Mile Nerd

I’ve gotten a bunch of emails lately from fresh-faced, bright-eyed rookies. Ah, yes…the newbies. The noobs. El Nuevo. I’m feeling very tempted to start a rant here, but I’m getting old and it’s late at night. So let me just cut to the chase. What I’d like to say is this…

Get your heads out of your asses, people!

Sure, that might sound rough, but I don’t care. I’m the mile and point version of George Washington. I cannot tell a lie. And the truth is…I’m continually amazed by the way people sleepwalk through everything in their lives. So snap out of your walking coma for a minute and listen…

All you need to do is have 3 simple traits. First…show a tiny amount of courage. Second…don’t be lazy. And third…stay organized. If you can have those basic “skills,” you’ll be able to travel in style and save thousands every year. But the truth is, a bunch of you can’t do it. You don’t have the discipline to invest 10 minutes a day into anything new. Not even if it will change your life. You’re comfortable. You’re set in your ways. And on and on. Many of you will never really get started with this.

Some of you get past that laziness trap, but can’t shake the inner wuss running your show. I get the same type of emails all the time. “Hey MileNerd, I finally got started with credit cards and gift cards. I even found a great place to buy Vanilla Reloads. I don’t know what I was so scared about. I wish I did this last year. Totally addicted now!” I read those emails and realize how many never get there. For a few of you, that fear is probably a good thing. For most of you, though, ask yourself where you learned about credit. Who taught you the lessons that run your life? Are you comfortable making that teacher the end-all, be-all of your financial education? If so, enjoy your coach flights and Holiday Inns. Say hi to me when you walk past the First Class cabin.

That only leaves the disorganized. Listen, if you can’t put together a clear spreadsheet to organize this hobby in a day, it’s time to discover something new. Maybe the fascinating world of Sudoku. Perhaps competitive eating? If you do anything with money, you have to stay organized. You can’t go around missing payments or losing your Vanilla Reload cards. Between AwardWallet, a simple spreadsheet, and not being a slob…you should be able to tackle everything in a few minutes per day.

In closing, this all seems very simple. You know why that is? Because it is SO. FREAKING. SIMPLE. I used to feel bad for people when they encountered these hiccups. Later I got annoyed about it. Now? I don’t really spend much time thinking about you people. The truth is, I’m too busy dealing with others who have legitimate problems. So get out of your own way or find something else to do. I don’t know why you’d read this blog if you’re not really dedicated…if you’re not really “in.” Isn’t that a waste of your time? But for those of you noobs who are in it to win it, there’s a Newbie Guide on the top right and you can email me anytime. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader. And, yes, I just said “in it to win it.” That was pretty embarrassing.

One final tip. If you are in it to win it (there it is again), don’t spend much energy trying to convince your unmotivated friends. Trust me, it’s a waste of your time. You’ll just disturb their sleepwalking schedule. MileNerd out. Enjoy your weekend.