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. The Rules Changed 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 […]

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.

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.

One of the questions I get the most usually goes like this—

“Do you choose where you want to go first, or do you just wait for a deal to pop up and plan around that?”

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.

With so many shopping portals available, it’s important to know which one provides the best benefits for your family. Two of the best ways to earn extra points on everyday spending are Rakuten and Capital One Offers—but they work differently. If your goal is to maximize travel rewards, here’s what you need to know.