By day, I’m an ordinary worker earning a median salary; By night, I’m a miles chaser. Okay, that’s a bit far fetched. Let’s cut to the chase! I don’t earn a lot like some of the other mile chasers who are in well paying professions but I still manage to accumulate quite a fair bit. What’s the secret?
1. FOCUS on the BIG promotions.
This means at least being up to date with the latest mile giving credit card deals. But to truly know if a deal is worth it, Aaron from the Milelion always features new credit card mile deals. He gives a thorough critique of whether it’s worth signing up for the card so it’s definitely a blog site you don’t want to miss! Do try to use his referral links to the cards as it supports his work. It isn’t easy being your own boss/freelancer!
The 2019 Standard Chartered’s Infinite X Metal Card promo is an example of a promo that will accelerate your business class dreams. Deferring purchases as much as possible until a ‘too good to be true’ promo comes up is the fastest and easiest way for lump sum accumulation. It is important to act fast as they often don’t last very long. At SG GOOD LIFE, I aim to feature these kind of deals!
2. CONCENTRATE Firepower
This is more for married couples who have their finances sorted out but it works. More often than not, we have a spouse who couldn’t be bothered with the nitty gritties of how to pay for an item. There are many variations in the way couples settle their finances so you’ll need to find one that works for you.
There’s always a joke that a girl will say to a guy during wedding ceremonies, “your money is our money and my money is my money.” Well, that still works even in my situation.
If my wife want to purchase a bag or a shoe, it’s her decision; I’m fine with that. She knows to use my sub card OR to wait for me to arrive to pay for her clothes, bags, or shoes. She may not care much about business class travel but she cares that I’m happy doing what I’m doing. ANYTHING but paying with cash or a debit card!
My wife then transfers me back the money (If not who else will pay the household bills or invest in our future right?). It’s a win win. She gets her stuff; I get my miles.
3. Parent’s big ticket items
This requires one to be close to your parents. Thank God my parents and I have a fairly close relationship. They know I’m into miles so whenever there is a big ticket purchase, I’ll volunteer to run the errand for them by:
- Helping them book tickets for travel (They save the hassle, I earn miles)
- Buying big ticket stuff like electronics with them (A good way to spend time with your parents)
Then I go the extra mile by helping them get certain things set up. Again, win-win-win: They get closer to their son; They get whatever they need help with set up; I get my miles.
Why have I not included volunteering to pay for a group’s gathering meal or drinks using my miles card and then getting them to pay me back? That’s just cheapskate. I’ll only do that if it was more convenient to do so. Sometimes, people know I’m the miles guys and they let me. In regular situations, I just go with the flow. A few hundred miles more isn’t going to make a big difference in my life. Other people need their miles/cashback too you know 😉
Hope you enjoyed this article!
Cheers and welcome to 2020!
