This week, we'll cover how to stop over-optimizing and focus on what matters, 25% off Flying Blue award flights in October, 2 easy ways to earn points on dining, free Grubhub+ with Amazon Prime (+ $10 discount), save $1,750+ with card-linked offers, $100 Coupon with 1-Year Costco membership, free museum tickets with BoA cards, 5x/5% back in Q4: Old Navy, travel, PayPal & more, how to get your fitness memberships reimbursed with HSA/FSA and more!

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💰 How to Earn More Points in Multiplayer Mode

Want to 3x your points and miles? Kai (who earned a total of $40,000 and 5 million points with his partner in 2024) and I break down how to earn, manage, and maximize rewards with a partner, family, or friends. Plus, learn how to handle the logistics, emotions, and systems that make it all work.

📺 Watch or 🎧 Listen

📖 Read the Blog Post

📋 My Past Week

Let me share a quick recap of what I was up to last week:

• Thanks to ​Brex​, there's an All the Hacks billboard running in Times Square and I flew out this week to check it out. Even if it doesn't drive a single new listener, it was so cool to see it in person. If you’re in NYC and want to check it out, it’s located ​here​ and will be showing up every ~4min from 8-9a, 4-5p, and 12-1a through tomorrow (10/12).
• Thanks to ​Bilt​ Platinum status, I took a free ​Blade​ helicopter ride from JFK, which was a fast and amazing way to get to the city. That said, I was definitely a bit nervous after watching a helicopter crash earlier this year in NYC. I’d probably still do it again for free, but the midtown helipad is so close to Penn Station and Blade departures are only every 40 minutes, so it might not actually be that much faster than taking the LIRR (JFK) or NJT (EWR). If you want $50 off Blade, my referral code is ChrisH423.
• On the flight back home, I also got to experience the new ​TSA Touchless ID​ at EWR. The idea is that you no longer need to take out your ID, but as someone who often uses Clear, it was very underwhelming. It's supposed to reduce the ID Check time from ~20 to ~8 seconds, but based on my experience at EWR yesterday, the bottleneck seems to be the X-ray machines.
• Here are two great recipes from the past week: ​Sweet and Sour Eggplant with Garlic Chips​ (we added some tofu for more protein) and ​Crispy Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli​ (this one is so easy for a weeknight meal).
• I've been spending more and more time playing with some coding tools (​Replit​ and ​Cursor​). My latest project is building a family calendar web app to run on an old iPad I'd like to mount on the wall. It's amazing how easy it is to build software to look/function exactly as you want.
• I don’t think I could make the switch to Android, but after watching ​this review​ of the new Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, I got pretty close to considering it. Realistically, I'll probably just hope Apple can launch something cool and unique next year!

🛫 Travel, Points & Miles

💺 Business Class Award Deals to 6 Destinations

If you’re looking to travel to or through these destinations, check out these business class award flight deals:

• 🇦🇺 Australia: From ​70K AAdvantage miles​
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: From ​60K Aeroplan points​
• 🇮🇪 Ireland: From ​45K Atmos points​
• 🇮🇹 Italy: From ​55K Atmos points​
• 🇲🇦 Morocco: From ​55K Atmos points/AAdvantage miles​
• 🇵🇹 Portugal: From ​60K Aeroplan points​

And if you don't mind flying economy class, you can take a round-trip flight to Spain for just ​6,400 Avios on Iberia​ or fly to Europe for ​26,000 SkyMiles​.

🏨 Hotel Promos: Marriott, IHG & Preferred

Here are some of the hotel promos to take advantage of if you have upcoming travel plans.

• IHG: ​Save up to 30%​ when you book before 10/16 for stays through 2/28/26.
• Marriott: ​Save up to 20%​ on stays booked by tomorrow, 10/12, for travel through 11/2 with promo code QRI.
• Marriott: ​Earn 25K bonus points​ on eligible vacation packages booked before 10/31 for travel through 3/31/26.
• Preferred Hotels: ​Earn 2,500 bonus points ​when you book new properties (listed ​here​) by 12/31 for stays through 3/31/26.

🤩 Free $100 for Delta Bookings to Europe in Q1 2026

Delta SkyMiles members can earn a ​$100 eCredit​ (valid for 6 months) when they book flights to select European destinations. ​Enroll here​ first and then book the flight before 11/30 for travel between 1/1/26 and 4/30/26.

🔁 Bilt Adds New Partners: Etihad and (maybe) Rakuten

​Bilt Rewards​ has added Etihad Guest as a ​new 1:1 transfer partner​, but be cautious of Etihad's punitive cancellation and expiration rules before transferring and booking.

In other Bilt news, there's a rumor that you might be able to covert ​Rakuten Cash Back to Bilt Points​, which I would absolutely choose over American Express (assuming Bilt is also 1:1).

🤝 United x Instacart: Bonus Miles, $0 Fees & More

If you're a United MileagePlus member, ​link your account​ to Instacart and enjoy $0 delivery fees on orders placed shortly before, during, or after a domestic United flight. Also, as of 10/6, new Instacart members can also earn 5,000 miles after four $35+ orders and 5,000 miles for enrolling in Instacart+. Existing members only get 500 for linking accounts and placing a $35+ order within 60 days, but if you're already using Instacart, it's better than nothing.

