My Story

I didn’t set out to build a strategy around points and miles. I was going to Europe and started shopping for travel insurance policies, but then noticed some credit cards already included coverage. That’s how I found the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and I figured, why not. I signed up and used it to pay for my trip to France. It also led me to a hotel program that showed me the hidden value of points and miles.

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make retirement affordable, fun, and fulfilling. Points and miles turned out to be one answer. I also hike, and I volunteer doing trail maintenance. Now there’s this blog — Ed’s WayPoints — which I hope turns into something worth reading.

Skepticism runs deep around here, so anything that sounds too good gets a second look. I’m not into points and miles for glory or to maximize returns, and if good enough saves real money, I’m happy. I’ll write about travel destinations, rewards programs, hiking, retirement, and whatever else comes from trying things firsthand.

If free night certificates or credit card points are what brought you here, welcome — that’s still home base. But consider this the running account of a good next chapter, built one piece at a time. Stick around for the rest of it.