As 2017 draws to a close, I wanted to recap for you the 10 most popular posts on my blog this year. You should be able to get outsized value from these posts, especially the #1 most popular.
Here are the top 10 posts, starting with the most popular:
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How to Get a Spectacular Hotel Room Upgrade for Free
On 9 out of 9 occasions, I’ve used the steps I outline in this post to secure a hotel room upgrade for free.
The last time I used this process, I booked a room for free using points and was then upgraded into a room that sells for over $1,500/night.
Since publishing this post, readers have shared with me their success in scoring free upgrades for themselves using this approach.
Celebrating my daughter Elizabeth’s 2nd birthday: McDonald’s lunch—true style!—and the most spectacular free room upgrade I’ve ever received: a huge suite on a high floor of the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, overlooking Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head volcano in Honolulu, HI
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How to Get the Best Seat on a Southwest Flight [Complete Guide]
I share some straightforward—and some unusual—tactics that you can use to get the best seat on a Southwest flight (without paying $150+ extra for business class).
My son Michael and I on a Southwest flight last summer
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How to “Priceline Hack” a Luxury Hotel on the Cheap
This is the best trick I know to stay in a luxury hotel very inexpensively. It saved me $85/night—a 57% discount—the last time I used it.
Times Square, New York — one of the many places the Priceline hack works
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5 Creative Ways to Meet the Minimum Spend Requirement in Order to Get the Sign-up Bonus
Earning the signup bonuses on credit cards can add to your bottom line and/or can fuel a lot of free travel. To earn such bonuses, you have to spend a minimum amount on the credit card in a certain amount of time (e.g., $3,000 in 3 months). In this post I share 5 techniques for meeting that minimum spend without buying stuff you don’t need.
France, a great miles and points destination
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10 Lessons from 10 Years of Marriage
On the occasion of my wife’s and my 10-year wedding anniversary, I shared 10 lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Sarah’s and my wedding day: May 19, 2007
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Why I Proposed at the Foot of the Cross of Christ
The story of my proposal starts with me trying to figure out how to sneak a diamond ring into Israel without my girlfriend noticing. The post ends with reflections on what matters most to me. I published this post on Good Friday.
Sarah and I praying at the foot of the Cross of Christ, where we got engaged
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How My Family Just Took a $5,218 Vacation to Cabo San Lucas for $42
In this post I detail how 7 of us took a great, 5-night vacation while only coming out of pocket $42 for flights and hotel. You can absolutely do likewise.
My family attempting to pose for a picture on our vacation in Cabo San Lucas
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Imagining the Possibilities of Free Travel
I started 2017 off with a 7-part series on how to travel for free. This is the first post in that series. If you’d like to travel or free, you should give it a read.
The view from my family’s picnic spot, overlooking the Quiraing in the Scottish Highlands, on our free trip to Scotland
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In a Difficult Situation? Change, Leave, or Accept It.
Do you ever feel stuck in life? Like you’re caught in a negative situation that you can’t do anything about? In this post I share 3 ways forward.
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5 Reasons Your Team Should Quit Email, Text, & IM and Slack Instead
Unexpectedly, my team at work has all but replaced email, text messaging, and IM with Slack. In this post I share what Slack is and why and how you should consider using it to streamline your team’s communication.
Conclusion
Many thanks to all of you for reading, commenting, sharing posts, etc. I’ve enjoyed connecting with you in 2017, and I look forward to pursuing time, money, and what matters most with you in 2018 as well!
Question: Is there a particular topic you’d like to see me do a post on in 2018? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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