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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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Some Hyatt perks are nice-to-have. Suite Upgrade Awards are don’t-you-dare-waste-them perks.
Used right, one click can turn a tight standard room into a full living room, balcony, and separate bedroom with a door. Used wrong… you’ve burned a golden ticket on a room that was already empty.
Some Hyatt perks are nice-to-have. Suite Upgrade Awards are don’t-you-dare-waste-them perks.
Used right, one click can turn a tight standard room into a full living room, balcony, and separate bedroom with a door. Used wrong… you’ve burned a golden ticket on a room that was already empty.
If you’ve ever watched a big chunk of your budget disappear into rent and thought, “There has to be a smarter way,” there’s good news. Bilt is a rewards program that helps renters (and everyday spenders) earn points you can use for flights and hotel stays.
I talk to so many moms who’ve done the work — signed up for the cards, tracked the bonuses, built up big balances — and then freeze when it’s time to actually spend them. Because what if you “waste” them? What if a better deal comes later?
Here’s the truth: those points were never meant to live in an account. They were meant to turn into memories.
If you’ve ever tried to book four (or six!) seats on the same plane for a school-break trip, you know the feeling…the price jumps while you’re still comparing flight times, and suddenly that long-awaited vacation feels out of reach.
Points changed that for us. Not because I’m chasing every shiny deal, but because I’ve learned to focus on just a few programs that make real family travel easier.
If you’ve ever wished you could share your elite hotel perks with someone you love, Hyatt is one of the only programs that officially lets you do it.
That’s exactly what the Guest of Honor Award is designed for.
We flew to Italy on points for our 17-year anniversary. Here’s how we booked business class using 60K points instead of $2,800 per ticket.
I’m here to tell you a secret…
You don’t have to stay 60 nights in a hotel to earn Hyatt Globalist status. You can piece it together, even as a busy parent who only travels a few times a year.
I’ve come to love IHG properties for family travel, not because they’re flashy or influencer-trendy, but because they are often:
The only chain hotel in smaller destinations (like the Columbia River Gorge or near national parks)
Way more likely to offer suite-style rooms or sofa sleepers
Loaded with perks like free breakfast or kitchens, which is huge when feeding multiple kids
Cash back is great for simplicity, but transferable points from gateway cards are where the real leverage lives. Instead of being stuck at a flat 1¢ per point, you can move those points to airline and hotel partners and tap into award “sweet spots” that price flights and stays far below cash rates.
I felt bad the other day when I posted a ski week we took due to the Epic Pass that was limited to Utah moms because of the School Kids program they have. So, I got curious and wanted to give you a list of some of the best ski trips I could find that you could book on points. Yes, skiing itself can be a bit pricey, but when you know how to book the hotels for your winter wonderland vacation on points, it suddenly gets a whole lot easier to book.
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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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I felt bad the other day when I posted a ski week we took due to the Epic Pass that was limited to Utah moms because of the School Kids program they have. So, I got curious and wanted to give you a list of some of the best ski trips I could find that you could book on points. Yes, skiing itself can be a bit pricey, but when you know how to book the hotels for your winter wonderland vacation on points, it suddenly gets a whole lot easier to book.
