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If you have kids in school, you don’t get flexible travel dates.
You get spring break.
Summer.
Fall break.
Christmas.
Which also happen to be the most expensive times to travel.
When I first started planning trips for our family, it felt like every search ended the same way: sticker shock, limited options, and that sinking feeling of how is anyone doing this more than once? Flights were outrageous. Hotels required multiple rooms. And every trip felt like a financial stretch – even when I was using points.
But even if you’ve figured out how to get around it with credit card points- family travel eats points fast.
Especially with peak pricing.
Points can get you around the high prices in more ways than one- but how do you have enough to do it more than once every 5 years?
The answer is building a system. A system where points are always coming in.
If you’ve ever felt like points are great in theory, but stressful in real life- in the right place.
Because the goal isn’t just one amazing trip — it’s never feeling like you’re starting over again.
If you’re just getting started with points, my free Beginner’s Guide is a great place to build your foundation before diving deeper into strategies.
And if you want to see the exact types of cards that make this “points flow” easier to build, here’s a list of some of my favorite cards.
The Mindset Shift: From “One Trip at a Time” to a Long-Term Points Plan
Lots of people treat points like a short term project.
Open a card.
Hit the bonus.
Book a trip.
Repeat when life allowed.
That strategy works… until it doesn’t. Without a long-term plan, and especially when you’re booking two rooms for a bigger family- balances get tight again fast.
If you really need to earn the most points possible- you need layered earning in addition to earning welcome offers. When you do that, the hobby becomes even more rewarding.
The layers:
- Always work on a welcome offer, supplementing that everyday spending
- Identify your 2 every day spend cards
- Utilize shopping portals
- Use those transfer bonuses
- And more
Once those layers are in place, points stop feeling scarce. So, here are 10 ways to never run out of travel points.
1. Always Have One Welcome Offer in Motion
We almost always have one card we’re intentionally working on a minimum spend. If you’re new to how that works- make sure to read my free beginners guide.
Especially if you know you have a big expense coming up, it’s a great time to meet a welcome offer.
Think:
- Insurance payments
- Camps and sports seasons
- Travel deposits
- Tuition or activities
- Home projects
We never create spending to meet a welcome offer, we simply align big expenses when it makes sense. We also, of course, pay our cards off every month.
This keeps momentum steady without stress or overspending.
If you’re still figuring out how to choose the right card for your family’s goals, this guide walks through how I evaluate options.
2. Know Which Card You Use for Everyday Spending
If you don’t have a clear plan for everyday spending, you’re probably earning points randomly. That means leaving points on the table every single month, especially if groceries are a big part of your budget.
Instead of juggling a bunch of cards, we use a two-card system:
One card for groceries and food, earning around 3x points
Groceries are one of the biggest expenses for families, and this is where points can add up fast. Having a dedicated food card means you’re consistently earning strong returns without changing your spending.
Grocery & dining-focused flexible points cards I recommend: HERE. Keep in mind, if it’s a cash back card- you’ll need the premium version to make those points flexible. More on that HERE.
One high flat-rate card for everything else, earning at least 1.5x points
This is your default card for everything else. When you don’t want to think, this is the card you grab.
Your choice here will depend on your favorite points, but I recommend choosing a card that is flexible.
Some people will choose a hotel card here as well for status/free nights- there’s no wrong choice, but for flexibility’s sake I prioritize flexible points cards.
My sister swears by the Capital one Venture X for this with a flat 2x earning rate, but I prefer the points from the bank Im not allowed to name online. Find my favorite flat earning rate cards below.
High flat-rate everyday cards I recommend for this HERE
Could you maximize every category with more cards? Absolutely. Some people love using “card pointers” to squeeze out extra value.
But most of us only have so much mental space.
This two-card setup captures most of the value without the stress — and small, consistent optimizations like this compound quickly when you’re feeding a family.
3. Volunteer to Front the Cost
One of the easiest ways to earn more points without spending more money is simply routing money One of the easiest ways to earn more points without spending more money is to volunteer to put reimbursable expenses on your card.
This happens constantly in family life:
Booking hotels for sports teams or group trips
Fronting vacation rentals for extended family
Paying for shared activities or tickets
Covering work expenses that get reimbursed
You’re not increasing your budget — you’re just routing money that was already going to be spent through the right card.
Anytime someone says, “Who wants to book this?” or “Can someone put it on their card?” that’s your moment.
I’ll usually say, “I’ve got it — just Venmo me back.”
You get paid back, and you keep the points.
Over time, this adds up in a big way, especially if you’re feeding a family, traveling with groups, or regularly covering shared expenses. It’s one of the simplest ways to keep points flowing in the background without changing how much you spend or adding stress to your budget.
4. Shopping Portals: An Amazing Multiplier
Shopping portals are one of the most underrated tools to keep the points coming.
Anytime you’re buying:
- Clothes
- Shoes
- School supplies
- Gifts
- Electronics
- Home items
…there’s often a portal offering bonus points on top of what your card already earns.
