At TPG, I spend a lot of time writing about airline and hotel loyalty programs. Yet I never expected to earn top-tier status through my lip gloss and travel toiletries purchases. Last year, I meticulously tracked every Premier Qualifying Point as I worked toward United Premier Silver status. I even booked a last-minute mileage run…

July was a good month for me. Instead of chasing dream redemptions and the ultimate lie-flat seat, I chased my friends near and far and remembered why all of this matters. A great hotel room is a dream, but so is sleeping on your friend’s couch. For me, July was a few nice hotels —…