Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Y’all – I am so close to $200,000 that all I need is one good day in the market and I’m there. I’m officially at $198,676, which is 39.7% of my $500,000 goal. So close to 40% that I’m gonna go ahead and call it. Hi from Nashville! I’m at a Hyatt Place …
Author: Out and Out
Stacking Hyatt offers: A month stay for $1,100 & net zero points + Globalist status
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Hi from Memphis! I have about a week left here. The last few weeks have been filled with family visits and wayyy too much home cooking (if that’s even possible?). Next Sunday, I’m heading to Nashville for a month to stay at the Hyatt Place Nashville/He…
Incentives for remote workers: Get paid to move to a new place
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
The other day my mom sent a text about how West Virginia is paying remote workers $12,000 cash to move to the state. I must admit – it got me thinking. About a few things. Right now, I’m a digital nomad, so I can theoretically live anywhere. But gettin…
Up $8K, becoming a digital nomad, & still saving – April 2021 Freedom update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Hi from Memphis! The last month has been an absolute whirlwind. I intended to do an update in late March, as usual, but then decided it would be better to do these updates near the beginning of the month instead. The start of this month was Easter – an…
The best card for beginners has a sign-up bonus worth $1,000 – and easily MUCH more (And I just got it again!)
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
If you haven’t had the Chase Sapphire Preferred yet – or if you’re eligible to get it again – the new sign-up bonus of 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points is worth – at a minimum – $1,000. And really $1,050 because it also comes with $50 of grocery st…
My plan to be a digital nomad and slow travel for the rest of 2021
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
As I sat in the freezing dark for hours earlier this month, lit only by candlelight, a crisp and salient thought began to form: fuck this. My windows were covered in condensation that made puddles on the window sill. I put towels down and tried to wipe…
The level set and a miserable month, but still up $10K – February 2021 Freedom update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Well, this month just about broke me. There was a historic, once-in-a-generation cold snap in Texas accompanied by power outages and wind chills of -15 or more. I found myself without heat, power, water, and internet for the better part of a week. And …
Up $8K, starting a new 401k, and possibly switching brokerages? – January 2021 Freedom update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Since last month, I went from 33% of the way toward my $500,000 net worth goal to 35% of the way there. Once I reach $200,000, I’ll be 40% of the way. I find that breaking it up into little steps is a lot more manageable than thinking about the entire …
FoundersCard Review 2021: Benefits, Updates, Cost – And Is It Worth It?
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Time to update my FoundersCard review for 2021! I’ve been a member for 7 years by now. Each year, they add more (and more useful) benefits, keep the best ones, and refine their partnerships based on member demand and use. The upshot is making the most …
New job, no credit card debt, car paid off, and IRA maxed out – December 2020 Freedom update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Happy Holidays! 🎄 I feel a little bad for saying this but… 2020 was actually a really good year for me. No, I didn’t travel nearly as much as I wanted and being at home all year with an occasional trip to the grocery store wasn’t what I had in …
Amazon bank points deals: Save big by using 1 Amex, Capital One, Chase, or Citi point (YMMV)
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
I’ve been using bank points of all kinds to save on Amazon purchases recently and wanted to share. This next week is the last dash to purchase gifts before the holidays, and in many cases you save big bucks by adding these promotions to your account an…
One year of tracking later, my net worth is up $60K – November 2020 Freedom update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
About a year ago, I started seriously tracking my net worth. And every month, I’ve posted what I call Freedom updates. Obviously, 2020 has been a wild ride and a lot has happened. I’ve had months where I’ve been way up and way down. Sometimes by tens o…
Easy Status Match: Caesars Diamond to M Life Gold to Hyatt Explorist through December 31, 2020
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
This is rather niche, but it works! Through December 31, 2020, if you have Caesars Diamond elite status, you can match it to M Life Gold, and from there, to Hyatt Explorist. I just did it this past weekend. The only hitch is you must do the Caesars to …
Trip Report: My Texas-sized road trip to Austin, Big Bend National Park & Marfa
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
I spent most of last week partying in Austin, hiking in Big Bend National Park, and driving. Lots of driving. I drove over 1,000 miles last week. But let me tell you: West Texas is insanely gorgeous. I had no idea. I kept thinking, “This is Texas?!” as…
A Bounce Back to a ~$150K Best-Ever Net Worth – October 2020 Freedom Update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
Last month sure felt dismal. Felt like throwing money into a fire pit, like I wasn’t catching up to my effort. There have been so many ups and down this year that I should’ve known better. But sometimes doubt gets the best of us and it̵…
Booked: A Texas Road Trip to Austin & Big Bend National Park
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
I don’t post industry news – and as most of the world remains closed to Americans, I’ve withdrawn inward. Instead of planes, I’ve found solace in my car during the pandemic. My last trip was to Arkansas, and that was back in Jul…
Down $4,000 & feeling nervous this month – September 2020 Freedom Update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
September is drifting past; Virgo season is over. Summer grass to fall leaves. I feel like I’ve been plugging away – and then I look at the numbers and I’ve actually slipped. This month, I’m reminding myself that progress is slo…
Progress & setbacks, but up $18K anyway – August 2020 Freedom Update
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
It’s been a weird month. Financially, things have been great. But I’m getting antsy about the next life phase and been doing a lot of “hanging in there” recently. I had the idea to buy a little house in the Memphis area and move…
What’s your credit card and points strategy these days? (The 3 cards I want now)
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
I’ve always said, “earn and burn.” Meaning earn your points and miles, then burn them in short order. I keep my points balances low – having 100,000 points is a good enough minimum cushion for me. Because with that amount, I can…
Allbirds: The perfect travel shoes? (Updated 2020)
Written by Out and Out @ BoardingArea
It’s weird to write about travel shoes in the middle of a pandemic. But I wanted to refresh this article since it’s been up for a while and I have more experience to reflect on. My first encounter with Allbirds was an article with the kinda…