Ep. 144 – No More Change Fees and Chase Freedom Flex
Episode Description
We hit up not one, but two guests on this week’s news focused Observation Deck. First, Leslie from Trips with Tykes drops by to discuss which airline’s no cha..
Cheap lessons
Become a Patron!One of my favorite concepts to tell people about is “affordable luxuries,” the things that barely make a dent in your bank account but immediately spark joy: cheap
Ep. 143 – National Parks Road Trip w/ Nick S
Shoutout and thanks to Nick for the great trip report, beautiful pictures, and links to products mentioned (they are pure non-affiliate links, too!) This is one episode you might..
The Chase Freedom family of cards: it's (still) all about quantity
In a case of impeccable timing, at the beginning of this week I was high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park, far from cell service, and so
Non-owner car insurance
Non-owner car insurance is one of the least-understood insurance products because it is needed by so few people: most people who drive own a car, and most people who own
Kings Canyon National Park: An Underrated Gem
I’ll keep this short and let the pictures do most of the talking, but I wholeheartedly enjoyed Kings Canyon National Park on my first Sierra Nevada visit in late July. Kings Can..
Who is the Inspirato Pass ripping off (and who is rich or dumb enough to find out?)
Every 21st century tech scam involves ripping off some combination of three groups of people: customers, service providers, and investors. If you can exploit regulatory loopholes..
More Delta Platinum and refund hijinx
Right now all travelers, but especially travel hackers, are juggling even more decisions than usual. In the before time, we might make speculative bookings far in the future as s..
Ep. 142 – Miraval Berkshires Review w/ Mike D
Episode Description
The miles and points community was all abuzz when Miraval Berkshires’ opened with the BOGO promotion, but the shine has dulled a bit due to MA’s restrictive t..
Virginia's Eastern Shore: our first road trip out of quarantine
The pandemic has caused different kinds of pain for different people. For the very social, the pandemic has meant losing the ability to visit with friends and family in person.
Personal finance during the plague: the lean months
Become a Patron!A stylized fact about the course of the current pandemic is that while the economic impact was swift and severe, the effect on personal finances was muted by
2020 is the Year to Visit Yosemite – Without Crowds
On June 12, I saw a post in one of my hiking groups that Yosemite National Park is basically empty. This was just one day after Yosemite reopened its “doors” to the public. I k..
New Option: West Coast Awards to Hawaii For 12,500 Miles (Aeroplan)
Long time readers to the blog know that one of the destinations which receives an inordinate amount of attention on Milenomics is Hawaii. We’ve covered it as part of East
Booked: United Increases Non-stop Service to Florida
In a change from what I’m accustomed to from United, the airline announced new seasonal point-to-point flights today. New routes will connect Boston, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Mil..
Education, advice, and evasion
Become a Patron!A few years ago I wrote about one of the curious fixations I observed among the wealthy denizens of the finance industry: the need for “personal finance” education.
Ep. 141 – Fuel Rewards and an Old Trip Report w/ Tom Kim
Episode Description
Tom Kim is back to do a dive into the dark underbelly of fuel rewards and grocery gas points and a look back at a wonderful trip from the
Revisiting the Bumped App
Back in November, 2018, I wrote about a then-new app called Bumped which awarded fractional shares of stock when using linked credit cards at participating merchants. Over the la..
Affordable Luxuries #2: Filters and Routers
Become a Patron!After almost 6 months of working from home (i.e., bed) in a one-bedroom apartment, I’m about 95% of the way through a move to a preposterously decadent two-bedroom
Episode 43: Compelling Amex Offers, Grocery Rewards, and a Deflagged Hyatt
0:25 Stop & Shop Rewards can now be used for Groceries (Milenomics Slack) 1 point per dollar earned Redeem 100 points for $1 (1 cpp value) 2,000 max per transaction
Ep. 140 – Covid-19 experiences in Hong Kong and Europe with Jen and Bryan Che of Tiny Urban Kitchen
Episode Description
We’ve made a lot of friends doing this podcast, but it’s not often we get a chance to talk to personal friends from before the podcast! Joe talks to
My First Trip Since Covid: Understanding and Managing Risks
Greetings from San Diego. I took a driving trip the week of July 4, my first trip since Feb 2020. I drove up to Carmel / Big Sur for a change of scenery. I wanted to share my ..
Three questions to ask as the unemployment insurance fight enters its (abbreviated) endgame
Become a Patron!Back in April I wrote an overview of the state of the federal pandemic response, and said (optimistically, I thought), of expanded unemployed insurance benefits t..
Ep. 139 – Spencer Howard of Straight to the Points
Episode Description
Spencer Howard from Straight to the Points and 10xTravel is back to discuss airline cancellation policies, award trends, becoming a famous Instagram personali..