All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
by Chris Hutchins
Never leave money on the table. This is your shortcut to upgrading your life, money and travel—all while spending less and saving more. Get tactical moves and deep dives into designing a life you’re excited about.Host Chris Hutchins is a life hacker who has saved millions by breaking down every aspect of life and looking to maximize happiness at the lowest cost. Chris and guests like Tim Ferriss, Tony Hawk, Codie Sanchez and Gary Vaynerchuk are here to deliver smart strategies you can plug into your own life—from a money hack that increases your net worth, to a routine change that boosts your productivity.
Episodes
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Luxury Europe for 70% Less: Switzerland & Lake Como with Amy Fox
#300: Chris and Amy break down how they planned an unforgettable trip to Switzerland and Lake Como mostly on points, miles, and free-night certificates. They share how speculative bookings and award alerts landed them better business class flights, the rental car hack that avoided a cross-border...
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10 Lessons for Better Decisions About Money and Life
#299: My top 10 takeaways from a retreat for high-net-worth investors, which covered money, health, AI, parenting, relationships, and more. We explore why what you measure shapes your behavior, how to start using AI agents, why simple rules beat perfect plans, how to teach kids about money, and…
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How to Earn Points on Your Savings and Investments
#298: Chris breaks down how to earn airline miles and transferable points on money you’re already saving or investing (and whether the rewards are actually worth the tradeoffs). He compares mileage-earning bank accounts from Bask, United and Alaska, the new Bank of America and Alaska transfer...
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Have Better Conversations and Build Deeper Connections with Vanessa Van Edwards
#297: Learn how to turn small talk, awkward encounters, and everyday logistics into conversations that actually matter. Chris and Vanessa explore the chemistry behind great conversations, how to find the topics that make people light up, and the three levels of conversation that lead to deeper...
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The Best Cell Phone Plans (and How I’m Saving Big)
#296: You're probably overpaying for cell service, and switching could save you hundreds of dollars a year without sacrificing coverage or features. Chris breaks down what's changed with the big carriers and MVNOs, the math behind "free phone" deals, the few features only AT&T, Verizon and…
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Turning the Tables: My Approach to Points, Miles and Travel
#295: Chris shares the strategies he actually uses to earn, spend, and maximize millions of points and miles. He breaks down how many credit cards most people really need, his approach to booking award travel for a family, the rise of massive card-member flight discounts, when to pay cash vs....
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Deep Dive on World of Hyatt: Points, Perks and Status
#294: Chris breaks down everything he's learned going all in on World of Hyatt. He covers the brands and footprint, earning points with Hyatt credit cards and transfers, what points are really worth, every status tier and milestone reward, and how to get Globalist treatment without having status....
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How to Make Your Home Healthier at Any Budget with Dom Francks
#293: Learn to make your home healthier by focusing on the environmental factors that actually matter. Chris and Dom break down how to improve air and water quality, ventilation, mold prevention, lighting, and EMF exposure, plus what to prioritize in your bedroom, which popular healthy-home...
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What Happens to Your Points and Miles When You Die?
#292: What happens to your points and miles when you die—and how can you make sure they don’t disappear? Chris breaks down how major banks, airlines, and hotel programs handle rewards after death, strategies to protect or transfer your points, and the steps you can take now to make things easier...
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The Science of Lasting Happiness with Arthur Brooks
#291: Behavioral social scientist Arthur Brooks joins Chris to reveal why success and happiness follow different rules as we age. They dig into fluid vs. crystallized intelligence, success addiction and dopamine, the reverse bucket list, and how to actually buy happiness. Arthur C. Brooks is a...
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The New Rules of Points & Miles in 2026 with Brian M
#290: Chris and Brian break down the biggest trends reshaping points and miles. They discuss new ways to earn transferable points without a credit card, the award search tools worth using right now, a six-month check-in on Bilt, and what's coming next for premium cards. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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How We Booked a $20,000 Vacation With Points
Chris and Amy booked a last-minute week in Bora Bora that would have cost over $20,000, almost entirely on points. They break down how it came together, why they chose Bora Bora over Fiji, the Marriott award search quirk that hid available rooms, flying business class in both directions by mixing...
