Me
About Me

Use loyalty points and miles to travel more often, better, and for less money.  Reward points have helped me travel to nearly 50 countries and experience other parts of the world.  Now I am combining my love for travel with my knowledge of points and miles to benefit others.

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Latest blog posts
Travel Horror Stories
31 Oct. 2023
Travel Horror Stories
I was listening to a recent podcast about travel horror stories.  Anyone who has traveled for any length of time probabl...
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Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine – Part 2
28 Oct. 2022
Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine – Part 2
Second Verse, Same as the First I recently wrote about volunteering for refugees fleeing from the war on the border of Ukraine and Poland.  ...
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Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine
7 Oct. 2022
Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine
Putka I don’t know what percent of the world knows that Russia invaded Ukraine, but I’d guess it’s pretty high.  I’m...
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A Points Blog You Should Be Reading
18 Jun. 2022
A Points Blog You Should Be Reading
David vs. Goliath The covid pandemic was tough on small business.  The path the government chose crushed so many small businesses and favore...
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A Points Blog You Should Be Reading
18 Jun. 2022
A Points Blog You Should Be Reading
David vs. Goliath The covid pandemic was tough on small business.  The path the government chose crushed so many small b...
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(2) (623)
Moving, Manufactured Spend, and The Police?
18 Jun. 2022
Moving, Manufactured Spend, and The Police?
Movin-On Out I recently left Minnesota and moved out of state.  There were several factors involved in the move including better weather, th...
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Walmart Western Union Money Order Changes
4 Jan. 2022
Walmart Western Union Money Order Changes
In With The New Out With The Old? Manufactured spend (MS) that involves Walmart money orders has definitely gone out of fashion for most peo...
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Amex Revival
11 Dec. 2021
Amex Revival
Alive….Again A few months ago, and shortly after after trying to make a gas purchase with one of my American Express cards, I found ou...
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My Podcast is Taken Down….For Now
10 Oct. 2021
My Podcast is Taken Down….For Now
Tune-Out I’ve decided to take my podcast, The Travel Points, down for now.  This past week I was finishing up a ne...
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Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
4 Jan. 2021
Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
Juke-Box Eating scorpion tails on a trip doesn’t entice me, but hearing new music does. Sometimes the music is great, other times not ...
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Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
11 Nov. 2020
Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
Freewheelin’ In and outside of the loyalty and reward points and miles space, there’s plenty of talk about “free” tr...
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Podcast #17 – Cheap Flights with Steven @ Notiflyr
10 Apr. 2020
Podcast #17 – Cheap Flights with Steven @ Notiflyr
Notiflyr is one of the best cheap airfare services in the world, period. Although I’ve kept tabs on the best cheap airfare websites ar...
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Travel Horror Stories
31 Oct. 2023
Travel Horror Stories
I was listening to a recent podcast about travel horror stories.  Anyone who has traveled for any length of time probabl...
Read more
(0) (276)
Utah’s 5 National Parks on Points
22 Sep. 2021
Utah’s 5 National Parks on Points
Amazing Grace I love America’s national parks.  The amount of geographic diversity we have in our country is incredible.  One of my fa...
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$300+ Flights to Australia via Notiflyr
2 Apr. 2020
$300+ Flights to Australia via Notiflyr
Notiflyr Haven’t heard of Notiflyr? You might not be alone, but that will likely change in the near future.  It’s a company that...
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Video:  Tuk-Tuk Ride Through Delhi, India
14 Apr. 2019
Video: Tuk-Tuk Ride Through Delhi, India
Disclosure:  I have inserted a couple of Amazon affiliate links to a few travel products mentioned in this post. Cruisin for a Bruisin It...
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Travel Tune:  July 8, 2019
8 Jul. 2019
Travel Tune: July 8, 2019
A New Old Song I have lots of music from all around the world, but found this song last night browsing some 1950’s...
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Travel Tune – May 3, 2019
3 May. 2019
Travel Tune – May 3, 2019
Spirits I’m currently in Quebec City having a look around.  I was in Montreal several months ago and wanted to compare it to Quebec Ci...
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Travel Tune – April 14, 2019
14 Apr. 2019
Travel Tune – April 14, 2019
Yim Yames In about a month, Jim James (also goes by Yim Yames) will be performing here in my city. I’m not sure if I’ll go, as s...
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Travel Tune – April 7, 2019
7 Apr. 2019
Travel Tune – April 7, 2019
Audiophilia This is a song from 2 American guys living in L.A. along with 2 guys from Sao Paulo, Brazil.  The song translates into “wa...
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(0) (737)
Escape:  New Website for Finding Cheap Flights
4 Apr. 2019
Escape: New Website for Finding Cheap Flights
New Tools I love tools that help make the cost of travel lower.  When I first started my blog, I wrote about the best we...
