This special edition marks the 100th blog post at ValueTactics.com!
Two years ago this site was just an idea. Since then it has grown into what I hope is a valuable resource for those wanting to get free travel, free money, free stuff, and generally maximize value! Living in a household with 5 kids and 2 full time jobs, I cannot always stay on top of breaking credit card and travel news like other bloggers. But I have always tried to add some insights or opinions that might be absent on similar websites.
ValueTactics has also been about chronicling my wife’s and my progress in accumulating points and miles, redeeming those points and miles for free vacations, and capturing value with miscellaneous tactics. In the last 100 blog posts, especially my semi-monthly update posts, I have tried to give readers a realistic expectation of how this stuff all works. Many times, websites that showcase luxury travel on points and miles are accused of selling a dream. My goal is to make myself a case study and show you exactly how much and how often you can realistically expect to earn free trips by using the tactics I present here.
You, my loyal readers. . .
ValueTactics doesn’t have a huge readership. A little under half of my hits come from google searches and other traffic sources. More than half of my page views are referred from facebook. That shows me I have a small but dedicated core of readers. I know who some of you are but many I don’t . . . I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment on posts and communicate with me on facebook or e-mail. I love helping others tap into the joy of learning value tactics!
Site support
Take a quick trip around my corner of the blogosphere. You will quickly find that most sites similar to ValueTactics are overtly commercial enterprises. This doesn’t invalidate their content, but it may turn some readers off. I have tried to keep ValueTactics ad free and self-funded. The site hosting costs are cheap but not free. If you wish to support the site, all I would as is that you do three things:
- Keep reading! Knowing I have an audience is what keeps me motivated.
- Interact! Spread the word about the site. Share posts you find interesting. Comment on posts and interact on the facebook page.
- When it’s time to pull the trigger and get yourself some points-earning credit cards, please check my card offers page and use my links if I list the card you’re looking for. I am not part of an affiliate program but I get referral points just like any cardholder can.
THANK YOU FOR READING VALUETACTICS.COM!
Some highlights in the last 100 posts:
- SuperAmerica Stops Double Coupon Tuesdays is my most visited page. I think I was the only one to break this story and many Super America customers who enjoyed this value tactic looked online for an explanation of why it suddenly stopped.
- A lot of people had fun with the contest series I ran to try and guess the destination of Nicoleen’s and my 10th anniversary trip.
- Who could forget the insane collection of free Menards stuff I accumulated over a two year period? And I still stand by my final analysis of the Menards free stuff tactic.
- My redemptions totals drew some criticism due to my calculation methods, but I still stand by them.
- I think I’m most proud of my hotel reviews, flight reviews, credit card reviews and airport lounge reviews. They require a lot of effort to write and get a fair amount of google-referred hits.
- And last but not least, I have a special place in my heart for my “philisophy” and “wisdom” categories, where I explore different aspects, in depth, of topics related to the value tactics on this site.
While I must say this started out as an annoying hobby of which I was very skeptical, it only takes a quick glance at my slowly fading tan lines to remember the benefits I’ve reaped. Thanks for taking the lead, and bringing me along for the ride! I’m looking forward to our next adventure!
I love reading your updates, reviews and information.