Finally, we get to travel!
We’re recent empty nesters who have not been able to travel much for the past 20 years. Besides the kids being grown up, a few other things aligned to make 2021 the (first) “Year of Travel” for us.
After reading alot of travel blogs and watching other travel channels, we decided to share some of our travels as well as some of the different ways that we’ve been able to take some awesome trips on a very, very low budget.
Why Do We Get To Travel Now?
Besides our youngest leaving for college, I’ve got a new job where I’m traveling some for business. My wife has a very flexible work schedule so she’s able to travel pretty much any time she wants.
But by far, the biggest reason that we get to travel is that I’ve discovered how to responsibly use credit cards to earn a massive number of points and miles.
I had pretty much always been a debit card user. After setting up a new company with a partner, I realized there would be a chance to get some benefits from having either a rewards card or a cash back card.
On Dec 31, 2020, I got my 1st rewards credit card, a Chase Sapphire Reserve. Since then, my wife & I have added several cards and have amassed over 900,000 points.
I’ve been shocked at how quickly we’ve been able to parlay our normal spending habits into massive travel benefits.
The main reason for this blog is to share how we’ve been able to finally travel.
My hope is that we can inspire you to do some of the things that we’ve been able to do. And hopefully learn from both our success and from our mistakes.
Subscribe to our channel and visit our blog to come along as we document where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, the mistakes we’ve made and how we’re trying to make sure every year is “The Year of Travel!”
2021 Trips
Between work and pleasure, here are the trips we made in the first year that were were learning to travel hack.
- St. Louis, MO
- San Antonio, TX
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Houston, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Austin, TX
- Clearwater Beach, FL
- New Orleans, LA
- San Antonio, TX
- Miami, FL
- Key West, FL
- Charlotte, NC
- Knoxville, TN
- Nashville, TN
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Daytona Beach, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Dominican Republic
- Chicago, IL
- New York City
2022 Travel
And here are the trips that we’ve made and expect to make in 2022.
- Hawaii
- Cancun, MX
- California
- Maine
- Washington, DC
- Yellowstone National Park
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Cabo San Lucas, MX
- Gulf Shores, AL
Current Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Ink Business Preferred – Apply Here
- Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards – Apply Here
- Chase Freedom Flex – Apply Here
- Chase World of Hyatt – Apply Here
- Chase Ink Business Cash – Apply Here
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – Apply Here
- American Express Blue Business Plus – Apply Here
- American Express Business Platinum – Apply Here
If you’re interested in signing up for any of these cards, please apply by clicking my referral link. You’ll get one of the cards that I think is really valuable and I’ll get some free points for referring you.