We bring you the exciting development with Double Cash Rewards, learn all about Greenland soccer, how to check monthly Bonvoy Rewards rates, how the Laredo serial killer was arrested, look at some beautiful Soviet metro stations, go up high in Hypoxia city in Peru, follow up on the Havana sonic waves attack incident, nuns are getting wiped out, scream at you to diversify, storm Area 51, learn how different generations use social media and lots more!
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Welcome back from what was officially the last weekend of the summer!
Yours truly, who has not sold out and is not part of any network, not accepting any ads and only accountable to you…well, I am instituting some changes which I have outlined here and here and here! These are pretty significant changes in my opinion and, as always, all blogs evolve. The thing is, this blog is evolving to mimic…Mile Nerd. Oh, the headlines go too, they said they are good for SEO, I ain’t got time for dat either!
In other words, my blog is evolving to be nimbler, even more eclectic, even more positive and more personal. And soon posting even less. If conversions reach double digits I may change my mind lol.
So, lets get started. Thank you to all the readers who went out of their way to support the blog over the years, if it was not for you I would sure be gone by now! Nope, I would not have gone on to work for The Points Guy, I respect myself too much to do that.
I am surprised that Citi is indeed going ahead with allowing Double Cash cardholders to exchange their cash rewards to Thank You Points. I did not think they would go ahead with it. And now I think this is not going to last. I guess time will tell. I am no thought leader with this stuff you guys, just an old timer whose eyes have seen a lot in this “hobby”. Update: Only with a Citi Premier or Prestige card it makes sense!
From the bloggers I respect (there are not that many out there!) who continues to do his thing: How to check Marriott Bonvoy Rewards rates each night in monthly view.
IHG Rewards, imitating the Hyatt strategy to partner with smaller luxury hotel brands, has inked a deal to add about 500 luxury hotels in its portfolio. The exclusive partnership will be with the UK brand Mr & Mrs Smith. Luxury hotels available with IHG Rewards points will be doubled! You know, you can have the IHG Rewards Visa cards with my links if you want, thanks!
The 178 year old British travel agency Thomas Cook went bankrupt yesterday. Sadly, Greek tourism relied heavily on it and there are now 50,000 customers stranded in Greece to be repatriated/bailed out by the British Civil Aviation Authority. Yeah, you can blame Brexit partly for that too.
You can earn 10% cash back on more than 250 stores if you start your online shopping with an account you open (in case you are the rare human who has not yet) with this —–> Ebates/Rakuten <—— Referral Link.
I loved this article: Soccer at the Edge of the World. I think it is a must read if you like to read about Greenland and soccer over there. Too bad the place is not for sale lol. And the pictures are wonderful! Just wait for it now to appear in The Points Guy with 64 credit card affiliate links in it, smh.
I have posted before about this gold mining town in Peru that is located at an elevation of 5,100 meters. The place looks like the icy version of hell! Scientists are now studying how low oxygen levels ravage the body. Hypoxia City. Enjoy!
A follow up post on that weird incident in Havana and Beijing where American embassy personnel were supposedly targeted with a sonic wave type weapon. It all sounded pretty scary. But doubts soon started. And now this from BBC: Cuba’s ‘sonic weapon’ may have been mosquito gas. Amazing!
Interesting answers in this Twitter thread: “What advice seems obviously right, is relatively easy to follow, and is usually ignored?”
Nuns and monasteries are going down you guys! It’s like Blockbuster video stores, it is only a matter of time! Germany’s Vanishing Monasteries.
Well, the storming of Area 51 was a dud. But if you want to learn more about it: Area 51 and aliens: the myth, the meme, and the strange reality, explained.
