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Reader Success Story: Travel with Points Saved One Family $25,000!
We have an exciting story to share from one of our readers about how travel with points was a game changer for their family. Tammy earned over a million points in one year! She’s done an amazing job of maximizing what was available to her and we are thrilled for you to see how she did it!
Starting with a Goal
As public school teachers, my husband and I always dreamed of showing our kids the world, but with two children in college and high school, and a mission to visit all 50 states, the costs felt daunting. That was until a year ago when we discovered the incredible world of travel points.
What started as a goal to make our cross-country dreams a reality, especially for our 25th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday, quickly turned into an exhilarating journey that saved us a staggering $25,000 on flights and hotels. We’re excited to share how our family of four, powered by points and a passion for adventure, is now experiencing destinations that once seemed impossible.
Starting with Sign-up Bonuses
We started earning sign-up bonuses by paying college tuition and our regular monthly expenses. We earned 1.2 million points this past year. We drove for our first trip to New York City to experience the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and of course Hamilton and stayed at the Hyatt Centric Times Square. This was a great way to learn how to transfer the points for an easy road trip.
The Adventure Begins
We then each earned Southwest Companion Passes and began to plan our summer travel. We spent five days at Anna Maria Island, Florida, and stayed at the Waterline Villas Marina Autograph Collection. We used Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Awards for this as well as a few overnight stays to visit our son at college, a wedding, and for hotels near the airport when laying over or arriving late in the evening.
Our Dreams Becoming Reality
We are so excited to leave for our next trip to California and Hawaii. We used almost 200,000 Southwest points for the flights, all non-stop except for one because it’s not available from our location. We will spend the first week staying with friends in Sacramento with day trips to Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite. We will then travel to Hawaii, spending 4 days in Oahu staying at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki and four days in Maui staying at the Hyatt Regency Maui. Our stays were booked with 254,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transferred to Hyatt.
Going Beyond Our Plans
If that wasn’t enough, we have also booked a week at the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cancun. This cost 70,000 Southwest points and 175,000 Ultimate Rewards points. The total value of our flights and hotel stays for this year is $25,000! This is an amazing value and one that would typically be out of reach for our public school teacher salaries. Even more valuable is the time that we can spend together as a family, especially as our children are soon entering adulthood.
A Key to Our Quick Success
In full transparency, paying college tuition to earn sign-up bonuses has been key to our quick success. However, we could have earned enough points for one or more of these trips with just our regular monthly expenses. Earning two Southwest Companion Passes were key to our children flying almost free (just the taxes). We also used the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card $300 credit for Hertz Gold rental car, Priority lounge access, and TSA Precheck credit. The fact that we have lodging and travel covered by points and only need to pay for food and fun is so freeing and will allow this budgeting mom to enjoy herself.
Tammy’s Tips for Success
I have to give so much credit to Katie’s Travel Ticks and other travel points bloggers who have educated me in all of the nuances of this hobby. It can be overwhelming at times, but it can also be fun. My advice is to plan ahead, focus on your travel goals, and then determine which cards can help you achieve them. I truly appreciate Katie’s focus on family travel and could not have done this without her posts, courses, and videos. The fact that she provides these services for free is unheard of and shows her heart for sharing her knowledge with other families.
One thing I wish I realized sooner was that the credit card offers change throughout the year. Another helpful tip is to stay organized using whatever tools work for you (Notes app, Excel spreadsheet, travel apps, etc.). My only regret is not starting sooner!
How Tammy Tracked Her Travel with Points
| Hotel/Airline | Destination | Ultimate Rewards Points | Rapid Rewards Points | Bonvoy Points | Capital One Miles | Per Night Retail Rate | # of Nights | Retail Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Centric Times Square | New York City | 112,000 | 28,000 | $567 | 5 | $2,268 | ||
| Courtyard Marriott | Springfield, OH | 32,000 | 16,000 | $117 | 2 | $234 | ||
| Southwest | Bradenton, FL | 14,530 | $ | $1,120 | ||||
| Springhill Suites Riverfront | Bradenton, FL | 35,000 | 35,000 | $161 | 1 | $161 | ||
| Waterline Villas & Marina Autograph Collection | Anna Maria Island, FL | 216,000 | 54,000 | $735 | 4 | $2,940 | ||
| Southwest | Home | 29,970 | $300 | 4 | $1,200 | |||
| Spring Hill Suites | Grand Rapids, MI | 35,000 | 35,000 | $131 | 1 | $131 | ||
| Country Inn | Canonsburg, PA | $50 | $ | |||||
| Southwest | Sacramento, CA | 48,554 | $460 | 4 | $1,840 | |||
| Southwest | Honolulu, Oahu, HI | 45,632 | $406 | 4 | $1,624 | |||
| Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach | Honolulu, Oahu, HI | 83,000 | 20,000 | $576 | 4 | $2,304 | ||
| Southwest | Maui, HI | 6,640 | $44 | 4 | $176 | |||
| Hyatt Regency Maui | Maui, HI | 171,000 | 44,000 | $725 | 5 | $3,625 | ||
| Southwest | Las Vegas, NV | 47,682 | $321 | 4 | $1,284 | |||
| Southwest | Home | 48,348 | $378 | 4 | $1,512 | |||
| Southwest | Cancun | 70,882 | $245 | 4 | $980 | |||
| Hyatt Ziva Cancun | Cancun | 175,000 | 25,000 | $558 | 7 | $3,906 | ||
| TOTAL | 541,000 | 312,236 | 353,000 | $25,305 | ||||
How You Can Do It Too!
The Cards Tammy Used to Save $25,000
Free Resources to Support Your Points Strategy
Tammy’s story might be that lightbulb moment for you, when you realize how much value there is in the points world. If you’re new to points and miles, it may feel a bit overwhelming, but here are some free resources to help you keep it simple and find ways to use points for what you value.
- Start with my free course
- Listen to my podcast, Points for Normal People or watch on YouTube
- Looking for ideas? Here are 10 trips you can pay for with points.
Share Your Points Success Story
Do you have a points and miles success story? We would love to hear from you! Submit your story here.
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