Point Me To First Class

If you love earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, you're in the right place. Chase has a promotional offer right now that just might be the best points earning gift that you receive all year. Today, we're looking at how you can get double cash-back or double points using your Chase Freedom Unlimited card.   Discover how to get double points with your Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Learn what this...

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Erin Casey, a retired hematologist-oncologist turned hospitalist. As a solo points earner without high expenses, Erin wasn't sure if she could earn as many points as those who play the points game with a spouse or friend. Yet, she implemented a strategy to maximize her points, and if you're in a similar situation, you can too.   Tune in this week to discover how Dr. Erin C...

How do you end 2023 strong and ensure you aren't missing out on any valuable benefits from your rewards credit cards? We're fast approaching the end of the year, so it's time to do some points housekeeping. I'm reviewing five things I do to ensure I'm on track to hit my points and travel goals for the year.   Tune in this week to discover how to round out 2023 while staying on track with your rewa...

A LOT has changed in the rewards card world since I got my first points earning credit card in 2012. Join me today to discover the first five rewards credit cards I got when I started my points journey, why I wouldn't recommend most of those cards to people now, and what I would do differently if I was starting all over again. While the cards I'm sharing today may not be perfect for you, this epis...

Today, I'm joined by another physician-entrepreneur who is taking her travel experiences to the next level by leveraging her business expenses: Dr. Amita Kumar. Dr. Kumar is a primary care physician in San Antonio, Texas. Recently, she decided to take a sabbatical from her clinical practice and since one of her passions is traveling with her family, she has found a more economical way to do so by...

I'm sharing a recent conversation I had on the Analyze Scripts podcast. Analyze Scripts is hosted by Yale-trained psychiatrist Katrina Furey, MD, and psychotherapist Portia Pendleton, LCSW, analyzing the depiction of mental health in TV and film. In this conversation, we discussed the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and what we can learn about ourselves and travel from the characters in the m...

Last week, Lyn shared how to earn your Southwest Companion Pass and how the pass works. We're picking up right where we left off, discussing the specific points activities that do and don't count toward qualifying for a Companion Pass, and Lyn is sharing a strategy you can use to make sure you qualify for a Companion Pass by early 2024.   Tune in this week to discover how to qualify for unlimited...

I'm joined by Southwest expert Lyn Mettler, and she's breaking down everything you need to know about the coveted Southwest Companion Pass. In 2015, she discovered how to fly her family of 4 free to all the places she'd written about, going from one car trip a year to flying free six times every year around the US, Europe, and the Caribbean. She now teaches hundreds of families this same simple sy...

I'm an advocate for putting as many of your expenses as possible on rewards credit cards in order to maximize your points potential. But as we all know, there are certain expenses that charge a processing fee, or don't offer a credit card payment option at all. Sometimes it's worth paying the fee, but for those occasions when it doesn't, PayPal BillPay is here to help.   Here to show us how to use...

While there are mistakes to be made, there is no one right way of doing points. My guest this week knows this from firsthand experience. After she'd found her feet in the world of points, she took a risk in deviating away from Chase's points ecosystem and started exploring other options in the points space, and she has tons of insights to share about this decision. I'm joined by Dr. Azra Khan Sala...

Are you brand new to points, without a bunch of rewards credit cards or points stocked up? Or do you have your points earning down but are not yet confident about getting maximum value from the points you have saved up? Whether you're a self professed newbie to points travel or are looking for your points redemption skills to match your points earning skills, my online course Points Made Easy can...

Doors are open to enroll in my 6 months, hands on points master course, Points Made Easy - but not for long. You have until this Saturday, October 21 to grab your spot in Points Made Easy before doors close again until next year.   So today I'm dropping this bonus episode to share with you the stories of 3 Points Made Easy members, in their own words - so you can hear firsthand from prior course m...