I love Texas Monthly, they do a hell of a job in reporting, wow! Here is another great one: The Hunt for the Serial Killer of Laredo. Very chilling, this dude obviously went wrong somewhere…
For your personal finance fix, this is a great read: Timely Reminder. It is a reminder why you need to diversify your investment portfolio. “Diversification isn’t just a defense against our own lack of clairvoyance. It’s also a way to buy ourselves a little more patience, so we’re more likely to stick with the laggards—and be there to make money when they finally return to favor.” Especially in this crazy economic environment with a strong economy and the US President bulling the Federal Reserve folks to lower interest rates…it’s just nuts!
Love the photos of these Soviet Metro Stations!
Some great summary takeaways in this one: Visualizing Social Media Use by Generation.
My longest run ever. I had trouble making it back to my car at the end lol. I need to change my mindset that I am just going to finish my first full marathon in Detroit on October 20…but running another 8.2 miles just seems soooo out of reach at this point.
Do I sound bitter on the new direction of the blog? Probably. After almost seven years blogging away here it finally dawned on me (ok, I am slow at times and very stubborn) that I should be doing other things with my time. Maybe do more marathons. Write more for the Wall Street Journal. Or make more money helping more people instead of losing money here (never mind the fact that I was never paid more than minimum wage for the time I spent here fulfilling the blog mission!). Of course, the new bank restrictions have played a huge role in not having many of you supporting the blog with credit card conversions. You add this fact with the complete lack of interest in doing marketing things (clickbait, shocking videos, being friendly to big bloggers so they scratch my back too, and other ridiculous things, etc) to increase the readership of the blog and you come to the conclusion SO MANY other bloggers have come to. That this is not worth it. So, as always, enjoy it a little more. Today’s blog post may be near the old standards but going forward it is likely not going to be. The question remains: do I slide down to oblivion or just get there fast and stop hoping that magically things reverse themselves. I blame The Points Guy of course for ruining this hobby by making it a huge business. And the darn US economy that has not seen a recession for so long (so banks will loosen their underwriting standards for a change!). Even Ingy and Ramsey have abandoned me…if they just came back and remember the good old times we had together here 😉
Chase is taking forever to send the darn credit cards they approve you for these days, WTF!
And I leave you with this…Fight for a great cause!
TBB
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Good morning!
The world will become more gray with your evolution.
I don’t know what you mean but I will take it as a compliment because I am selfish lol.
Can’t fault you for retiring / slowing down / evolving, it’s not as much fun to blog in this space as it was seven years ago. TBB is a fun place to hangout, though.
Was a lot more fun with Ingy and Ramsey…Do you think they are just too chicken to show up?
Sorry, man, I wish I could apply for more cards more often – like the old days. But the banks have forced me to throttle back, sadly! Having to rely more on MS than I used to. TPG and the other Card Pimps have done much to destroy the game.
Andy’s posts are great, but understand you have to do what you can financially. I think just do what you feel brings you happiness with the blog – there is nothing wrong with doing it as a pure hobby without even aiming for a profit if that’s what you want.
Sad to see monasteries and such dwindle – another sign among many that we’re losing something in the spiritual side of our humanity these days. But what do I know.
Hypoxia City – man that’s something else! Fascinating!
Ah yes the “Reply All”!! The other day some folks kept doing that where I work and then you had the people who would REPLY ALL to say “Stop replying to all!” LMAO!
Yes, banks have forced everyone to throttle way back. But going two weeks with a SINGLE credit card click here is a bit, how shall I put it, demeaning and insulting? Not.Even.One.Click! Seriously? All these readers enjoying my blog for free all these years and not one can just click on one card, even by accident damnit LOL.
Even hitting ten per month now appears to be a fantasy. Doing ten keeps Andy around and I stay on top of it all trying to do what, well, I have been doing. But getting taken to the wood shed like this is just…demoralizing. I don’t need the money and this was never going to be a commercial success. But reaching deep into my own pocket to keep it going while NOT.EVEN.ONE reader decides to support what I do for two weeks straight just SUCKS! Therefore, the evolution. Next thing that goes will be the Wednesday post. It is like an addict weaning off the abusive drug of choice here slooooowwwwwlllllyyyy.
Love that pic too!
