Chris Hutchins and this site are part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CardRatings, Bankrate.com and MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
#55: Points expert, Julia Menez, joins Chris to go deep on all things points and miles, including points stacking, optimizing rewards, tools to help organize your points and miles, using buying clubs to earn lots of points, and Chris shares how a somewhat sketchy website saved him an extra 15% off a new couch!
Julia Menez (@geobreezetravel) is a points strategy coach, speaker and host of the Geobreeze Travel podcast, where she interviews travelers from all walks of life about their points and miles strategies.
Partner Deals (Advertiser Disclosure)
CardPointers: 20% off the app that helps you earn more cash back, points, and miles
For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to our Partner Deals
Selected Links From The Episode
Connect with Julia Menez: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Julia’s Podcast: Geobreeze Travel
Julia’s gift to ATH listeners: Geobreeze Hotel Upgrade Template
Buyers Clubs
Earn More Points + $$$
Optimizing Your Points
Credit Cards
Note: American Express is a ChrisHutchins.com advertiser
Podcasts
Full Show Notes
How people on a smaller budget can earn enough points to use toward travel [03:05]
Outsource buying, how participating in buying groups can work to your advantage [05:14]
When sourcing items, do buyers usually pay more than the item costs? [07:04]
Buyer’s groups: are they reliable? trustworthy? Advice to keep you from being scammed, and how to learn about the different buyer’s clubs options available [08:36]
Using Freedom Flex, Freedom card, Freedom Unlimited, Sapphire Preferred, and Sapphire Reserve to earn points [11:10]
Bringing electronic and medical devices to Latin America: reasons to consider using Grabr, and advice about safety during the product exchange [11:55]
Chris and Julia walk through an extreme example of how valuable ‘stacking’ can be along with ways to automate the process [13:40]
The unbelievable benefits of stacking through dining portals [14:54]
Using Cashback Monitor to learn the best places for cashback, transferable points, and airline points, as well other ways to get coupons online [18:45]
Julia’s favorite app for stacking deals in Las Vegas and how often you can take advantage of the offers [23:53]
Chris highlights the “crazy amounts” of point stacking deals [26:39]
Specific places to search online for timely deals that require prompt action and tools to help organize your point balances [28:52]
Why it’s important to understand the 5/24 rule and its exceptions [31:54]
Julia Menez’s go-to cards and her advice for travelers who are just beginning the process of accumulating points [35:16]
Amazing redemptions to take advantage of even though you may not have a huge balance and how to use the ANA Around the World redemption program [40:02]
Plan a trip across Europe using Julia’s redemption tricks [45:07]
Buying points, is it worth it? Chris and Julia share their perspectives [50:55]
3 reasons why paying your taxes on a credit card might actually make sense [52:54]
Tips to save money and earn perks for members of the military and their spouses [57:49]
For upgrades and extra perks, while traveling, Julia shares a special link to a template on her website for listeners [59:56]
Where to find Julia Menez online [1:01:50]
Connect with Chris
Newsletter | Membership | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
If you’re new, I recommend starting here 👇