Learn how to Take more
Family trips for less money
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE
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I turned my passion for travel into a full-time job teaching other families how to maximize credit card points and miles to take more trips for less money.
A few years back, our financial situation took a hit, and our once-frequent vacations seemed like a distant dream. That’s when I stumbled upon the magic of points and miles. By strategically opening credit cards and earning a mountain of points, we’ve not only maintained our travel habits but have managed to take even more trips—all while spending a fraction of what we used to!
We’ve redeemed over 4 million points for trips worth over $100,000!
It’s been a game-changer, and I’m here to help you unlock the same savings.So buckle up and get ready for a journey into budget-friendly travel adventures!
Learn more here
I'm a wife, mama to four kids, freelance blogger, trained elementary school teacher, and doula (although I no longer do either of those last two things!)
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Download our free Points and Miles 101 guide to get all of the beginner info you need to start learning how to travel for pennies on the dollar.
Get it here
Download Travel Freely.
This free app helps us keep track of all of our cards. It's a life-saver!
Download it here
Let's be friends! Join my weekly newsletter so you don't miss out on the latest offers, award travel news, travel tips, and more! I'll send you my free transfer partners guide as a thank you for joining!
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If you want some help deciding which card(s) to open that are best for your travel goals and budget, get a free Card Stack Plan.
Sign up here
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Ready to open your first travel card so you can start planning a trip??
Check out all of my recommended cards to start with!
Beginner Cards
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What about my credit score?
The thing that has the highest impact on your score is paying your credit card bill on time and in full each month. Opening new cards may cause temporary dips, but they typically recover within a month or two. Our scores have actually improved over time!
Won't You run out of cards?
Nope! There are SO MANY cards out there - plenty of options to choose from. Plus, there are cards you can open again after a certain amount of time, so even if you feel like you've maxed out your options, you can circle back to ones you previously had.
What about annual fees?
Spending money to hold a credit card? That seems crazy! But let me assure you, those fees are always worth it for the first year thanks to that big welcome offer. After that, many cards have perks and benefits that make up for the fee. Learn more in this blog post.
How do you manage so many cards?
I couldn't do it without my favorite free app - Travel Freely! It helps me track all of my cards, know when annual fees are due, figure out which cards to open next, decide which cards to keep open, track my 5/24 status, and more. It's SO helpful.
Download it here
Rewards Roadmap is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of earning and using credit card points and miles, enabling you to take incredible trips without busting your budget!
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Your family's trip inspired me and we'll be doing a similar trip next year! We're celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, my 50th birthday, and my daughter's high school graduation! Phew! I booked Premium Economy tickets with Air France using my points, and the cash cost would have been $9,970. I can't believe it!
-Corie G
I'm emailing you from my Southwest flight to Maui that I booked using points. We're staying at a Marriott resort using our 5 free night awards. It's our first big trip booked with points!! So exciting!! Thank you!
-Jessica M.
Just wanted to say thanks. I finally used the points I've been earning and got our hotel in NYC totally covered! My husband couldn't believe it. I feel like such a pro now. Ha. You've been so helpful! Thanks for alway answering my questions!
-Sara P.
I have learned a great deal about using credit cards (wisely of course) to gather points to travel from you. I'm about to book our very first trip using points to a place we have been dreaming of going and never thought possible - Paris!! You showed me it IS possible, so thank you!
-Cynthia J.
Thank you so much! You have so much knowledge, so thank you for sharing so that I can create some vacation memories with my kids before they're grown up. My oldest is 18 and ready to leave. I booked Tokyo in December as his last trip with us before moving out, and I couldn't have done it without your help using points!
-Josie L.
FINd them here
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
The Traveling Hansens is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com and bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE:
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.