I think nuns may be way too busy on Facebook and dating apps to go lock themselves up 🙂
Wow, glad I found this blog. I was about to start one just as sarcastic, which likely would have had even fewer viewers….and as you know, the lack of eyeballs means success.
Well, back to MS of SYW points. Oh, damn, the secret is out.
Lack of eyeballs —-> If I only did weather waivers, shocking videos, the XX reasons I love XYZ card, clickbait shit and SEO stuff and….
If only the phucking Hyatt credit card can get here so I can go to my local mall 🙂
Dang, not a fan of the evolution, but at the same time it is so completely understandable. Whatever you send out and whenever it is, I am sure it will be quality stuff! Ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Thanks for all you have done, also! Keep plugging away on the Marathon training. Race day will add a few miles to your ability, too!
Next evolution will be the killing of Wednesday posts…
Thanks.
You didn’t start this blog to make money, so I’m not sure why the lack of monetization is surprising or disappointing.
Quite frankly, the only surprise was that you started selling credit cards in the first place. That’s a tough sell when the original point of the blog was calling out blogs selling credit cards.
Compliance with Amazon, a bank, or any other advertiser, while trying to make a living from it, is a round-the-clock job that requires many posts per day.
Clearly you have professional success, so I’m not sure why you have the need to monetize the blog in the first place. You should blog as a hobby if it gives you enjoyment or you find it cathartic. But I never understood why you link the success of a blog, that was never intended to appeal to the mainstream and never intended to sell something, to how many credit card conversions you got this month?
Read above in my reply to Ryan. Ok, here it is pasted:
“…going two weeks with a SINGLE credit card click here is a bit, how shall I put it, demeaning and insulting? Not.Even.One.Click! Seriously? All these readers enjoying my blog for free all these years and not one can just click on one card, even by accident damnit LOL.”
I did not start this blog to make money and sure I have not continued it for almost seven years to make money. So, when it comes to the fact pasted above which leads to a loss this month, well, it sure is surprising AND disappointing to me. 7 years here trying to get readers to support independent quality blogs and it sure feels like I get the shaft by being ignored? I know my whole way of dealing with this is probably not healthy or even logical. But it is what it is. Cathartic yes in a way!
Re: Compliance and being round-the-clock job. Yeah, right. The latest Amazon violation email is a bit too much crap to take! And the cc compliance is bearable so far, they only bother me like once a year. Again, I am not looking to sell to TPG and maximize the $$ haul here by doing what most blogs do. Just some money to pay Andy, to cover my expenses and maybe, at best, a few sushi restaurant visits with my wife who is getting tired of me spending so much time here for….well, see above.
You among others should know better about the killer economics about cc conversions. One decent cc conversion by Chase will cover twice or three times my Amazon monthly revenue. So, no ads, just some cc conversions (some our own which I LOVE doing, you know, taking money from the banks lol), no haul from Boarding Area for page views. Blah blah. I am getting hungry, need to go to lunch.
I spend way too much time here to make it a cathartic hobby. So, the solution has always been to spend less time here. And I am slowly moving that way…
I understand but also don’t think you should feel insulted or anything by the low amount of conversions. I use your Amazon links and have used your CC links whenever I can (and will again when I’m able). And I know a lot of others do, too.
We know you care about quality and will maintain those standards however often you post!
September 6 – September 24: No conversions (one of mine, I don’t count it for convenient reasons lol).
Amazon earnings month to date: $54.03 lol (and latest response to violation is still to be judged!)
Two paypal donations: $25
Yes I care about quality damn it but I take it way too personally I guess. I need a therapist, maybe Ingy can suggest one to me. For a finders fee of course lol.
Thank you for the support.
Gotta run!
