Your Strategy Including Total Cost & Miles
Sep 20, 2011, 3:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SEA
Posts: 1,887
Your Strategy Including Total Cost & Miles
Plotted out my 2011 strategy / estimated cost today. I was a little worried I might be spending more than 1 cent per mile but looks like it will be about 0.8 cents per mile. EDIT: now under 0.6 cents per mile with cheap "no show" hotel / rental car options (I paid more but figured this list might help others). I don't see a reason to do more than 36 hits (the last 4 hits just aren't worth the extra 10K or EQMs to me). I only counted a cost for things I wouldn't have done outside the grand slam. For example, I already subscribe to netflix, so no cost to put on hold and sign up under a new email. My Ameritrade cost is lost interest on $2500 for 6-9 months (I just plan to park it). I rounded estimated costs to the nearest $5 and ignored trivial miles.
Code:
Hits Desc Cost Miles 1 3 toolbar searches - - 1 points.com swap - - 1 Dividend Miles Dining - - 1 e-Miles - 500 1 Magazines for Miles - (400) 1 Netflix - - 1 Thanks Again - - 1 Shopping Mall - - 1 US credit card - - 1 OfficeMax 10 - 1 ShareBuilder 10 2,500 1 SkyMall 15 - 1 Audience Rewards 15 100 1 Biscoff 15 250 1 SuperShuttle 15 50 1 1800Flowers 20 300 1 TrackItBack.com 25 400 1 Network Solutions 25 2,000 1 US debit card 30 3,000 1 share miles (1/2) 20 - 1 buy miles 30 1,000 1 SPG buy / swap 35 1,000 1 FTD.com 35 500 1 TD AMERITRADE 40 5,000 6 rental car 150 300 6 hotel stay 180 1,500 36 Grand Slam Hit Bonus 100,000 ---- -------- $670 118,000
Last edited by HikerT; Sep 23, 2011 at 1:17 am Reason: Found $30 hotel and $25 rental car hits
Sep 20, 2011, 5:39 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: HSV
Programs: Hy Glob,Choice Dia, MR TIT,IHG SPR,HH Dia, Wyn Dia, UA Sil, WN Alis, Hert 5*, National EE
Posts: 1,188
I will end up around .007/mile.
I did my analysis a little different by assigning values to everything I buy.
Example my office max hit was $14. It was something I would of bought anyway but for no more than $5 making it a $9 hit.
Also I needed the hotel stays but the car rentals are going to be a total waste.
The tricky one for me was valuing my hotel points.
I used the following valuations
Will/Have Transferred:
Choice 5000=$30
Carlson 8000=$40
SPG 850=$17
BW 5000=$25
Wyndham 8000=$38
Will Not
Marriott 10000=$100
Hilton 10000=$50 (Might do anyway)
Hyatt 5000=$75
IHG 10000=$60
I did my analysis a little different by assigning values to everything I buy.
Example my office max hit was $14. It was something I would of bought anyway but for no more than $5 making it a $9 hit.
Also I needed the hotel stays but the car rentals are going to be a total waste.
The tricky one for me was valuing my hotel points.
I used the following valuations
Will/Have Transferred:
Choice 5000=$30
Carlson 8000=$40
SPG 850=$17
BW 5000=$25
Wyndham 8000=$38
Will Not
Marriott 10000=$100
Hilton 10000=$50 (Might do anyway)
Hyatt 5000=$75
IHG 10000=$60