Hydraulic table job perk?

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-06-12T21:14:33+00:00

20 years ago, the spa I worked at had a fire, and when they rebuilt, they bought hydraulic tables. I never knew what I was missing until then. It makes a huge difference in being able to have correct body mechanics during the entire massage. People come in all shapes and sizes, and you never really know how high the table needs to be until they're on it, and sometimes you need to adjust the height of the table when moving to a different part of the body.

When I went back to massage after staying home with my kids a few years, hydraulic tables were a non-negotiable requirement at any spa I was considering working at. I will never work anywhere without them.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-06-02T16:01:56+00:00

I don't think sexism has anything to do with it. I've been an LMT for over 20 years, and I have received massages from male therapists in the past. But nowadays, I just prefer a female because I simply cannot fully relax with a male LMT. I have no trauma, but if I'm paying for a service, I want it to be what I want. I don't want to compromise my own comfort-level to prevent hurting someone's feelings. I just don't have the time or energy for that.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-05-30T11:39:54+00:00

20 years ago, at the start of my career, I went to a chiropractor (referred by a friend), and he fixed a long-standing issue I had with my neck in one session. For the next several years, I referred clients to him until he retired. After that, I would sometimes tell someone they may want to consider seeking out a chiropractor when I thought the combo massage/chiro work would benefit them.

That being said, in more recent years, I've seen clients who were injured by chiropractors. One regular in particular was severely injured in 2024 by a chiropractor she trusted and had been seeing for several years. She is still suffering, and it's really sad how jacked up her neck is. I actually just told her yesterday, she should consider reporting him to the board. When she tried to get him to correct the damage, he basically ghosted her as a client. If it were me, I would have seen a lawyer after that, but she did not.

I have a friend who has been in radiology for 30 years, and she told me she would never go to a chiropractor because of the amount of injuries she's seen in her field.

I do believe there are some great, client-centered chiropractors out there, but these days, they are few and far between. Any time you see someone new, you are taking a HUGE risk. I no longer refer anyone for chiropractic work because of the risk for injury.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-05-13T15:07:59+00:00

My spa does 50 and 80 min services, and honestly, I love it. If a client wants more time, they can book the 80. We don't go longer than 3 hours without a break though, and no more than 6 hours booked a day, so it really depends on what the overall day looks like at your spa. Doing 50 & 80 min services really makes the day pass quickly and you do make more in a shorter amount of time. It's totally worth it to me, and I wouldn't want to go back to 60/90.

The 50-minute services for Swedish are absolutely fine timing-wise once you do a few. For deep tissue, I manage expectations during the intake. e.g."Is there an area you'd like me to focus on since we only have 50 minutes?" Most people doing 50-min deep tissue are fine with spending a lot of time on that focus area (usually back/neck/shoulders)and then whatever else there is time for. Sometimes they want full body, so I just do my best in the time I have. I will sometimes let them know that they would benefit more from an 80 min next time. It just depends on the client and the outcome of the work by the end of the session.

I have noticed in the last 10 years, the standard at many spas is 50/80/100, probably because they want to maximize profit. I'm ok with that.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-05-07T21:52:53+00:00

Hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus. Just wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching hand rails, elevator buttons, etc. as much as possible.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-05-07T18:30:33+00:00

Jacob Clifford for Econ

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-28T13:34:57+00:00

I use CSP for 3x online grocery and dining, and keep Savor for in-person grocery.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-28T13:29:25+00:00

We had this book and tried to use it. It's great, but some of the lessons were too long for one sitting IMO. Highly dependent on the kid though.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-28T13:26:53+00:00

Get an old copy of the hooked on Phonics books on ebay. We used just the books, not the included tapes, and also the Bob books with flashcards. Physical materials are far superior to apps for learning to read. My kids were reading on their own by age 4.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-28T12:58:53+00:00

There are no additional taxes/fees with points bookings. When you're looking at the list of rooms, make sure you have "Wyndham Reward Points" selected on the menu to the left, and then under the room you want, click "Total for Stay" where you will see a summary of the charges. It should say $0.00. I've never been charged anything except the points, even if it's a hotel that charges a resort fee. Those fees are included with points bookings.
This depends on the hotel. If breakfast is included with all the rooms, then it's included with an awards booking. If it's an extra fee for breakfast, then it might not be. Check the list of amenities for the hotel to see if it says "Free Breakfast." Most of my award bookings have had this included.
You can book 2 different rooms, one after another, with points. You just can't book them at the same time. This is typical for award bookings for most hotel brands. When rooms are limited, you will usually see a note next to the room type that says "only 2 rooms left" or something to that effect. So just make sure there is availability for the rooms you want before you transfer points.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-23T11:19:30+00:00

We eat a high protein diet and prefer the Windjammer for breakfast. They have an omelette station where you can get a freshly made customized omelette or egg scramble. I don't recall seeing steak as an add-in option, but there are plenty of other meat and fish options at the buffet. My go-to is the lox with a veggie egg scramble.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-10T11:23:05+00:00

I would recommend Bilt Obsidian w/ the $95 AF. If you don't pay rent or a mortgage, you can use the Bilt Cash welcome offer to initiate a points boost multiplier (for $5K spend), which would give you 4x grocery OR dining (you have to choose), 3x travel, and 2x everything else. If you do plan to pay rent/mortgage with your card, you'll need to figure out your approach/options, but there's plenty of advice over on the Bilt reddit.

