All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles
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Dec 17, 2025 Dive into the world of points and miles with insights on the biggest downfalls in maximizing value. Discover the hidden costs of status and why chasing elite tiers might not be worth it. Learn about opportunity costs and how overvaluing points can lead to losses. Chris shares why hoarding points can be detrimental and offers a practical plan for cashing them out effectively. With real-world examples, he challenges common assumptions and emphasizes valuing your time in this journey.
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Value Your Time First
- Set a personal minimum hourly rate and use it to decide if a points task is worth your time.
- Pause regularly and stop tasks that become mental overhead or rabbit holes.
Calculate Opportunity Cost
- Always compare the opportunity cost of using one card versus another before chasing status.
- Calculate what you'd earn elsewhere (e.g., 3% cash back) to see the true cost of status spend.
Year Of Unused Statuses
- Chris lists multiple statuses he unintentionally accumulated this year and reviews how much he actually used each.
- He found some statuses (Southwest, United) provided real value while others delivered almost no benefit.