If you’re like me, you probably shop online constantly, from groceries and school clothes to that last-minute birthday gift. I used to click “buy” without a second thought until I realized how many points I was leaving behind.

Up until now, Bilt points have been notoriously hard to earn; you could basically do it through rent and one card. Within a week, Bilt announced two big shifts: you can earn through Rakuten right now, and starting in February, you’ll be able to earn on your mortgage too.

*Advertiser Disclosure: The Rewards Mom has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Rewards Mom and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.* I’ve never loved paying cash for flights, and that’s a huge reason I dove headfirst into points and miles. But even with a good stash of rewards, […]

Cruises don’t usually pop up in the same way flights and hotels do when you’re looking for award travel. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use points—or cashback—to make one way more affordable.

My first minimum spend was like $3,000, and thinking I had to spend that amount kind of freaked me out. But here’s the secret, if you track your spending, you will find you probably spend that much anyway.

This is the behind-the-scenes of how I track our points, stay on top of payments, and plan trips without losing my mind.

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.

It started with a moment of sticker shock. I was pricing out a Universal Orlando vacation for our family of six—and when I saw the total, I actually laughed out loud. Not the fun, theme-park kind of laugh. The “surely this is a mistake” kind.

If your bag doesn’t show up, don’t panic (or at least try not to!). Follow these steps to get it back as quickly as possible:

When it comes to Christmas, our family keeps things simple and intentional with a tradition I love: the four-gift Christmas. If four gifts were good enough for Jesus, then they’re certainly good enough for our kids! This approach helps us focus on the reason for the season without feeling materialistic or overwhelmed by “stuff” when it’s all over. Each of our four gifts is themed after the original gifts given to Jesus—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—plus a fourth surprise from Santa and their stockings. Let me break down how it works and why it’s been such a blessing for us.