What does Saverocity Mean to YOU?

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I just posted this on the blog, but thought to ask here too, you don't have to answer in both places, I am just collecting thoughts! Cheers!

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I’m making up some material that ‘encapsulates’ Saverocity, and the blog family within it. With such a broad ranging scope of topics I wanted to know what you thought of or associated with Saverocity regarding topic areas.

Please leave your thoughts below in the comments, or via Twitter, Facebook or on The Forum.

Some that sprung to mind were:

  • Travel
  • Award Travel
  • Budgets
  • Loyalty Programs
  • Intrinsic Value
  • Reselling
  • Churning
  • Credit Cards
  • Retirement
  • College Planning
  • Taxes
  • Lifestyle
The goal will be to make a mind map of interconnected subjects, so as much as I like them, I am not looking for compliments so much as pure subject matters. Can you please add new ones to the list? Nothing naughty before 5pm please!
 

ninjasurfer99

Level 2 Member
I read a post by miles dividend today that immediately made me think of Saverocity and this thread. He kinda helped me clarify my feelings on Saverocity and what it means for me. For starters, Saverocity lays out the path for me to become what he calls a "transformational player." Motivation: use the miles game to add value to your life with a favorite Favorite Metric of: early retirement years purchased per year of playing the miles game. He lists one of the best qualities of this group as having good values. That's probably the one thing that stands out from Saverocity above all others. The other thing, not mentioned is some independant thinking that Saverocity has turned me on to. Not relying on hand outs, figuring out things for myself and when all options and research have been exhausted, having a community to ask some questions. Here's the link if you're interested. http://www.milesdividendmd.com/gravy/
 

mrsjon01

Level 2 Member
Charity Forum Mod
Some quick thoughts: collaboration, rewards (I prefer reward to award), fiscal responsibility, creativity.
I also view Saverocity as the gentler, softer way than other forums, with a focus on being respectful of the community and on good stewardship of these concepts.
 

projectx

Level 2 Member
There's nothing I love more than travel. With a growing family, travel becomes more and more expensive. Thanks to Saverocity I can learn and share tips on how to travel inexpensively to create lasting memories and experiences. On top of that, it's a place where people are respectful of others, which is a huge bonus.
 

Haley

I am not a robot
I was attracted by the financial information, I found you because of the miles and points connection.

I love to travel, but I try to keep costs down. In part because I just like to stretch a buck, in part because I think knowing the value of a dollar is important, in part because it is fun.

For mind maps, or at least word maps, I love this tool (and so do most of the writers I know): http://www.visualthesaurus.com

Pay to use site, $19.95 for a year, I think under $3 for a month.
 
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Erin

Level 2 Member
I'm looking forward to participating in a community of like minded individuals that are linked by a love of travel and the challenge of doing so as inexpensively as possible.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
The independent, thoughtful consideration piece is pretty important. It provides not just a balanced approach, but allows for individual differences. Everyone is not at the same stage of life or in the same financial situation. When I began traveling seriously I was 21, and my goal was to make my money go as far as I could. The tools we have now did not exist. Perhaps in some ways that was better. I learned to be frugal. Knowing how to be frugal matters. One thing I have seen in much of this hobby is a complete lack of accountability. There are so many people chasing "free" travel without recognizing the potential pratfalls, and so many willing to sell it to them. Many of the articles on Saverocity are written from a perspective that asks people to step back and really think, not follow the pack. Don't lose that.
 

Mountainmanduy

Level 2 Member
I got into this MS gig about two or three years ago, and it has been wild roller coaster of emotions. After being envious of friends who had the financial freedom or recklessness to go on trips, I stumbled upon a couple MS bloggers. Then I got hooked into VR, bluebirds and then I researched more into forums like FT. Then after reading so many posts and just seeing how the community treats one. I realized that FT was not for me. Then i stumbled on saverocity. I visit this site much more than I do with SD which was something I was on religiously. What has changed since then? The people here by far have made this site not just something more accessible but has made this community more positive.

