This Is Your Brain On DDF…

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DDF user @Yehuda joined the DansDeals Forums on 10/06/13 and shared what he managed to accomplish in his first year as a member:

“Happy 1 year anniversary to me!

A year in which I learned an incredible amount of knowledge from understanding the basics of credit scores to the intricacies of a OneWorld Explorer Award.

Between myself and my wife (and 1 card under my mom’s name), I opened 32 cards and collected 1.5 million points. It was mind-boggling adding that number up the other day.

I went on a 6 1/2 week honeymoon through Israel and Europe, visiting 10 countries, taking 12 flights (11 in business) on 19 legs for $1200 a person and stayed at free hotels for 33 nights in a row. Thirty-freakin-three.

We enjoyed 9 free RT tickets NYC-DEN (my in laws) on SW and a couple more short-hauls thanks to Avios. Obviously, getting married to an OOTer this year meant I would start flying more, but I have never flown close to this much in my entire life.

I never imagined I would see the Colosseum or Stonehenge. Never thought I would have the Eiffel Tower in my skyline for 5 nights while staying at a $1000/night hotel. I know I owe you all plenty of TRs still, but for now, I’ll just say thanks.

Thanks to Dan for putting this place together and keeping it going and thanks to everyone here who has answered my questions and helped along the way. It’s coincidental that on my 1 year anniversary, I’m actually starting my job. Not sure I could have done this if I actually had a job this past year. 😛 I expect my frequency here to die down a bit (at least during work hours), but I hope to get in many NYC lunch DOs.

To an even more spectacular year ahead!
@Yehuda”

Want to join in the fun?
-Read more of the 900,000 posts on DDF here.
-Overwhelmed by DDF? Read through the threads in the Start Here board.
-Ready to start getting involved? Signup for your own free DDF account here.

Fair warning, going down this path can become a complete and hopeless addiction. I’ve never done drugs or even smoked a cigarette in my life so I might not know much about addictions, but chasing after tens of millions of miles and traveling around the world in first class for pennies on the dollar may just consume you as it did to me. 😀 #DansDeals10thAnniversary

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48 Comments On "This Is Your Brain On DDF…"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Shmilfke

….and I make $5400 a month from home doing nothing!

PraiseCanada

What’s your day job?

abka

Happy anniversary!

Redbull3

Love @Yehuda

ELII

@Shmilfke: HOW???

Nycer

I wish! That was 10 years ago, wonder if I could do the same with my wife today…cracking down over the years!

Anonymous

@Shmilfke: How’s that?

yyk

@PraiseCanada:

Why don’t you read it in its entirety and then see if you still have the question…

@Yehuda

Wow, I’m honored, Dan. Thanks for sharing my story, and I hope it inspires others.

@Shmilfke:
I can show you the boarding passes to prove it 😉

@PraiseCanada:
Nothing for the past year. Now, I’m an accountant.

yyk

Congrats @Yehuda!

Denveryid

What’s your wife’s maiden name? I’m from denver

ZF

Amazing!!

Anonymous

@@Yehuda: pay taxes on all those miles?

Dan

@Anonymous:
You don’t pay taxes on miles earned from credit card signups or spending as they are considered a purchase rebate.

Anonymous

@Dan: but theres tax liability on miles earned from flying? thats ironic lol only posed the question because he mentioned he was accountant.

Dan

@Anonymous:
There’s no tax liability from miles earned from flying either.
Those are also a purchase rebate.

An example of taxed miles would be ones earned from opening a checking account.

D93

Mazel tov! My u be an aspiration for all new DDF’ers including myself

Steven

Being smart with your credit and getting the right cards and bonuses makes sense–and I’m thankful for Dan for pointing these things out. Shkoyach! At the same time, I really wish people would speak to their Rabbi about what they’re doing with their credit cards–redistribution (see Lakewood decision), number of cards, etc. What would HaShem say? Is this the way the banks meant you to use them? Is this not a Chillul HaShem? Maybe? Just something to ask and think about as one may find when their court date upstairs comes around, it wasn’t worth it.

Chapshnell

1 1/2 years later, got a new family called DDF. Close to 2 million points earned & burned later. Forever grateful to Dan & the guys… Trips I never thought would be realistic became a reality & became the family travel agent. LOL

buruch

@Yehuda- did you have credit already before you joined, and just ramped it up, or did you just get your first credit Card a year ago?

cards

it is mindboggling that he was approved for so many cards most people would not get approved for so many, I had with chase they did not wanna open more then few in one year.

Dan

@Chapshnell:
Time for you to make a post like @Yehuda did 😀

@cards:
It’s all about managing your score properly and being a good talker.

moish

that grand vacation really calls to me I always thought I missed the boat already as I don’t have any platinum e.t.c. any possibility of a detailed description how us plain ol’ folks can get there?

cards

how does one manage score properly? and how does one get new chase business cards if they have already ink and plus and they are visa.

