by The Frugal Tourist Team | Jan 23, 2024 | MILES & POINTS
Traveling is an exciting and enriching experience, but it can also be an expensive affair. What if I tell you that there’s a way to travel to stunning destinations without breaking the bank? Yes, it’s possible, and it is through traveling using credit card points. In this blog post, I will walk you through how traveling with miles and points can be a frugal yet adventurous way to explore the world.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jan 20, 2024 | MILES & POINTS
One of the fastest ways to accumulate miles and points is to purchase gift cards when they go on sale, either at office supply stores or grocery stores. In this blog post, I will go over the steps on how you can liquidate or use these gift cards to pay taxes, specifically, estimated taxes.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Jan 20, 2024 | Air France, Flying Blue, KLM, MILES & POINTS
The Flying Blue frequent flier program by Air France/KLM is a game-changer for frugal tourists. Its affordable award seats make it possible for anyone with miles to travel more without breaking the bank. In this blog post, I have guided you through the process of finding the most affordable award seats in the Flying Blue award calendar so you can be on your way to your next bucket-list destination on miles and points.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jan 12, 2024 | MILES & POINTS, PayPal
PayPal’s new Bill Pay feature offers a convenient way to pay bills and utilities with a credit card, no added fees involved. It presents an excellent opportunity to earn cash back or travel rewards by utilizing your credit cards for PayPal Bill Pay. Any credit card that can be linked to your PayPal account can be used for this purpose. In this blog post, we will guide you on how to set up PayPal Bill Pay and leverage its benefits to maximize your travel rewards or cash back.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jan 6, 2024 | American Express, Travel, United
Since some credit cards provide travel credits that expire within a year, depositing money in United’s travel bank is a viable option to utilize those credits so they won’t go to waste. Funds diverted in United’s travel bank have a 5-year lifespan so it offers some level of longevity and a whole lot of flexibility, especially that travel is not expected to pick up again anytime soon. In this blog post, I will walk you through the steps on how to fund and use United’s Travel Bank.
by The Frugal Tourist | Nov 23, 2023 | CHASE, Deals
Who doesn’t love getting something for free? Especially when it’s something you can use, like $10 in Gopuff credits! If you have Chase credit cards and want to score free goodies, this blog post is for you. Today, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to get $10 in Gopuff credits from your Chase credit cards every month through December 31, 2023.
by The Frugal Tourist | Oct 16, 2023 | MILES & POINTS
One of the most lucrative frugal strategies I’ve been optimizing the past decade or so is leveraging points and miles earned from credit cards to pay for my airfare and hotel stays. These credit cards require for a certain amount of spending to occur before they give out bonuses. In this blog post, I will lay out some ways on how you can meet this requirement without breaking the bank.
by The Frugal Tourist | Oct 1, 2023 | Hotels, Hyatt, MILES & POINTS
The World of Hyatt’s award chart is popular among frugal travelers and points enthusiasts looking to maximize their hotel points and benefits. Hyatt offers a competitive award chart, with redemption options starting at just 3,500 points per night for Category 1 properties and going up to 45,000 points per night for Category 8 properties. with Hyatt hotels to take advantage of free stays on Hyatt points.
In this blog article, I’ll walk you through the steps in searching for World of Hyatt free night awards so you can be on your way to your next free bucket-list vacation.
by The Frugal Tourist | Oct 1, 2023 | Travel Tips
In this blog post, I will illustrate the benefits of having a zero-fee ATM card when traveling. Personally, I have been utilizing the Charles Schwab Debit Card alongside their exceptional Brokerage Checking Account. The most notable advantage? No maintenance fee or minimum balance requirement! Additionally, at the conclusion of each month, they reimburse all ATM charges incurred worldwide. Rest assured, it is a remarkable card that caters to all your travel necessities.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Sep 15, 2023 | CHASE, MILES & POINTS
Elevate your travel game with the Chase Ink Business Credit Card. Its generous sign-up bonuses, 5x point earnings on office supplies and select utilities, and no annual fee make it the ideal choice for budget-savvy small business owners and frugal tourists like myself. In this blog post, I will go over the benefits of the best no-annual-fee credit card available in the market right now.
by The Frugal Tourist | Sep 9, 2023 | Business Cards, Credit Cards, POINTS ACCUMULATION
In this blog post, I would like to share a strategy that I’ve been able to successfully leverage to travel the world for a significant discount. This tactic involves using travel miles and points accrued from business credit cards. This post aims to demystify the business credit card application process so you can confidently answer the form even if you are a sole proprietor and do not have an EIN. Let’s dive in!
