We bring you a Miles Points Newbie Guide, how to get last minute Airbnb stays, my Chase Private Client experience, a few non affiliate credit card offers, warn you about gift cards, how to get luxury hotels on the cheap, a really sad story about Alzheimers, get more out of Social Security, some awesome photos by a Greek photographer and more!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
Welcome to all my colleagues who saw my article. I am working on a blog post on what to do if you are new in this quirky hobby and how you can travel close to free.
In the meantime, enjoy a curated eclectic romp through the blogosphere. I never forget the mission of the blog. It is a labor of love for the most part. Even though it is geared mostly to more advanced hobbyists, I am making an effort to break things down and appeal more to people who just discover this addictive hobby. It is NOT for most people! You can get really hurt if you don’t know what you are doing and have a spending problem!
Warning: Most of the commercial blogs in this space you likely have heard of are corporate owned and exist to pump credit cards to their readers for the lucrative commission. Avoid them for your own good. Think brokers/dark side 🙂
Feel free to email me with questions to: travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com I may not get to it right away but I will eventually.
A good place for newbies to bookmark and read is the “Basic Reading” entries on the right hand side of the Reddit Churning thread. If you have no idea what we are talking about, read this first: FAQ Guide to a Cheap Vacation for Newbies.
If you are hell bent on getting started, you can check out some of the Blogs I Love, Like and the ones to Ignore—->the dark side.
The 5 Pitfalls of Gift Cards. Be careful out there…
Everything You Need to Know About Chase Private Client. Well, I should make a separate post about this but who has the time. How difficult is it to answer the question “Can I transfer a Roth IRA over $250k and be left alone in managing it and bring in my personal and business checking accounts from Bank of America and still get the CPC benefits outlined?”. Apparently, after dancing around it in so many ways, the answer is No. Fine then. And hell no, I am not going to keep $250k in cash in my checking accounts, would you? I wanted a closer relationship with this bank as I am so tired of Bank of America but…
How to maximize the value of a free IHG Rewards night. Same strategy could be used in other hotel loyalty programs.
For God’s sake, NEVER redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points on Amazon!
10 luxury hotels for under $200 per night. If you insist on paying that is…
Airbnb at the last minute. Interesting. Mentions app Overnight where the host has just 10 minutes to accept your request. I had never even considered Airbnb for such last minute stays!
How to easily move all your Facebook photos into Google Photos. This may be helpful to some of you!
For the reader who is a yuge Ben Astley fan, this is for you. Warning: Vine containing Trump’s wife and Ben dancing, woohoo!
A gut wrenching account of a man talking about how Alzheimer’s disease took his wife.
Personal Finance post of the day: How to get the biggest Social Security check you can get. Sadly, many Americans rely on these checks so might as well make the best of it.
Incredible photographs from a Greek photographer. His latest work is here: “Milky Way Over Greece”
Pictures of world readers when they were young…Hard to believe the dude below is Stalin!
BLOG BUZZ
Note: This section is geared to more advanced travel hacking enthusiasts!
I really enjoy helping readers get the best credit card offers out there. Unlike some blogs who thrive on selling them their plastic merchandise and keeping their readers in the dark!
The Citi Prestige 50k offer is still available. Beware of bloggers who do not inform their readers of the superior offers so they can make money off them. Read to the end of the link in the line above. Is there anything so douche baggie (sp?) or what? Oh, more CitiPrestige changes coming!
Another Ameriprise branded charge card for 25k Membership Rewards points.
Mile Nerd with another (mini) rant on why the best deal recently was killed. And it was because of… Just a few excerpts:
Your very specific naming, pointing, and taunting of a multi-billion dollar corporation is what killed it for everyone. There was a chain reaction and it started with you.
Here’s a clue – you’re causing damage to the people around you. But I doubt you see that. Shit, at this rate, why not just put on a bow tie and glasses and pretend you’re about helping people.
Apparently, one of you even did some sort of online play-by-play when confronted by law enforcement after buying money orders. I’m telling you for a fact – these kinds of things do not go unnoticed. They are reckless and destructive. But I get it. You don’t care.
And I leave you with this…
Please help bloggers you appreciate & make a positive difference in your life by spreading the word about their blogs, emailing and commenting and using their few $ links, thank you!
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
TBB
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Like butter… I’m on a roll!
First again!
deuxième
Claiming bronze real quick…now I’ll read the articles.
Hey Aaron are you saying that Projectx and Brenton are doing the same or are they really just super fast readers. Hmmmm…
If everyone read everything before commenting, I think the medals would be claimed around noon lol.
Hey, I read your text, open the articles I haven’t already seen in a new tab, and work my way toward the bottom…
Remind me though… structuring payments is completely legal if you’re not breaking any other laws, right? I’m surprised that didn’t get called out more specifically by milenerd.
http://www.milenerd.com/2016/01/money-order-questions/
Oh yeah, I know. I wonder if she regrets making that post, which was probably the highest view count she ever had…
My guess…Nope!
wondering what deal is he referring to
WellFaygoBanc
Which blogger tho? Miles to memories is my guess
wf. i was one who got the letter. was making a lot of $ on the card. great post by mn.
ic, glad I had the card couple years go. paid off my student loan with the gains.