Sam

Hi guys, I’m also just about new to the cc game I starts just have already a few cards and I can do the same as Yehuda did if I’ll do correctly but unfortunately I’m not sure what type of cc to use the most and where to use it and how often to open cards and the main I NOT SURE WHAT EXCECTLY I CAN DO WITH MY POINTS I have a couple hundred thousand points from many different card what should I do with them can somebody give me a link or something I should better understand? Thanks

clear thinker

@cards:
One can have as many businesses as you want, every business (@ least) 3 inks.

c'mon now

so basically he had no job or life and just spend all day on the thread and traveling, i hope he enjoyed himself. but for the many us who have full time jobs 7 Families, this is very not practical

cards

@clear thinker fine but for one business i’m maxed out already at 3 ink cards, so unless I open a new business im out of those huge signup bonuses.

Travis Swanson

Keep in mind that he said between my wife I he opened 32 accounts. Assuming that it’s around 16 each, it’s very possible. Only 4 every 3 months.

yanky

@dan
It’s all about managing your score properly and being a good talker.
i am not a good talker, i just did a 2bm on chase, have to call in but i am not a talker at all, so woe is me

Nate

I’m a newby with travel dates from USA to Panama around Xmas/New Years time. It’s probably better to play with hotel cards, right? Because it’s too likely that the airlines will be blacked out?

hut

@Sam:
forums.dansdeals.com

Mat

Can you tell us your credit score on your wife’s credit score please??

TC610

Damn, I just got back from my ‘Free’ two week honeymoon to Paris and the Maldives and @Yehuda’s story puts mine to shame! Yeah I had 10 free nights at $1200/night hotels, almost all business class flights, all for free +taxes. And it’s all thanks to the community at Dan’s Deals Forums. I think there are many other stories out there!

Aron

One question I always have is when to close the cards in order to eliminate any annual fees but still be able to keep all the miles collected.
Can you clarify or point me to the right forum?

MMA

@TC610 Likewise here!
I could write a book on my last year.. It was our shana rishona, and we managed to travel the world thanks to Dans tips…
Flew business class to London (hyatt regency), Paris (park hyatt), Koh Samui (vane belle), bangkok, flew Singapore airlines longest flight in the world all business class plane to singapore (w hotel) , Maldives (park hyatt), Flew singapore Suites back to the US. Later traveled to Rome (st regis) Florence ( st regis), Milan (park hyatt), Malaga Spain. Then later to MAyakoba Cancun, Los angeles (SLS hotel) and…
Lets not forget the countless flights back and forth to NY to visit family.
You rock dan, thanks for the help!

Dan

@TC610:
@MMA:
Let’s go folks, write up a trip report on the forums!

Runnergirl

I also LOVE doing this!!! I Flew to Israel for succos first class with my family and we are staying at the Waldorf for 12 nights in 2 rooms all on points. I too would like to thank Dan and the DDF family for many years of fun and info! Wishing you all a wonderful Yom Tov and sweet New Year!

Anonymous

@@Yehuda:

Not looking for psak, just curious. So you were told the fine print restrictions don’t matter as long as the company doesn’t stop you. Is there more of explanation why this is so?

Z

@Anonymous: I’m no rabbi but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be allowed. The “fine print” doesn’t say you can’t apply for the offer just that you won’t receive it so if you get the bonus it’s their problem not yours.

Z

@@Yehuda: sorry to rain on your parade but I’m assuming you were officially in yeshiva for the past year. Don’t you think there is a big chance you would still be learning if not for ddf? So was it really worth it in the long run? Forgive me if I’m way off .

HelpMe

I love these great success stories but you should leave out the free part. None of this is free. If I used the same logic with CB cards I would be getting paid for taking trips, buying cars and sending kids to college.

@Yehuda

@Runnergirl:
🙂
@Anonymous:
Z answered you quite well. The terms don’t say it’s not allowed; rather that you won’t get the bonus. If they still give it to you, I was told, then that’s their concern. (Again, I was only told that when you don’t change any info in your app.)
@Z:
Way off. I’m not even Jewish.
jk
I finished Yeshiva and college a bit more than a year ago and my company gave me a year before my start date. Only G-d knows how I would have used my time if I wasn’t into DDF.

@Yehuda

@HelpMe:
Conversation being continued in the forums today in 2 threads.

john thomlonson
john t

yehuda — what did you need to spend on the cc’s to get all those points?

HansGolden

Ironically, Shmilfke, many of us make much, much more than that from home through some twist on this game, though it’s certainly not by doing nothing. Yes, if you see an ad offering “mak[ing] $5400 a month from home doing nothing”, then stay far away. You’re the mark. However, there are many deals you can harness to do that on your own if you put in the hard work to figure it for yourself.

I have a buddy that works a few (less than three) hours per day MSing as a second job and earns six figures from it. I don’t think I could personally feel right (though I don’t condemn others) MSing full time, but I do have a derivative businesss that feels like it accomplishes something useful rather than arbitraging a non-market and I make a very comfortable living and employ three people full time. And it all started here in this game.

Anonymous

@john t:
Not sure exactly, but spends usually range between $2K-$5K, so I would say probably around $70K.

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