How to Travel Frequently as a Newlywed, While Having a Baby Without Breaking the Bank!
The simple answer to this is travel credit card points!
I know so many people talk about using credit card points to travel and how you can get a first-class ticket for $10. I haven't accomplished that yet, lol. So this is for people who are new to credit card points and want something quick, easy, and not complicated.
We used to book with the most reasonable airline to get to our destination. However, I realized I needed to travel smarter instead of going that route. So here is what we did.
Researched travel credit cards.
I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but hear me out…there are so many!!! The first time I started looking at cards, I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t know if I should apply for multiple ones; I was all over the place. We went with two cards: the Amex Platinum and the Chase Southwest card.
Let’s start with the Southwest Card. I had been eyeing the Southwest card for a while because sometimes they do promotions where you can get a companion pass so the person you’re with can fly for free. I waited for months, and they finally had a promotion where you get the companion pass for one year when you sign up. I thought that was great because we would be getting two flights for the price of one, and our baby is under two, so he flies for free. On top of that, you get points when you sign up for the card. I also like that Southwest allows you to transfer your points to others. The other good thing about the Southwest card is that you can get money back or points based on what you buy.
The companion pass works by booking your flight and adding your companion afterward. You only pay the taxes and fees for the companion. The companion pass works anywhere that Southwest flies.
We also went with the Southwest card because they always have flight sales. We don’t always travel with a destination in mind; we travel with a budget in mind. Now, there are some places that we know we have to go for family vacations or if there is a specific place on our bucket list. Every time Southwest has a sale, we check to see what destinations and prices are on sale.
We’ve got flights to Florida for under $100 before. We’ve got flights to Vegas and California that are pretty cheap, too. Southwest also allows you to pay for points, and the points are often 50% off. Buying points can sometimes be cheaper than paying cash for a flight.
If you’re interested in getting the Southwest card and getting:
85,000 points when approved for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card
60,000 points when approved for the Premier Business Credit Card
80,000 points when approved for the Performance Business Credit Card
click here for my referral link.
Let's move on to the Amex Platinum card! I don’t have too much to say about Amex because we all know how great they are. We use this card for everyday use and for travel. Since we use it for everyday use, we accumulate points pretty quickly. The best thing about Amex is the airport lounges, free upgrades, customer service, and so much more. We’ve been able to get points from rental cars, hotels, and flights by booking through AMEX using their card. Although it's great to accumulate points with Amex, the best thing about it is the customer service and protection that it gives you as a customer.
We flew to Vegas, and there was a storm, so our flight was canceled, and we couldn't get rebooked on another flight through the airline we were supposed to fly from. We also had to extend our hotel stay and our rental car. Since we booked our travel through them, we were reimbursed for the additional travel expenses that we didn't plan for. They reimbursed us for the flight we had to take through another airline, the additional hotel nights, and the additional rental car.
I don’t know of any other card or have any other card that does this, so it was great to have that protection and not be out a few thousand extra dollars based on something we had no control over.
If you are interested in an Amex card and earning up to 150,000 points, click here for my referral link.
2. A budget
We have a family budget and family meetings to discuss money. I think every married couple should do this, but of course, to each their own. We both know what money comes in and what money goes out. We have a joint account and separate accounts for spending money. This allows us to work together financially, which we find works better for us.
We revise our budget frequently because sometimes we might be saving for something extra, or maybe we’ve paid off something, so we have more money to work with. Creating a budget really helps us decide what we can spend on travel. Travel includes the flight, accommodations, spending money on vacation, car rental (if needed), etc. A lot of people only account for the price of the flight and hotel when planning. So remember to properly plan ahead.
3. We try to use the same hotel brand if possible
We love a good Marriott hotel, vacation club, or resort. Marriott has so many different options, and we get points every time we stay. We even used them for our hotel room block during our wedding weekend. We now frequent the Royalton Resorts since they’re under Marriott. I also recommend downloading the Marriott app because there are offers that you can activate that allow you to get extra points. Also, when booking your stay, check the details on the room type; sometimes, you can get extra points based on the room you choose. Disclaimer: sometimes the rooms cost a little bit more money, but it is worth it in the end because the points you accumulate are usually around 10K more.
I know this isn't super detailed, but I hope it helps someone! Here are the links for the Southwest card and the Amex card if you’re interested in applying for either.
This is not a sponsored post
Southwest Referral Link: https://www.referyourchasecard.com/226j/T6USC6F79X
Amex Referral Link: https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/platinum-card?ref=BRITTYjWoB&XL=MIMNS
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