Tag / points

by Kelly Mattei

Ways to Keep Vacation Costs Down

Ways to keep vacation costs down.

It’s no secret that I love a vacation. I always have. Just say the word “vacation,” and I immediately start singing a song from the 80s by the GoGos: Vacation. I’m a firm believer that we can get a lot of joy from experiencing something different…a culture, a destination, food, and even new people. Some people, apparently, think my husband and I spend a lot of money on travel, and while we enjoy hopping on a plane as much as anyone can, we have learned some ways to take those vacations without paying premium prices. I was a flight attendant for a while after graduating from college and then worked in the travel business, so I know a little bit about travel and keeping costs down. Do I always take inexpensive vacations? No, some of them are more “posh” than others, but I don’t always pay the highest prices, either. I know how to find a deal. I do great research.

Often, people ask me about our trips, and I always remind them that lots of my trips are with friends who split the costs. Yes, splitting costs is the #1 way to keep travel costs down. Take for instance, trips to California, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, New York, Palm Springs, Mexico City, and more…all shared costs with friends who love to travel too. Yes, we purchased individual airline tickets, but by sharing a house or a hotel room, we are able to cut that cost in half. Lots of people do it, and if you’re not doing that, you might be spending too much money. My friend, Jennifer, from Ohio, and I have vacationed together countless times…with our daughters and without. We have shared hotel rooms with our daughters and gotten adjoining rooms for them, but we always have a great time. We also travel with our husbands…sharing a house in the Caribbean. My friend, Mary Ann, and I travel together too, and the two of us simply share a hotel room, keeping costs down. Trust me when I say there are very few people with whom I can travel, but when we do, we split the costs. Renting a house somewhere with a friend or with another family? That cuts rental cost by 50%.

Also, when we travel, I keep my eyes open for future places to stay. I make notes in my phone, so if/when we decide to return to the same destination, I know where hotels/rentals are located, and I can check prices accordingly. For example, there is a place we enjoy visiting regularly, and the first time we went and stayed at a big property, I looked at all the properties nearby. The next time we went, I told my husband I would actually prefer to stay in the smaller, less expensive rentals nearby. They were quieter, with a great pool and beautiful beach, and the visitors seemed less nosy. Now, whenever we return there, we stay in the less expensive villas nearby…and they are so inexpensive that they almost feel free! I actually prefer them over the more crowded resort area we visited first, and we love the villa we rent!

Another way to cut travel costs? Make sure you get your hotel points and airline miles every single time you travel. Also, most airlines now have credit cards that help you accumulate miles more quickly. Use those miles for free tickets, and use your hotel points for free rooms. Huge savings every time! Even if you don’t have a credit card with the airlines, and you only travel by car, you can have a credit card that kicks off cash for everything you purchase. For example, the Bank of America Travel Rewards card will give you cash back, as do credit cards from Wells Fargo, Huntington Bank, and more. Personally, when that accumulates in the account, we use it for a “free” vacation. It adds up more quickly than you think it will. Years ago, I finally convinced my husband he was leaving money on the table by not using credit cards that offered good rewards like airline miles or cash back, and now, he sings my praises for it. Also, airlines sometimes offer promotions that increase the number of miles you receive. If you’re a member of a frequent flyer program, watch for email with special deals on flights. I once took a very expensive seven-night vacation for free, simply because I used the cash back from a credit card, free flights using miles, and a hotel stay using hotel points. I was so proud of myself!

Hotels often offer special deals too. Countless times, I have booked hotels that had “stay for three and get the fourth night free” deals. And some hotel frequent traveler programs offer the 5th night free if you use points to book four nights. Marriott and Hilton both offer this, so if you have a lot of points with Bonvoy or Hilton Honors, look into it. I have actually used this with both hotel chains. With hotel pricing and specials, it’s a matter of checking and double-checking. Don’t just book it and forget it. Every single time I book a hotel room, I continue to check almost daily to see if I see better deals. If I do, I rebook. I have saved thousands of dollars over the years doing this. I once saved over $1500 on one five night trip, simply because I kept watching to see if the rates went down, and when they did, I took advantage of it. Also, some hotel deals might include breakfast or a $150 daily hotel credit. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much, but at a nice hotel, you could spent $100 or more on breakfast. If it’s included and you stay for five nights, that’s $500 savings! The daily hotel credit adds up too!

Another way to save? Because I primarily fly American Airlines, sometimes, I book my hotels through their Advantage Hotels program. When I do, I often receive between 15,000 and 30,000 loyalty points and miles with American…a huge bonus for status with the airline and for miles I can use toward a ticket. Those miles can be a real money-saver. For example, our daughter will be flying next week, and I booked her ticket in coach using miles. I then upgraded her for just $97, and I booked her hotel using my Hilton points. Her trip is practically free!

