We began utilizing bank cards for journey rewards final 12 months and have booked a handful of journeys on factors. Right here’s our private bank card technique, the playing cards we selected, and the journeys we took! This put up contains affiliate hyperlinks, and any card presents talked about could change in time.
For those who’re following together with this weblog, you already know we began opening bank cards with the intention of accumulating factors to spend on journey originally of 2021. I stored listening to about journey rewards or “journey hacking” on the monetary podcasts I like, and I began – very slowly – to study the ropes. I put my 1% money again financial institution card in a drawer and have moved on to far more profitable playing cards.
For those who’re model new to journey rewards with bank card factors, READ THIS POST FIRST: How To Journey Utilizing Credit score Card Factors! It has the 101 fundamentals and get began.
The “Excellent” Card Path
Some folks will let you know that the “good” path is determined by present presents, which is why it’s arduous to nail down a great one. That is positively true, however I additionally suppose you’ll be able to decide a fairly good normal path and insert any playing cards which have finest present presents at any time when you have to.
The “good” path additionally is determined by your journey targets, what playing cards you have already got, and the place you reside. That stated, most specialists suggest beginning with Chase factors (learn why in my first put up) after which branching out to different level “currencies” from there.
Whether or not you’ve a enterprise (loosely outlined), and when you’re solo or a pair additionally impacts the order you would possibly select.
All the above causes are why I feel examples of how actual folks have utilized for playing cards and collected factors are useful!
Keep Organized With Journey Freely
When you get a number of playing cards open, you’ll want a very good card organizer. You should use a spreadsheet, however that requires a specific amount of accountability to recollect to replace it. I exploit the Journey Freely card organizer to maintain observe of my playing cards, dates, charges, and factors. The app additionally tells you when it’s time to get a brand new card and any present finest presents occurring. It’s an all-in-one card hub that I extremely suggest!
Actual Card Technique Articles
The Journey Freely weblog has written a number of nice articles on bank card technique with precise examples of the order folks have utilized for playing cards. After I was getting began, I discovered these tremendous useful as a result of all of us want extra actual life examples, proper?!
Take a look at the bank card technique posts right here:
- Solo Newbie Credit score Card Technique (225,000 factors)
- Newbie with Enterprise Credit score Card Technique (400,000 factors)
- {Couples} Credit score Card Technique (600,000 factors)
I discovered these articles so useful to stroll by way of the timeline and card order that I needed to share our personal bank card technique and path with all of you.
Rookies: If the considered getting 10 playing cards in a 12 months or two is overwhelming, simply begin with one! One nice journey card is best than your 1% financial institution card. The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card are each nice starter journey playing cards.
Our Credit score Card Technique
Private Credit score Playing cards
You will note our tempo has been fairly sluggish. We’ve principally gotten a brand new card after we’ve had a very good purpose to or there was a very good promo or SUB (aka, sign-up bonus) occurring. My complete perspective all through has been “don’t rush,” and so whereas we technically might have gotten extra factors sooner, our tempo has appeared manageable.
February 2021: Kath will get Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
SUB was 60k factors plus $60 in free Peloton credit and a DoorDash cross for the 12 months. Additionally new to 2022 is a $50 resort credit score.
April 2021: Thomas will get Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
SUB was 80k factors (want I had waited!) plus the identical because the above.
August 2021: Kath will get Chase Freedom Flex
SUB was 20k factors, BUT, that they had a promo for 5x factors on groceries for the primary 12 months, so we’ve put all groceries on that for a bonus of 60k factors on a max of $12k in groceries. Complete factors = 80k plus extra from flex classes.
March 2022: Kath will get Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
This card had an unbelievable 100k level SUB AND a bonus $200 on a trip rental AND $300 journey credit score within the portal. These meant after the $395 annual payment I got here out $100 forward. Plus a free Precedence Go membership.
June 2022: Thomas will get Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card (the common one)
SUB was 75k factors. This card is principally similar to the Enterprise X above however is barely much less premium. I would downgrade my X to this one when the annual payment is due, relying on what’s occurring on the time.
Complete factors from enroll bonuses = ~400,000 (plus extra from spending!)
Enterprise Credit score Playing cards
As beforehand talked about, with two companies you’ll be able to greater than double the factors you’re eligible for! Thomas has a giant spender enterprise (they purchase plenty of lumber and constructing supplies and provides) and I’ve a small enterprise (I’m shopping for Beautycounter samples, digital subscriptions, and web internet hosting.)
