![\"Travel](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2023\/mattsingaporeflight.jpg\")
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The best way to travel when you don\u2019t have any money is to take money out of the equation. OK, not completely. While you can <\/em>travel really, really cheaply, some money is<\/em> required (unless you want to go hobo-style like this guy<\/a>, in which case, this article isn\u2019t for you).<\/p>\n But, assuming you don\u2019t want to do that, you are going to need some money for travel. But you don\u2019t need as much as you think you do, especially if you work to make your two biggest expenses \u2014 accommodation and flights \u2014 virtually free.<\/p>\n How?<\/p>\n By using points and miles<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve written about it before, but I\u2019ve never really broken down how<\/em> I earn all those points and miles and redeem them for the business-class flights<\/a> you always see me enjoying on Instagram<\/a>. In this post, I\u2019ll go into detail and provide the step-by-step breakdown of exactly what I do to earn around one million points a year \u2014 all without traveling! (And, when you add in the miles and points I get from traveling, it\u2019s well over a million per year!)<\/p>\n This is going to be a long post, so get your coffee or tea ready.<\/p>\n First, a refresher: collecting airline miles along with hotel and credit card points to get free travel is not about spending lots of money. The idea is to \u201cgame the system\u201d and use rewards programs against themselves to get lots of points and miles without<\/em> spending a lot of money or traveling a lot. You leverage these systems to your benefit.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just for Americans \u2014 Canadians, UK residents, Australians, Kiwis, and Spaniards can work these systems in their favor. (In reality, anyone can, but it\u2019s just easier if you\u2019re in these countries. So, while I will use the American market as an example, as that is the one I have access to, the principles and strategies I use can apply to you. Just substitute your local cards and programs for mine!)<\/p>\n Miles also lose value over time as airlines change their earning and burning rules so I would rather not waste time getting something with a decreasing value. Miles aren\u2019t money.<\/p>\n Some people do this for the love of the game; I do this because I\u2019m cheap and want to pay for as few flights and hotels as possible.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s how I get those points and miles: Credit cards are the tool through which you run your money in order to accumulate your points and miles. Think of them as the points-and-miles printing press. You can earn points and miles without them, but the process takes a lot longer and is a lot harder. To make this work, you will need a credit card.<\/p>\n When used properly<\/a>, credit cards are smart financial instruments. You can earn hundreds of thousands of miles per year that enable you to travel for free (and they offer better purchasing protection than your debit card). Simply having them won\u2019t send you into debt or cost you high interest rates. Just make sure not to spend more than you have and to pay off your bill each month.<\/p>\n So, the first thing I do is apply for a bunch of these credit cards. <\/p>\n But I don\u2019t do it willy-nilly. <\/p>\n I have more cards than the average person needs, but I only apply for new cards to reach a specific goal. This is the important point to know before you begin: have a goal in mind.<\/strong> Think about the trip you want to take, where you want to stay, and how you want to get there, and then get the cards that help you get there.<\/p>\n What have I signed up for this year? In the last six months, I applied for the following cards (note: these offers are all expired and not currently available<\/em>):<\/p>\n Total points earned: 335,000 <\/strong><\/p>\n One thing to note about credit cards is that you can\u2019t just sign up, cancel, and sign up again. Many card companies make you wait 18\u201324 months before you become eligible for a sign-up bonus again. I cycle through cards on a multi-year basis.<\/p>\n Therefore, I try to space out my sign-ups. I do two or three big credit card sign-up frenzies per year. This allows me to meet any minimum spending requirements (see below), allows the temporary dip the application causes in my credit score to go away, and gets me around any red flags the credit card companies have. <\/p>\n (Note<\/strong>: Chase has something called the 5\/24 rule, which states people who\u2019ve applied for more than five cards from any issuer within a 24-month period can\u2019t get a new card from them so you want to get your Chase cards first. American Express also only lets you earn the bonus once per card per lifetime.) <\/p>\n Moreover, despite popular belief, having a lot of credit cards won\u2019t hurt you. In fact, it can help you. Outside of your payment history, your utilization is the next most important factor in your credit score<\/em>. <\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about anything else. If you have $100,000 in available credit but only are using $5,000, that\u2019s better than only having $5,000 in credit and using it all every month. Having more cards can actually help your credit score because of the better utilization ratio they create.