Since I started writing this blog a few weeks ago, I’ve had some really good conversations with readers. One of the common threads I’m hearing is that a lot of us are feeling kind of exhausted from staying on top of a game that has been particularly brutal to play lately. For the vast majority of us, the ROI and scalability hasn’t been the same as it was last year, or even a few months ago. 

I can’t help you not be exhausted when churning and MSing, and you shouldn’t take self care advice from me anyway. But there are some things you can do to take a step back from the MS grind and remember why you started this hobby in the first place.

I will admit that I have never read a FIRE blog or listened to a FIRE podcast, so this advice is coming squarely from the land of vibes accounting. But even if you’re strictly adhering to a path of financial independence, there is room to do something fun with your spoils. 

Sometimes, 99% optimized is good enough

This thought came out of a chat with my buddy capncrunch, a.k.a. Jim Lahey. We were sharing views on MSing your way to Hyatt Globalist if you were to utilize a particular low-cost lever that is also not particularly valuable for bonus categories.

He (correctly) pointed out that the smartest move is to not use a Hyatt card on this avenue, and to use a Chase Freedom Unlimited instead. 1.5 URs is obviously better than 1 Hyatt, both from an earning rate and relative value perspective. With this method, you could either transfer the larger haul of points to Hyatt, find a way to cash them out at a higher rate to pay cash, buy suite awards/Guest of Honor certs, or some combination of all three. 

This is objectively true and makes the CFU the obvious better choice. I do have a CFU, but I will continue to MS Globalist on my Hyatt card. Why? I get a lot of happiness out of being able to use GoH and SUA certs on stays for my family (and occasionally myself) and it’s much easier than explaining to them why some random person they don’t know is transferring one to them. 

This isn’t the most optimized choice – I am essentially buying Hyatt at an acquisition cost that 99% of us would be content with and the free nights, certificates and status is just an add-on. 

But running all of the boring, low hanging fruit loops creates enough profit that a slightly suboptimal play like this can be worth it when my parents are traveling and I can get them a bunch of valuable freebies without thinking twice. 

Regardless of which one of us you side with here, I think we can all agree that either method is significantly less exhausting than a good old fashioned mattress run (unless you’re doing a “mattress run”). As much fun as being told not to say my room number out loud at check-in because of a serious meth problem at the Hyatt Place Columbus or startling the hell out of my Uber driver who was taking me back to the train station 2 minutes after dropping me off at a different Hyatt, I’m glad that earning Globalist from my office is an option. 

Compartmentalize credits/earnings

This one is really difficult when you’re aware that pretty much any point, mile, credit, or absurd coupon can be converted to cash at market rate. But I think occasionally treating yourself with your churning spoils by doing something for yourself that you would never do normally can be quite beneficial for avoiding the inevitable feeling of exhaustion.

Here’s a couple of real life examples that you could apply:

• Try actually using things like Amex FHR credits on travel for yourself or family. Sure, you could broker them, but even outside of the occasional startling hijinks that result from doing that, sometimes it’s just fun to stay at a hotel that isn’t part of a giant American chain. 
• Sometimes lost in the shuffle of the never-ending stackable offers on everybody’s favorite store card is the fact that you do earn points that are redeemable for gift cards. Since the cashback offers are often correlated with high earning bonus categories, it doesn’t take long to build a somewhat nice stash of SYW points. Could you convert them all into VGCs to be liquidated back into your MS bankroll or VTSAX? Sure, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Personally, I use those funds as my “splurge” fund to indulge my sneakerhead habit (eBay certified pre-owned, of course) and it’s been helpful to not feel bad buying something frivolous. The SYW card is also not the only example of a relatively small rewards balance you could do this with.
• Perhaps most importantly – I think there is something to be said for “holding” some percentage of your monthly points hauls for actual redemptions. Whether that means booking travel or a little bit of extra splurging if you don’t want to travel, it’s almost like tax withholding on your earnings. For example, those of us that are currently eating well on the weekends might want to hold aside 25k or 50k each month for redemptions – there are plenty of good airline and hotel options even if you don’t transfer right away. 

Will doing any of these things fix the bummer that has been MSing in 2025? Unfortunately, no. But it might help frame that there is still plenty of value to be had, and that said value can extend beyond balances going brrrrrr. 

Take care of yourself out there!