104R | Travel Rewards | End of Year Planning

104R | An update from Marla Taner on 2018’s best travel reward options, a hack for keeping your bills low, a review of Monday’s episode with Doc G.

• Jonathan tries out a new service to ensure that his bills are staying low.
• Billfixers.com is fixing a ‘pain point’ for Jonathan.
• How can someone balance simplicity, and a willingness to say yes to opportunities?
• Review of Monday’s episode: Purpose, Identity and Connection.
• Finding your identity – the story you tell yourself, about yourself – is crucial to finding your space in the world.
• Why was Brad was given singing lessons as a gift from a couple at Chautauqua?
• Marla Taner joins the show to update about travel rewards:
• • She’s traveling to Hawaii for New Years with 9 friends.
  • Flight reward deals are not as good during Christmas, but hotels are usually consistent.
  • What is the Southwest Companion Pass and what is the strategy to get it?
  • • Earn the ability to bring someone with you for free on every Southwest flight for up to 2 years.
    • Must earn 110,000 Southwest rewards points in one calendar year.
    • Current strategy:
    • • Southwest’s Business card comes with 60k points.
      • Southwest’s Personal card comes with 40k points.
  • Southwest has good sales on right now.
  • What does it take to apply for a business card?
  • Barclay Arrival Plus – Marla’s recommendation for beginners.
  • Capital One Venture card has added a transferrable-points feature.
  • Don’t overspend, look for opportunities to front-load some of your normal expenses to hit minimum spends (i.e., utility bills, or internet, grocery gift cards).
  • Marla is joining Tim and Amy Rutherford from ChooseFI Episode 79 in Tempe, AZ for a few days. Want to join?
  • Best way to connect with Marla, Tim and Amy is via the Go With Less blog.
    • Join them in Tempe
    .