We have often flown and stayed in Hawaii on points and miles, but we usually stay on just one island. For this family trip, Alex wanted to try out two islands and two Hyatts to compare them. I figured that if she was up for doing this with four crazy boys ages 2-11, I could […]

Sometimes, we get so caught up in international experiences that we forget there are amazing destinations right here in the United States.  One of my daughters has been taking her family to Florida almost yearly, and they have the BEST time. Let’s do a Friday Family Vacation to Florida this week! My daughter, Kelly, loves […]

If visiting a country with a diverse landscape of rolling hills, rugged coastline, mountains, forests, and numerous freshwater lochs (lakes) is your dream, you must plan a trip to Scotland on points and miles. Recently, myself and three of my daughters fulfilled one daughter’s dream of visiting Scotland (Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t leave her busy boys and […]

Our reader success story comes from Justine who planned an amazing honeymoon on points/miles to the Maldives and Japan. Here’s her story:   Background My [now] husband and I got engaged in March of 2021, and I immediately went into brainstorming an epic honeymoon (before wedding planning even ). We already had traveled a ton […]

Raising a family can be expensive! Groceries, healthcare, clothes, etc., etc., etc.! You might as well be rewarded for what you have to pay for anyway! We love to use our credit cards to meet minimum spending and grab a big sign-up bonus so we don’t have to pay a lot for family travel, which […]

For years, my husband and I ALWAYS applied jointly for each credit card. Both of our names were on each and every card. That worked fine for years. Then I found how to use credit card points and miles, and we quit that for good. Most major credit card issuers don’t even allow joint accounts […]

I don’t use card points and miles for cheap seats. Now that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, but I have some reasons I’d like to share with you regarding why I’ve made that choice. Free is free, though. If you are buying 4 airline tickets domestically, I know it can add up. It may make total […]

Sometimes, you may want to downgrade a card instead of canceling it. Let’s go over the basics of how to downgrade a Chase card.   Steps to Downgrade a Chase Card You can downgrade a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve by calling the number on the back of your card. The credit card number and […]

We hear from many of our readers that they’d love to go to London for a family trip. I love London – the red double decker buses, Big Ben, and those red telephone booths are some of my favorite sights. Because one of my daughters has lived there for 17+ years, it is the international […]

One of the perks of most hotel credit cards is getting a free annual night certificate each year. You have to remember to use them during the year that they are issued, though, and last year I almost forgot about using an IHG free night certificate. Yikes! I only had 24 days to use it […]

Amber sent us her reader success story to Maui/Oahu. Here is her story: Last June my husband and son flew to Maui/Oahu to visit family and celebrate my husband’s grandfather’s 100th birthday!     We used Southwest points to book the trip as well as a Southwest® Companion Pass that we earned with the Southwest® card […]

New York City is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the world, such as the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Whether you want to see one of these landmarks, catch a sports game, see a Broadway show, or enjoy the diverse food in the city, […]

It’s easier to earn points than it is to find award flights—we can all agree on that. We love using search engines like AwardLogic and Point.me to help us find award flights. I just checked out Roame, a new search engine for award flights, and was pleasantly surprised at the speed at which it worked […]

There are so many ways that you can use credit card points and miles, and credit card issuers constantly give you ideas. Not every idea is a great point or mile redemption, so let’s go over the do’s and don’ts of credit card point redemptions.     How NOT to Use Your Points Shop at […]

Let’s talk about credit card minimum spend! This is a GAME CHANGER for racking up those valuable points and miles fast. If you’re new to award travel, this concept may seem a bit daunting, but don’t worry, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you out. Listen on Apple Podcast Listen on Spotify  Listen […]

Is there a family anywhere that doesn’t love a beach vacation? They are so fun because they offer a perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. The beach provides a beautiful setting for family fun, from building sandcastles to swimming and sunbathing. Overall, beach vacations are ideal for families to bond, make memories, and have a fun […]

Prague is one of my favorite places to visit: it’s cosmopolitan, it’s rich in history, it’s walkable and it’s budget-friendly. It’s a place you can do cheaply without points and miles, but utilizing points and miles for your airfare and upscale hotels will help cut your costs to pennies on the dollar. Here’s everything you […]

One of the not-so-glamorous sides of self-employment is taxes. The only silver lining is being able to pay those taxes with a credit card! Here’s how I turned a large tax payment into two free nights at a luxury Hyatt property worth over $1,200…   Options for Paying With a Credit Card You have three […]

I have recently been using the Flying Blue program, which covers Air France and KLM airlines. Let’s go over the four reasons why I love Air France and the Flying Blue program so much.   Great for Booking Travel to Europe This is the number one reason that I love Air France. It is easy […]

I just took advantage of the Fine Hotel and Resorts offer that comes with the Platinum Card from American Express. In case you aren’t familiar with this great offer, it is basically that each year you can book a stay at a Fine Hotel and Resort with American Express, and you will get a $200 statement […]

One of our cute friends recently used a post we have about 15K to Hawaii to book her family’s trip to Oahu. Kasey of Days of a Wife has two cute twins, and we are sharing her story today! Thanks, Kasey, for letting us share it!     Hey everyone! We just got back from our […]