• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

We Get To Travel!

Learn how to travel for free or cheap like we do!

  • Home
  • News
  • Trip Reports
  • Hotels
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home » We Get To Travel… but Why?

We Get To Travel… but Why?

We Finally Get To Travel
Ross and Sandra (aka Zuzu) finally get to travel!

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.

Our 1st big trip to an all inclusive included a visit to Tulum
Our 1st big trip in 20+ years to Playa del Carmen.

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. Sandra (aka Zuzu) has a very flexible work schedule so she’s able to travel pretty much any time she wants.

Sunset in Key West from above Mallory Square.

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.

#WeGetToTravel to Austin, a little work and a lot of fun.

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 1,500,000 points.

We’ve redeemed those points for ~$60,000 of free travel!

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.

Hyatt All Inclusive, for free, for our 28th anniversary.

Subscribe to our newsletter 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!”

Pretty good way to finish our 1st “Year of Travel!”

2021 Trips

Between work and pleasure, here are the trips we made in the first year when we 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
  • Miami, FL
    • Confidante Hotel Miami Beach
  • Key West, FL
    • Hyatt Centric Key West
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Nashville, TN
  • Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Daytona Beach, FL
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Dominican Republic
  • Chicago, IL
  • New York City
    • Park Hyatt New York
    • Andaz 5th Avenue

2022 Travel

10 Day Trip to Hawaii on Points
$16,000 trip to Hawaii for less than $2500!

And here are the trips that we made in 2022.

  • Hawaii
    • Maui
    • Waikiki Beach
    • Volcano House
  • Cancun, MX
  • Knoxville, TN
    • Hyatt Place Knoxville
  • Denver
    • Grand Hyatt Denver
    • Thompson Denver
    • Gaylord Rocky Mountains
    • Rocky Mountains National Park
  • Nashville
  • Puerto Rico
    • Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
  • St Martin (Sint Marten)
  • Pittsburgh, PA
    • Hyatt Place Pittsburgh North Shore
  • Gulf Shores, AL
  • NYC
    • Grayson Hotel
  • Panama City Beach, FL

2023 Travel

2023 started with a disappointment. We had a romantic trip to Secrets Akumal in Cancun booked, but Zuzu & I both came down with Covid right before the trip. Fortunately, we made up for that with a Spring Break trip to Cancun with some of our travel friends!

3 couples at the Secrets Moxche  Preferred Club rooftop pool smiling because this trip was free on credit card points
A $20,000 All Inclusive stay for 6? FREE on points!

Here’s our current list of travels for 2023. Most are free trips on points but a couple are business trips & a family vacation paid for by Grandmomma!

  • Austin, TX
  • Playa del Carmen, MX
    • Secrets Maroma Beach
    • Secrets Moxche Impressions
  • Sioux Falls, SD
  • Nashville, TN (free Staycation at the Thompson Nashville!)
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
    • Secrets Cap Cana
    • Hyatt Ziva & Zilara Cap Cana
  • New England
    • Boston
    • Portland, ME
    • Bar Harbor
  • Cancun, MX
    • Hyatt Ziva Cancun
  • Europe

Recommended Credit Cards

The biggest reason that we finally get to travel is that we’ve started using credit cards. (I know that sounds crazy to some of you. It would have sounded crazy to me just 2 years ago!)

Click here to get our eBook with exactly how we get to travel for FREE!

Best Personal Cards

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve – Apply Here
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred – Apply Here
  • Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards – Apply Here
  • Chase Freedom Flex – Apply Here
  • Chase World of Hyatt – Apply Here
  • AMEX Personal Cards – Apply Here

Best Business Cards

  • Chase Ink Business Preferred – Apply Here
  • Chase Ink Business Cash – Apply Here
  • Chase Ink Business Unlimited – Apply Here
  • Chase World of Hyatt Business – Apply Here
  • American Express Blue Business Plus – Apply Here
  • American Express Business Platinum – Apply Here
  • AMEX Business Gold – Apply Here

Which Credit Card is Right for You?

In our 14 page eBook, you’ll learn the exact steps that Zuzu & I have used to get over $60k of free travel in the last 2 years! Download the eBook and it will help you see how we got started traveling. More importantly, you’ll see how easy it is for you to travel for free.

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.

Footer

Finally, We Get To Travel!

Nashville, TN

Advertiser Disclosure – We Get To Travel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply

Copyright © 2023 ·

Follow Our Travels!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Editorial Disclosure – Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.