Rate Yourself – 10 Signs that you are Miles and Points Junkie

There are many different variations of what are the top 10 signs that you are addicted to miles and points. So today, I will present my own version. I would like to know which area I am weak on, and which area I personally want to improve on.

For my post, instead of ranking a top 10, I am just going to list 10 signs in arbitrary order. The reason I rather not rank is because every person puts a different emphasis on each factor, depending on their preferences.

So, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, rate yourself, add up your score and let us know in the comment section below! I’ll do my mine so you get an idea on how I rate yourself.

Personally, I plan to be targeting the 65% to 75% range. Once I start moving above 75%, then I may change up some of the signs, because I want to be constantly looking for new ways to maximize my rewards portfolio. But that’s just how I see things. I will always recommend that you customize things to your personal interest, desires and preferences.

1) Your friends turn to you for legitimate advice

Is every one around you aware of your obsession with miles and points?

Score: 8/10 – I think that 20% of the people I know are still aware that I am into miles and points. The other 20% have so little interest in the topic that I wouldn’t even know how to properly explain miles and points to them.

2) You can’t stand paying with cash

How annoyed are you really? How often are you actually paying in cash when there was an option to pay with your credit card instead? Yes, even on purchases less than $1.

Score: 9/10 – About 10 out of 100 times I spend money, I end up using another means of payment (online payment, cash, cheque). Some bills (e.g. hydro, gas, water, property tax, rent, condo fees, mortgage, etc.) just don’t accept credit card.

3) You constantly learn about Manufactured Spending / Shopping Portal Options

And you actually do it! To what extent?

Score: 2/10 – Embarrassed to say that I just don’t spend enough time here. That may change with time!

4) Mileage and/or Matress Runs

With how much precision calculation are you putting into qualifying for elite statuses?

Score: 5/10 – Let’s take my top 10 favourite loyalty programs, I only really put in the effort to achieve elite status on my top 5.

5) You want so badly to present your loyalty card at the cash register on someone else’s purchase

How often are you lining up and the person in front of you spends a significant amount of money but doesn’t have the loyalty card? And how badly do you want to present your card to collect the points on their behalf?

Score: 1/10 – The only time I would do it is if I am with a family or friend. I haven’t found the guts to do it with a stranger yet.

6) You pay for everyone with your credit card and let them give you back cash

Anyone who pulls out cash for any purchase whatsoever, how often do you take the cash and pay with your credit card instead?

Score: 8/10 – Eight out of ten opportunities, I will pay for someone else with my credit card and let them give me cash back.

7) Enjoy spending time at the airport

Most people get stressed out at the airport, but how much do you enjoy your experience?

Score: 10/10 – Hands down, I can say 10/10 super confidently. I actually don’t even mind of my flight gets delayed and they bump me to another flight. That just means more time at the airport!

8) Number of credit cards in the double digits, credit limit in the 6 digits

How many credit cards do you have and how much combined credit limit do you have? Yes, 250,000 credit limit and 20+ credit cards is not unreasonable…

*Let’s say that if you have 10 and up (in Canada), then you can get 10/10. If you are in the United States, I would say 20+ would give you 10/10. So if you have 10 in the United States, you should only give yourself a 5/10.

Score: 5/10 – I really trimmed down my portfolio at the time of writing this post. I only have 5.

9) You diversified your Portfolio and use Mileage Managers to Keep Track

How many times do you log into your Award Wallet (or similar program) PER DAY?

Let’s say 10/10 means you log in once a day.

Score: 10/10 – I check my balances at least once a day. If I skip a day, those more-than-once-a-day balances it out overall.

10) Know Expiry Policies by Heart

Because you know exactly what you need to do and when to keep your account active.

Score: 9/10 – I can’t say that I memorise every single program to perfection. But I am confident enough to know the expiry policies of 9 out of every 10 programs.

Final Score

67%

I think that’s a fair assessment of me. There are still a few areas that I am looking to improve upon. My scoring system may seem tough, even on myself, but to win the points game, you gotta constantly be improving and learning about new opportunities. Unlike in school, I rather not score too high. Because that would mean that I stopped looking for areas to grow, and I risk not being able to keep up when negatives changes hit the roof.

How did you score? Please share in the comment section below!