<\/p>\n If you want to know the current best deals, here’s a list of my favorite credit card offers that offer the biggest rewards.<\/a><\/strong> Additionally, I earn points on my rent. If you’re a renter in the United States, you have to get the Bilt Mastercard\u00ae<\/a>. Bilt is a credit card that earns you points on paying rent (up to 100,000 Bilt Points per calendar year), with no annual fee<\/a>. Even if your landlord doesn’t take credit cards, you can pay with Bilt. It acts like a virtual bank account. And they mail checks too. It’s a great card. <\/p>\n In fact, the bonus points structure is so good, I use it for most of my everyday purchases too (you just need to use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points; see Rewards & Benefits<\/a> for more info). Here’s a complete breakdown of how it works<\/a>. If you pay rent and do not get this card, you’re being foolish! It’s a must!<\/p>\n Total points earned: 30,000 <\/strong> Each of these cards comes with a minimum spending requirement before you can earn that bonus. You just don\u2019t get it for nothing. Since the purpose is to not spend extra<\/em> money (you should absolutely not go into debt for this), I had to figure out ways to meet those spending requirements without incurring extra debt. Here\u2019s how I did it:<\/p>\n Total spend points earned: 30,000 <\/strong> 1. Use category bonuses<\/strong> Certain cards have what are known as category bonuses<\/em>, where you receive 2\u20135 points per dollar spent. It varies by card, but common categories and bonuses are 2-4 points on restaurants and 2\u20133 points on airfare and other travel purchases.<\/p>\n For example, if I am buying an airline ticket, I\u2019ll use the card that earns 5 miles for every dollar I spend on airfare. When I’m eating out, a different card that earns 4 points per dollar on dining. For everyday purchases that don’t fit neatly into a category, I use a card that earns 2 points per dollar on everything.<\/p>\n In short, I’m always trying to get more than one point for every dollar I spend. <\/p>\n 2. Use airline shopping portals<\/strong> You can use Evreward<\/a> or Cash Back Monitor<\/a> to discover the current best deals across various programs. Simply type in the merchant or product you want, and it will compile a list of bonuses the various point programs are offering at that moment so can you maximize the programs to purchase from.<\/p>\n Say, for example, you want new clothes from a specific store. Going into a physical store only gets you one point per dollar spent. By using Evreward, you can see the portal offering the best deal, sign in to that portal (you will need to connect your loyalty account), click the link to that store, and purchase online to earn three points per dollar spent. Suddenly, you get 300 points instead of 100 for your $100 shopping spree! <\/p>\n That’s basically what you do for everything. Always look to see where you can get extra points.<\/p>\n 3. Use Dining Rewards Programs<\/strong>
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\n <\/p>\nStep 1 \u2013 Get a Travel Credit Card<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nStep 1a \u2013 Earn Points on Rent<\/h3>\n
\n <\/p>\nStep 2 \u2013 Meet the Minimum Spending Requirements<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nStep 3 \u2013 Be Smart with Spending<\/h3>\n
\nIn the movie Up in the Air<\/em><\/a>, George Clooney\u2019s character never wastes an opportunity to earn points. I\u2019m the same way. I never, ever, ever just earn one point per dollar spent if I can get 2, 3, or 6 points per dollar spent.<\/p>\n
\nAll airlines, hotels, and travel brands have preferred merchants. These companies \u2014 ranging from clothing retailers to sporting good stores to office supply businesses and everything in between \u2014 partner with airlines\u2019 (hotels\u2019, etc.) special shopping malls. By ordering online through these malls, you can earn additional points.<\/p>\n
\nJust like shopping portals, airlines also have dining rewards programs. You sign up with your frequent flier number, register your credit card, and get extra points when you dine at participating restaurants in the airline\u2019s network (which rotate throughout the year). It\u2019s important to note that while you can sign up for every program, you cannot register a credit card with more than one. That means that if your Chase Sapphire Preferred\u00ae Card is tied to your American Airlines account, you can\u2019t earn miles on your United Airlines account with that same card.<\/p>\n