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Where to Keep Your Cash for the Highest Return
#288: Chris breaks down exactly where to park your cash to earn the most, whether you have $10,000 or a few million. From high-yield savings accounts and Treasury ETFs to brokerage bonuses and cash management accounts, he explains the tradeoffs that actually matter—and why the highest advertised...
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Putting Die With Zero Into Practice with Brad Barrett
#287: Chris and Brad Barrett revisit "Die With Zero" and confront how much harder Bill Perkins' ideas are to live than to agree with. They dig into when frugality flips from superpower to liability, the maximizer's struggle to let go, optimizing for the perfect Tuesday over the once-a-year trip,...
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Are Credit Card Points Still Worth It? and More Listener Q&A
#286: With credit card fees climbing, credits getting harder to use, and points constantly devaluing, it's fair to ask whether earning points and miles is even worth it anymore. In this AMA, Chris breaks down why the fees are still worth it for him (and who they're not worth it for), common...
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Why Net Fulfillment Beats Net Worth with Bill Perkins
#285: Bill Perkins joins Chris to unpack what dying with zero really means in practice. They discuss why net fulfillment matters at every stage of life, which experiences are worth prioritizing now, how to bank memory dividends, the questions to ask yourself before spending (or saving), and how…
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20+ Credit Card Benefits You’re Probably Not Using
#284: Chris breaks down the credit card benefits that save real money but rarely get attention, from getting a cracked iPhone repaired for free to purchase protections, travel coverage, and a deep bench of lesser-known perks. Learn exactly which card to reach for on every purchase, so you're…
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Do You Actually Need Travel Insurance?
#283: Learn exactly when you might need travel insurance and when your credit cards already have you covered. Chris breaks down what travel insurance covers, how those benefits compare to the coverage built into popular credit cards, and when it makes sense to buy additional protection. Plus…
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Saving Money and Optimizing is My Kryptonite
#282: When does optimization stop helping and start hurting? Chris shares how a string of seemingly smart decisions had him pouring hours into marginal gains that never materialized. He unpacks the hidden cost of optimization, the role AI plays in amplifying it, and how he's learning to focus on...
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Taking My Health Into My Own Hands: Tests, Records, and What Actually Worked
#281: Chris shares the full playbook he used to take control of his health after digging into his family historical and lab results. He breaks down which tests are actually worth your money and when each one matters. Plus, how he built a personal health AI from his own medical records to surface...
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The Hidden Rules of Credit Card Approvals
#280: Learn how to dramatically improve your odds of getting approved for the credit cards you actually want. Chris breaks down the hidden system every bank uses to evaluate applications, why your credit score matters far less than what's on your report, and the real factors driving denials, from...
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How Long-Term Investors Actually Think About Risk with Ben Carlson
#279: Learn to handle market volatility and build long-term wealth in a world dominated by AI disruption, market fear, inflation concerns, and nonstop financial noise. Chris and Ben discuss why investing remains psychologically difficult, how to think about global diversification, when to...
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The AI Tools I'm Building to Replace My Spreadsheets with Anish Acharya
#278: Is AI making it possible for the average person to live a fully optimized life? Chris and Anish swap notes on how custom AI tools are replacing years of spreadsheets, and reshaping the way we work, learn, create, and relate to each other. They dig into why Chris has abandoned OpenClaw, the...
