Wow – March 2018 was the best month ever here at Out and Out. Your likes, comments, clicks and views are definitely noticed. Thank you.

The blog got over 54,000 page views, from readers in every US state. That’s not as much as the “big travel blogs” but it means everything to me.

The top 5 states this month were California, New York, my home state of Texas, Illinois, and Florida – as is usual for the blog. Feeling the Cali love!

April is a big month full of travel – I’ll be out of town most of the month, in Tokyo, San Francisco, and Portland. I won’t be able to blog quite as much. But follow me on Instagram, which I use as a mini travel diary, to be a part of the action.

Here’s what resonated in March 2018.

Best posts March 2018

1. The Amex Mercedes-Benz card is going away – get your swag!

• Link: My $100 Haul of Free Mercedes-Benz Gear (The Card With This Perk Is Going Away!)

This might be your last chance to earn 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards points with this card. If you’ve never had it, it’s going away in January 2019. So keep it on your radar for some easy points if you’re interested. And get your free swag!

2. PV PLZ

• Link: PV PLZ: How I Booked a $2,000+ Mexican Vacation for $90 With Points

Holy crap, you guys love Puerto Vallarta! I had a 4-part series on my recent trip to the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta.

I took this trip to celebrate a new chapter in my life. And yes, I really did only pay $90 to unwind here for 3 full days of food, sun, and relaxation.

3. A new card advisory service

• Link: Announcing Out for Miles: A Card Advisory Service for Newbies
• Link: Out for Miles

Out for Miles is still in a bit of a beta mode, but very much open for business. I’ve added a free version to the site. Let me help you or one of your friends get the right cards for their travel goals.

4. Time to look at the Blue Business Plus Amex?

• Link: The Best 2X Card for Non-Bonus Spending Now Has a 10,000 Point Welcome Offer

If you want a workhorse card that earns 2X points without category restrictions (on up to $50,000 per calendar year), this bad boy is your go-to.

There’s also NO annual fee. And, it comes with a 10,000 point welcome offer – there usually isn’t one at all. I love this card!

5. Travel while gay

• Link: What It’s REALLY Like to Travel While Gay

I still haven’t gotten around to replying to the comments on this one. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how painful it would be to write and post. I still need it to sit for a while before I can get to it.

6. Is the Capital One Venture right for you?

• Link: Capital One Venture: A Solid 2X Card for Simple Rewards With No BS

Whoa, y’all are divided right down the middle on this card! Some of you love the simplicity, others prefer hunting down the deals. I think you know I’m in the latter category. 😉

7. Save on your road trip

• Link: 12 Ways to Save Money (And Have Fun!) on Your Next Road Trip

I compiled some tips to save and have fun on your great American road trip.

This one was a beast to write and edit. So I’m pleased it was so well-received. 😺

8. Make Your Card Behave Like a Debit Card

• Link: Turn Your Credit Card Into a Debit Card (And Earn Rewards!) With This Website and App

This one caught me by surprise. And it seems many of you had never heard of it, either. Check it out if you know someone who has trouble handling the idea of spending with credit.

9. Best-ever Chase offers

• Link: 7 Easy Tricks to Use 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for Cheap Travel

I love Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Here are the tricks I jam on constantly.

To boot, 3 Chase cards offer 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points as a sign-up bonus right now. Hop on it!

Bottom line

Something else also happened in March. I hosted the first Dallas-area frequent flyer meetup! The next one is April 16th in Addison – here are the deets!

This, and the card advisory service, gave me new ways to connect with readers near and far. Combined with having the most views ever in the history of the blog, things are feeling pretty dang great around here. Especially for Californians.

As always, I’m so grateful. And thank you for using my links to apply for your new cards. It’s one of my revenue sources. And keeps the whole operation up and running.

April may be quieter here, but the party will continue on Instagram – follow me there for rad snaps of Tokyo, cherry blossoms, and wanderings around San Francisco and Portland.

With love and gratitude,

H.

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