Travel for Less: Turning Everyday Expenses into Dream Vacations

Think you don't spend enough to start travel hacking? Often when having conversations about using travel rewards points, they tell me "I don't spend enough to make it worth it". My response is always the same, if you are spending any money at all you can earn travel reward points. Many people believe that earning enough travel reward points means they have to spend lots of money every month. That is not the case at all! As long as you are spending any money regularly, you can earn free or low-cost vacations using travel reward credit cards.

Do you dream of family vacations but don't have the budget? Think vacations are reserved for the wealthy or that it requires sacrificing everyday expenses to afford a vacation. It is why I started travel hacking in the first place. I wanted to have memorable family vacations but did not have the budget for it. To read about my beginnings in travel hacking check out my post "My Journey to Memorable Family Vacations with Travel Hacking."

With a little creativity and strategic planning, you can turn your everyday expenses into dream vacations. In this blog post, we will explore various ways to earn travel reward points if your monthly spending is minimal. So if you're ready to start exploring the world without emptying your wallet, keep reading for tips on how to travel for less and turn your travel dreams into reality.

Maximizing Rewards Programs and Credit Card Points for Affordable Travel

Are you dreaming of sipping cocktails on a tropical beach or exploring the streets of a bustling European city, but your bank account is holding you back? Don't worry - with the right rewards programs and credit card points, you can turn your everyday expenses into dream vacations without breaking the bank. By strategically using rewards programs offered by airlines, hotels, and credit card companies, you can earn points and miles on everything from groceries to gas to dining out. These points can then be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, and even vacation packages, allowing you to travel for a fraction of the cost.

What Type of Free Trip Can You Earn With A low Monthly Spend? 

With lower monthly spending, you can either adjust the type of trip you want to take or plan on earning points for a longer period of time for your luxurious dream vacation. For example, my first travel hack vacation was to Lake Placid. We were able to drive, which meant I did not have to earn points for airfare and was able to focus on earning enough points for our hotel. You can also adjust the type of hotel or location for your trip. For example, if you are earning points at a slower pace, you may have to wait a while to earn enough points to stay at a 5-star hotel in NYC and take fly to NY. On the other hand, if that is your dream vacation and you want to wait to earn enough points that is fine too!! Using travel reward points for free travel is very flexible to meet your wants. 

A close friend of mine wanted to go to a Caribean resort for a milestone birthday 3 years from now but was worried that her monthly budget wouldn't earn her enough points. I suggested she find out which resort she would like to go to that has a co-branded credit card and start earning the points now for that dream vacation. With a bit of planning and savvy spending, you can unlock a world of travel opportunities that were once out of reach.

How to Earn Travel Reward Points Without a High Monthly Spend

One of the keys to maximizing your rewards is to choose credit cards that offer generous sign-up bonuses and rewards for everyday spending. Sign-up bonuses are where you will earn the bulk of your points. If you do not have a large monthly spending, look for cards that have a low minimum spend to earn the sign-up bonus.  Some examples are:

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Minimum spend to earn sign-up bonus: $2,000 in 6 months 

Bonus categories: 5X on dining and groceries 

That comes out to a $333 spend per month. If you spend more than $333 a month, then you can earn the sign-up bonus of 100,000 Hilton points (at the time of writing this, the sign-up bonus is 100,000 points). 

To learn more about the Hilton Honors Amex card check out our post "How the American Express Hilton Card Enhances Your Travels."

Hilton Honors Surpass American Express Card 

Minimum spend to earn sign-up bonus: $3,000 in 6 months 

Bonus categories: 5X on dining, gas stations and groceries 

That comes out to a $500  spend per month. If you spend more than $500 a month, then you can earn the sign-up bonus of 155,000 Hilton points (at the time of writing this, the sign-up bonus is 155,000 points). 

To learn more about the Amex Surpass check out "Unlocking Rewards: Look At The American Express Surpass Card."

Jet Blue Plus Card

Minimum spend to earn sign-up bonus: $1,000 in 90 days 

Bonus categories: 2X on dining and groceries 

That comes out to a $11 spend per day. If you spend more than $11 a day, then you can earn the sign-up bonus of 60,000 Jet Blue points (at the time of writing this, the sign-up bonus is 60,000 points). 

The Sign-Up Bonus Game

If you play the sign-up Bonus game you can earn a free vacation with airfare in a year and a half using the credit card offers above.  Let's walk through this scenario: 

1. Sign up for the Hilton Honors American Express card

This aligns with our strategy of starting with the lowest level card in a cobrand group and also has the lowest minimum spend in the Hilton cards. This will earn you 100,000 Hilton Honors points, plus points earned on spending. Remember to try to take advantage of those bonus categories. 

2. When you meet the sign-up bonus for the Hilton Honors card sign up for the American Express Surpass Card. This will earn you 155,000 Hilton Honors points, plus points earned on spending. Remember to try to take advantage of those bonus categories. 

3. When you meet the sign-up bonus for the Surpass card sign up for the Jet Blue Plus Card. This will earn you 60,000 Jet Blue points, plus points earned on spending.

To learn more about playing the sign-up bonus game check out our post "Your Next Moves: After First Travel Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus."

If you can meet the Jet Blue plus card minimum spend without transferring all your monthly expenses to the Jet Blue card, my suggestion would be to keep at least your expenses in the Surpass bonus categories on the Surpass card (dining, groceries, and gas). If you need to transfer your dining, groceries, and gas to the Jet Blue Plus card to meet the minimum spend, then that is okay too.  The goal is to keep bonus category expenses with the card that will earn you the most points for that particular expense. 

So at the end of the 1 year and 3 months, it would take to earn the sign-up bonuses for these 3 cards, you would have more than enough points for a 5-night stay at a 60,000 point per night Hilton hotel and be able to fly there.  Keep in mind, that Hilton offers the 5th night free if booking solely with Hilton Honors points. You may even be able to book a 70,000 or 80,000 point per night hotel depending on how many points you earned for spending (take advantage of those bonus categories if possible).  To learn more about Hilton Honors and the 5th night free check out our post "Elevate Your Stay: Understanding the Hilton Honors Program."

So if you spend at least $6,000 on just life...  in a year and 3 months then you can travel hack. It is that simple. 

For travel reward points to be the most efficient, you should put ALL of your expenses on a travel reward credit card. This includes all expenses that you can pay for with a credit card. To learn more about travel hacking strategies check out our post "Travel Hacking 101: Ultimate Guide to Getting Started."

You have everyday expenses you are incurring regardless. Why not turn those expenses into opportunities to travel for free. By simply spending money as you normally would, you can accumulate points or miles, making your everyday spending work for you.