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The Japan ER Visit That Changed How We Travel (& Tokyo Disney) with Amy Fox
#277: The last morning of our Japan trip turned into a sprint to a Tokyo emergency room, and challenged what we thought we knew about traveling abroad. We break down what a Japanese ER really cost, credit card benefits most travelers don't know they have, the best places to shop in Japan right…
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Saving $30K+ on the Perfect Spring Break Japan Trip with Amy Fox
#276: Learn how Chris and Amy booked four nonstop business class seats and a week at the Park Hyatt Tokyo almost entirely on points. They break down the strategy, key takeaways for traveling with kids, Chris' AI-powered trip planner, and more. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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The Custom Everything Era with Kevin Rose
#275: Chris and Kevin dig into how they're actually using AI tools in their daily lives right now. They explore real-world AI use cases, the tradeoffs of sharing personal data, the collapse of trust online, and what all of this means for jobs, creativity, and human connection. Kevin Rose is the...
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The Surprising History of Points and Miles
#274: Chris walks through the complete history of points and miles and breaks down the $140 billion machine behind them, so you can get more out of every point you earn. He covers the legal accidents that made credit cards wildly profitable, why loyalty programs are worth more than the airlines,...
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Stop Overthinking and Start Deciding with Derek Sivers
#273: Learn to stop overthinking and make better decisions. Chris and Derek discuss how optimizing can go wrong, a coin flip trick for making decisions, journaling as a superpower, how your actions might reveal what you actually want, and more. Derek Sivers is an entrepreneur, writer, and...
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My Process for Booking Travel with Points & Miles
#272: Learn how to turn your points into significantly better travel experiences by following a simple, repeatable system. We cover how to plan, find award availability, choose the right tools, and decide between portals vs. transfers, plus the mindset shifts that make the whole process work.…
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How to Actually Live the Life You're Optimizing For with Sahil Bloom
#271: Learn why over-optimizing your life can quietly destroy the things you actually care about. Chris and Sahil explore the doorman fallacy, why big life decisions should happen fast, how to use AI as a thinking partner, and why systems beat motivation every time. Sahil Bloom is a writer,...
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Ski Trip Mishaps, AI Interior Design, Reflecting on Life and More
#270: Chris and Amy discuss lessons from three ski trips with kids, using AI to redesign rooms on a budget, their favorite new gadgets, navigating high-deductible health plans, and more. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/ski-trips-ai-home-design-health-finances-amy Partner Deals...
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Navigating Transfer Bonuses, Hyatt Devaluation, New Card Offers and More
#269: Chris breaks down why he transferred >200k points for a transfer bonus and how to know when they're actually worth it. He also covers Hyatt's new award chart changes, the latest elevated welcome offers, and how he's using multiple AI agents to optimize his work and life. Link to Full Show...
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Stop Planning, Start Experimenting: A Science-Backed Approach to a Better Life with Anne-Laure Le Cunff
#268: Learn why setting big goals might actually be holding you back and what to do instead. Chris and Anne-Laure explore how to replace goal-setting with tiny, low-risk experiments that lead to more growth, more joy, and less burnout. Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a neuroscientist, writer, and founder…
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Credit Cards: What's in My Wallet for 2026
#267: Chris reviews his credit card lineup for 2026, sharing which cards he's keeping and canceling and why. He also covers how to evaluate annual fees, the best cards across major spending categories, and the apps he uses to stay on top of it all. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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Why Change Is Hard and How to Make It Your Advantage with Maya Shankar
#266: Chris and Maya break down the science-backed tools that make change easier and more intentional. They explore why most people misunderstand change, how to anchor your identity to your deeper “why,” and practical tools to break out of rumination and navigate uncertainty. Maya Shankar is the...
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I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep
#265: Chris explores how modern AI tools have eliminated the barriers to building software, why planning matters more than coding skill, how anyone can turn a simple problem into a working app faster and cheaper than ever before, and how he built a personal AI assistant that's already started to...