+1 on what Ryan said. You know I’ve been reading your blog since probably 2013, but I haven’t even applied for a personal card in ~14 months b/c of all the new rules and not wanting to bite the hand that feeds me. I also don’t shop on Amazon much. I’m fine with the milenerd direction if you go on the occasional rant. I was pretty amazed to learn that he’s an actor for a living, especially since we’ve all known for so long that you’re the president’s coffee boy. Cheers
I have been blogging since 2012! Remember when I used to blog every day ranting all along and sticking it to the Titans? Pissing off Ingy and making him go nuts in the comments? Oh man, I miss those days, so much fun!
No doubt the phucking bank restrictions have had a crushing effect on the frequency of credit card apps/conversions. We are ALL affected. But not the newbies which were never really a target market for my blog, so sad!
I wished a coffee company contacted me about being their model or something…we could have had some fun with me the coffee boy. Or maybe it’s my face 🙂
Best of Web post already scheduled. Just 4 links instead of 5.
Friday post drafted, 14 links already in it! I saw a few cc clicks and it got me motivated I guess!
That period of Sept 6 to Sept 23, actually 24, with absolutely not even one conversion was completely demoralizing! I know, like Ryan said, I should not take it this way. But I do…and I can not help it. I need a good therapist. Remember when I used to make fun of that and Ingy believed it?
Evolution will happen again. Conversions put it off….for seven years now. Wow!
I think Dan is mostly right. Judging TBB by the money it brings in misses the point.
Bruce never had a #1 hit and he’s one promotion away from being Jesus (apologies to Dan and all). Of course Bruce charged $800 a seat on Broadway and sold every ticket.
Back to Dan, to me Buzz doesn’t object to selling credit cards. It’s bloggers acting like an advisor when it’s really just a card sell.
BTW Dan, I think you’re pretty upfront about the whole thing, saying ‘this ain’t a charity’. Sort of like my friend who thinks they should let the bike racers take whatever drugs they want-then there’ll be no cheating.
Where was I? Oh yeah, TBB and Buzz. Here’s how I measure it’s success: The number of four flushers and other card sharks Buzz has called out for wearing no clothes.
So Buzz: Don’t quit until you see the red in their eyes.
P.S. Card sharks. Get it?
Sam, we need to get Ingy back here. Been trying hard but he is not biting yet. I mean, is he REALLY that embarrassed for selling out so early, wow!
I am definitely not a Bruce Springsteen fan. I never liked his voice. Ooops, hope I did not lose more readers. Not that they ever clicked on anything lol.
My readers know not to get into cc debt and sure know that credit is one the most important assets, remember that? So, every conversion here I felt was done by experienced readers, you know, true hobbyists who did so as an expression of genuine sign of supporting what TBB stands for.
Sam, there will be no more calling out. I DELETED the last Blogs in the Ignore list from Feedly (RenesPoints, VFTW, OMAAT and TPG) and you have no idea how GREAT it has been not to be bothered with such crap anymore. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Having Ingy and Ramsey around quickly made me forget about conversions so if they could just hurry up and show up again things would be…great 🙂
It’s OK, I don’t like Bruce either!
Thank you, I appreciate that, I thought I was the only one!
I’m really surprised at the scale of the Thomas Cook agency. The article you linked estimated 20,000 stranded on Crete alone. I never thought of Crete as such a tourist hotspot. For comparison, I checked, and Barbados gets about 1 millions tourists total annually, which is 20k/week on average. But I don’t think of September as anywhere near peak period (for anywhere, not particularly Barbados or Crete). I guess I am pretty clueless about the scale of European tourism.
For some reason Thomas Cook was really big in Greece for many years! Yeah, it is a hit tourism is taking for sure. Plus all the flight costs to get the passengers stranded back to the UK.
Count me among those sad to hear about your evolution/throttling back. I’d like to echo the points made by Dan and Sam that what drew me to TBB in the first place was that it was most decidedly NOT a full time job for you and that it was just a side hobby, looking the titans with the perspective of a (knowledgeable!) outsider Most of the other blogs I do follow semi-regularly still are somewhat grounded in reality and can discuss the tradeoffs between spending/acquiring points balanced with real life (jobs, family, yardwork,…).
