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The tools I use every week to track our points, organize cards, and make sure we never miss a deal. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to keep it all straight, these are for you.
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You search “family suite,” you get excited about the pictures, and then you read the fine print and it turns out that room sleeps four. Or worse, “family suite” just means two queen beds and the option to pay extra for a roll-away bed that you stub your toe on in the morning.
So I did the work for you. I went through 20 of our favorite big-trip destinations, Costa Rica to Sydney and everywhere in between, and I checked every single room.
You search “family suite,” you get excited about the pictures, and then you read the fine print and it turns out that room sleeps four. Or worse, “family suite” just means two queen beds and the option to pay extra for a roll-away bed that you stub your toe on in the morning.
So I did the work for you. I went through 20 of our favorite big-trip destinations, Costa Rica to Sydney and everywhere in between, and I checked every single room.
When people say let’s go to Japan, it’s usually just a hypothetical pipe dream. By knowing how to use points and miles for redemptions, we made it a reality.
I’m here to break down everything, from how we booked our flights and hotels to which activities made every single one of our kids’ top five list. If you want a great Japan itinerary, we have one!
The Hyatt award chart changed on May 20, 2026, and most of the coverage has focused on what got more expensive. But there’s a handful of genuinely exciting family destinations bookable for 15,000 points or less.
So you have built your points budget, but what do you do with them? The next step is finding the availability. That part can feel intimidating! Actually locating award space is where most people get stuck.
We can help. The truth is there is no single tool that shows you everything, but that’s OK! I’ve booked flights that never showed up on any search engine. I’ve found incredible availability on tools that most people have never heard of. And I’ve watched seats disappear before I could book them after spending an hour searching.
Japan is the trip everyone wants to take and nobody thinks they can afford. Flights run $1,200-$2,000+ per person in economy, which is a massive chunk of your budget if you have a family of four or more. This leaves nothing in the budget for the amazing shopping! Points fix that.
Earning 150k might seem like a long shot, but did you know one welcome bonus can get you there? One welcome bonus at this level is enough to fly two people to Japan in business class, cover a full week at an all-inclusive where you never open your wallet, pay for your Disney hotel, or split into three separate trips across the year. Most people don’t realize how far this balance actually goes.
Two big changes are hitting Hyatt on the same day, May 20, and if you have points sitting in your account right now, this post is for you.
150k opens a completely different conversation. You’re not just stretching points further; you’re unlocking trips that felt out of reach entirely. Business class seats for a couple. A full week at an all-inclusive where literally everything is covered. Two completely separate vacations in one year instead of one. Or a Park Hyatt in Paris or Tokyo that you assumed was only for people with travel blogs and no children.
Spoiler: it’s for you too.
When I first envisioned taking my family to Hawaii, I thought of palm trees, shave ice, beautiful beaches. It seemed like a dream. I quickly woke up when I looked at hotel prices.
Hawaii hotels are expensive. And not every hotel is created equal.
This is one of the BEST trips to use points for.
I’m going to walk you through the best family resorts on each island, and exactly how you can actually stay at them for way less (or close to free).
Rove Miles is a rewards program that lets you earn points when you book hotels, flights, or while shopping, without giving up the benefits you’d normally get from booking directly.
Instead of choosing between earning credit card points or hotel/flight points, Rove sits in the middle and lets you earn both in many cases.
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Can’t remember where you saw it? Whether it was a credit card tip, a travel itinerary, or that dress from Instagram—if I’ve shared it, you can probably find it here.
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Our first year on points, we saved $53,726 on five family trips (before I had a single follower). Now you can get there three ways: learn it step by step in the 30-day TRM Points Challenge, let my AI Trip Planner map out your next trip, or join TRM+ for $9.99 a month and stay current on every offer and masterclass.
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Rove Miles is a rewards program that lets you earn points when you book hotels, flights, or while shopping, without giving up the benefits you’d normally get from booking directly.
Instead of choosing between earning credit card points or hotel/flight points, Rove sits in the middle and lets you earn both in many cases.
