Manufacturing Spend for Cash Profit: Worth It?

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Before I started a new job last year, I was pretty much blogging and churning gift cards for a living. Back then, I had access to several Barclay Arrival Plus Cards and 5% cash back gift cards that helped me earn a 3.5% profit on all of my spending. Wi…

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Paying Taxes With a Credit Card: Worth It?

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

It’s Ron Swanson’s favorite time of year and I know what some of you are thinking: “Can I pay my taxes with a credit card?” If you’re like me and you run a side hustle but don’t have GE’s accountants, then chances are you’ll end up owing money to Uncle…

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6 Ways to Get Around a Lack of Airline Award Space

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

One of the biggest challenges with collecting airline miles and points is redeeming them. Airlines intentionally make it difficult for people to redeem miles. Never did that become more clear to me than during a recent visit to the dentist.… Continue Reading

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10 Best Credit Cards for Non-Bonus Category Manufactured Spending

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Last Year I wrote about the 10 best credit cards for manufactured spending. My rankings were due to a combination of both rewards currency value and bonus categories offered by these cards. It was a good, comprehensive list at the… Continue Reading

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65,000 Mile Citi Platinum AAdvantage Card: A Reminder of How Much I Miss Credit Card Churning

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

I don’t churn credit card much. Sure, I’ve gone a little nuts in the past with Alaska Visa card applications and I did take full advantage of the 100,000 miles Citi Executive AAdvantage card offer three years ago. But I… Continue Reading

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7+ Ways To Eat For FREE While Traveling

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Food is probably of the biggest expenses most people factor into their travel budgets. Sure, you can eat every meal at McDonald’s, but if you’re traveling abroad, you probably want to experience something of the local culture. Food is one… Continue Reading

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Manufactured Spending With a Full Time Job

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

I started a new full time job a month ago. I was a little concerned about how it would affect my manufactured spending activities, but I’m happy to report it’s been largely positive. My work schedule is manageable and the commute is… Continue Reading

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5 Rewards Currencies You SHOULD Be Earning Speculatively

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

One of the most common pieces of advice you’ll hear in this hobby is “don’t earn points and miles speculatively.” What does that mean? It means you shouldn’t collect points and miles without a goal in mind. Rewards programs can… Continue Reading

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The Do’s and Dont’s of Trading Miles

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re short on miles but paying for travel isn’t an option? Perhaps you’ve focused on collecting miles that have been devalued or there is no award availability. Maybe you have a… Continue Reading

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How to Decide When to Redeem Miles vs. Pay for Travel

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

One thing I get asked about most often by newbies is how I decide when to redeem miles and when to pay for travel. After all, points and miles are precious. Whether you’re earning them from credit card sign-up bonuses… Continue Reading

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How to Redeem Points for Award Stays at Kimpton Hotels

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

When IHG acquired Kimpton back in 2014, the company announced that they would keep the Kimpton Karma Rewards program intact. They’ve kept true to their word, which has kept Kimpton fans happy but left IHG loyalists disappointed because it hasn’t… Continue Reading

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R.I.P: 6 of My Favorite Manufactured Spending Deals Of All Time

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Manufactured spending is a great way to generate more miles and points after a credit card sign-up bonus has posted. It’s how I earn most of my miles and points, as I’ve been lucky enough to have gotten into this hobby… Continue Reading

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Replacing The Barclay Arrival Plus Card

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

A couple of weeks ago I lost my Barclay Arrival Plus card, which was really unfortunate because that was my primary credit card for manufactured spending. People often cite the $89 annual fee as a reason to get rid of… Continue Reading

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R.I.P Arrival Plus: Barclay Shuts Down All My Credit Cards

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Happy New Year everyone (seems the period to keep saying it never ends)! It’s not off to a super great start, thanks to Barclay shutting down all of my credit cards along with my family’s, but the glass is still… Continue Reading

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My Month in Manufactured Spending: $4,000+ Worth of Points, Miles, and Cash Back in November

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

November was a good month in terms of manufactured spending. While I’ve decided to continue keeping that manufactured spending tip I tweeted about a while back secret, it didn’t account for a huge chunk of my manufactured spending. A lot… Continue Reading

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My Month in Manufactured Spending: $2,198 Worth of Points, Miles, and Cash Back in October

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

October was a slow month for me. I had intended to really ramp up my manufactured spending in time for a December trip to the Middle East, but found myself lagging behind. Sometimes, days went by without me placing any… Continue Reading

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How I Earned Over $2,000 Worth of Points, Miles, and Cash Back in September

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

I realize my weekly manufactured spending posts are getting tedious to read, so rather than repeat my Walmart trips in fascinating detail every week, I decide instead to write  about my Walmart trips in fascinating detail every month how much… Continue Reading

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Why $400 Economy Fares to Asia Don’t Excite Me

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

Over the past couple of months, we’ve seen some incredibly fares between the West Coast and Asia. Back in July, The Flight Deal shared a $330 roundtrip fare between San Francisco and Hong Kong. Since then, lots of other fares… Continue Reading

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Review: Aegean Airlines Economy Class Thessaloniki to Paris

Written by Ariana Arghandewal @ PointChaser

After a few days in Thessaloniki, I decided to head to Calais to volunteer with Help Refugees. Things were unorganized in Thessaloniki and I felt like I wasn’t getting to do what I came there for. You can read about… Continue Reading

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