Most every frequent flyer has heard of the Pudding Guy – the infamous David Phillips whose mileage earning exploits were portrayed by Adam Sandler in “Punch Drunk Love.” (Those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this 1999 thread on FlyerTalk – the Pudding Guy makes his first appearance at post #17)

But did you know Australia had its own version of the Pudding Guy just a couple of years ago? His username isn’t as catchy, and the value wasn’t as good (it’s estimated he earned ~1.3 million points at a cost of ~$16K), but his storytelling is par excellence.

Meet Joshua – the Taco Cat Guy.

Unlike the Pudding Guy, who completed all of his purchases prior to making his first post, Joshua begins his story while still in the midst of the adventure. Initially he stumbles upon a very good mileage earning scheme utilizing low-cost purchases of taco seasoning. Soon enough though, he discovers the that cat food works as well, and can be found in quantity much more easily and he is off to the races.

Joshua’s narrative style makes this thread a must read. And while the thread is great from start to finish, Joshua really begins to take the prose to a new level beginning at post #12, which begins:

A D-Day of sorts. It was now or never. I had emptied the car and would start early (well take a ‘positioning’ drive of sorts to get the best run). This time I wasn’t alone, it helps to have someone accompany you. In my case the GF didn’t even blink, but that’s what happens when she’s travelled in J & F around the globe with you, going from NB to WP in the last year. We would tag team to get through the checkouts as quick as humanly possible and being a Sunday, traffic was light.

With the 15th anniversary of the Pudding Guy promotion nearly upon us, it is nice to see that lucrative, and hilarious, shopping promotions aren’t quite such a distant thing of the past. Joshua’s taco seasoning and cat food shopping spree from just a couple of years ago should remind us all to constantly be on the lookout for that next big thing.

Read the thread in its entirety: WOW Select Trolley Run