...or cash with a Chase cash back card (magic card tricks involving bank deposits)

Even with the ridiculous taxes on "the rich" (of whom, many are not actually rich) 70 degree Sundays in January are hard to give up :)

try the cost of living in Hawaii.:p
(not that I live there, but been looking at the stats--they will really set someone off to say 'holy manoly')


........and back to the topic at hand (time for the popcorn).

It appears many like the sign up bonuses, many like the VR's and various ways of spending, and many use both. Some of the numbers are real eyeopeners.

nevermind.

Leave your ridiculous politics to other sites. I dont't care how much you make or what you think of Raegan. I just want info on maximizing my points so I can take my family to Hawaii in style.

Geez - let's hope they spell his name, Reagan, right when his dollar coin comes out. Else staff at the mint will have to steal the misprints like the last time around.:p

average monthly points
 

85k in last 2 months,
No flying, cc bonus rewards and 3k in normal monthly bills.

In past month, i got 8k miles to meet 8k spending requirement of amex plat 100k and citi aax2 50k x2. 7k was manufactured.

Not counting signup bonuses, I would guess that I get about 7-8K/mo in manufactured points, $2-3K in legitimate charges, and 6K for actual flying and the multiplier bonuses associated with charging the tickets on CSP at the UR mall.

It's not worth starting a separate thread over, but I'd be curious to know how people's significant other participates, or doesn't. I have the best possible situation - Mrs. Redtop doesn't get involved, puts no restrictions on me, she just uses whatever credit card(s) I tell her to, and doesn't even care to know what cards I have applied for in her name. I make it easy in return by not switching cards on her more than every 6-12 months, and taking care of minimum spending without her. I'm sure some people's SO has the opposite attitude, an absolute ban on extra applications in their name. I'm lucky in this regard, but I guess she's lucky also that she gets all the travel benefits with none of the work.

That's the way it works here as well. I have found this thread inspiring as well. As a person that has not been participating in manufactured spending, I fell I need to make the time to read up on all the possibilities.

bonus and spending
 

60,000 in bonuses, 5,000 in spending on 4 cards so far.
I haven't left the ground.

acummulating
 

Pretty good for a rookie +
us Canadians
don't have the cards or awesome bonuses like our US neighbours.

Starwoods is great 40k in 1 month not including further reward of 15k each for spending 5k.
20k double Sign up till april 2013, then 15k after 5k spending'.
MC world elite - 20k bonus + 4 priority club lounge passes per year.

You probably want to change that last part soon!

I'm sure everyone's average is gonna change since OD stopped carrying $500 gift cards :-(