Hey Everybody!

This week, I'm letting you into some of our travel secrets and sharing how travel hacking has ELEVATED our travel experience.

Later this month, Matt and I️ are going to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a little getaway from the cold New England winter. I️ am going to show you how I️ booked it for relatively free!

If there were any time to get into travel hacking, it’s now! Let's get to it!

(estimated reading time: 4.12 minutes)

IN THIS NEWSLETTER..

• 💳 Learn Travel Hacking 101
• ✈️ We're breaking down our free-ish trip to Fort Lauderdale
• 🥂 You'll get some simple tasks to get started
• 🌼 Get caught up on our Airstream Renovation

But First, Some Travel Hacking Myths

I️ will be the first to admit I️ didn’t really know what travel hacking is until I️ started seriously traveling. Here are some myths that I️ believed before doing it.

Although none of these are true, I️ DO NOT recommend getting into travel hacking if you are in credit card debt or irresponsible with credit cards.

What's Travel Hacking?

The simple jist of it is this:

1. Open travel credit cards that earn you travel points
2. Meet the opening sign up bonus to start your journey with a good pot of points.
3. Transfer those points to hotel and airline partners and book with points instead of cash.
4. Repeat

On top of earning sign up bonuses, you can elevate your travel experience by earning elite status with airlines and hotels.

Status will get you perks like suite upgrades, free night stays and even free breakfast directly with hotel loyalty programs.

We got into travel hacking this year, when we packed our bags and traveled the world for 5 months.

Compare Hotel Loyalty Programs with my FREE Chart ​ JOIN THE WAITLIST

how I️ Booked a Trip to Florida with Points

During our 5 month trip, we earned so many points on various credit cards. I️ am SO pumped to Florida later this month. Here is how I️ booked our trip!

🏨 Hotel Stay

3 nights @ A Category 4 Hyatt Hotel

Cash Value = $998.49

I️ Paid: 18,000 points + 2 Category 1-4 Free Night Awards

I️ have Globalist Status (Hyatt's highest status) so I️ will get free breakfast for 2 each night and the opportunity to be upgraded to a suite if it's available.

I️ earned these points by working the sign up bonus for the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

I️ earned one Category 1-4 free night award by spending $15k on the card in one calendar year (thank you airstream!) and the other was earned by staying 30 nights in one calendar year.

✈️ Flights

2 Round Trip Flights on JetBlue with TrueBlue Miles​

I️ earned these miles by completing a sign up bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and transferring them to TrueBlue.

Cash Value: $492.42

I Paid: 37,200 pts + $22.40 (points were transferred 1:1 from Chase Ultimate Rewards)

In total, $22.40 is all we paid for this trip to Florida! Pretty sweet if you ask me!

How to Get started

Truthfully, there is so much to learn about travel hacking that I️ don't even know everything I️ should! But, what held me back from starting was feeling like I️ didn't understand it.

Well, after this year, I️ realized you don't need to know EVERYTHING to get started. Here is what you can do NOW to start your journey.

1. CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES

If you're ready to learn more, we don't have the resources available other than the Hotel Loyalty Program Guide. So, here is where I️ get my information about travel hacking!

✈️ DAILY DROP NEWSLETTER: Daily Drop has a bunch of great resources on their website, host webinars and every day, they share some great ways to use your points for max redemption. I️ personally read this one every time it hits my inbox!

​💳 10xTRAVEL INSIDERS FACEBOOK GROUP: This is a big group with a bunch of travel hackers at every level. The group requires you to take their course before posting. Ay! Free course! But you can just join and read.

❤️ THE POINTS GUY BLOG:This is also a great resource to find quick answers to questions you may have.

Other:

​Thrifty Traveler​

​One Mile at a Time​

​Daily Drop Free Course​

2. SIGN UP FOR LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Choose your hotels and airlines and sign up for their loyalty programs. This way, you will get emails when these program run promotions and you can start earning as you stay. Our favorites are World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, United Mileage Plus & Delta.

3. OPEN YOUR FIRST TRAVEL CREDIT CARD

Our Picks For Beginners:

Chase Sapphire Preferred $95 annual fee. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. See if You're Pre Approved

Capital One Ventureone $0 Annual fee. Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. See if You're Pre Approved

🌼 Update on our Airstream

This is taking longer than we thought... The airstream has taken a bit of a backseat to all the snow we’ve gotten in CT. Thankfully, it is finally warming up outside! Matt's made great progress with restoring our rusty frame and we are so close to re-attaching it to the shell! We made a full life/airstream update video on YouTube! WATCH OUR UPDATE VIDEO

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​