Live Free or Die Paying Retail

Most think life’s a straight line:

Get a job → Pay mortgage → Save a little → Die tired.

Many walk the line.

Some carve new paths.

Chris Hutchins lit the whole thing on fire and left.

Look…

I’ve recorded more than 1,000 episodes of The James Altucher Show.

I’ve interviewed billionaires, chess champions, Navy SEALs, psychopaths, comedians, artists, hedge fund managers.

I’ve heard every productivity hack, every “if I only knew then…” story, every “here’s how I made $100 million” blueprint.

And still… this one shocked me.

Chris Hutchins didn’t build an empire. He didn’t invent a billion-dollar app. He didn’t have a near-death experience and write a memoir about it.

He just figured out how to game life better than anyone I’ve ever met.

He’s not “scamming the system.” He’s not being shady. He’s just turning life into an arbitrage machine — and he's a genius at it.

That’s why I had to have him on the podcast. (Link below.)

Travel the World for Free

Chris lived out of Airbnbs for years to avoid leases, furniture, and all the traditional headaches of adulting.

He buys Costco gold bars using credit card rewards and executive membership points, then sells the gold back at near market price — sometimes profiting $500 in a single trip to Costco.

He finds gift cards for 20–30% off retail and stacks them with cashback credit cards, effectively giving himself a personal inflation hedge.

And the kicker?

He has perfect credit.

Let me repeat: The guy has opened dozens of credit cards, buys thousands of dollars of gold, loops through gift card arbitrage, books international travel using points, and he still has near-perfect credit.

But here's the thing I respect most about him: he's doing this not to get rich quick — but to live well without selling his soul.

He didn’t want to be the guy in a cubicle, grinding for decades just to save 10% on a 401(k) match. He wanted freedom. So he optimized for it.

Chris's hacks aren’t about deprivation. They’re about leverage.

Some of my favorites from our conversation:

• The “5-minute rule” to stop binge-eating cookies

• The 80/80 marriage hack to end chore arguments forever

• The Airbnb image trick to find the same rental cheaper on other platforms

• Why buying $200 gift cards at Lowe’s with the right credit card can net you $150+ in pure cash

• How a listener saved over $1,000 by claiming forgotten money from a state website (and how 20% of people can do the same)

That’s not just scrappy. That’s genius.

Reality is Plastic

This isn’t just “life hacks” — it’s a whole new way to think about money, time, and how to actually play the game.

If you're a young person trying to get ahead… if you're stuck in a job and want out… if you just want to save a few hundred bucks without being miserable…

You need to listen to this episode.

I learned more from Chris in 60 minutes than I have from most business books.

Check out the podcast here for all the tricks.

And yes, I’ve already told my daughters they’re required to listen.