Let's make sure your cards are working FOR you and not AGAINST you. 

Let's compare these mileage programs!

What credit card to get out of the big three when your home airport is X. 

If you have cards from different banks, you'll face different rules surrounding retention offers. 

Read about the tools you'll want to have if you use credit cards to travel for free. 

See what might come in the credit card space for this year. 

$62,341.98 for 16 flights?

We got Globalist for the first time in 2023, see how we maintained status in 2024 - which expires in February 2026!

See how we stayed at $25,000 worth of Hyatt hotels for free!

How to get the optimal points bank on your spend through Shopping Portals!

Learn some ways to maximize the use of your points for free flights and hotels. 

Find out if we recoup the cost of paying  over $2,000/year in credit card annual fees alone. 

How to get Southwest Companion pass for two years with just two credit cards. 

We're done applying to new cards this year, so let's review what card we got and why. 

Understanding the benefits and shortcomings of your credit cards and future ones is essential for maximizing their potential.  At the end of the day, having a strategy can better get to your financial and travel goals.  See below some reasons for having a planned credit card strategy. 

Don't make these 5 beginner mistakes as you start your travel credit card journey!

We had a lot of fun spending time in Oahu. Read about some great places to eat and visit!

We're finally at part two of our Hawaii trip deep dive on points. See how we stayed at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach for free and flew back home in United Polaris Business Class

We had a lot of fun exploring Kauai. Let's set aside the credit card points conversation for a second and talk about these fun points of interest. 

Read about the first part of our Hawaii trip on points where we fly in United Polaris business class from IAD to Kauai and stay at some top-notch hotels. 

What is CPP? What is a "good" CPP? Read this blog post to hear some perspectives. 

The helpful thing about miles and points is the ability to book cheap, last-minute flights instead of paying exorbitant cash prices. Here's a walkthrough to how Matthew flew his parents to Charleston, saving them a 16-hour roundtrip drive. 

Now that we've talked about how store credit cards and airline credit cards might not be that great, what should you do with them? 

And a couple reasons of when it could make sense to. 

Sarah went to NYC for a weekend getaway. See her review of the Thompson and other activites to do in the city. 

A scenario plan for using Capital One Miles

Kind of a must do for almost any of your credit cards that have an annual fee. In 2023 we earned back $100 and in 2024 so far, we've earned back 30,000 points. 

What I would do if I had that many points

There are a lot of myths and half truths about how credit cards affect your credit score. Read this synthesized research so you can be better educated on how to handle your credit score and more. 

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Athens and Park Hyatt Maldives - Hadahaa for our recent trip. Now we get to share our review on the booking and the hotel itself. 

Get all the details and numbers on how we booked round-trip business class flights from the US to Maldives. What would have been around $38,000 in cash for flights alone, turned out to only be 506,620 points and $877.70 

Learn the step-by-step process of transferring your credit card points to partner airlines and hotels. 

Learn about the nuances of the points ecosystems from American Express, Chase, Capital One and Citi. 

Learn six steps to maximizing the amount of points you can get on your regular spend. 

Read in detail on how I managed to snag two, round-trip business tickets to Brussels and a 2-night hotel stay for only $11.80 and 214,000 credit card points. Also, watch our vlog about the trip!

Wondering which credit card to get to start your journey on lounge access and free travel? Use this guide as a start to your research on which card to select first. We take an angle for people local to DC in this guide, by understanding the DC area airport lounges. 

See how I gambled $0 yet still matched to casinos and cruise lines, giving me multiple free cruises. 

Getting the highest status at Hyatt might be easier than you think. See how I stayed at 28 hotel nights and still qualified for the 60-night threshold for 2023. 

Read how I got United Polaris business class across the Atlantic for only $11.80 or even cheaper economy flights within North America. Again, all using credit card points. 

See how we stayed at 33 nights of hotels for free this year and our reviews on each of them. Plus bonus stays!

So you just got your Chase Sapphire Reserve, or even any other credit card. Review these steps to take to make sure you're maximizing all your benefits and keeping your credit score safe. 

In just one year, we accrued over a million points that we used on hotels and flights. Find out how.