Loyalty programs? Don’t fall for the hype. Points are inflating faster than the dollar. What used to get you a flight to Hawaii now barely buys you a carry-on. I sign up for every program—but I cash out the second I get the points. That’s how smart consumers win.... The game is rigged against the hoarder. Spend fast, save 2.5%, and never let them keep your value.show more

You’re so right. Just look at the sign on bonuses. They keep getting higher and higher which really means the value is going down lower and lower

Budgeting software like Lunch Money can help you find the leaks in your budget by automatically tracking and categorizing your transactions. Check out these top-rated budgeting apps to find out what you’re overspending on.

Wonderful Hacks

This is true. Just look at Aeroplan. The point hit is 3x what it was 10 years ago. I would have been far better off to have used them.

💯

Same thing with taxes, figure out how much you’ll owe based on your income and set your exemptions so you owe as close to $0 as possible Don’t give the government free money to earn interest on throughout the year just to get a bigger “refund”

Spoken like a prophet @kevinolearytv

Loyalty points are a scam, cash out fast.

And be sure to get your 2% (minimum) on CC charges, BUT, if you're not paying the CC balance off every month you're throwing your $$ in the garbage and points become meaningless.

I've seen this points devaluation happen with my hotel program. Used to get a free night for 15K points, now it's 25K. Makes more sense to use them right away instead of hoarding them, doesn't it?

Kevin, I don't think you collect points maybe gold bars but not points.