#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys value.

Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/top-5-points-and-miles-mistakes

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Resources Mentioned

Chris' Presentation Slides

Credit Cards

Award Search Tools

Gondola (Get $50 here)
Points Path Chrome Extension

ATH Podcast

Full Show Notes

(00:00) Introduction

(00:28) Mistake #1: Not Valuing My Time

(02:09) Setting a Personal Minimum Hourly Rate

(03:51) Step Back and Ask “Is This Worth It?”

(04:23) The Hidden Cost of Mental Overhead

(05:48) Using Daily and Weekly Priorities to Stay Focused

(07:00) Mistake #2: Not Considering the Opportunity Cost

(11:34) Mistake #3: Chasing Status

(16:56) Airline by Airline: The Value of Status in Real Life

(20:52) Reframing the Cost of Status

(24:09) When Milestone Benefits Change the Math

(28:33) Chris’s Status Plan Going Forward

(31:52) How to Decide Whether Status Is Worth Chasing

(32:50) Mistake #4: Overvaluing Points

(34:20) What the Data Actually Shows

(35:43) Why “Retail Value” Is Misleading

(41:22) When Paying Cash Can Be the Better Value

(46:03) Mistake #5: Not Cashing Out Points

(49:27) Chris's Plan for 2026

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