I thought I had my premium card setup figured out. I had my go-tos for everyday spending, a clear favorite for lounge access, and a system for rotating through welcome offers on a regular schedule. But a recent change from one of the biggest banks in the points and miles world just shifted the landscape—and it’s made me pause and rethink what my “keeper” cards actually are.

If you want to know how to stay organized earning over a million points a year, here’s how I do it, without spreadsheets, apps or overwhelming systems. Learning how to stay organized earning points is the key to making the most of credit card rewards.

Denied a credit card with good credit? Learn why it happens, what to say when you call the reconsideration line, and how to improve your chances of approval next time.

Let’s talk about something a lot of people wonder when they first get into points and miles: Are credit card annual fees worth it? It’s a fair question—and the answer depends on how you use the card, but in many cases, the value far outweighs the cost.

Streamline your travel experience by holding the right credit cards to skip the line!

So you’ve earned a bunch of credit card points, now what?
There are smart, flexible ways to book flights with your points, even on airlines your card doesn’t partner with.

People assume that because I talk about points and miles a lot, I must be a spreadsheet-loving, detail-obsessed person who never gets overwhelmed. That’s… not exactly true.

The truth is, I have a love-hate relationship with travel credit cards.

I love what they’ve done for our family—I mean, we’ve stayed in five-star resorts for free, flown to Hawaii in peak season, and saved thousands of dollars on school break travel. But the mental energy it takes to keep it all running? That’s real. Especially as a mom managing a household, sports schedules, and a business.

When I first started learning how to travel with points, I remember feeling completely lost. I’d heard of families flying to Hawaii for pennies and booking dreamy resorts with “just points,” but every time I looked into it, I ended up with 18 tabs open and zero clarity. I knew it was possible, I just couldn’t figure out how.

We haven’t taken the kids to Walt Disney World yet, but my kids are huge Harry Potter fans, so when Universal announced the opening of Epic Universe, we knew we were headed back to Florida. And since we were already flying across the country, I figured—it’s time. Let’s finally do Disney World.

If you’ve spent any time in the points and miles world, you’ve probably heard that transferring points to travel partners usually gets you the best value—and that’s true. But as a mom booking travel for a whole family, I know that maximizing every cent per point doesn’t always work out in real life. Sometimes, using points to erase travel purchases or book through a travel portal actually makes more sense.