Is travel hacking for you?
Travel hacking has saved me thousands of dollars on travel over the last six years. I’ve been able to fly to see family without being stressed about money and make planned vacations a lot more luxurious than I could afford. That’s why I started this blog and why I want to share with you how you can make this happen too!
BUT - what works for me isn’t necessarily what will work for you. That’s why I want to share who I think can benefit from focusing on travel hacking, and who might want to put this on the back-burner.
Do you pay off your credit balance in full every month? Or if you don’t currently use any credit cards, do you trust yourself to pay off your balance in full every month?
If the answer is no, that is okay! When I got my first credit card, I racked up a balance by spending above my means. This happens to so many people. However, it does mean that you are not ready for travel hacking. If you focus on paying off your debt, you will save so much more money in interest payments than you could save using points for travel. Focus your energy there for now, and come back here when you do not hold any high interest debt. Learn about paying off debt from Choose FI, and check out Orange Jalapenos for tips on more intentional spending!
If yes, you are in a good position to start travel hacking! Signing up for multiple credit cards means you need to be able to track your spending, know how much you can spend, and pay off your bills every month. If you are already doing that, travel hacking could be for you!
Does keeping track of deals to save money on travel make you excited, or does that just sound annoying?
If you love couponing, keeping track of deals in spreadsheets or apps, and can find joy in piecing together multiple currencies to save money on travel, then travel hacking is definitely for you! I manage 30 credit cards in my household and truly enjoy keeping track of the details of when to cancel a card, how to book awards, and which cards to add to our lineup.
If that sounds like a waste of your time, I totally understand! You may prefer to just find one rewarding credit card to put all of your spending on, or focus on a few cards that will be easy for you to keep track of. If this is you, this is still a great space for you to learn! But don’t dive in too deep if it doesn’t sound fun - that’s just not worth your time!
That’s It!
If reading the questions above made you excited about exploring free travel, then keep reading below to figure out what type of travel hacker you are. If you decided that you aren’t quite ready to engage with more credit cards, here are some ways that you can earn points without needing new cards:
Shopping Portals - Your favorite airline or hotel program likely has a shopping portal where you can click through to earn points on shopping that you are already doing. This won’t earn you a ton of points, but they do add up over time!
Cashback Portals - Sites like Rakuten and TopCashBack offer cash back bonuses on many online stores. Just like an airline or hotel portal, you will get cash back if you are already purchasing items from a store they are partnering with.
Earn Delta miles by booking Airbnb stays through deltaairbnb.com.
What type of travel hacker are you?
If you’re still into signing up for new credit cards, I recommend identifying your travel hacking “personality” before you get started. This will help you develop a clear vision about what you are trying to get out of this new hobby.
Beginner
This is you if you want one or two rewarding cards to put your regular spending on. You do not like coupon clipping, and you don’t want to think too hard about redeeming your points. You would be best served by finding your go-to cards for your needs and sticking to them.
Intermediate
If you’re willing to put in some time to save some big money on travel, this might be you. You’re willing to open up 3 - 5 new cards per year to get sign up bonuses to help you reach your travel goals and you’re prepared to bust out your administrative skills to remember to cancel a couple of those each year and take advantage of the benefits they offer.
Advanced
You are hype to save as much on travel as you possibly can. You have the time and interest to learn the complexities of various airline, hotel, and credit card programs as long as it will lead you to free travel. You like digging into a complicated system and reaping the rewards.
What’s Next?
Now that you know what type of travel hacker you are, keep an eye on the blog over the next few months for articles tailored to each type of travel hacker, and let me know in the comments what you’re hoping to learn!