A second one would have got you more.
I have no idea who he is referring to…For the record.
And the asshat (am I allowed to say that) who was live tweeting from WM while trying to purchase MOs was Tashir aka Benghali Miles Guru, a 24ish self entitled narcissist who doesn’t care what his actions do as long as he gets sheeple to follow him.
MIle Nerd is 100% correct.
Excuse my ignorance but explain to me what the big deal is about Tashir’s tweets?
https://twitter.com/TahsirAhsan/status/695065328095617024
I’m familiar with the tweets. I was reading them as it happened. Is it some secret that you can get money orders at walmart? Not sure what the offense is.
wm, ra, wf all killed part from loud asshats like tashir. e-mailed mn today and he confirmed what i thought. got too loud for them to ignore. congrats on student loans ted. i bought my house bc of old bc and wf. not biggest place in the world but it is paid off.
I see no reason for names, come on.
I like Tashir. One of the smartest kids and most dynamic speakers.
He does not have his OWN blog. But he could and could have milked it like his idol MMS…ok, that was a good natured dig 🙂
The WM play by play on Twitter is old news. And it was hilarious. And I think educational to show others how dangerous this hobby is. I know he does Snapchat but I don’t.
Look, every deal dies sooner or later. The BC lasted way more than we thought. And WTF is wrong with the WFbankers….unbelievable…I feel so awful because I thought by the time I got into it it will be shut down pronto because it just never made sense to allow such volumes to go through!!
Oh well, ever since I started blogging I don’t have time for hard hitting MS. It is what it is, we can’t have everything in life. I trust you guys will make them pay lol.
when i e-mailed mn he actually didn’t even know who tashir was. but i do and i’m surprised you are sticking up for him george. the all deals die excuse is weak. all people die too but sometimes they get murdered.
It’s not a blog, I specialize in blogs!
I followed that at the time, it was hilarious actually and it DID scare newbies that this hobby is NOT for them.
He is a nice kid…he does A LOT more…doing it right, in the dl.
Twitter is…pffft.
Blogs pretending to help people to travel for free and sacrificing souls for a plastic conversion, THAT is the problem.
Think Titan bloggers.
Tashir is a Titan, you won’t believe what he does.
Or maybe I am hoping he will give me a free ride in his jet #forreal #hint
Now excuse me while I go flog myself for thinking WF will come to its senses…months ago lol.
george how can i be more clear? usually agree with you so maybe i’m not typing well. talk to mn. he doesn’t know tashir but he knows the story. how? bc his reader at wf told him how things died for us. if you don’t think tashir had anything to do with these things dying then you are flat wrong. nice you like the kid but i made more $ with wf than at my job and not going to like him no matter how many jets he has. loved the mn post like all other people did who made lots of 5% money. i was told for a fact that it would not have died if things did not get so loud. tashir story other blogs twitter and reditt were examples he told me were given. tashir might not be bad as tpg or mms but cmon george saying THAT is the problem makes no sense. there are a lot of problems in the hobby not just one.
HAPPY NATIONAL LASAGNA DAY to all!
Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I had lasagna!
Not first.
OCaat just took MU biz to PVG — and it sucks. Back to [ ] one. Can get CX J each way and waitlist for F but I’d be sorely disappointed to sit in J. Hate to go the long way thru the UAE but that may be the only way for confirmed F. #thirdworldproblems
Meanwhile, the Thought “Leader” is preparing to regale us with another trip report. EY F and PH Maldives, again and again and again. Must boost the conversion rate…
#TBBon
OCaat is traveling with Matthew from UPGRD. He’s the first travel blogger that ever turned me off.
The Thought Leader is probably anticipating the clickbait revenue for views of his trip report. How many times is he going to say it’s the only place he can disconnect and enjoy a vacation?
F and Maldives sells credit cards.
Economy and Duluth, MN don’t 🙂
UPGRD who? 🙂
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/new-chase-sapphire-reserveelite-card-will-visa-infinite/. Hoping I qualify for this one, although I have a bad feeling a lot of us won’t qualify due to 5/24.
I would be shocked if this one is not subject to 5/24. But maybe in the first week or so they let everyone come in so the product manager can go to the Maldives and laugh at the Ameriprise Amex product manager sweating out in Aruba 🙂
All I wanna know how that bank let this go on for so long…where were the controls?
We keep having the same arguments but they are getting less in between, verdad?
All who enjoyed this deal, be grateful. I am shocked the big boys did not post anything with pics and arrows…but then again, now that they are corporate owned and just cream the newbies with the same cards…we are safe 🙂
Screw Hillary, I am with Jason Bourne tonight!
P.S. When Tashir calls me for a ride on his private jet, I” let you know. He is young, a good kid. Maybe he made a mistake, we all do in life. And we learn from them.
Now please allow me to continue to flog myself for thinking this bank would let this go on…for SO long #speechless
On a more positive note, sis in law asked for my Amazon link. Can’t wait to see the yuge orders tomorrow, woohoo!
Well Tashir was visited by the FBI at his home. KARMA in action.