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Hopper Websites Not Working Anymore?
20 Oct. 2018
Hopper Websites Not Working Anymore?
Permanent Vacation Like many others in the points “hobby”, I monitor cheap flights on a pretty regular basis.  I don’t boo...
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How to Find Cheap Flights on MillionMileGuy
1 Jan. 2018
How to Find Cheap Flights on MillionMileGuy
High Tech & High Hopes Our nearly instant access to information and technology is pretty amazing.  Sure there’s plenty of downside...
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The 15 Best Websites for finding Cheap Flights and Travel
30 Oct. 2017
The 15 Best Websites for finding Cheap Flights and Travel
Think you miss out on deals that others get?  Want to find cheap flights for your next trip?  The internet is full of various websites that ...
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Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine
7 Oct. 2022
Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine
Putka I don’t know what percent of the world knows that Russia invaded Ukraine, but I’d guess it’s pre...
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(1) (528)
Left Wing Violence in Minneapolis and Beyond
21 Jun. 2020
Left Wing Violence in Minneapolis and Beyond
Peace-Full? On May 25, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police offer while being arrested.  A 911 complaint said that Floyd used cou...
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(18) (641)
A New Way Forward?
12 Feb. 2020
A New Way Forward?
Forward?  One of the reasons that I love to travel is that I use it as an opportunity to tune out.  When I travel, I usually don’t wat...
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(6) (643)
UPS, Immigration, Crime, and Sweden
11 Mar. 2019
UPS, Immigration, Crime, and Sweden
I took this post offline for awhile, because it seemed to be very controversial.  People in the U.S., including myself, are overwhelmed with...
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(4) (636)
Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine – Part 2
28 Oct. 2022
Volunteering in Europe for Ukraine – Part 2
Second Verse, Same as the First I recently wrote about volunteering for refugees fleeing from the war on the border of U...
Read more
(1) (552)
Recommended Podcasts and Movies during Covid
6 Jun. 2020
Recommended Podcasts and Movies during Covid
Covid has slowed down things for a lot people, giving them more time for family, hobbies, and getting into things they otherwise didn’...
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Losing a Friend
2 Sep. 2019
Losing a Friend
News Last weekend I lost a friend of mine.  Death isn’t an uncommon thing, but my friend (Gary) died in a rare and freakish boat accid...
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Hoarding Points and Saving Money
26 Aug. 2019
Hoarding Points and Saving Money
No Savings When I was in my 20’s I didn’t save money towards retirement.  Zero, zilch, nada, zip.  That period wasn’t savi...
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Latest Podcasts
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Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
4 Jan. 2021
Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
Juke-Box Eating scorpion tails on a trip doesn’t entice me, but hearing new music does. Sometimes the music is great, other times not so good.  I think music helps people absorb a trip, either in memories...
Listen to the podcast
Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
11 Nov. 2020
Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
FreeWheelin’ In and outside of the loyalty and reward points and miles space, there’s plenty of talk about “free” travel, almost all of which doesn’t end up to actually be free tra...
Listen to the podcast
Podcast #17 – Cheap Flights with Steven @ Notiflyr
10 Apr. 2020
Podcast #17 – Cheap Flights with Steven @ Notiflyr
Notiflyr is one of the best cheap airfare services in the world, period. Although I’ve kept tabs on the best cheap airfare websites around the world, until fairly recently I hadn’t heard of the comp...
Listen to the podcast
Spotify

January 2019

Flight Deals
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It’s the Best Time of Year to Book Flights to Australia & New Zealand
7 May. 2024
It’s the Best Time of Year to Book Flights to Australia & New Zealand
If you’re looking to fly to Australia or New Zealand during summertime down under (our winter), it’s the best time of year to bo...
[HOT Flight Deal] $886: Houston to Melbourne & Sydney, Australia (R/T)
12 Oct. 2016
[HOT Flight Deal] $886: Houston to Melbourne & Sydney, Australia (R/T)
Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me ...
Yawn: Bilt Rewards Adds Hilton Honors as a Transfer Partner
8 May. 2024
Yawn: Bilt Rewards Adds Hilton Honors as a Transfer Partner
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those ...
Great New Offer for Amex Platinum Cardholders: Save $40 on Delta Flights!
8 May. 2024
Great New Offer for Amex Platinum Cardholders: Save $40 on Delta Flights!
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those ...
We’re Hiring! Join Thrifty Traveler as a Points & Miles Deal Analyst
8 May. 2024
We’re Hiring! Join Thrifty Traveler as a Points & Miles Deal Analyst
Are you a points and miles aficionado who loves scouring the internet for award availability and finding ways to book award tickets for fewe...
