point. Bonus points if you can get 2 cents per point or more. Comparing prices and redemption is easy:
  1. Pick the flight that you want to redeem.
  2. Look at how much that flight would cost if you paid for it in cash.
  3. Divide that by how many points you would have to spend to get that flight.

Watch out for common pitfalls

• You may see promotional campaigns to buy flights with points; I rarely do it because the numbers don't make sense. Avoid buying points unless you're experienced. Do the math first.
• Hotel points typically offer less value than airline points. In my experience, redeeming points for hotel stays offers less value than redeeming for flights.
• Keep track of expiration dates. Be sure to know when your points expire. It would be a shame to lose points that you've worked hard to earn.

It's not your job

It's too easy to fall into the trap of trying to maximize your points, but look at it this way: the time you spend maximizing your points could be used doing something else with your life. I'm just saying that it can easily turn into a job, so pay attention to how much time you're spending looking for the cheapest flight for that one trip you're planning.

I didn't want to get too technical, because what I care about is people using these tips. If you want me to write about more advanced ways to maximize your points, let me know.

Keep traveling,

Andrew

Have you ever transferred points to an airline too early and regretted it? What happened?