If you’ve never used points and miles, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through the why, what and exactly how to start – without spreadsheets taking over your life or swiping your way into debt. You’ll see how I string together sign-up bonuses (SUB), transfer partners and perks (like airport lounges) to turn normal spending into cheap or free trips.

A few personal trips using points – Family trip to Asia in business class, only paying taxes on flights to FL and getting a free night hotel stay before ALL our cruises, NOLA mostly on points, plus booked my family to Ecuador in economy down and business class back plus several hotels – all on points!

Why Points Work – Travel Hacking for Beginner’s

Why this isn’t exactly couponing in disguise – from a former Extreme Couponer:

Points are a currency! Banks reward you with points or miles for opening a card and using it. Those points can be cashed out for things like gift cards or used to “erase” purchases, but the real value is transferring to partners redeeming for flights and hotels, where you can get 2-10¢ per point (sometimes more).

Sign-up bonuses are more valuable than everyday swipes. A single welcome bonus can cover a round-trip to Europe or a week of hotels. You don’t need a dozen cards to start – just one good card plus a plan.

Flexibility beats loyalty. I prefer flexible currency (Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR), AMEX Membership Rewards (MR), Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points) because I can transfer them to different airlines and hotels when I find deals. I won’t lie, it takes time and patience but the payoff is worth it!

The Three Types of Travel Rewards:

[Read more…]

{Pin It}

Do you want to travel this summer without breaking the bank? I’ve put together these money saving summer vacation tips to help stretch your budget.  With some planning, deal hunting and flexibility, you can save enough money to potentially take two trips instead of just one!!

Money Saving Summer Vacation Tips:

1. Pack light – airlines are charging fees for everything nowadays. Most carries charge for checked bags and overweight bags. If you can, try to pack in a single carry on (within the size/weight restrictions) or limit everyone to a single bag.   When choosing flights consider checked bag fees into your purchase. Carriers such as Southwest offer 1 checked bag at no additional cost.

Make sure to factor in the extra space and weight of purchases you may make during your travels as well.  We like to keep a tiny reusable shopping bag with us in case we need to lighten our baggage with an extra carry on.

2. Round trip tickets – a must in travel to save money is booking round trip tickets. Booking a one- way ticket is extremely expensive, more than a round-trip ticket in a lot of cases! Don’t forget that you can book round-trip tickets arriving and departing from different airports.  Our recent trip we flew into Paris and out of Nice. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’ll be in the same area since you’d have to factor in car rentals as well.

[Read more…]