3.7.22
I remember it so vividly now. What was at the time an innocent meal in the middle of nowhere Colorado became the spring board into a world I only saw from the outside until then. Let me take you back a bit.
I have always loved to travel. I was blessed with parents who enjoyed exploring the outdoors and taking me along for the ride. I remember taking trips as a kid, maybe more than most other memories, and I loved the newness and diversity of the world and its beauty and experiences. Travel was always an escape, almost like an alternate world, where I could learn and grow, outside of my little home bubble. It was a passion that flourished, each trip pouring gas on the flames. It led me to many disparate locations and to take mission trips around the world, putting a new lens on my views of this world.
But as my wife will tell you, not only am I passionate about travel, but about frugality. And often the two don’t mix. With 3 kids, traveling is a challenge, period. And on a budget, seemingly impossible. Little did I know there is a way. Back to Colorado.
I have a friend who dabbles in the points world. My impression always was, it’s scary, it’s complicated, it takes a lot of work. Some aspects of that are true. That’s why I was content with one credit card earning points that I periodically cashed in for statement credits. Swift and easy. But when he pulled out his Chase Sapphire Reserve card and was talking about a 100k point sign up bonus, I thought, maybe I should dive a little deeper. Like anything that piques your interest, I started learning and studying, and my journey into the points world began.
That was 4 years ago, and what all the time spent boils down to is this. I have been able to go to places, stay in hotels, and show my family parts of the world that would never be possible before I started earning and burning points, because frankly, I would never spend the money on it. But because I can use points to heavily or completely reduce the costs, what was once impossible is now reality.
What I discovered as my passion for points grew was that I wanted to share what I knew and learned. It felt great to help or advise a friend or family member if they had questions or goals in this area. So here I am. I finally mustered the courage to start this blog. My goal is to inform, educate, and advise others in the points and travel space. It’s ok if you don’t know which planes have reverse herringbone business class seating. There are many different layers and levels to using points. You can take out of the points world as little or as much as you want to meet your travel needs and goals. So, I hope you’ll join me on this journey and I hope to help you along the way.
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