Best Hacks to Save Money in 2026 (Best of) with Chris Hutchins

What It Covers

Chris Hutchins shares advanced strategies for maximizing credit card points, finding online deals, and travel hacking, including welcome bonus optimization, gift card arbitrage, hotel negotiation tactics, and teaching kids entrepreneurship through deal-finding.

Key Questions Answered

• •Welcome Bonus Strategy: Credit card welcome bonuses average 17% return versus typical 2-5% cashback rates. Open cards strategically with partners to stack bonuses—one person opens card, refers partner for referral bonus, partner opens same card for their welcome bonus, effectively doubling rewards per household.
• •Points Purchase Arbitrage: Buy hotel points during sales to book luxury properties at massive discounts. Example: Cap Rocat in Mallorca costs $2,800 per night cash but 120,000 Hilton points, which can be purchased for half-cent each ($600 total), creating 78% savings on identical bookings.
• •Card-Linked Offer Multiplication: Add same promotional offer to multiple cards from one issuer, then purchase high-resale-value gift cards to trigger bonuses. Example: $50 back on $200 Lowe's purchase across seven Amex cards yields $350 cashback, resell Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards at 89 cents per dollar for 14% profit.
• •Flight Booking Sequencing: International one-way flights cost significantly more than roundtrips—adding unused return leg can cut prices by 50% or more. Use tools like Points.me, PointsYeah, and Award Tool with flexible destination searches to find business class redemptions at 70-80% below cash prices.
• •Business Card Benefits: Sole proprietors qualify for business credit cards without formal incorporation or EIN. Business cards bypass Chase's 5/24 rule (five personal cards in 24 months), don't report to personal credit, and offer higher welcome bonuses while building points faster through everyday business expenses.