Three years ago on this day, I published my very first blog post. After months of toying with the idea, I finally kicked things off with What’s the Point? I was excited about the hobby and wanted to share it with everyone else – completely oblivious to the financial aspect that has spawned the existence of some other blogs.
After missing my blog anniversary last year (I was pretty much MIA the entire month of September after leaving my job), I had to do something this time around to thank everyone for their support and celebrate three years of blogging…even if the amount of content produced (633 posts) equates to less than two years worth of posts. 🙂
To celebrate and thank you all for your support, I’m giving away three $100 Hyatt gift cards. There are three ways you can enter for a chance to win:
Leave a Comment
Subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post, letting me know what your favorite Pointchaser post is, or provide feedback about what type of content you want to see more of. Multiple entries are allowed and a winner will be randomly chosen via Random.org. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for the subscription form).
Follow me on Twitter and tweet the title and link to your favorite Pointchaser post. Include #pointchaser3 in your tweet. Multiple entries are allowed and the winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.
Follow me on Instagram and share a photo from a trip you’ve booked on points and miles, using #pointchaser3. It can be a photo of you on vacation, a picture of a hotel room, airplane cabin, scenery – anything that captures some aspect of the trip. I’ll choose a winner based on photo quality, content, and creativity. Multiple entries are permitted.
You can enter as often as you like via all three channels to increase your chance of winning. All entries must be received by Thursday, September 10 at 11:59 PM (PT). Winners will be announced the following day and gift cards will be delivered electronically once email addresses are confirmed.
Good luck and thank you again for your support!
Although the blog gives great info about credit cards and strategies with spending, my favorite posts are the travel posts about Afghanistan. I am a retired ESL teacher and love to travel to exotic places, and Afghanistan falls into that category. This really makes your blog unique. Congratulations… and keep up the good work. By the way, I especially enjoy the connection the blog provides now since I am in transit from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan.
Happy 3 years I’ve learned a lot from your blog thank you.
Ideas on tracking program benefits such as free nights, free internet, lounge access etc would be interesting. While I can track my points I have difficulty managing all the benefits I get from the various programs.
I enjoy your end-of-month deals wrap up. Thanks for all the great content – congrats on your anniversary!
Congrats on your blogiversary!!!
Love reading your about your manufactured spending strategies!
Happy Anniversary. Congrats!
As a total newbie, the more you share about manufactured spend, the better!
All the MS stuff…I like to hear the little details of your runs!
I really felt the posts about buying AMEX gift cards with the different promo codes were highly useful to meet minimum spend. Thanks
Congrats! I would like to see though more hotel / flight reviews.
Happy anniversary! I think I’ve been reading your blog for about two and a half years. I have learned so much about manufactured spending from you; I wish I had your fearlessness at MS huge sums in a short time. I’ve also enjoyed your hotel reviews; I’ve saved several of them for future reference.
Congratulations Ariana! My favorite posts are the “My week in manufactured spend”. I love the way you take things to the max then enlist the family (who are rewarded later) to help you get it done. You’re always quick to share your ups and downs and are very honest about what is really going on. I think you’re one of the smartest bloggers out there. Thanks for being in my life these past three years; you’ve helped me more than you know. ChristineK
Happy 3rd Anniversary…. like to read all your MS stuff
Happy 3! Great to hear about adventures of a fellow Bay Area MSer. Best wishes!
To be honest, I really appreciate your blog because it’s on a smaller scale than most, which fills a different niche. We get to hear more personal information and opinions, which feels a bit like asking a friend for advice. I’ve mostly used your blog to learn about MS, but unfortunately it never really got off the ground for me because of the way the game has been changing and becoming more difficult. Too much time invested for little payout. Please keep it up though, if MS ever has another Renaissance!
Oh, and your humorous anecdotes definitely help as well 🙂
Congrats on blogging for 3 years. I haven’t been following your blog for nearly that long. Although I don’t purchase Amex gc it’s interesting to read your weekly stories on the process you go through.
Keep up the great content on ms
Enjoy reading your blog, especially your Miles and Points Check List.
