A Future Stay At An IHG Hotel Property for $30 or less!

As I've written about before, Daily Getaways.ustravel.org is a US Travel Association organization that offers superb deals for about a month every year.  After that, you have to wait again 'til next year to take advantage.
I LOVE two deals.  As many Canadians do not have IHG points unless they stay at an Intercontinental Hotel owned property (Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, etc.) as Capital One dropped their most awesome IHG Mastercard over a year ago from their selection.
This is a foot in the door to getting a great deal on an IHG property.  Every 3 months, on the last Monday of the month, IHG brings out their point breaks.  It's a list of select IHG properties from around the world that will let you stay at their property over the upcoming 3 months from 5K points per night.  It MAY come out early this time as the last day of the month this month is the 30th, and I've never seen it come out on the last day of the month so stay tuned.  I'll let you know if it comes out tomorrow.
It used to be the IHG Point Breaks were all 5K per night, but now they've changed it so that some are 5K, some are 10K and some are 15K IHG points.  These are still bargains, and at least they are offering some nicer properties that they were not necessarily offering before when they only charged 5K points per night.  You can stay as long as you wish (depending on how many points you have) and make up to 2 reservations per hotel.  The hotel takes up to 200 reservations at the point breaks level.
You can see this point break as an opportunity to stay in a new city at a small number of points.  I like to stay at Staybridge Suite properties that are IHG's answer to Marriott's Residence Inn--long term stay properties with 1-2 bedroom suites with full kitchens and up to 2 bathrooms per suite.
IHG also allows for a trick to turn points into cash at a very reasonable rate.  The way it works is, firstly, you have to HAVE at least 5K points to take advantage of this trick.
Daily Getaways is still offering IHG points at a good rate, including $89USD for 15K points.  That could be worth 3 free nights at an IHG 5K Point Break per night stay property, 1 1/2 nights worth at a 10K point break stay, or 1 night at a higher end hotel for 15K points.
Once you have at least 5K IHG points in you account, which you could buy through Daily Getaways, (they are selling minimum 8.5K points), you are eligible to book a stay at an IHG property on a combo of points and cash. 
So as to not have to invest purchasing as many points as you need for a stay, you may choose to buy 8500 points through Daily Getaways HERE , wait for the IHG Point Breaks to come out (MAYBE tomorrow!). Either that, or the EASY way--wait until the Point Breaks come out, find out how many points you need for your stay, and buy that many!  The other option, if you are not happy with any of the properties, is to invest in the minimum, 8500 IHG points.  Buy them after the Point Breaks come out.  Find out how many points you'll need for the hotel you wish to stay in, let's say 10K points per night for 7 nights (35K points) make a booking for a hotel that you have no intention of staying at using the cash and points option.  You'll have to pay for the hotel cash differential.  Then, you cancel the reservation.  They will not pay you the cash back, but instead, give you points back in your account in lieu of the cash.  That rate is about the same as the Daily Getaways rate of around $30USD per 5K points.  Then, use the points now in your account to take advantage of the point break!