We aren’t trust-fund babies, we didn’t win the lotto, we didn’t create and sell some innovative tech company that allows us to be independently wealthy. We work traditional jobs in corporate America, but we have structured our lives to maximize what matters to us. We don’t drive fancy cars, or live in a mega mansion, we shop outlets and sales, and we pack our lunches most days – that’s just not the stuff that really matters to us, instead we value travel, and the riches that those experiences bring.
When we travel, we do so on a budget, and we try to balance a few splurges with some other value choices to make the most of our funds. One of the ways we mix in a little luxury, is through points. I was the world’s biggest doubter of playing the points game, in fact when Stephen mentioned it, I am quite sure I shrieked some snarky comment like, “if it was really that easy don’t you think everyone would be doing it!” but much to my surprise we have now booked 6 round-trip international business-class flights with points! We try to maximize the credit card deals that offer points as part of the introductory offer, or time buying the points when the airlines run bonus mile offers. We are both in finance, and well aware of the benefits, but also the huge risk credit cards pose. We use our credit cards like a debt card – we put all our normal monthly spending on the credit card, and then we PAY IT OFF in full each month. No point deal is worth drowning yourself in debt and those 20%+ interest rates are no joke – so seriously credit cards might be quickest way to build up airline or hotel points, but if you treat them like a loan, or don’t pay them off in full each and every month, they are the quickest way to ruin your financial health…[ok stepping off that soap-box now ]. We’ve also had pretty good luck buying miles when the airlines run a promotion – generally we consider a good deal to be miles less than $.02 a mile.
We also use points to stretch our dollar at hotels- but we generally use these more for our domestic US travel, as we like the more local feel an apartment offers internationally. We have found great values in Europe renting through VRBO. We can appreciate a 5 star luxury hotel, but when we travel 4,000 miles across the globe, its usually not for the accommodations. We want a centrally-located, clean place to crash at the end of the day, and a basic kitchen the next morning to fix coffee and a light breakfast in to fuel our exploring – and that kind of set up can usually be found for much less than the traditional hotels!
So we save on flights with points, we save on accommodations by booking apartments vs traditional hotels, and we save on tours by seeking out “pay as you go” options. In NYC we love “free on foot”, and in Spain we had a great experience with “ feel the city tours”, in Munich they have a “greeter” program, the premise is you don’t pay an upfront fee for the tour, but you decide at the end how much it was worth and then tip your guide that – if you go on one of these do tip generously – this is a great option and most of the guides really are gifted and passionate about their subjects.
By savings on the more expensive parts of our vacation we are able to splurge on a few really memorable activities like a photo-tour in Barcelona, or a wine tasting in France, or Fly Fishing in Scotland.
So that’s how we travel – leave of a comment on what tips or tricks you’ve used.
ANDIAMO!
Andiamo Wander 