Sun Country’s App is Finally Coming … But So Are Schedule Cuts
7 May. 2024
Sun Country’s App is Finally Coming … But So Are Schedule Cuts
In the year 2024, a major U.S. airline and a go-to carrier flying in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) is about to offer passengers some...
Want TSA PreCheck or Global Entry? Use These Credit Cards to Cover the Cost!
7 May. 2024
Want TSA PreCheck or Global Entry? Use These Credit Cards to Cover the Cost!
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those ...
Get up to a 50% Bonus Using Chase Points to Buy Apple Products!
6 May. 2024
Get up to a 50% Bonus Using Chase Points to Buy Apple Products!
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those ...
News
8 Oct. 2019
[Targeted] AmEx Offer: Staples, Spend $100+ & Receive $25 Statement Credit
8 Oct. 2019
T-Mobile Tuesdays: $4 Atom Ticket, Shell 10¢ + Free Taco Bell
2 Jun. 2017
Targeted: Up to 50% Off These Hotel Points
5 Apr. 2018
Review: Qantas First Class, Airbus A380 Sydney to Los Angeles
13 Apr. 2018
Ink Business Preferred: 3x on Plastiq
3 Jun. 2017
North American Savings Bank CD Account Review: 0.10% to 2.02% APY CD Rate (MO)
17 Mar. 2020
Hampton Inn/Hilton Garden Inn Chase Offer/BankAmeriDeal: Save 10% On $150-$400 Stay (Targeted)
14 Aug. 2019
Google Tests New Price Drop Guarantee
25 Oct. 2019
7 best airline credit cards to help you reach elite status faster
20 Nov. 2019
Juneyao Airlines Adds Manchester Fifth Freedom Flight
8 Oct. 2019
Recap: Rewards Points Missing, $10 For Galaxy S4 Owners & More
15 Dec. 2022
Tagging Miles Portal Updates – 15 December 2022
2 Jun. 2017
How to Fly Round-Trip to Japan in Business Class for ~$100 Round Trip: Part 5 – 3 Weeks of Lodging for Only ~$450!
30 Mar. 2018
Last Chance to Extend Your Hilton Honors Diamond Status
1 Jun. 2017
How to Fly Round-Trip to Japan in Business Class for $100: Part 4 – The Secret to Flying Cathay Pacific Business Class
25 Oct. 2019
United plans new New York-Washington shuttle amid growth spurt
7 Oct. 2019
UberEats: Promo Codes, Discounts & Other Savings (Free Delivery/50% Off)
8 Oct. 2019
Robinhood Relaunches Cash Account – This Time with 2.05% APY & FDIC Insurance
18 Nov. 2019
6 Great Opportunities To Buy Points
20 Nov. 2019
Buy Choice Privileges Points With 40% Bonus
2 Mar. 2018
The Latest: Geneva airport reopens after 2nd weather closure
7 Oct. 2019
‘The Trick Is Not To Expect It But To Delight In It When It Comes’ – Did Charles Dickens Say This Quote About Happiness?
9 May. 2017
From Johnny Carson to Stephen Colbert
1 Mar. 2018
Large explosion in Afghan capital kills young girl, wounds 6
10 Oct. 2019
Security At NBA Game Confiscated Pro-Hong Kong Signs. Fans Are Pushing Back
2 Mar. 2018
Police say 10 Maoist rebels killed in raid in eastern India
9 Oct. 2019
Turkey Launches Military Offensive In Northern Syria As US Troops Leave The Region
8 Oct. 2019
Conservative Leader Calls Trudeau A ‘Fraud’ And ‘Phony’ In Election Debate
9 Oct. 2019
Trump Says He’ll ‘Wipe Out’ Turkish Economy If Turkey Takes Out Kurdish Population
1 May. 2024
The Ottoman Infection: How Great Nations Die
7 May. 2024
A Palestinian State Will Lead To More Massacres, Final Nail in Coffin Torpedoing Biden Legacy
7 Mar. 2017
Why Do American Jews Want Thousands of Jew Haters in America?
1 Mar. 2018
Colombia’s FARC leader Timochenko hospitalized with chest pains
2 Mar. 2018
Two arrested in Japanese fast-train bid-rigging case
30 May. 2017
Why Conservatives Still Attack Trump
2 Mar. 2018
Britain to protect Hungarians’ rights in UK after Brexit-formin
2 Mar. 2018
Indonesia considers house arrest for ailing radical cleric
2 Mar. 2018
Slovaks to rally across country in honor of slain journalist
29 Apr. 2024
U.S. Campuses: Grooming Terrorists
2 Mar. 2018
Russian military says new five-hour truce starts in Syria’s Ghouta: Ifax