🚀 Fast Track to Frontier Platinum Status for $99

Frontier Airlines is currently offering a ​fast track to Platinum Status​. You must ​register​, pay $99, and earn 12,500 Elite Status Points within 90 days to achieve Platinum status through 2026. To be eligible, you should not currently hold Elite Platinum or Diamond Status.

🤑 Latest Deals

💳 Up to 50% Off + $15 Off on Amazon with Amex

Amazon's ​Shop with Points promo​ for Amex cardholders is offering up to 50% off (up to $80 in savings) on your next purchase. ​Click here​ to see if you're eligible.

Plus, ​get $15 off​ when you add your Amex card to your Amazon Wallet and spend a minimum of $15.01 with promo code ​AMEXQ4ABC15​.

🏦 $7,500+ of Bank Bonuses

Bank bonuses are a great way to save, so here are a few worth checking out.

Consumer

• ​Up to $1,000 from Bank of America​: When you enroll in the offer before 11/30 and deposit a qualifying amount. This is a targeted offer, so check your email to see if you're eligible.
• ​Up to $500 from SoFi​: ​Earn $300​ when you open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and set up a qualifying direct deposit. Plus, ​earn $150​ when you use Rakuten to open the account, and get an additional ​$50 here​ if you don't already have a Rakuten account.
• ​$425 from Wells Fargo:​ When you open an Everyday Checking account before 11/18 and complete a qualifying direct deposit.
• ​$150–$200 from Discover​: When you open a new Online Savings account before 1/30/26 and complete a qualifying deposit.

Business

• Up to $3,500 from Wells Fargo: When you upgrade to a Premier Checking account and complete a qualifying deposit with a bonus code. Click ​here for a $2,500 bonus​ or ​here for $3,500​.
• ​Up to $1,200 from U.S. Bank​: When you open a new U.S. Bank Business Essentials® account or Platinum Business Checking account before 1/14/26 and complete the required activities.
• ​$750 from Chase: When you open a Business Complete Checking account with code NC72 4472 227F J9TX before 1/22/26 and complete qualifying activities.
• ​$200 from U.S. Bank​: When you open a new business savings account with promo code Q4SAV25 before 1/14/26 and complete the qualifying requirements.

Plus, ​Kraken​ has a deposit match promo, where users can earn up to a ​2% bonus​ on new cash or crypto deposits of $1,000+ during October.

🤖 1 Free Year of Perplexity AI Pro with Venmo

Perplexity AI is offering ​12 months of pro for free​ when you connect to Venmo and there's no purchase necessary. You can also ​link your PayPal account​ to get the same 1 year access.

⚽ World Cup Tickets for AAdvantage Members

American AAdvantage members will get access to redeem as few as 75,000 miles for tickets to FIFA World Cup 26. Sales start on 10/13 for top tier AA Elites, with access for all AA members coming over the following two days. Full details ​here​.

🚊 $2.50 off $10+ in Transit for Mastercard Holders

For the rest of 2025, Mastercard is offering a $2.50 statement credit every month you spend $10+ on transit in participating cities. Full list of cities and terms are ​here​.

🔗 Card-Linked Offers: $800+ in Savings

I love leveraging card-linked offers to maximize my savings, so here are some I found this week. Expiration dates are in parentheses.

• IKEA: ​10% off, up to $27​ (10/25)
• ExxonMobil: ​10% off, up to $20​ (10/29)
• AT&T Wireless: ​$75 off $100​ (10/31)
• Home Depot: ​10% off, up to $25​ (11/2)
• Marriott: ​10% off, up to $75​ (11/15)
• Apple Pay: ​$25 bonus after 5 uses​ (11/30)
• Best Western & SureStay: ​$50 off $250​ (12/31)
• Delta Travel Extras Portal: ​$120 off $600​ (12/31)
• Frontier Airlines: ​$50 off $200​ (12/31)
• Icelandair: ​$225 off $1,500​ (12/31)
• Chase Travel: ​$100 off $600​ (12/31)
• Accor Luxury Hotels: ​$100 off $500​ (3/16/26)

Note that some of these offers are targeted, so I highly recommend using ​CardPointers Pro​ (get 30% off ​here​) to automate these offers.

💰 United, Avianca, Hilton & More Points on Sale

If you’re planning a redemption or are familiar with these programs, here are some deals that might come in handy. Expiration dates are in parentheses.

• United: 1.93¢ with ​up to a 95% bonus​ (10/18)
• Frontier: 1.08¢ with up to ​150% bonus​ (10/24)
• Southwest: 1.5¢ with up to ​50% bonus​ (10/29)
• Lufthansa: 1.41¢ with a ​50% bonus​ (10/31)
• Amtrak: 2.69¢ with a ​40% bonus​ (11/10)
• Choice Hotels: 0.74¢ with a ​40% bonus​ (11/10)
• Hilton: 0.5¢ with a ​100% bonus​ (11/21)

🕵️ Top Finds

💸 The Art of Spending Money

I became a big fan of Morgan Housel's writing after reading ​The Psychology of Money​, and even had him join for ​an episode​ of the podcast. So I'm really excited to check out his latest book ​The Art of Spending Money​. He's likely going to join me for another episode of the podcast, so if you have any questions you want me to consider, please reply to this email and let me know!

🍗 Korean Fried Chicken at Home

My YouTube feed is filled with ​Joshua Weissman​'s videos, but this one caught my eye and has had me craving Korean Fried Chicken for the past few days. Can't wait to put ​his recipe​ to the test soon.

Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.