A giant spending enterprise will clearly earn you extra factors simply with spending, however keep in mind it’s the sign-up bonuses which can be the main target, so even a small enterprise who can hit the minimums could make this work.
Playing cards We Have
- Ink Enterprise Most well-liked (Thomas)
- Ink Enterprise Money (each)
- Ink Enterprise Limitless (each, and Thomas acquired an additional bonus on this)
- You may see now we have many extra to come back!
Complete factors from enroll bonuses = ~500,000 (plus extra from spending!)
Complete Factors Complete = 1,000,000+
Spending Factors: The Journeys We’ve Taken
The best way now we have spent our factors was not the Very Greatest Method. I worth simplicity and ease over squeezing each final redemption greenback out of my technique, so there are occasions once I simply booked journey inside Chase and known as it a day relatively than researching and utilizing Chase switch companions. I’m OK with that call as a result of I do know we are able to at all times earn extra factors! Occupied with the right switch companion, particularly with flights, stresses me out. So I simply stored it easy and booked journey in Chase or Capital One.
August 2021: Durham Hip + Trendy Resort
Thomas and I stayed for an evening on the Unscripted Resort.
- Factors: 17,000
- Worth: $232
January 2022: Winter Getaway To Miami Seaside
We stayed on the Nautilus by Arlo for 3 nights that I booked by way of Chase. (We used vouchers from cancelled 2020 flights to fly there so no factors have been spent on flights.)
- Factors: 165,000
- Worth: $2,071
March 2022: Staycation on the Swanky Quirk Resort
Mazen and I stayed on the Quirk for the evening. I transferred 15k factors to Hyatt and booked it there. (Sadly The Quirk is now not a Hyatt companion.)
- Factors: 15,000
- Worth: $250
March 2022: Group Birthday Celebration at Primland Resort
This journey wasn’t booked with factors, however noting right here that we put it on the brand new Cap One Enterprise X card and I acquired a $200 credit score for reserving a “trip rental.” I used to be happy this counted for that!!
April 2022: Williamsburg Resort
My mother-in-law and I had deliberate to remain collectively for one evening for a marriage bathe, however on the final minute I couldn’t go. She went with out me!
- Factors: 19,000
- Worth: $242
June 2022: Household Enjoyable Summer season Journey to The Homestead
If you already know a factor or two about journey rewards, you’re going to cringe on the redemption worth right here, however we booked this journey final minute as a deal with for the boys, and it was value each penny we didn’t truly spend! We knew going on this wasn’t an awesome worth, however as a result of we had the factors, we simply thought: use them now whereas we are able to! We additionally charged all of our meals to our room, and I used the Cap One journey eraser to erase that cost with factors, so there may be much more worth on this journey!
- Factors: 123,000
- Worth: $1,543
- Used Chase Sapphire $50 resort credit score
- Used ~$400 value of factors to erase meals
August 2022: New Orleans
Mazen and I’ve a visit to NOLA booked! I used factors for one flight and used the $300 Cap One journey credit score for the opposite.
- Factors: 37,000 + $300 credit score
- Worth: $750
December 2022: Celebrating our fortieth Birthdays / 5 12 months Wedding ceremony Anniversary
We cashed in a BUNCH of factors and are going someplace actually enjoyable and tropical simply the 2 of us!! Any guesses!?
Future Journey: Disney
We will’t determine after we wish to go to Disney and if we wish to use factors (which you’ll on the Swan or Dolphin resorts) or keep in a Disney resort. Learn extra on do Disney on factors right here! We will certainly use factors for the flights, and can most likely go for the Southwest playing cards for that.
Complete Worth: Greater than $10k!
As you’ll be able to see, the small quantity of labor to trace playing cards has paid off for us in a significant method!!
I feel it’s additionally clever to do not forget that you don’t should journey hack without end. You can even be smarter than us and simply use factors on flights (the perfect worth) and pay money for resorts.
You additionally don’t should ebook big holidays to make this value your whereas – a good friend of mine has a son in journey soccer and has to ebook plenty of one-nighters at resorts for his tournaments. Since opening a number of playing cards, she’s been in a position to ebook these resorts on factors. Begin small and study the ins and outs and work your method up (or don’t!).
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