Disclaimer: I’m probably not a good prospective *customer* for you right now anyway — banned by Chase, popped-up at Amex, within the 2/4 year limits for all the good Citi cards. But I have lots of points for now, so I’m relaxing back to be under 5/24 to see what Chase thinks of me next year sometime.
>>>>>>>>>it was most decidedly NOT a full time job for you and that it was just a side hobby.
This has been a lot more than just a side hobby and coming close to full time job (especially in the daily posting early days!). Again, a lot of time goes in to produce this product here. A LOT more than what hobbyist bloggers put in (whoever is left!). And even those ALL have a reliable way of bringing in some meaningful dinero to make it worthwhile to continue to post…infrequently. The TRUE hobbyists post very infrequently because, you see, they find it is a true hobby for them and they’ll post something when everything else has been taken care off lol.
With the killing of all the Ignore blogs the daily time spent on Feedly has been reduced and my blood pressure is now back at safe levels so that is an improvement.
It is like trying to kick an addiction here…I am getting there.
Understood about your cc predicament, you are probably not the only one. What I do despise though is some who NEVER have done anything to support the blog and when it comes time to get a card they go direct or to DoC or to FM (no problem) or heaven forbid to the remaining Titans. And they never use my Amazon link. And of course never donated anything (only two readers too reliably and I have asked them to stop, it is not fair to them!). And then you all wonder why bloggers quit? Or go to work at The Points Guy??
And now it is time to eat a Greek salad to atone for my pizza sin last night!
Again, I don’t think you started this blog to monetize or to sell credit cards, so I still don’t see why you are surprised that nobody is buying. Investing in quality posts from Andy doesn’t mean you’ll magically be able to sell cards.
If you want to sell credit cards, then open a new blog and try for another market besides for the jaded FT EMPR board.
If you enjoy blogging, then enjoy it for what it is. If you don’t enjoy blogging then quit, but the whining about revenue to post ratio has gotten too high IMHO.
And you don’t need clickbait and SEO money to be successful. At least I think I’ve proven that.
I am not sure my explanation above did anything.
It is what it is.
You poured your life and soul over many years in your business.
I think getting a realistic shot at just 10 conversions per month is not too much to ask around here after consistently, imho of course, bringing quality content around here for almost 7 years.
And I am no quitter. But definitely going to be…soon. Quitting is…imitating Mile Nerd.
Evolution again coming right up…October 1st!
Dan,
The land of milk and honey is no more. How are you evolving? Latest trend is PoDCaSt, Will there be a podcast?
Buzz, a podcast with Ingy may be a winner. Have Ramsey call in. Take a trip to HH and get Ingy involved.
Yeah, I will pay money to listen to me and Ingy LOL.
Can’t believe he is holding out. This is what happens when he…is back to doing what is all about “conversions” 🙂
Good comments, Dan. Good thoughts too.
Well, whatever happens, it’s been a good run. I’ve appreciated your work and the fact that I can’t find this kind of blend of content anywhere else. I wish I could apply for more cards using your links, but the banks make that rough. On the (now rare) occasion where I do apply for a card, I check you first.
Anyway, thanks for having integrity.
Thanks for the kind words Christian.
And the support.
The blog continues. Saw a few clicks yesterday so the amount of whining will likely go down lol. Amazing how there was no whining at all during months we were hitting over ten conversions hey? 🙂 Which, even when that happens, still compensates me less than minimum wage per hour.
I am restating that hoping Ingy will come out and gloat a little. But the old trickster is too busy “blogging” again and pumping his crappy Dosh referral link, sad!
Best of Web post is scheduled for tomorrow. Down to four links instead of five. Getting through Feedly is much faster for me these days so I am adjusting to what my goal has been: to spend less time TBBing and work on my blogging addiction 🙂
To Carl from Northwest:
You had a question in the Frequent Miler Facebook group about the recent publicity of the Turkish Airlines hack. Let me respond to you here:
Yes