Do you enjoy traveling AND cutting expenses? Then travel hacking is for you! In this episode we take a beginners look at how we can utilize loyalties and credit cards to score free hotels, flights, and more.
Sponsors:
- Building Your Credit. Travel hacking is super fun but you need a credit score of at least 700 to get started. If you’re not there yet, work on building your credit. Paying off debt is a great way to do that. You can also get a credit card with no annual fee that you keep forever to increase your credit history or if your credit is fair try a secured credit card. A great credit card comparison tool is Credible you can input your credit score, what kind of card you want and boom, there’s the card that’s right for you. And best of all, when you sign up for a card using our link, frugalfriendspodcast.com/credible you support the show.
- Hacks: working smarter not harder
Other episodes on travel:
Ep 71 Travel Hacking w/ Lee Huffman
Ep 119 Frugal Travel w/ Danielle Desir
Notable Notes –
What the Internet has to say:
This article from millenial money walks us through some simple strategies for travel hacking and how to work your way towards your first free trip!
What Jen + Jill have to say:
Simply put; travel hacking is using rewards to book flights/hotels
One step is to become loyal and repeat customer with the companies that you love. You won’t get much out of having a few hundred points or miles banked with a bunch of different hotels or airline carriers.
Find a good credit card or airline carrier and look for additional perks like:
- Priority boarding
- Airline credits
- Credits for Uber or Lyft
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to airline lounges
- Application fee credits for TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry
- Travel insurance
More from the Internet:
This article from Modern Frugality (our very own Jen Smith!) outlines how to find the best credit cards for travel rewards in 2021.
More from Jen + Jill:
The first 4 cards:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: excellent travel rewards – the gold standard in credit card’s for travel
- Capitol One Venture: offers excellent cash back (that you can use towards travel ;))
- Chase Ink Business Preferred: great if you’re about to make big purchases; can earn a lot of points towards travel up front
- Southwest: can earn companion pass
BILL OF THE WEEK – Thank you Megan from Atlanta for sharing about your student loan bill being paid in full – this is EPIC!!
If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a bill
Lightning Round
Travel hack you’re most proud of
- Jen- all inclusive in Mexico
- Jill – consistent free hotels, car rentals and flights! AND having travel insurance for the disaster that happened in Washington state (stranded with flat tires!)
Wrap-Up:
Thanks so much for listening! Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com. AND share our most recent episode on social for a chance to win a copy of the Frugal Friends Workbook!
Thanks for listening! See you next week!