American Express Credit Cards have a “once per lifetime” rule. That means that “usually” you can only get one of their welcome offersonce in a lifetime per card. This makes it really important to apply for one of their cards when the welcome offer is at an all-time high. We love American Express Membership Rewards®, […]

A reader recently asked about how to visit Alaska on points- let’s do it! Years before I got into the points and miles game, I went to Alaska a couple of times because my daughter lived there while her husband did a pediatric dental residency. I went in the dead of winter once and hated […]

Just say NO to store credit cards! What, but they are credit cards! I might get $20 off my $100 worth of clothes when I check out if I get this Old Navy credit card! What’s the logic in that? I hope some of you are laughing and totally know what I am talking about. […]

Many of you have the card_name. It’s the card we recommend people start with. Hopefully, you are close to meeting the minimum spend on it and collecting your bonus (if you haven’t opened that card yet, then we highly recommend that you do). Your question might now be, “What should I get after the card_name?” […]

I just got back from a stay in Puerto Vallarta – I just love Mexican vacations! Although we used a timeshare, I want to share some ways that you can use points and miles to visit Puerto Vallarta. One of the best things about points and miles is that you can just use them for […]

I recently spent some quality time in a place that looked like Switzerland, had majestic mountain views, and so many different languages were spoken all around me. Was I in Europe? Nope, I was 3 hours away from my own home in beautiful Vail, Colorado. Whether you want a ski vacation or simply a beautiful spring/summer […]

Are you looking for ways to increase your credit card points or miles for more free or nearly free travel? Our first way of getting credit card points is through signing up for new credit cards and getting that signup bonus. Using our credit cards instead of using cash or checks also keeps our point […]

Alex and I are all over using miles/points for our travels. However, there are some ways to save on your travels even if you are still a newbie and don’t have enough points for free travel yet. I have even used a few when I want to save points and put some spend on a […]

Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.  I have traveled to many places and countries, and I have to say, my love affair with Italy grows and grows.  The people, the gelato, the churches, the gelato, the history, the gelato, the buildings, the gelato – I love it all!! In 2018, […]

Let’s talk about the United Excursionist Perk. What, you’ve never heard of it? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. If you fly United sometimes, it is the way to get a free flight, and who isn’t all about that? Basically, the United Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. If you […]

We love to hear from our readers about how they used points to pay or reduce their travel costs! Here is reader Kat’s story and it was her first time traveling on credit card points and miles! Way to go Kat!   Kat’s Story My husband and I just did our first points/miles trip in […]

You’ve been earning one of our favorite transferable points, Membership Rewards from American Express. Now how do you use them? Our favorite way is to transfer them to a partner. Let’s go over how to transfer American Express Membership Rewards® to an airline or hotel partner.   Sign In The first step is to sign […]

One of the best beaches I’ve ever visited was Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos. Miles of white sand along the most beautiful turquoise water I’ve ever seen. It was a place I never knew I had to see, but now that I have, I tell everyone that it needs to be on their bucket […]

One of our frequent questions from beginner points/miles users is, “How do I stay organized?” This worry about organization actually keeps people from enjoying this hobby and the wonderful free travel it offers. Don’t let organizational worry paralyze you. It is actually super easy to be organized. Here are our five top tips for staying […]

We just returned from the best family trip to Maui! Mitch and I have been to Maui twice without the kids so we thought we’d take them this time. This was a first for us, we have never taken the kids (besides taking my oldest when he was 1 year old) and it went better […]

American Express® Centurion® Lounges are among my absolute favorite lounges as far as lounges that come with a credit card. The only thing better than them is the Business and First Class Lounges that come with an award redemption business or first-class seat. Currently, there are 19 Centurion Lounges open now or shortly. Here are […]

I think we need to have a post dealing with using points/miles to travel to San Diego! When I was young, our family drove almost every summer from Mesa, Arizona, to San Diego, California. I loved it so much that I always dreamed of someday living there! Northern California was my home for 40 years, […]

We get a lot of questions about applying for a new credit card. Specifically, when is the right time to apply for a new credit card, and what credit card should you apply for?  Let’s tackle those questions today!   When Should I Apply for a New Credit Card? We love having a stockpile of […]

Every year or two, my four daughters and I take a girls’ trip together. We have been to New York City, Greece, and Italy. Pre-COVID, we had a trip planned to Barcelona, Morocco, and Venice. We had high hopes that we could make that trip after the “two weeks to flatten the curve” deal was […]

Sometimes cards will come out with some really great signup bonuses but require a hefty minimum spend. For example, card_name and card_name have great bonuses of 75,000 Ultimate Rewards® (or $750) but require $7,500 in minimum spend. Meeting a $7500 minimum spend in 3 months can seem a little daunting. Recently, I signed up for […]

Some of my favorite hotels I’ve stayed at have been Marriott Hotels. My absolute favorite Marriott Hotel was the JW Marriott in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. I actually went there just to stay at the hotel after reading so many great reviews about it! Today we want to talk about getting a Marriott Hotel on the […]