Happy 3rd Anniversary I always love your blog and really learn something everytime. Thank you
Congrats Ariana! I see that I’m not alone in appreciating your personal touch to your posts, as well as the generous sharing of your own experience in MS-ing.
I like learning more about travel and MS from you. Thanks for all you do!
Congrats on your anniversary! I love all your content.
Happy Anniversary! Congratulations! I love the post titled “Why I Use Amex Gift Cards for Manufactured Spending” since it is very useful for beginner in MS like me and I would like to see more posts on MS 🙂
Thanks for keeping this blog real and able to understand
I’m usually reading over your beginners guide. I’ve earned thousands of points on shopping portals and even doing surveys. Got a Bluebird, now just need the courage (and time) to figure it out 🙂
I am a confirmed email subscriber. This was one of my favorite Pointchaser posts https://www.pointchaser.com/review/hyatt-regency-maui/
I would like to see more giveaways and tips on packing lighter to avoid all those baggage fees.
Your post on Coyle hospitality was probably my favorite, also got the ebook free so that was even better. Congrats on your 3 yr anniversary!
I would like to read more about redeeming awards.
Ariana, I love all your MS adventures, but favorite is your recent series on everything you did getting your family to Asia. I just returned last night from taking my family to U.S. Open and NYC for 6 days. Great inspiration.
Congrats on 3 years! Even more awesome to be doing a giveaway, but congrats!
Congratulations! Here’s to 3 more years! My favorite section is your Beginner’s Guide. Although I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now, I still find myself going to your Beginner’s Guide for guidance on a method I may not have tried before. I also love your MS spending reports. It reminds me I can always do MORE MSing, since your amount are astoundingly highly. I’m happy with my 1 redbird and MS $5K/month, but I know I can do better…
Congrats on your 3 years! I enjoy the monthly checklists the most. It’s a good refresher as to what I need to do possibly. No other bloggers I follow do that so thanks for doing that!
I like this article: Issues with Unloading Vanilla Visa Gift Cards
I love all the posts about MS. You make it easy for the rest of us by sharing your experiences.
I appreciate reading about your reloading experiences. I’m envious of the ease you often seem to have in reloading. I live in a big city, have a full-time job, & depend on public transport to get to T and W. While T used to be my favorite place to reload with VGCs, it’s now become almost as big a headache as W (which requires a bus ride to another state for me). While they only let supervisors reload, I’ve variously been told I can only swipe one card per day, sometimes they want to examine the GC before they’ll let me swipe; sometimes they want names/ID to match, sometimes they couldn’t care less about any of these rules. All this extra hassle means it takes me many days & greater transport expense to load the max per month. The only saving grace is that there’s no consistency in policy even within the same store. Keep up the posts so I know there’s hope for me when I visit another city where I always manage to add a trip to T or W while I’m in town.
I liked the article “My Week in Manufactured Spending: Unloading $26k in One Day” wow!
My favorite posts were the club carlson ones.
My favorite posts are the Afghanistan trip reports. It is some place that I probably wouldn’t be able to go for a long time. The resilience of the people is just amazing, and they seem to find joy in little things.
Congrats on 3 years! Keep up the great work.
I like followings globetrotting posts
Congrats on the milestone! I appreciate the details in your MS posts–super helpful!
Congratulations. I am a new subscriber, but read your posts on Twitter. Love your style, frankness and humor. Have learned a couple of things about MS. Thanks!
I would like to see creative options for hotel stays using points for families. Especially in Europe. Finding it near impossible!
Happy 3rd year! My favorite post was the one you did 40k or 50k MS per week. I was really impressed 🙂 Thanks.
I love the posts on how to use points to get the best deals… and would love even more of them!
I follow your manufactured spend info but also like the “large group travel Info” as I have a large family.
Happy 3 years of blogging. What I’d like to read about is new avenues for manufactured spending in pajamas.
I always enjoyed the ‘best in category by hotel program’ pieces you did; definitely turned me on to some hidden gem properties I probably otherwise would never have found.
Always interesting got read your posts on manufactured spend.