Sometimes it’s 2x.
Sometimes it’s 10x or even 20++ or more during promos.
It takes about 30 seconds to check and stacks beautifully with everyday spending and welcome offers.
If you want a deeper breakdown of how portals work and how I compare them, this post walks through Rakuten versus Capital One Shopping.
5. Strategic Use of Travel Portals (When It Makes Sense)
Travel portals can be a great tool — when you go in with eyes wide open.
They can make sense:
When cash prices are low
When you want simplicity
When you still want to earn points back on the booking
When transfer availability isn’t ideal or just isn’t worth the hassle
Most portals reward you with 5x–12x points for booking flights or hotels through them, which can be a nice boost when everything lines up.
But there are some important downsides to keep in mind:
- you usually don’t earn hotel elite nights or airline status credit when you book through a portal. If status matters to you, or you’re working toward free nights or upgrades, this can be a dealbreaker.
- changes and cancellations can be frustrating. This comes up constantly on Reddit. If something goes wrong, airlines and hotels will often tell you that you have to deal with the credit card company or portal — not them directly. That extra middleman can mean longer hold times and less flexibility when plans change (which, let’s be honest, happens with kids).
Other common complaints:
- Seat assignments and upgrades aren’t always honored
- Special requests can get lost
- Price drops after booking usually aren’t easy to reprice
So no — portals aren’t always the best value.
But they can still be a smart option when:
- You’re booking a straightforward trip
- You don’t need elite benefits
- You want to keep things simple
- The points earning clearly outweighs the downsides
Like most things with points, portals are a tool, not a strategy on their own.
If you want to understand when portals do make sense (and when to skip them), I break it all down step-by-step HERE.
6. Transfer Bonuses: Make Your Existing Points Go Further
Transfer bonuses are one of my favorite ways to stretch points.
Instead of needing more points, you simply get more value out of what you already have. You can find an in-depth guide to transfer bonuses here.
This can turn:
- A decent redemption into a fantastic one
- A borderline booking into a clear yes
- A drained balance into a comfortable cushion
If you’re newer to transferring points, this step-by-step guide walks you through exactly how to do it.
7. Buy Points (Only When the Math Makes Sense)
Buying points can be powerful, or a waste of money, depending on how you use it.
We typically only buy points when:
- We’re topping off for a specific booking
- The math clearly works in our favor- especially with Hyatt and Hilton.
- There’s a promotion involved
- We already have a redemption plan
If you’re unsure how to calculate whether buying points makes sense, this guide shows how to evaluate the real value of a point.
8. Free Night Certificates Protect Your Points
Not every hotel night needs to come from your points balance.
Free night certificates protect your stash by replacing nights that would otherwise drain your account.
We intentionally use certificates for:
- High-cash-value properties
- One-night stays around longer trips
- Peak pricing seasons
If you’re new to using certificates, you’ll love this guide
9. Leverage Player Two (Referrals Add Up Over Time)
When my husband and I coordinate applications and referrals thoughtfully, we earn bonus points without extra spending. And you don’t even need to use your husband! Besties work too!
We treat referrals as a bonus, not guaranteed, but they compound over time when used responsibly and compliantly. You do have to keep track of who has what card with your goals in mind.
10. Diversify Your Points Ecosystem
Holding cards across multiple programs gives you flexibility and protection.
Why this matters:
- Transfer partners often overlap
- One program changing rules doesn’t derail your plans
- You can take advantage of transfer bonuses more easily
- You’re never locked into one redemption path
This flexibility becomes especially valuable when booking multiple rooms or peak travel seasons.
Bonus: Business Spend Unlocks a Whole New Earning Layer
If you have any kind of side income, blogging, consulting, reselling, freelancing, photography, coaching, you may qualify for business cards and business earning opportunities. If you don’t think your business qualifies for a business card, I promise you it does.
This opens an entirely new lane of bonuses and earning power without impacting your personal flow as much. The 5/24 rule is also super important, and business cards don’t count toward that rule. If you have no idea what that is, this post walks you through it.
10 Ways to Never Run Out of Travel Points
The Real Secret: You Don’t Need to Do All of This
You don’t need every strategy running at once.
You really only need:
- One steady welcome offer pipeline
- Two strong everyday earning cards
- One or two multipliers (shopping portals, referrals, or transfer bonuses)
That alone builds momentum.
Once your engine is running, travel stops feeling like a one-time reward and starts feeling like something you can build toward consistently, even with a busy family and a real budget.
Want to start earning free family travel? Grab my free beginner guide.
Let’s Stay Connected (Because This Stuff Changes Constantly)
If you want ongoing tips, real-life booking examples, and reminders when good opportunities pop up:
- Join my email list.
- Follow along on Instagram.
- Join our Facebook community.
I share a lot of behind-the-scenes strategy there that never makes it into blog posts.
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