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Jul 9, 2023 | Antarctica, Bucket List
Antarctica isn’t just a destination for the wealthy seeking exclusive experiences—it’s also accessible to the savvy, budget-conscious explorer. In this blog post, I will share valuable tips, tricks, and insider knowledge on how you can travel to Antarctica, making this dream adventure a reality. Join me as we delve into the mesmerizing landscapes, encounter unique wildlife, and discover the wonders of the icy continent. Is Antarctica on your bucket list? Let’s make it happen together!
by The Frugal Tourist | Aug 1, 2022 | MILES & POINTS
One of the fastest ways to accumulate travel miles and points is to purchase gift cards (Visa Gift Cards or Mastercard Gift Cards) when they go on sale, either at office supply stores or grocery stores, by using travel credit cards. In this blog post, I will list out the various liquidation methods I’ve utilized through the years to convert these gift cards into cash, while simultaneously earning travel points for free flights and hotels.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jun 30, 2024 | POINTS ACCUMULATION
Office Depot/Max is back with their regular deal of discounted gift cards. This time around, $15 is instantly deducted from your tab if you purchase $300+ Mastercard gift cards. This is a wonderful opportunity to help you meet the minimum spending requirement of a new credit card you just applied for. Alternatively, use the Chase Ink Cash which gives 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar at office supply stores. You can then use those points for free travel or hotel stays. This blog post outlines the steps.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jun 20, 2024 | MILES & POINTS, POINTS ACCUMULATION
Staples is back with its FEE-FREE Visa Gift Card promotion that can be optimized to earn a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for free travel and hotel stays.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jun 16, 2024 | POINTS ACCUMULATION
Staples is back with its FEE-FREE Mastercard Gift Card promotion that can be optimized to earn a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for free travel and hotel stays.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jun 9, 2024 | POINTS ACCUMULATION
Office Depot/Max is back with their regular deal of discounted gift cards. This time around, $15 is instantly deducted from your tab if you purchase $300+ Visa gift cards. This is a wonderful opportunity to help you meet the minimum spending requirement of a new credit card you just applied for. Alternatively, use the Chase Ink Cash which gives 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar at office supply stores. You can then use those points for free travel or hotel stays. This blog post outlines the steps.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | May 12, 2024 | American Airlines, MILES & POINTS
If you own an American Airlines business credit card, you may notice changes in how your points are credited to your AAdvantage account. American Airlines now separates miles earned from personal and business credit card charges. This new transfer option lets you share miles with your team or partners at no additional cost. In this blog, I’ll explain how to transfer miles from your American Airlines business cards to your AAdvantage account.
by The Frugal Tourist | Apr 7, 2024 | Europe, portugal
Welcome to Porto, the charming city known for its colorful buildings, delicious food, and port wine. But what do you do when the rain starts pouring down? Don’t let a little rain dampen your spirits or ruin your travel plans. In this blog, I’ll share my favorite spots in Porto for rainy days and give you a one-day plan for when the forecast looks gloomy.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Mar 22, 2024 | Hyatt
If you’re into collecting points and love saving money like I do, let me tell you how to maximize your point earnings with World of Hyatt promotions. As a perennial favorite of points enthusiasts, the World of Hyatt program has consistently offered exciting promotions for its loyal customers. This blog post will list all of the Hyatt promotions in 2024 so we can all inch closer to staying at fantastic Hyatt properties this year for a considerable discount.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Mar 17, 2024 | Devaluation, Hyatt
The World of Hyatt program has announced its annual award chart changes, affecting 183 properties. Among these, 137 properties will be subject to devaluation, requiring more World of Hyatt points for free night awards. Conversely, 46 hotels will move to a lower category, reducing the points needed. This blog post will detail the properties changing categories and offer booking recommendations before March 26th, 2024.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Mar 16, 2024 | China Airlines, Flying Blue, MILES & POINTS, Redemptions
One of the benefits of learning how credit card points work is the ability to use travel points and miles to fly business class on different airlines. This China Airlines redemption from Taipei to Seattle using Flying Blue miles exemplifies how credit card points can be maximized to fly luxuriously without breaking the bank. In this blog post, I’ll share details about how I booked my return flight from Taipei back to the West Coast of the US using travel miles and points.
by The Frugal Tourist | Mar 15, 2024 | CHASE, Flying Blue, MILES & POINTS
If you’re a frequent traveler with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you may be interested in taking advantage of the current transfer bonus to Flying Blue Air France/KLM. This limited-time offer allows you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) account with a 25% bonus.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Feb 11, 2024 | American Airlines, MILES & POINTS
As one of the world’s largest airlines, American Airlines offers a frequent flyer program that’s chock-full of perks and rewards. Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or a points enthusiast looking for the best deals, earning American Airlines miles can help you save money while enjoying a comfortable and rewarding travel experience. In this guide, we unveil the various ways you can earn American Airlines miles.
by The Frugal Tourist Team | Feb 2, 2024 | Capital One, Lounge
Points enthusiasts, frequent flyers, and frugal tourists know that the voyage is as important as the destination. Long layovers and flight delays are an inevitable part of the travel experience, but they don’t have to be a drag. Gone are the days of waiting for your flight in those cramped, noisy airport terminals—welcome to the world of serene lounges with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. In this blog post, I’ll explain why the Venture X card is the savvy traveler’s best friend, especially if you yearn for an oasis of calm during your hectic travel schedule.
by The Frugal Tourist | Jan 25, 2024 | Amazon, MILES & POINTS
Amazon’s Shop with Points perk allows customers to use points from their loyalty rewards programs towards purchases at Amazon.com, making it easier to save when shopping for what they want. With Amazon’s Shop with Points, you can access rewards points from numerous banks and credit cards. All it takes is a few clicks to link your bank account or credit card directly to your Amazon account so that you can start using your points right away. In this guide, I will walk you through redeeming your points using Amazon’s Shop With Points program. But most importantly, I will teach you when you should use your points and when you should not. So, let’s get started!