I understand for a lot of people when certain MS tools are exploited or certain tricks get outed, it draws the anger of others. I know sometimes we need to talk in code to prevent ms tricks from being leaked out. Point is that for a lot of us we want to protect the hobby as much as possible. By doing so, it allowed many of us to take fascinating trips to places we dreamed of. I never thought I would travel to Aruba in my life. However, when your gf asks where do you want to go because shes indecisive, and a beach boy song starts to play in your mind, it just happens. I kid you not!

The reason why I decided to write this post is that yesterday a friend of mine who is not as active in the MS community decided to ask me how to qualify for the mango saving 6% under the new structure. At first I was honestly annoyed, because I gave her husband all the details on how to do every step. I immediately told her to check the data points, which even confused her more. I then told her that I think the recent reports showed that certain banks would qualify for the DD. Then she asked more questions which annoyed me more. Maybe it was the stress of trying to load up RBs and unloading gold, that made me annoyed. After a decent night of sleep, I felt bad. I realized that I have been spoiled by a community like saverocity. Burgertm made a great post about gold to reach spending minimum which I was too scared of to create due to the thumbs down or the numerous gold detractors. I reached out to Burgertm just to bounce ideas off of about gold. On other forums FT or slickdeals I would be given the cold shoulder or the screw off tone. Thanks for messaging me back Burgertm! I have even emailed Matt, and he kindly responded back. I realized that my friend may not have time or the resources to understand the slang or the deals that we stumbled onto or know of. Maybe instead of talking like a FT robot (im working on a change), I could have talked to her as a friend and not as some FT lurker.

So what does Saverocity mean to me? Saverocity means community to me. It is a place where I can discuss travel plans or ms tools with like minded individuals. It is a place that I can learn and grown both financially and personally. Seeing how Matt resolves issues within the community has been a great model. It beats seeing a post for a Mod saying "Cut it out, or I am going to toss you over the boat." Lastly, it has been a place where I feel that people treat each other fairly and respect one another for the most part. It beats being in a forum where everybody is at each others throats. Now I am not saying that it doesnt happen from time to time because it does. What I am saying is that it is nice to be in a community where people aren't throwing knives at each other. I would like a VR thrown at me, that is not activated though, but loaded with 500 bucks. =)
 

RWC75

Level 2 Member
I'm a gamer at heart, have been for decades now. I love tearing into various systems and mechanics, figuring out how the world works, and finding the best path to achieve my goals. It's kinda like crack.

In the gaming world, for any particular game, there are of course various web forums to discuss the game and how it works. These theorycrafting communities often include incredibly smart folks, who offer amazing insight into how that game works, how best do achieve X in that game given the mechanics and constraints, and so forth. Of course, these communities vary widely in approach, tone, and quality...

To me, then, Saverocity is a community where I can explore that same love of deconstructing and finessing system mechanics in a supportive, insightful, and above all very welcoming community - only this time the virtual currencies aren't redeemed for in-game items, they're redeemed for real world goods, travel, or money. And that's an awesome way to leverage my personal idiosyncrasies to accomplish more real-world goals and make my time surfing the interwebs a touch more productive.
 

Marl

Level 2 Member
As primarily a blog reader, (just joined the forums today), Saverocity to me is a place to learn how to get maximum value (whether that be from travel, products, career, or life itself) for minimal output. Whether you use that knowledge for travel, retirement, FI, or just to buy a fridge, it is all available to you here with a little research and help from the community.
 

travel4less

Level 2 Member
Savorocity to me is a smaller group of like-minded "friends" who are trying to help each other keep the game alive without spreading the details of the game outside our group. We play together. We stick together and what happens here - stays here.
 

