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Points and Miles Holiday
My little ones returned to school earlier today. Undoubtedly, their teachers are asking what they did during their holiday break. So then, I figured it’s an appropriate time to share what I accomplished during that timeframe. Don’t worry, I’ll stay on the points and miles topic, mostly. I won’t regale you with the dilemma of a leaning front yard side fence we share with a neighbor (repair or just get rid of the darn thing?). While we satisfied the biggest priorities during the break, like family time, food, a few outings, forgetting what day it is, and avoiding crowds, I accomplished a bit of silly hobby stuff. I present to you my points and miles holiday summary.
I Organized
In a surprising move, I actually tightened up my credit card organization scene over the holiday break. I usually take care of this in the late spring/early summer, but I had plenty from the fall to square away. I’m a binder guy, and I appropriately disposed of old cards and paperwork and properly stored newer card materials. I also got rid of remnants across what seemed like a million different gift cards. I have the Kroger self checkout terminals to thank for that. Auto-draining for the win!
I Finished Up Big Spend Bonuses
Credit card big spend bonuses, not to be confused with welcome offers, are one of my favorite parts of our hobby. These annual kickers provide incentive for many of us to hit certain thresholds of spend on specific cards each year. This past December, this mostly revolved around Hilton and Marriott free night certs, but I also took care of some bonuses on our Bread cards. (They weren’t exactly big spend bonuses, but close enough.)
I Used All of Our Uber Credits
The annual good problem many of us have in the points and miles hobby is responsibly using our entire allotment of December Uber credits. This credit is $10 monthly for the personal Amex Gold, and Platinum cardholders get $15 monthly for the first 11 months of the year. The same Platinum cardholders get $35 in December, though, which is great.
But many of us have multiple Platinums, which lead to hundreds of dollars in credits. This can also lead me to make almost as many poor decisions, mostly on Uber Eats. This year we spread out some of those decisions throughout the month and on social functions, which helped. And I had a more genuine need for Uber rides than normal, as well.
I Went (Sort of) Hard on New Year’s Day
Perhaps one of the most polarizing days for extremely active points and miles enthusiasts is New Year’s Day. Many credit cards’ annual benefits, including various statement credits, reset on 1 Jan. Some of us love using a bunch of those on New Year’s Day, while others seem to wait until after Christmas to get started (cough, cough, Shawn).
I was somewhere in the middle this year. I spent toward half of my substantial allotment of airline fee credits. In an absolutely shocking development, I successfully completed two separate Dell online orders of ~$400 each without a cancellation. I stayed up way too late into New Year’s Day researching FHR rates for potentially using the 2024 Amex Platinum hotel credits, but I booked nothing. I’m not particularly proud of that last one.
I Obsessed Over Don’t Break The Ice
Santa brought my little ones Don’t Break The Ice, perhaps the most under-the-radar fun game in recent memory – to me, at least. It’s a game with easy assembly, simple instructions, enjoyment for everyone, and a surprising amount of strategy. I consider it chess for anyone who doesn’t want to play chess – um, like, toddlers. And for someone who occasionally plays chess and consistently stinks at it, I couldn’t get enough of Don’t Break The Ice.
Conclusion
I’m confident what my little ones share at school today is way more admirable than anything I shared here. But that’s progress, right? The break allowed our family to rest and recharge, and I accomplished a few hobby tasks along the way. I hope you were able to do the same. What’s on your points and miles holiday report?
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