The key to leveraging your expenses to earn incredible travel experiences is knowing what to do with those beautiful points once you've earned them, and most importantly, what not to do if you want to receive their maximum value. Specifically, I'm sharing five mistakes you need to avoid when redeeming points for travel.   Discover five mistakes that prevent you from getting maximum value when rede...

How would your travel plans next year change if your travel budget doubled?   Whether you're points curious, a points beginner still getting your legs under you, or more experienced earning points but not yet expert at using them, there are only a few things standing between you and saving thousands of dollars in travel using points.   Join my free masterclass, 4 Secrets to Doubling Your Travel Bu...

Did you know you can earn boatloads of American Express Membership Rewards Points through the online shopping platform Rakuten? There are points to be earned on Rakuten, and I'm showing you how to take advantage of some amazing offers in today's episode.   Discover how to use Rakuten to earn a ton of points this winter. Leveraging Rakuten is one of the most lucrative and reliable points-earning me...

I'm joined by two guests, Dr. Kathy Zhang and her husband Jake Jansen, this week and this is the first time I've had a points travel partnership on the show. They're an amazing example of what's possible when two people come together to maximize their points. Although they experienced some difficulty in the early days, they have a two-player points game that's creating some wonderful travel opport...

Today, I'm covering something that never gets talked about in the points travel world but is really one of the secrets to becoming more proficient when it comes to points travel: The Dunning-Kruger Effect. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a type of cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their knowledge or abilities, particularly in areas where they have little to no experience.   Discover h...

Dr. Latifat Akintade is a gastroenterologist, money coach, and mother of three beautiful children. She's also the author of the Amazon Bestseller Done With Broke: The Woman Physician's Guide to More Money and Less Hustle , and Latifat is the host of The MoneyFitMD Podcast . Combining her knowledge of personal finance with her skills as a certified life coach, Dr. Latifat Akintade empowers women to...

Two popular rewards cards on the market are the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited cards. This week, I'm pitting these two cards against each other in a head-to-head comparison to find out which one has the highest potential when it comes to earning points.   Tune in this week to discover how to choose between the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited. I'm discussing w...

Dr. Suzy Spadafora is a world wanderer with her husband and 2 teenage boys, except for when she's playing tennis or practicing dermatology. She has been travel hacking since 2016, visiting tons of countries including Turks and Caicos, Bonaire, the Philippines, Langkawi Island (Malaysia), Peru, Romania, Amsterdam, and the Seychelles.   In this episode, discover everything you need to know about tra...

Joining me today is Dr. Disha Spath, a practicing Primary Care physician and Hospitalist, and the founder and CEO of The Frugal Physician : an award-nominated multimedia company that focuses on personal financial empowerment for healthcare workers. She helps doctors avoid common money mistakes, and she's here to help me break down Chase's 5/24 rule.   Tune in this week for a simple explanation of...

Once you're sold on the value of earning points for your expenses, you might be overlooking cash-back rewards credit cards and focusing only on points-earning cards. But that would be a mistake, because some cash-back cards are actually points earning cards in disguise.   Discover everything you need to know about earning points using cash-back cards. I'm sharing which specific cash-back cards can...

Stephanie Jones is a physician and a mother of two girls. She has a lifelong love of travel and has always been the trip planner of the family. However, she has always operated on a strict budget, doing the most travel for the least amount of money. When she discovered points travel, an entirely new world of opportunities opened up.   Discover the realities of getting started navigating the world...

When multiple people own a business, creating a rewards credit card plan becomes a little more complex. However, there are ways to navigate this situation so you don't miss out on using your business expenses to earn points. Here to discuss this topic is Dr. Andrea Mabry, a dermatologist and co-founder of Pinnacle Dermatology, a dermatology practice located in Little Rock, Arkansas.   Dr. Andrea M...

How do you get your partner or spouse on board with joining you in earning and using points for travel? Maggie Reyes is a Master Certified Life Coach and Modern Marriage Mentor who specializes in helping driven, ambitious women create their best marriages without waiting for their partners to change or adding more work to their lives.    Maggie is discussing how to see what's going on in your part...