We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

“I Want to Help My Readers Live a Happier Life – Enjoying Experiences Rather Than Things”

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Welcome to the next installment of our interview series where folks share their thoughts about Big Travel with Small Money!

    Miles & Points Interview:  Zen Life and Travel

    Katie writes Zen Life and Travel to share the perks and benefits of collecting credit card points, airline miles, hotel points, elite status, and more.  You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

    Having Fun at St. Pete Beach, Florida

    How and when did you start collecting miles and points?

    I officially started collecting miles & points in January 2016, so I am a relative newbie.  A friend of my husband’s first turned me on to the hobby and gave me some suggestions on where to start reading – Million Mile Secrets was the first blog I read and is still one of my favorites!

    My first card was the Chase Sapphire Preferred with a 50,000 point bonus.  From the moment I got my shiny new (metal!) card, I was hooked.  I made a few excel spreadsheets to keep everything organized and never looked back.

    My Husband and I Recently Completed Our Open Water Diving Certification in Key Largo, Florida

    The next month I got a targeted offer for The Platinum Card® from American Express with a 100,000 point AMEX Membership Rewards points bonus, so I definitely started out strong!

    Since then, I have opened 12 cards (between my husband and me) and earned 775,000 miles & points from sign-up bonuses alone!

    Why did you start your blog?  What’s special about it?

    I started my blog because, as a stay at home mom, I needed a creative outlet.  I love writing as well as sharing my travels and miles & points strategies, so a blog seemed like the perfect answer.

    My blog is unique for 2 reasons:

    First, because I keep things simple.  I created a Miles & Points 101 reference page with a 3-part beginners guide and simple breakdowns of different types of points including Chase Ultimate Rewards and AMEX Membership Rewards points.  It’s a great reference for those just getting into the points and miles game.

    With My 3 Year Old Daughter, Ellie

    The second unique aspect of my blog is that I also focus on  happiness, or what I call “Zen“.

    I want to help my readers live a happier life  – enjoying experiences rather than things.  Every day I try to focus on slowing down, being present in my life and appreciating where I am and what I have.  It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.

    What’s the one single thing people can do to get more miles?

    The number 1 answer is credit card bonuses – obviously!

    But, I think you can maximize your points earnings by paying attention to bonus categories like the Chase Freedom 5X point categories or 2X points on travel and dining offered on a number of cards.  Knowing the ins and outs of each card in your wallet is a simple, but effective, strategy for maximizing every dollar spent.

    What’s your most memorable travel experience?

    It would have to be a family trip to Maui in January 2013.  We went on a boat ride one day that included snorkeling.  I was TERRIFIED of being in the water and had no intention of participating in the snorkeling.
    Snorkeling in Maui

    Somehow, my family convinced me to try it and, after a bit of panic when I first got in, I ended up loving it.  I was so proud of myself on the boat ride back and had one of those “life is good” moments that I will never forget.  Since then I have snorkeled in Bermuda and even got my scuba diving certification a few months ago in Key Largo, Florida!

    What do your family and friends think of your miles & points hobby?

    Most of them think it’s pretty cool, but too much work!  I have a few of them collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards points now but that’s about where it ends for them.  When I geek out about how to earn points their eyes glaze over!

    Is there any tool or trick which you’ve found especially useful in this hobby?

    I like using Cashback Monitor to check which shopping portal has the most bonus points available.  If I am going to buy something anyway I might as well get as many points as I can for each dollar I spend.  The extra points really add up!

    What was the least expected way you’ve earned miles or points?

    Earlier this year, Marriott ran a promotion offering bonus points for following them on various social media channels.

    I ended up with 1,600 extra Marriott points for a couple of minutes of my time.  I only found out about this promo because I read a bunch of travel blogs.  It pays to keep up to date in the miles and points world!

    Enjoying Our “Babymoon” in Bermuda a Few Months Before My Daughter Was Born

    What do you now know about collecting miles and points which you wish you knew when you started out?

    I wish I had put a little more effort into a strategy.

    I knew early on I wanted to purchase a Marriott Travel Package (with Southwest Points to earn the Companion Pass – I will be getting it at the end of January), but other than that I was picking cards somewhat randomly.  This led to a couple of dud choices that took up slots in my wallet that I should have been using for Chase cards (The “5/24 rule” is no joke!).

    The other thing I wish I understood more in the beginning was that a point is not a point.  The value of 1 Chase point isn’t the same as 1 Hilton point or 1 Starwood point.

    What would your readers be surprised to know about you?

    I am a huge Cleveland Cavaliers fan!  My husband and I watch every game and make it up to Cleveland for a few games each season.  Earlier this year we were able to go to Game 4 of the NBA Finals and the Championship Ring Ceremony!

    Celebrating Our Anniversary at a Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 Playoff Game

    Any parting words?

    Thanks Emily and Daraius for having me on the blog.  I hope I can continue to inspire my readers to explore new places, try new things and collect lots of miles & points.  Live Happy…Travel More!

    Katie – Thanks for sharing your thoughts on having Big Travel with Small Money!

    If you’d like to be considered for our interview series, please send me a note!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)