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2 Discoveries for How to Get Unpublished Hyatt Upgrades

Plus a Bigger Picture Lesson for How to Get Unpublished Upgrades at Other Hotel Chains as Well

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I’ve recently discovered two tricks that have added value to my family’s Hyatt stays. One involves booking a standard room with points and then paying a cash supplement to upgrade the room to a better room or suite. The other involves using points to upgrade an award stay to allow club lounge access.

The view from my family’s upgraded suite at the Hyatt House Naples/5th Avenue

I’m not aware of either upgrade being an official part of Hyatt’s loyalty program offerings. But each trick has worked for me twice in a row now, so I think them worth sharing as my experiences may be more than a fluke.

In this post I share why I find these tricks valuable and how to pull them off. I also share how to find other such upgrades, whether at Hyatt or at other hotel chains. (more…)

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Want to Lose Weight? This is the Most Efficient Way.

With this Method I Lost 20 Pounds in 42 Days and Have Kept it Off

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I used to be one of those annoying people who can eat anything without gaining wait. But over the past several years, that changed. And I developed . . . some cushion. Specifically, I was 20 pounds above my desired weight. But I stumbled into an approach that enabled me to lose 20 pounds in 42 days and keep that weight off for the past three months.

From a weight loss perspective, these chip and popcorn snacks are equivalent. Which would you prefer?

This method has allowed me to eat what I like. I haven’t worked out any more than usual. And it has saved me time and money.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it’s not without tradeoffs. But it’s the method for me. And if you’d like to trim down, it might be the method for you, too. (more…)

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Are Lie-flat Business Class Seats Worth It?

Thoughts After My First International Business Class Flights (Which Would Have Cost $17,461 Had I Paid Cash!)

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If you read miles and points blogs, many make it seem as if the pinnacle of travel—if not of life itself—is flying in lie-flat business class or first-class seats. Your travel destination and what you might do there appear, by contrast, unworthy of the consideration of one who, in flight, is able to sample suboptimal caviar.

Sarah reading with her lie-flat business class seat reclined

My wife, Sarah, in our Frankfurt to Denver lie-flat business class seats

Having not flown in lie-flat seats myself, it’s been tough to judge whether such miles and points bloggers believe what they’re preaching or whether they just enjoy the commissions they receive from pushing the greater number of credit cards one must open to accrue enough miles and points to fly business class on an award redemption.

Too sassy?

Well, I finally had the chance to try it out. Here are my down-to-earth thoughts on luxury at 30,000 feet. (See what I did there?) (more…)

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How to Get Stronger in Just 20 Minutes per Week

With this Method I Got 16% Stronger and Hit a New All-time Max Bench Press

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When my wife’s and my twins were born, my disposable time evaporated. One adaptation I made was to cut weightlifting out of my life. Worth it, for sure, but an unfortunate loss. I figured my strongest days were behind me.

But when one door closes, another opens.

I’ve recently developed a lifting routine that has enabled me to increase my strength by 16% and even hit my new all-time max bench press. The best part? It has only involved 20 minutes of lifting per week.

Would you like to be stronger than you are but can’t (or don’t want to) spend hours in the gym? If so, the following method may just be for you. (more…)

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How to Save Big with Extreme Hotel Deals

I Booked a $25,680, 3-Bedroom Suite in the Bahamas for $2,210 (a 91% Savings)

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Over the past couple of months, I’ve booked two extreme hotel deals. The first was an executive suite at the nearby Grand Hyatt in Denver—a family favorite—for a 1-night “staycation.” That room usually goes for about $380, including tax. I paid $114 after tax, a savings of $266 (70%).

The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Bahamas -- one of the extreme hotel deals I've recently booked

The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Bahamas

Saving 70% on a hotel is incredible. But my second booking made the first look like child’s play:

I booked 6 nights in a 2,500 sq. ft., 3-bedroom Ocean View Residence at The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas. The 6-night, all-in price for this monster should have been a jaw-dropping $25,680. But I paid $2,210, a discount of $23,470 (91%).

The way I scored these deals is new to me. In this post I’ll show you how to do likewise. And I’ll show how you can sometimes do so using points instead of cash (if you prefer). (more…)

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Beating the House on a Vegas Vacation

How to Vacation in Las Vegas Very Inexpensively

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Jerry Seinfeld once said about Las Vegas, “If you were not losing, this would not be a very nice place to be, would it? They wouldn’t have beautiful carpeting and restaurants and wonderful shows. It would be like a POW bunker. . . . The losing pays for the nice hotels.”

Vegas Strip showing several hotels including Paris and Planet Hollywood

You can benefit from the countless billions lost every year in Vegas by using some simple tips to vacation there for a fraction of what other people pay. (more…)

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You’ve Gotta Know When to Hold’em, Know When to Fold’em

8 Life Lessons from 10 Years of Poker, Part 3 of 3

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In my previous post I told the story of the day I lost the most money at the poker tables and the lesson it taught me. Fortunately, not every life-lesson I’ve learned playing poker has come at such cost.

Playing poker with my boys, teaching them to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em

Can you guess, based solely on how they stack their chips, which of my sons plays looser and which tighter? 🙂

In this final post of this three-part series, I share the last three lessons a decade of poker has taught me, including the single biggest lesson I’ve learned. (more…)

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The Day I Lost the Most Money at the Poker Tables

8 Life Lessons from 10 Years of Poker, Part 2 of 3

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You know those days that just seem to go from bad to worse? My worst day at the poker tables was just such a day.

Roulette wheel showing ball in black slot

Yeah, this is a roulette wheel, not a poker table. And that is precisely the problem….

In 88 games over nearly two years, I had been slowly adding to my winnings. But then came the 89th game…. (more…)

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8 Life Lessons from 10 Years of Poker

Part 1 of 3

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Ten years ago, I bought into a No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker game for $10. I won $72.50. Using those winnings, I bought into another such game, and so on. Ten years and nearly 200 games later, I’ve grown that initial $10 to $2,114. Here’s a chart showing my “bankroll” (money set aside exclusively to play poker) over time:

My Poker Bankroll Over the Last 10 Years

Not bad percentage-wise, but not a huge deal either. At least, not financially.

The bigger deal has been the life lessons I’ve learned or had reinforced along the way—lessons dealing with time, money, and what matters most.

In this three-part series, I’ll share 8 lessons a decade of No-Limit Texas Hold’em has taught me. If you like poker, I hope you enjoy. But whether you like poker or not, hopefully you’ll find these lessons applicable to your life as well: (more…)

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Easiest Way Ever to Get the Southwest Companion Pass; But Is It a Good Deal?

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As widely reported by travel bloggers, Southwest is offering an unprecedented signup bonus on the personal versions of the Southwest credit card. Specifically, from now through February 11, you can earn 30,000 Southwest miles and the Companion Pass by opening just one credit card.

The Southwest Companion Pass is arguably the best deal in travel. It allows a companion to fly for free with you on any Southwest flights you book. This version of the pass is good from the time you earn it until the end of 2019.

Knowing that I love the Companion Pass, a reader reached out to ask my thoughts.

Although it has never been possible in the past to earn the Companion Pass with such ease, is it a good deal? That depends. For some, it’s a terrific deal. For others, it’s not. Here’s how to decide if it’s a good deal for you:

(more…)