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Deep Dive on Bilt Rewards and New Bilt 2.0 Cards
#264: Learn how the Bilt ecosystem works, from earning Bilt Rewards to the new cards, transfer partners, perks, and where the real value is. Whether you’re new or already earning, this is a practical guide to using Bilt strategically and avoiding common mistakes. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A
#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-back alternatives, and how to decide when a card (or perk) is actually worth…
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Points & Miles in 2026: What's New, What's Dying & What's Next with Brian M
#262: Learn how to navigate major changes in points and miles while maximizing travel rewards in 2026. Chris and Brian M cover Bilt 2.0, the Mesa card shutdown, how to evaluate annual fees, find award availability, and what’s likely (and unlikely) to change this year. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026 with Kevin Rose
#261: Chris and Kevin reflect on 2025’s biggest wins and lessons, then dive into how they're planning 2026. They share their goals, the tools they're using, and why they're designing a year that’s easier, not just more optimized. Kevin Rose is the host of Diggnation and a partner at True…
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Top 10 Takeaways from 2025
#260: Chris distills the most powerful lessons from over 50 episodes in 2025 into 10 actionable takeaways that changed how he thinks about money, time, health, relationships, purpose, and more. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/top-takeaways-2025-optimize-money-travel-life…
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Choosing the Problems Worth Struggling For with Mark Manson
#259: Learn how to pick the challenges in life that actually matter. We break down how to stop optimizing for the wrong things, why values trump goals in decision-making, practical strategies for building real friendships, and more. Mark Manson is the bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not...
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My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys value. Link to Full Show Notes:...
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End of Year Checklist for Your Taxes, Points and Miles
#257: We break down essential tax and financial decisions to make before year-end. Learn how to maximize deductions, optimize charitable giving, manage investment gains and losses, and take advantage of retirement and home-improvement credits. We also run through all the credit card, points and...
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The Easy Way to Build and Maintain Meaningful Relationships with Nick Gray
#256: We break down the simplest, most effective ways to build stronger friendships and stay connected as an adult. Plus, learn how to build a personal website, host better events, send a friends newsletter, book a cruise on a budget, and so much more. Nick Gray is an entrepreneur and author who...
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2025 Holiday Gift Guide and Top Ways to Save This Season
#255: Here are 100+ holiday gift ideas across tech, kitchen, home, clothing, fitness, kids, and games. I’ll also share tools and tactics to help you find deals and spend less this holiday season. For all the products, links, deals and more, check out the full 2025 Gift Guide here:...
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The Cost of Always Optimizing with Chris and Amy
#254: Chris and Amy share a candid look at their life together as two optimizers. They discuss everything from family finances and teaching their kids about money to managing their health, work, and travel. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/ama-amy-marriage-parenting-health…
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10 Lessons That Challenged My Thinking on Money and Life
#253: My top 10 takeaways from a retreat for high-net-worth investors, which will cover investing, managing risk, investing in your health, building meaningful relationships, parenting with purpose, and defining success in a way that goes far beyond money. Tad Fallows is the co-founder of Long...
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Family Travel on Points: Tips, Tricks and Tactics with Nick Reyes
#252: Chris and Nick share strategies to make family travel affordable and stress-free with points and miles. They cover how to find multiple award seats, book business class for families, and their best tips for traveling with kids, from managing jet lag and delays to finding family-friendly...
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How to Focus on What Matters and Let Go of the Rest with Ryan Holiday
#251: Discover why Stoicism matters more than ever and how to make it part of your daily life. We share practical ways to focus on what you can control, build resilience, and cultivate the four Stoic virtues: courage, self-discipline, justice, and wisdom. Ryan Holiday is a bestselling modern...
About this show
Never leave money on the table. This is your shortcut to upgrading your life, money and travel—all while spending less and saving more. Get tactical moves and deep dives into designing a life you’re excited about.Host Chris Hutchins is a life hacker who has saved millions by breaking down every aspect of life and looking to maximize happiness at the lowest cost. Chris and guests like Tim Ferriss, Tony Hawk, Codie Sanchez and Gary Vaynerchuk are here to deliver smart strategies you can plug into your own life—from a money hack that increases your net worth, to a routine change that boosts your productivity.
Hosted by
Chris Hutchins