GA400

Level 2 Member
Much of what I would write would be repetitive to some of the earlier posts, but I will try to sum it by saying that this is a community that is inclusive rather than exclusive, helpful rather than shrill and dismissive. I like those things :cool:
 

Brit

Level 2 Member
I echo so many of the sentiments above. I have been "in the game" of travel hacking for about 8 years, and still consider myself a 'newbie' because I can never seem to remember things! I am envious of those who can just recall a strategy with the click of a finger. I have to always refer to my notes or re-read the forums. Must be something to do with getting old. :D

I lurk a lot on Saverocity, don't post too much, unless I feel I have something of value to offer. But, what I really do like is the fact that it is a community of like minded souls who have good intent and good hearts. There is so much less of the flaming that one sees on FT or Inside Flyer. I really hate the fact that the internet anonymity seems to make people think being rude or hostile is acceptable. No. Period. It's not. We are human beings and we should treat each other respectfully, even if we disagree with what is being said. We can voice our opinions and disagree in a way that is not a personal attack, but I see that so often on the other boards and it disappoints me.

So, in essence, to me Saverocity is a safe haven. It is a place where I can learn from others, feel respected and know that if I do have a question to ask or a comment to make, that I won't be flamed, even if it is rudimentary or inane.

Please don't let it devolve, Matt. Keep it whole. It's a great site.
 

HariOm

Transcendent Level
Intelligent, generous, team-spirited community with laser focus on maximizing returns and minimizing outlays. In a word: abundance. Sow a seed, reap a harvest.
 

GettingReady

Level 2 Member
I echo so many of the sentiments above. I have been "in the game" of travel hacking for about 8 years, and still consider myself a 'newbie' because I can never seem to remember things! I am envious of those who can just recall a strategy with the click of a finger. I have to always refer to my notes or re-read the forums. Must be something to do with getting old. :D

Please don't let it devolve, Matt. Keep it whole. It's a great site.
Glad I'm not the only one that keeps notes! I have index cards I carry in my purse with notes and I have a page with "notes" in by excel spreadsheet. I'll type in info (i.e. on BBVA, Citi/Amex rules, etc.) and then update it as I read new data points.
 
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TaraL

Level 2 Member
So far, I have learned a lot, haven't been insulted (like some other forums) and really enjoyed checking and reading the content...occasionally putting in my 2 cents. Thank you for being classy.
 

GettingReady

Level 2 Member
So far, I have learned a lot, haven't been insulted (like some other forums) and really enjoyed checking and reading the content...occasionally putting in my 2 cents. Thank you for being classy.
I can be the first-- to insult you, but @Matt would probably ban me. On the other hand, he's been pretty quiet lately so might not even notice. :)
 

TaraL

Level 2 Member
I can be the first-- to insult you, but @Matt would probably ban me. On the other hand, he's been pretty quiet lately so might not even notice. :)
But I have to ask a question first, then y'all need to start throwing insults at me that are totally of the subjects...at least that is how it works on other forums :). (See what living in NC will do...I can say y'all:p)
 

GettingReady

Level 2 Member
But I have to ask a question first, then y'all need to start throwing insults at me that are totally of the subjects...at least that is how it works on other forums :). (See what living in NC will do...I can say y'all:p)
Drats. Didn't know there were rules. :p
 

HTaufReisen

Level 2 Member
I don't like the name "Saverocity" - not sure why the combi of Save(ro) and City.
Baby name SAVERO. SAVERO. An Italian form of Xavier (q.v.), meaning "bright, splendid."
Maybe it stands for "Big Apple" ;-)
 

Littleblackdress

Little family
This place has a small town feel to it. My husband recently got promoted and though we are by no means rich i found it hard to switch off from living pay check to paycheck. I have been using the site and forums to find a way for money to work for me. Instead of just trying to control or hoard income. Its been very helpful, empowering even.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
It's rather splendid, having been a charter member, to see people still joining, still appreciating the overall kind and helpful attitudes of most of the members here.

BTW: the suffix "ocity" means "having the attributes of" So, Saverocity=being a saver, basically. And, if one spends a lot of time at this forum, and does not end up saving something--time, money, memories, or, even better, all three, then one is not paying attention.
 

Bury

Level 2 Member
DW does not yet understand that I'm saving time by reading about points and miles an hour a day...guess I will need to work on that :)
 
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