Well, my friends, the time has come. That special time of year when I take a few days off. I’ll be back posting next Thursday, January 1st. Until then, here’s an all-over-the-map Q &A to end the blogging year.
What is the goal of MileNerd.com?
Same as always. The best mile/point deals in the fewest words possible. Other than an occasional wordy post (like this one), I stick to the plan. No fluff, no “filler” posts…just the good stuff 5 days a week.
Any other things you focus on?
Now that I’ve been doing it for a while, there’s a deeper bond here. Most of you learned long ago that I’m a person to trust. I never expected this kind of appreciation for simple things. For not screwing you over. For being articulate. For caring. Those aren’t exactly unique traits. But the number of shady websites and blogs keeps growing. And being known as the guy who keeps it real feels great.
Any new changes or additions?
Not that I know of. It’s up to you guys and what you ask for. As far as the usual questions, MileNerd has zero social media presence. There’s no Twitter account, no Facebook page, and you won’t find me commenting anywhere else. As always, comments will stay disabled here. That isn’t changing. The plan is to keep it simple. Great deals…1 post a day…5 days a week. I know it’s a unique way to do things, but I have no interest in following someone else’s plan.
Do you answer questions?
Throughout the day. Every single day. If you’ve ever written me without hearing back, there are only 2 possible explanations. Either your message went to my spam folder or vice versa. I respond to every email I get. Keep in mind, the pile gets deep, so it can take a day or so.
Will the blog continue forever?
Who knows. Anything’s possible. But I probably can’t keep doing this alone for the next 50 years. If you have something to say and want a built-in audience, I’ll keep listening to ideas for guest posts. And, at some point, when the right person comes along…I have no problem stepping back for the next generation of nerd.
How can I pay you back?
I get this question sometimes. No need to give me anything. If I ever want anything, I’ll ask. Nothing has come to mind yet.
So…what do you get out of this?
I get that question a lot. Usually, the answer is simple for a blogger. When blog readership is into the thousands like this, the main priority becomes money. Other things still matter, but money changes things. Well, over here it’s (clearly) a little different. There isn’t any cash being made. So, yeah, sometimes I wonder why I spend time on this. But then I think back to teaching tennis and teaching in classrooms. There’s a part of me that loves that process. Taking someone new to a world and being a part in their becoming a badass. It’s one of my favorite things. And I’m guessing it’s probably the main reason I do this.
Do you really believe in multiple credit card applications?
Of course. I applied for another 20 or so this year. And earned thousands in free travel. Again. But you have to do it right. Stay super organized, don’t close the no-fee cards you’ve had for a decade, make all your payments on time, etc. As always, if you can’t pay off your balances each month, this game isn’t for you.
How do you spend all that money to get all those bonuses?
A lot of manufactured spending. I’m careful about those topics, because the openings get closed in a hurry. It doesn’t help anyone if I’m contributing to the death of sensitive deals. But if you have trouble meeting spends, that information is easily available on Flyertalk.
Where do you see MileNerd going?
I’ve never paid a cent for advertising, don’t know what SEO stands for, and couldn’t care less about Google rankings. I’ll continue to have a great reputation as long as I’m writing. Being honest is what matters to me. I have to look at myself in the mirror and I’m not sure how people do it. But hey, I’ve seen it all. One guy pays for Twitter followers…another writes the word “help” in the title while admitting to care only about sales numbers…and my least favorite gets posts written and emailed to him by advertisers. I see a bond that will continue to get stronger between my readers and I. And I’d guess the bloggers I continue to attack will keep having a problem with me. I like that. I see MileNerd continuing to be very different from the pack.
Do you ever feel gross about being part of this community?
No. Because you’re talking about individual websites. That isn’t a community to me. We are all individuals with our own values. For example, I like my readers. On the other hand, they like making money from readers. I post the best cards. They post links as long as their advertiser allows it. So, these are very different worlds. I saw so many cases in 2014 where top deals on my credit card page didn’t show on other blogs. No, this isn’t a community. As much as those guys try to put on bowties and dress like clowns…they aren’t very likable. You can’t like someone you don’t trust. In this non-community, you have a choice who to read. Don’t waste your time on the wrong people.
So who are the right people?
I like a handful of blogs if you’re looking for deals on miles and points. Obviously, I think MileNerd is at the top of the list. On the right sidebar, I list 4 or 5 others who post deals. I don’t read many blogs, but there might be some other good options out there. As always, most are garbage. Some of the other blogs I like that don’t focus on deals, include friends like Will Run For Miles and LL World Tour.
Any last thoughts for the new year?
As you know, I have no shortage of thoughts. Here’s my last stream-of-consciousness of the blogging year…
Life is short, of course, but time keeps accelerating as I get older. Each year flies by faster and faster. I look in the mirror and get confused. Who is this old guy is staring back at me? Where did those grey hairs come from? What the hell are these wrinkles? Not long from now, it will be over. Will I look back and see only the things I was too scared to do? Will I cry for the life I could have lived?
I want next year to be the best time of my life. I want 2015 to be the time when I really start to live. But I don’t believe it will happen. Everywhere I look, I see fear. And it’s deep in my heart too. We protect ourselves rather than feeling something real. We get so defensive. Habits take over. Our brains have become the enemy.
But what if we were open about the mess we’ve become?
And what if we faced the most frightening fact of all?
That we deserve better.
And that it’s a real possibility.
Every single day, we choose to be this way.
We choose a mediocre life.
An average identity.
But there’s another choice to make.
Another road to take.
A bold, powerful opportunity.
This is terrifying.
A real possibility.
We could be so much more than we are.
And we choose not to be.