Thanks for the kind words. I considered that but from the research I have done this model just does not work. And I feel like begging for beer money:-)

Still searching to find a way and keep my life sane:-)

It was a different Grant that won the Andaz stay…and yes, the Grant that won has money to eat in Wailea…

You must be angry? 😉

To answer your question I’ve been blogging quite a bit and my out of pocket cost was around … $90. I did the original design (before the move to BA) myself, and all i paid for was $10 for hosting.

Glad to say I’ve picked up 10,000 AMEX points from a referral so far. :/

Have you seen VGP’s latest?

How I earned $7.10 & 5,000 miles for buying vanilla

In her post she includes 4 Plink affiliate links, only one of which will earn the reader the 1K points she writes about (the 1K points can be exchanged for a $10 gift card from 7-11) The other links will earn her a commission, but won’t earn the reader squat.

Deals We Like calls her out on it and reminds VGP that her personal affiliate link won’t earn the reader the bonus. VGP updated her post but only lamely mentions that one link will earn a bonus, and never makes it very clear to the reader that the other links will not.

It’s obfuscation bordering on outright deception.

She’s proved that she can’t be trusted. It’s Reader Beware over at VGP

I want to keep it EXACTLY the way it is and keep focusing on my blog review niche and the dude who finds some cool stuff and keep it as funny as I can!!

I have people telling me they will reward me (including you!) simply because they like what I am doing and are enjoying the blog and, like you, so many have soured on most of the bloggers. But that initial work I need to do appears to be too much for me and I just keep going back to doing my thing…reviewing blogs:-) Maybe it’s a mental block I have. You know, all the talk about selling out and stuff:-)

I do not run a traditional business in my real job. I have always been a little bit “out there”. I still have the rebellious phuck the system/establishment blood in me and I have turned down a lot of money simply because I would have to adjust/compromise my way of doing things. Maybe this is the fear that is blocking me!!! If I was out for the money I would have jumped on it a long time ago!! I am not even close because…I am an idiot. I had a reader asking me if I am a Communist lol!!!!

I laid out my Plan B strategy earlier in the comments with ideal Plan B is to have Internet Brands buy me out:-) I bet my retirement fund that this is not going to happen anytime soon lol.

I am laying out all here bluecat. It is like therapy to me. I do not say I love it. But I can assure you if I did not derive some benefit from it (clearly not monetary so far!!) I would still not be doing it.

And so on and on it goes…

Thanks for reading and coming along for the journey. To infinity and beyond:-)

It is…

I see your point about it taking way too much time. But how does turning it into a business make it take less time? Right now, you can keep it sloppy and you can even dial it back a little because we have no strong expectation. (Well, you *do* set some high expectations with all your responses to these posts…)

No offense to you at all (because I like what you do) but what do you think your niche will be in the blog world once you “go pro”? Do you want to continue to be The Critic, and The Guy Who Points To Cool Stuff He Found, and the Guy With a Good Sense of Humor ? Do you think people will “reward” you (by following your links) for doing that sort of thing, or will they reward those guys that turn out something original that they can use for earning or burning? Even Delta Points has a really good niche and I know to search his blog if I have questions about his area of expertise.

To answer my own question, though, yes, I would use some of your links. Right now, so many bloggers have soured me on them, though, that I “go direct” to the banks when I can.

Good luck. I know you are in over your head. (You should always have an exit strategy for anything you get into, or buy, though. Unless you love it, in which case you should not worry about the money)

But then she is pushing an affiliate link that is clearly inferior. Huge no-no. Then she tries to rationalize it as buying 40k miles for $300, which anyone with sense would immediately dismiss. Even Milevalue has enough sense to call bollocks.

And then…. she talks about buying restaurant.com give certificates ($25 cert for 500 United miles) that regularly sell for $4 so her miles don’t expire. So you’re basically getting 0.8 cents per United mile… which anyone knows is horrible. And yes, she had other options (some of which were also equally bad). Luckily Howie chimed in in the comments and tried to talk sense into her by transferring a UR point in to keep the miles from expiring.

Sometimes it’s just painful….