How I maximized my points and mileage for traveling as a teacher on a limited budget

There are several different approaches when it comes to traveling with points and miles.

For example, a lot of people around TPG live for the redemption of the killer. They go for card with the biggest bonusspend hours researching their redemption options, and use their points and miles to book seats and flat-bed suites in luxury hotels.

However, this is not how i learned to use points and miles. As a high school English teacher in my previous life, my travel goals and budget were modest and my mental abilities limited. I don’t care about status or first-class; I just want to be able go to the beach and visit my friends who have lived far away.

So my approach is slightly different from some of the advantages you see here. Below, I break it down so you can see if it works for you.

Challenges

Being a teacher comes with a packed schedule and difficult work-life balance, making commuting difficult when compared to other professions. Here are some of the challenges I face when planning to travel.

tight budget

When I first started using points and miles, I was a new teacher and my budget was tight. I was not attracted by the promise of luxury travel; I was intrigued by the idea that traveling was an option for me.

I could barely afford my car insurance at the time, so I had to pay out of pocket for flight, accommodation and other travel expenses are unattainable for me.

A limited schedule

One serious perk of being a teacher is the time off school is allowed to travel. However, my days off are predetermined for me. For example, I don’t have the flexibility to decide to go to Hawaii in the off-season. The schedule is designed for “on” off-season only, so off-peak pricing is almost never an option for me.

Limited mental energy

Teachers juggle a lot of things. By the time I got home at the end of the day, I was exhausted and still had loads of paperwork to go to class. Although I wanted to be able to travel, I didn’t have the time or energy to learn and implement elaborate redemption strategies. The best I can do is remember to use a card at the gas station and other at restaurantand even that motivated it.

Instead of picking a target ride and using it to determine what cards I get, I focus on building and maintaining a good balance of a score and mileage that I know I’ll have Can be used when traveling. For flights, I keep both Southwest Point and American Airlines Miles available as both airlines have a significant presence at my hometown airport and offer many good deals.

For the hotel, I keep the balance IHG, Hilton and Hyatt point, knowing I was likely to find availability and a good deal with a hotel in one of these groups wherever I wanted to go.

I also used cashback bonus card to keep a separate travel fund that I use to cover things like food and theme park tickets when I travel.

Related: Set future travel goals

Refund the budget

It’s really important for me to stretch the points and miles I have as much as I can, so I want to redeem as little as possible on each trip by booking flights at 5am and staying on track. Hyphen type 1. This way, the card sign-up bonus can take me on multiple trips instead of being eaten up by a larger redemption.

Low annual fee

It’s no secret when top premium card comes with a lot of value, but the ones with the highest annual fees aren’t worth it to me in my limited budget. I decided from the start that I won’t get any card with an annual fee higher than $100.

I know I won’t get lounge access or important status with my lower-fee card, but the sacrifice was worth the savings for me. Fortunately, there are also some card options that are really valuable but don’t have or lower annual fee. I focus on tags like Hilton Honors American Express Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Cardgave me great signup rewards and cardholder value with very little annual fee investment.

Related: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee is worth it

My strategy has worked like a dream for me during my nine years as a teacher. My points and miles allow me to book travel without hesitation when a friend moves in Peru and invite me to visit, when I find good deals on flights to visit my friends in California and when I decide if I can afford my dream trip to Hawaii.

I was able to travel for most of my school holidays, and that was only possible because of points and mileage.

Related: How 3 credit card rewards got me a week in London

Be realistic about what you can and are willing to spend while traveling. Decide on an annual fee, if any, that you feel you can pay, and set a rule for when you should roll it over. For example, we make a really convincing argument that Platinum Card® from American Express good its annual fee valuebut $695 (see rates and fees) out-of-pocket costs aren’t right for everyone. If you’re not in the right place right now, you have plenty of other great options.

Set some travel goals

If you have a particular trip you really want to take, use it to help you determine which card(s) to get next. But even if you don’t, think about the types of trips you’d like to take in general. For example, I want to mainly travel within the country, so Southwest card is a great choice for me.

On the other hand, if you have family living abroad and want to be able to visit them more often, you’ll want to choose a card with Airlines offers good deals to get you there.

Make your plan

If you are just starting out, start small. Whether your travel goals have helped you narrow down a specific trip or if you still just have a general idea of ​​the points and miles you want to earn, choose a card or two that will help you get there. .

And if you’re on a really tight budget, check it out cashback bonus card options to help you cover expenses where points and mileage generally don’t.

Great card for tight budget

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Bonus: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors reward points after you spend $1,000 on card purchases within the first three months of your card membership.

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees).

Why it’s great: This card earns 7 points for every dollar of purchases at Hilton; 5 points per dollar for dining, supermarkets and gas; and 3 points per dollar on all other purchases. What really makes this card budget-friendly, however, is that it comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, allowing you to take advantage of Hilton’s free Thursday night perks and extend your points even further. again.

Register here: Hilton Honors American Express Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Bonus: Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Offer ends on December 5, 2022.

Annual fee: 69 dollars.

Why it’s great: This card’s welcome bonus is worth $1,125 according to Valuation of TPG. In addition to the amazing value of the rewards, these points count towards earning the Southwest Companion Card, effectively doubling the value of your Southwest points.

Register here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Citi® Double Cash Card

Bonus: For a limited time, get $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Why it’s great: This card gives you 2% cash back on all your purchases (1% on purchases and 1% at checkout). In addition to the bonus it offers, this card is a reliable to keep in your wallet when you are buying something without earning additional points with another card.

Register here: Citi Double Cash Card

For Amex Platinum card rates and fees link, click here

For prices and fees for the Hilton Honors American courier card, click here