Updated July 22, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with a real example from our son and daughter-in-law’s trip home from London. A canceled British Airways flight created a very tight separate-ticket connection at JFK, so we used points from another airline program to secure a cancelable backup. Their original connection was then delayed by 95…
Updated July 22, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with newer examples from our own wallet, a clearer way to value card credits, and a more practical system for deciding whether an annual fee still fits. Annual fees are not automatically bad. The problem is that they can become automatic. A credit card may be easy…
Updated July 20, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with a clearer way to separate true savings, planned upgrades, and spending created by a reward. We also added our Hotel del Coronado, Hotel Valley Ho, and former Saks credit examples—including why letting a benefit expire can sometimes be the better financial choice. Sometimes a deal really…
Updated July 18, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with recent examples from credits we used while traveling, including two DoorDash pickup orders, a Resy credit at STK San Diego, and resort credits that changed how we spent during our Hotel del Coronado stay. We also added a clearer framework for separating real savings, bonus experiences,…
We would not pay cash for three nights at Hotel del Coronado. That is not a criticism of the hotel. We love returning to the Hotel Del, and this has become one of our favorite annual trips. The reality is that rooms around this time of year can easily cost about $750 per night once…
Paze went from something many people had barely noticed to something points-and-rewards people were suddenly talking about everywhere. Part of that is because of the repeatable $10 statement credit. That is the easier offer to understand: spend $10 or more with Paze at a participating merchant, get $10 back, and repeat it up to 10…
Paze is running one of those promos that looks simple at first, then gets a lot more interesting once you realize it can repeat by eligible card. The basic version is this: spend $10 or more using Paze checkout at a participating merchant, get a $10 statement credit, and do that up to 10 times…
Using points can feel like winning. A flight that does not hit your bank account the same way. A hotel stay that feels easier to say yes to. A trip that becomes possible because you had points sitting there waiting to be used. That is the fun part. But points are still a form of…
Updated June 25, 2026: We’ve refreshed this article with clearer connections to the personal finance side of points, rewards, annual fees, card balances, and cash-vs-points decisions. Why Personal Finance Matters for Points & Rewards Points, miles, and travel perks can be incredibly powerful tools. They can help lower travel costs, unlock experiences that might otherwise…
A new credit card can look exciting. A welcome bonus. Better earning categories. Travel credits. Airport lounge access. Hotel perks. Maybe even enough points to help with a real trip. But before we get too excited about the rewards, we try to pause and ask a less exciting question: Does this card actually fit our…