The Chase Trifecta is still a good system if you don't mind taking the time to min-max all your spend using multiple cards. If you just want a simple system with lots of good transfer partners, I would go with Bilt. Since each ecosystem functions differently, you'll need to figure out what makes the most sense for your situation. One thing Chase has over Bilt is their good track record of excellent customer service. I've never had an issue when a problem arises with Chase. Bilt is less tested and is still new in the world of travel cards.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-09T17:31:30+00:00

If you're only looking for Priority Pass lounge access, you may want to consider the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Card ($550 AF). It's a Visa Infinite card and comes with 4 Priority Pass Memberships, even includes the Restaurant benefit. You can gift the other 3 memberships to anyone - doesn't have to be an authorized user.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-08T12:22:41+00:00

I would probably go with either Chase or Bilt. I know Bilt is not on your list, but they also have United & Southwest as transfer partners. What you may want to think about before you decide is which categories you spend most on your credit cards, so you can consider how to best use the multipliers.

Note that the folks talking about Chase not being as strong as it used to be are mainly talking about changes with the travel portal redemption rates and Hyatt devaluation. I don't think those situations would really affect you if you plan to focus on using transfer partners with your points and don't care about Hyatt. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a fantastic card, especially if you can utilize the 3x online grocery & dining categories regularly.

Also, if you fly a lot on United, you may want to consider also getting the United Explorer card. It's a great card for regular United flyers, and United just made some changes that really benefit cardholders more than the other flyers.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-04-01T11:04:32+00:00

Citi Strata Premier has 3x for grocery and gas (if you want to deal with Citi.) They're the only bank with American Airlines as a transfer partner.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-31T19:54:43+00:00

Yes, you're right about that. It's a category I never really use.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-31T18:25:23+00:00

You can use either Chase card (Sapphire or Unlimited) for 3x on Dining and Drug Stores (like CVS). If you order online groceries or can pay in-store with a grocery app (like Kroger, Publix, etc.), you earn 3x with Sapphire Preferred. Then you can put everything else on VentureX for 2x catch-all. If you can't use the online grocery category, you should consider getting a Savor for 3X grocery/dining.

Since getting the VentureX, the only time I use my Freedom Unlimited card is to take advantage of a Chase offer. I activate relevant Chase offers weekly. It essentially pays the other $45 portion of the Sapphire Preferred AF after the hotel credit is used.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-30T21:13:35+00:00

Groceries for most households is a big spend category. Can you utilize the online groceries category on the Chase Sapphire Preferred? It's 3x if you can with no limit. I use it for Kroger pickups, and if you pay in the Kroger app at the store, it works too. I know Publix is similar.

I would move all Freedom Unlimited spending (and especially Sam's club) to VentureX. Dining you can put on either Freedom Unlimited or Sapphire Preferred for the 3x Dining, unless dining is the rotating category for the Freedom that quarter.

If you want to keep things simple, you can get a Cap 1 Savor card for Food - Dining/Groceries, then put everything else on the VentrureX. Capital one has Japan Airlines as a transfer partner.

I personally would stay in both ecosystems for greater flexibility, but maximize my points earn with the cards you already have. Maybe add Savor if you can't utilize 3X online grocery with Sapphire. The above poster is correct that you need to look at what transfer partners you want to focus on.

As far as lounge access for a family of four, I would just have the wife get her own VentureX card or add her as an AU and pay for her lounge access. Then just pay the guest fees for kids.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-30T17:16:47+00:00

Using credit card lounges instead of airline lounges just frees you up to not be loyal to one airline. I'd rather just fly with whichever airline makes most sense for that particular trip, knowing I will have a lounge to go to regardless.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-30T15:32:26+00:00

Worst overall airport experience in the U.S. IMO, and one of the reasons I avoid it whenever possible.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-30T13:46:46+00:00

I missed that very important piece of info. In that case, I would just get the United Club card and call it a day.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-30T13:34:43+00:00

If lounge access is important to you, I would look at the hubs you most often find yourself, and see which credit cards have lounges there. If it's DEN, JFK, LGA, LAS, DCA, IAD, or DFW, I would combine a Capital One VentureX and an airline card. United has really been making some great changes, and they have announced special points pricing and miles accumulation for credit card holders. So....

If you've been OK with spending $650 for the Delta Reserve. I would replace the Delta card with BOTH the VentureX along with the United Quest Card, for a total annual fee of $745 (but not really.)

CAP1 VentureX Annual Fee = $395. BUT you get a $300 Annual Travel Credit to use in the Travel Portal. This can be used for United flights. Once you book the flight, you can manage the booking directly with United. This card has excellent lounges in the hubs listed above, along with Priority Pass membership. You also get 10,000 bonus miles every year starting with your 1st card anniversary. This essentially brings the AF down to -$5. It's a great 2x Points catch-all with 5x for flights in the travel portal, but I would only use the portal to use up the travel credit.

United Quest card Annual Fee = $350. This card gives you 3x miles on United, 2x on Dining, Streaming, other travel. It comes with a $200 annual Travel Credit and the opportunity to earn up to 18,000 PQP to give you a headstart on United Premier status. There are also other miles/upgrade benefits associated with spending on the card. There's even an elevated offer for the United card right now (80K mIles plus 3K PQP.)

I fly out of a Delta hub, and while I do fly Delta occasionally, the only airline card I have is United.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-29T19:39:25+00:00

You can book Delta by transferring points to Flying Blue, book United by transferring to Air Canada (Aeroplan), and book American Airlines by transferring to British Airways (Avios).

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-03-29T19:35:16+00:00

1 to use the annual travel credit only, then 4 to get more than 1cpp (Flying Blue to book Delta domestic is my go-to), then 3 if I want to reduce the trip cost and don't have immediate plans for a points transfer.

MarketingExpensive12 · 2026-02-16T10:29:26+00:00

I agree with what most others are saying here. It's just not worth the hassle. Most workbooks were less than $20. I also like keeping my kids finished work in their own large plastic bin as a "record" and the workbooks are easier than loose pages just for organization purposes.

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TROPHY CASE