The Deal Mommy

I’ve seen a lot of angst  in the points and miles blogosphere lately. With few exceptions (Check out PFDigest’s “Hot Deal”) most “State of the Union” posts I’ve seen carry a tinge of Chicken Little.

You won’t see me joining in the doom and gloom (and it’s not just because I’m over the moon after interviewing Jeff Probst) . While the Bluebird may have migrated south and we may no longer get Served, the nature of travel hacking is adaptation.  I recently gave an interview on travel hacking where I described it as MacGyvering: using a dash of salt, a paper clip and a wad of used chewing gum to make magic.

So whenever I’m inclined to throw a pity party, I ask myself  “What would MacGyver do?”  

Well, for one thing, he wouldn’t whine about a lack of supplies in his toolkit. He wouldn’t blame someone else. And he certainly wouldn’t give up.

He’d survey his options, make a plan, and get to work.

And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing quietly over here for almost five years, it’s what we do at Family Travel for Real Life, and it’s what I’ll keep on doing.

Traveling more. For Less.

Isn’t that why we’re here in the first place?

So what if it took me 3 different miles programs to get 4 of us on the same first class flights to Japan? We still spent a month in suites for less than $5000 all in.

So what if we chose Etoiling (new verb meaning choosing value over status?) over Vendoming? I think we got the better end of the deal:

Bastille Day from the Hyatt Etoile. Photo by Deal Kid.

My colleagues at Traveling Mom recently took an informal poll at what we thought a “luxury” hotel room should cost.  The vast majority said $350 or above.  Me?  My absolute top of the top is $300 all in.  When I can get a suite in Cannes in August for $275 net why wouldn’t it be?  It’s just what I do.

So I’ll make you a deal: I’ll keep on doing me, and you keep on doing you.  But whatever and however it is what you do, I hope you can approach it with WWMGD in mind.  The world will always move forward. But that dash of salt, paper clip and wad of old chewing gum will always be there. It’s up to you to make the magic.

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