Episode 118

full
Published on:

2nd Oct 2023

Travel for Free with Credit Card Points | E118 Danielle Desir

I have to admit, this is one subject in the personal finance space that I don’t have much experience with. I’m so impressed with my friends who get free airfare and hotels through credit card points and I think it is time for you and I to do the same.

I just get overwhelmed and I’m not really sure where to start. What cards should I have in my wallet? Which card should I use on what? Are cards with annual fees worth it?


These questions and more are all going to get answered in today’s episode and to give us those answers, I invited my friend Danielle Desir Corbett who is the creator of The Thought Card, a travel and finance blog and podcast.


Danielle is quite the expert when it comes to traveling cheaper through credit card hacking. My approach up until this point with credit cards has been pretty elementary. I take my 1% cash back and call it a day but Danielle has me really excited to move up to the next level and start getting more from my credit card provider.


I thought this was an excellent capstone episode for our series on Mastering Money at Work. We’ve covered 401(k)s, asking for a raise, employee perks that can make you money, HSAs, and most recently the passion versus paycheck conundrum. If you missed any of those episodes, download them now so you have something to listen to after this one.


Key Takeaways:

  • Why are credit card companies giving away such lucrative deals
  • The potential risks of credit cards
  • Criteria for what credit cards right for you
  • How to maximize your spending categories
  • Should I use a free card or an annual fee card?
  • Danielle’s favorite credit cards
  • An app that helps you determine which credit card you should be using at checkout
  • A DIY approach to keeping your credit cards organized
  • How to make sure you always get the sign-up bonus
  • Earn and burn mentality
  • Creative ways to boost your points
  • Popular brand partnerships to link your credit card to
  • How to stretch your PTO to take more vacations


Mentions:

CardPointers: https://cardpointers.com/

Rakuten: https://www.rakuten.com/


More of Danielle:

Thought Card Blog and Podcast: https://thoughtcard.com/

Blog: 7 Easy Ways To Earn Thousands of Points and Miles a Year

Blog: 6 Travel Hacking Mistakes To Avoid

Book: Traveling With a Full-Time Job

Book: Affording Travel: Saving Strategies For Financially Savvy Travelers


More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for FI Minded: Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It

About the Podcast

FI Minded: Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Want to achieve financial independence without missing out on the fun?

FI Minded is for anyone who wants to achieve financial freedom, live life on their own terms, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey along the way!

Whether you’re just starting to think about financial independence or already deep into the process, FI Minded gives you the tools and inspiration to make FI a reality - without giving up the things you love.

Each episode, we’ll cover topics like:
*Financial Independence Strategies: Simple, actionable advice to reach FI faster (if that’s your goal).
*Work Optionality: Transitioning from the corporate grind (no more "one more year syndrome") to a life of freedom and flexibility.
*Lifestyle Design: How to build a life that aligns with your values, goals, and dreams.
*Stories from the FI Community: Real people sharing their journeys to FI and what they’ve learned.
*Fun with FI: How to save your future and enjoy your current life through CoastFI, mini-retirements, travel, or just making the most of your time.
*Fighting Burnout: Balancing saving for your future while staying mentally healthy.

Some of our past guests include:
Carl Jensen (1500 Days), Jeremy Schneider (Personal Finance Club), Nick Loper (Side Hustle Show), Andrew Giancola (The Personal Finance Podcast), Jordan Grumet (Earn & Invest), Jill Sirianni (Frugal Friends), Jacking Cummings-Koski (Catching Up to FI), Jesse Cramer (Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors), Diania Merriam (Optimal Finance Daily), Rachael Camp (Work Optional), Jillian Johnsrud (Retire Often), Sean Mullaney (FI Tax Guy), Joel Larsgaard (How to Money), Erin Lowry (Broke Millennial).
Support This Show