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StitcherWe all have that endless bucket list of places to see, experiences to have, and memories to make. But how do you make those travel dreams happen when you’re limited by time and resources? In this episode, Jen, Jill, and Amber Paul are here to guide you through the steps to turn those vacation dreams into reality without letting your credit take a hit.
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- Travel Sinking Funds. Even if you are putting points on your flights and hotels, you’re still going to spend more money on food, and other snacks, and maybe souvenirs, maybe you’re forced to get your kids something. So you need to have a travel sinking fund, and we recommend that you have it with a high-yield savings account like CIT. Opening one there, doesn’t just get you a 4% APY, but it also supports the show at no cost to you. Get one and get a good trip this summer!
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Amber lives in Austin, Texas with her 3 young kids and (not young) husband. A is a former 9th grade teacher and assistant principal, she now loves teaching others how they can provide experiences for their families for less money. You can likely find her teaching how to strategically open credit cards for maximum family travel on Instagram at @amberonpoints or eating Oreos in bed.
How to Vacation with Kids Using Travel Points
Whether you’re a family of four or more, Amber recommends focusing on flexible points that transfer easily to travel partners, especially if you’re traveling within the U.S. Once you’ve got those points, you’ve got options: Southwest Airlines and Hyatt.
These are both super family-friendly picks. And when it comes to traveling with kids, Amber reminds us that kids are resilient. In her case, a car seat on the plane can be a total game changer because her kids will nap just like they do in the car.
What’s the Best Credit Card Strategy for Travel?
If you’re wondering which card to get or how long it’ll take to score that free vacation Amber suggests looking for flexible points and cards that pair well with your favorite travel partners. Tools like AwardTool.com help you plug in your airport and destination to find the best points deals across airlines. Pair that with flexible travel dates, and you’re good to go. Start there, see what fits, then pick the right card to rack up those rewards.
How to Actually Book Flights with Points
Amber’s method is easy and strategic: start with a search tool to find available flights. Once she sees a good deal, she double-checks the travel partner’s site to make sure it works for her whole family. If it’s a yes, she adds it to her cart, heads to her bank, transfers the points, and locks in the flight. Most transfers happen instantly or a few days.
When to Use Points vs. Pay Cash (and When Airbnb Wins)
Whether you’re team hotel or Airbnb, it really depends on the redemption value. Amber, with a family of five, says if a hotel in Europe costs 40k points a night, and you need 2 or 3 rooms, it might make more sense to book an Airbnb for less. In those cases, using something like Capital One points to minimize the cost can stretch your points way more.
What’s the most impressive travel strategy you’ve ever pulled off?
- Amber: 85,000pts. family of 5 to Europe.
- Jill: Living in our RV in Florida, claiming residence, opening a checking account for a welcome bonus, and getting 4-day Disney passes for the price of that bonus.
- Jen: 4 days at all inclusive w/ flights on points.
Get more from Amber
Free Beginners Guide: https://amberonpoints.kit.com/beginners-guide
Website: amberonpoints.com
Instagram: @amberonpoints
Bill of The Week
Thank you Amber for sharing your bill about cancelling streaming services and letting your kids be bored!
Thanks so Much for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening. We love love love reading your kind reviews of our book Buy What You Love Without Going Broke and we especially loved this one from:
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This book provides a helpful and realistic way of achieving your financial goals. The authors lay out actionable steps that focus on how you can align your spending with your values. Instead of trying to set up a restrictive budget that will inevitably fail, this book offers a variety of exercises to help you think about why you spend money. It also offers simple action steps at the end of each chapter to help you adjust your spending and make changes that will benefit your finances. Highly recommend this book!
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