I’m sure you’ve recently heard the term “travel hacking” and “travel hacker”. As a solo traveler on a budget, the idea of racking up free flights and hotels around the world sounded too good to be true. But through months of research and consulting with expert travel hackers, I can confidently say….it’s not too good to be true! I discovered the world of travel hacking and how to maximize the benefits of travel credit cards. Now I want to share my knowledge and resources with YOU!
If you’re on a budget but your life mission is to see more of the world, then start reading about my journey into travel hacking and how you can get started!
Travel credit cards aren’t new to me. I’ve had a travel credit card (Southwest Rapid Rewards) for 15 years. While the Southwest Rapid Rewards card has a lot of benefits (most of my domestic flights have been free), it was time to upgrade. After researching different cards and considering my personal needs, I finally landed on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.
(*I still have & use my SW card).
These are the things that were most important to me & ultimately made me choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card:
- no foreign transaction fees
- free global entry & TSA reimbursement
- yearly travel reimbursement
- sign-up bonus
- free priority pass giving me access to airport lounges worldwide
- reward rates on travel, hotels, rental cars, & more!
How to Earn Your Sign-Up Bonus
You might be wondering how I was able to rack up an insane amount of points to book multiple international flights in such a short period.
I took full advantage of the sign-up bonus. But that meant I had to spend a lot of money in the first 3 months. But let me be clear, I wasn’t buying things I didn’t need just to meet the goal. If you’ve been here long enough, you know me – I don’t have a lot of stuff.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to hit the sign-up bonus goal but I was determined to try.
This is exactly what I did 👇
I moved all of my monthly subscription auto-payments to my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card (Apple Music, TalkSpace, etc.) which over 3 months was nearly $1,000.
Next, I paid for everything I would normally buy (groceries, transportation, hair, etc.) with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. Of course, I was in some cash countries, so for markets or street carts, I had to pay in cash. But anywhere that I could use my card, I did. If I went to dinner with friends, I’d ask to put it all on my card and everyone would Venmo or give me cash (also reducing my trips to the ATM).
Keep in mind that the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card points are accumulated as follows:
So, I obviously booked all my travel with my card, and before I knew it…GOAL met! 🎉 It required a bit of planning but in the end I’d say it was worth it. I met the sign-up bonus which allowed me to earn enough points to book multiple international flights for FREE!
Are you interested in signing up for a travel credit card this year? I highly recommend reading this article The best travel credit cards of January 2023. And for those who want to learn more about my journey in travel hacking, subscribe to get more posts like this straight to your inbox.
Keep in mind that travel hacking isn’t just about getting free flights. It’s also for hotels, car rentals, dining, shopping, and more. And it’s not just about signing up for one credit card, but also maximizing its benefits and possibly adding a second or third one….stay tuned! 😉