Happy blogiversary! I like the Trip Reports — I can dream about all the places I’d like to go…..the credit card info telling how to earn points is also helpful. You put a lot of work into this blog and it is very much appreciated. I subscribe also.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I follow you on Twitter as @MsCarolsueA and I tweeted:
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/640699596973322240
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Another tweet here:
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/640700028177154048
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I posted a picture on Instagram taken in Olympic National Park. We rarned airline points from our Chase Card and hotel stays (Choice Hotels) from previous points earned. I also follow you on Instagram as @Cezovski9
instagram.com/p/7UY1YMgJXr/?taken-by=cezovski9
I posted another picture on Instagram in which we earned airline points from our Chase Credit Card. This one was taken in Hollywood at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
instagram.com/p/7UZ9cKAJZQ/?taken-by=cezovski9
Another tweet
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/641026057592700928
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
CAROLSUE ANDERSON,
Are you spamming this thread to try to get more chances to win a prize?
It’s ok. Multiple entries are allowed, so feel free to enter more than once.
I enjoy your blog. I could always use more tips on manufactured spend.
My favorite posts are the details on your manufactured spending!
I’d like to see more luxury travel posts, video posts even. You’re the Queen of MS hands down though so keep it up.
I love your weeky ms posts! Always look forward to those.
Congrats on your anniversary. I like reading your posts on manufactured spend.
I tweeted a different Pointchaser Post.
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/641530198899298304
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I messed up this tweet (and forgot the #) so I tweeted it again. Here is the new URL
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/641746939193651201
Big congrats on your blogiversary. Quite an accomplishment. I really enjoy all your trip report posts– someday maybe that will be me! 🙂
I follow you on Twitter as Jennai and I tweeted
https://twitter.com/Jennai/status/641720118569910272
Jenniferanne74 @ aol.com
Last tweet
twitter.com/cezovski9/status/641902464388567041
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Love the MS posts, helps us all keep churning on! Your arrival miles breakdowns are always helpful as well!
Happy 3 years – I love your blog!
Congratulations on your 3 years !
REALLY good stuff, particularly the MS information… Would be even better if I lived in a civilized area like you do! THANKS
thanks for all the great information, especially the MSing stuff… you are a braver sole than i ariana!
(i might be a bit braver if’n i lived in a civilized area rife with Rite Aids and Targets)…?
Would love to see more MS strategy posts since so many avenues have dried up. Always looking for new ideas.
As a fellow bay area resident, love how you are still able to do MS in our area!! Keep it up!
I found your blog about a year ago, and I have learned so much from all of your posts. I’m a subscriber and regular reader, and I have been able to go on several trips thanks to everything I’ve learned from you (including the most recent trip to Hawaii last week). I still have a lot to learn, but I found the posts about manufactured spending to be the most helpful in getting started. Now, I think learning about the various benefits of each credit card and deals going on at hotels/airlines is very interesting and helpful. Thank you for all the great information!
I love reading about your MS adventures.
Would love to see more manufactured spend ideas!
I like your details on how you manufacture spend.
I have learned so much from reading your posts. Thank you for sharing so much about this hobby and how you get it done. Happy 3 yrs!!
Congrats! I enjoy your end-of-month deals and MS tips.
Happy anniversary！
Congratulations! I’m still a MS noob, but really like your tips that you provide
Love your blog and all the down to earth helpful tips. Your wisdom and experience saves the rest of us so much time and frustration.
R.K. Allen
Happy 3rd Anniversary! Love the MS posts…Thank you!
Loved our Hyatt stay at Key West last year. Thanking you for having this Hyatt Card Sweepstakes!!!
Please cover more about award ticket tips
Love your innovation MS ways. Keep the good job done
Happy 3 years old. Great blog
Happy third anniversary.
I don’t have a specific fav post, I enjoy reading your “my week in manufactured spending” posts.
My favorite was the post about my week in manufactured spending
Best psot ever was the one about Hacking Hilton Diamond (“Hacking Hilton Diamond Status: Award Night Mattress Running vs. Credit Card Spending”) – thanks very much!
I love following your MS adventures. It inspires me to do more!
Happy Blog Anniversary!
My favorite part is the trip reports – covering some of my dream destinations, Australia and then the Turkey ones.