[READER QUESTION] When is it Enough Points?
I have been asked this question in various ways. When do I have enough points? When should I stop collecting? How much is enough points?
The answer is, it depends. It depends on what your goals are. If you are uncertain as to what your goals are, then I strongly recommend that you read up on Pointshogger 101.
Everyone has different goals in mind. In general, I would recommend that you have a minimum 2 year game plan. I will use travelling points as the example to further explain.
For example, if you knew within the next 18 to 24 months, you have a trip in mind, then I would spend the months 1 to 12 to rack up the required hotel, airline, car rental, or whatever other points you need to redeem for that trip. Between months 12 to 18, I would be searching for all the reward flights, hotels, car rental, etc. The trip will be within the 18 to 24 month mark.
Generally rewards flights and/or hotels are released about 330 days ahead of time. It may vary between companies. So the sooner you know exactly when you will be going on your trip, the sooner you can book the trip while there is still availability.
Personally, my game plan is a little different. I know that I will constantly want to trip (e.g. vacation) or need to travel (e.g. for a wedding, to see family), so I always want enough points ready to go any time. I also want to have enough points to use on family members. So even if you do not want to use the points on yourself, you can always use the points on a family member. For instance, maybe someone’s parents live far away and cannot afford to visit, you can always use those loyalty points on a flight ticket on a family member. Points are like a bank account to me. Generally you want to have enough money in your bank account so that you can buy whatever you need to buy. Same goes with points, I want enough points in all my accounts so that I can always travel very affordably or even for free. I say affordably because we still need to pay taxes and fuel surcharges on flights. The less I have to pay, the better it is for me.
As you can see, the answer really is, you will have enough points when you have achieved your goals.
Happy Pointshogging!