Hi, I'm Katie!
I'm a homeschooling mom of two, wife of a dumpster-diving nurse, and a self-taught travel points and miles enthusiast.
In my 20's, most of my travel involved hostels and finding the best deals I could. Being on a budget often leads to creative thinking. This photo is from Mt. Sinai in Egypt where we stayed at the monastery guest house.
Micah and I on a picnic in Grindelwald, Switzerland -- preparing to sledge down the mountain.
In 2013, we were able to pay for our flights to the Philippines and Thailand with points in 2013 and then found deals on hotels and transportation.
Exploring London in early March 2020 on our Family Gap Year
I didn't come to the world of miles and points because I wanted to; I needed to! I'd always dreamed of traveling, but my budget wasn't exactly lining up with my wanderlust. So over a decade ago, I started diving deep into the world of points, reading the fine print and figuring out how to make travel affordable for our family.
My husband, Micah, and I both share a love of travel on a tight budget. I met him when he was just out of the Navy, ready to travel and volunteer with Mercy Ships in Africa. Our "third date" was a two-week trip through Germany, Switzerland, and France. Even after we settled down—he as a nurse and me as a stay-at-home mom—we were hooked on making travel possible, no matter our budget.
In 2011, we started with a 100,000-point British Airways card offer that kicked off trips to Jamaica, New Orleans, and beyond. I kept earning and redeeming points. Soon, friends and family were asking how we did it, and I realized there was no one out there focused on points for "normal people". So, in 2018, I launched Katie's Travel Tricks to share everything I'd learned about affordable travel, with a special focus on families.
Thanks to points, we've been able to take some amazing trips, including a nine-month gap year adventure with our kids across multiple countries. Our kids, now pre-teens, have reached an age where we're traveling less—not because we're short on points, but because we're content (for now!) with all the adventures we've enjoyed together.
Still, with hundreds of thousands of points stockpiled, we're ready for whenever the travel bug strikes. And remember my dumpster-diving husband? While I carved out my corner of the internet with travel points, he found his community, quite literally, in the dumpster. Micah has his own his Instagram account @dumpsterdiving.dad where he shares his own version of frugal living.
I've watched the points and miles landscape change over the years, with credit card companies constantly adapting as people like us get creative. In this ever-evolving points world, my mission is simple: help people travel without breaking the bank. There's always a path to make travel possible, and I hope to help you find yours!
7m
estimated points earned
since 2011
19
countries visited with points as a family
10k+
travelers trained through free resources
Here's our approach in a nutshell.
Average is cool.
Follow someone else for
first-class.
Research is deep.
We're developing content no one else is touching.
Diversity is key.
We showcase lots of ways to make the most of your points.
Judgment is null.
Use your points however you want—we support you!
When you use our links, you support my family, my team, and a community of savvy travelers.
I'm pretty frugal by nature, so when I first got into points travel, I spent hours digging into the best credit card offers. I am committed to sharing the best of these offers with other families, at absolutely no charge. I love the treasure hunt of finding the top cards with the best deals, and luckily, the credit card companies appreciate the shout-outs, too. I earn a commission when you use some of my links but not all of them! (I have always and will always share the best regardless of my affiliate status.) These commissions support this work, my family, and pays the salaries of our team members. I am so grateful. Thank you!
MATCHING FAMILY SWIMSUITS IN CHELEM, MEXICO.
Erin Hemesath
Community Manager
You'll see Erin keeping our Facebook group the friendliest points group around, answering DMs, and writing our newsletter.
Sadie Teh
Staff Writer
Sadie is a whiz at in-depth research and then writing it up in a way that makes them easy to understand for everyone!
Nicole Leeper
Digital Media Manager
Nicole edits our podcast & YouTube and is always coming up with ways to improve our site — like our benefits calculators!
Alex Scholz
Assistant
Alex was our first ever hire! She is always making sure people on Instagram get answers to their questions and comments.
Look for me wherever you get social, too!
If you're not sure where to start, here's just one thing you can do today.
Download my free Travel Points 101 guide. It will take you around 20 minutes to read and will, quite literally, open up a world of possibilities. Plus, when you request this resource, you subscribe to our email list—so you'll never miss another point!