Also, often, we plan our travel around the best prices for the destination. Don’t travel to destinations during high season. For example, if you can stand it, travel to Phoenix or Palm Springs in late spring or summer. Sure, it is guaranteed to be 100+ degrees, but if you have a pool to lounge in, who cares? Plan a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season, so you get the very best rates. Always get the travel insurance, so if something happens, and you can’t travel, you can get a full refund. You don’t want to lose your money because a hurricane comes through. Wanna go to Europe and save? Often traveling during the low season (Nov-Mar) will yield considerably better hotel rates. Before you plan a trip, if you want to save money, check online to see when the low season is for that destination.

If you love cruises, you can often get a real deal on cruises. I have known people who went on cruises, and it would have cost them more to stay home! With the food included, cruises are often a bargain. I’m not much of a cruiser, simply because I like to go somewhere and spend time in a place, but I know lots of folks who absolutely love it.

And don’t forget the “ask for a discount” option. For example, if you rent the same vacation home regularly, remind the management company that “this is our fifth time renting this house” and ask for a discount. All they can say is “no.” Even my husband, who used to hate to ask for a discount, will do it now.

So if you look at me and think I spend a lot of money on travel, you should know I vacation a lot, but I don’t always spend a lot of money. You should probably just call me for some hints on how to travel less expensively. Yes, occasionally, we have a more posh vacation, but not always. If you’re always paying full price, you’re doing it wrong. It is very rare that I pay full price. You can also follow different travel sites online like The Points Guy. He has lots of great ideas on how to save. Now get busy saving and planning for that next vacation. Everybody needs some joy in their lives!

***Feature photo from The GoGos album, Vacation***

by Kelly Mattei

We Save $$$ Traveling with Friends

We save money traveling with friends…and make some great memories at the same time!

I’m always thinking about the next vacation. My husband just rolls his eyes every time I say, “You know where I want to go next?” He rolls his eyes because he does not have wanderlust, and I do. He loves being home, and he loves visiting the beach where he grew up. That’s fine, but I like to go to different places. That doesn’t mean I don’t repeat places, but the places I like are different than what he likes. No, it’s not a problem, because he doesn’t care when I vacation without him, and I don’t mind when he vacations without me. We’re married, but that doesn’t mean we have to be together 24/7.

My daughter and I travel with friends quite often, and we love it for so many reasons!

Our 16-yr-old daughter is an only child, and I have a cousin and several friends who also have “only children,” so it’s fun to travel with them. I get to catch up with my friends or my cousin, and my daughter has fun with their daughters.

Aside from the fun factor, it saves money for all of us, and we get to do more! How does it save money? Well, we always travel with friends we love…people we enjoy sharing space with. For example, this summer, we are going to a Caribbean destination with a friend from Alabama and her daughter. When we both had daughters, we joked that they would have to be best friends whether they wanted to or not…and fortunately, they love each other! As for the money savings, we share a hotel room or suite. Because we are sharing, we are splitting the cost, making it much more affordable for both of us. It doesn’t save us anything on airfare, but we manage to save a lot anyway.

In fact, this summer, we will do trips with three different friends and a cousin, and it’s all possible, because we aren’t spending a fortune on the rooms/suites, even though we will have beautiful, top-of-the-line accommodations! But we don’t just save on the room. We also save on rental cars, taxi rides, Uber rides, and gas costs. Seriously, it all adds up, and at the end of a five day trip, we are usually amazed at how much we saved by sharing the costs with friends.

Another way to save on travel? Consult a travel agent. I used to work at a travel agency, so I know they often are aware of specials the general public might not know about. Planning a trip to the Caribbean? Let an agent help you. Planning a cruise? Let an agent help you find the perfect one!

Maybe you want to book your own hotel reservation? One quick thing about hotels: when you are making a reservation, always check the special offers. Sometimes, they offer a fifth night free. Sometimes, they offer suites at a discount, but if you don’t check into it, you might be paying the same thing for a room that you could be paying for a much larger space. And always…always…always…continue to check the rates even after you book your reservation. Last year, after I booked our hotel for spring break, I kept checking, and the rates kept going down. I ended up with a rate that was $500 less (total) than the original rate I booked.

Other good ways to save when traveling? Some credit cards offer extra points for dollars spent while traveling, and you can get cash back. I have a credit card that gives me cash back for every dollar we spend, and we get a greater percentage if we apply it to travel. In fact, we try to pay for everything we can on that credit card, and the savings add up fast! I pay for two vacations a year with the points from that card! And don’t forget your frequent flyer miles and hotel rewards programs. If you haven’t signed up for the rewards programs of hotels where you stay, you are just throwing money away. Registration is always free for the programs, and you get points that can add up to free hotel rooms. Seriously, last year, we had 12 free nights in hotels. That’s real money.

And anyone can check out The Points Guy’s website here. The website has a plethora of information about travel savings, but one of the first points he makes is one of the points I’ve already made: get a credit card that will maximize your cash back or points for travel. He says, “By using your debit card [instead of a credit card with rewards], you are spending money and getting nothing in return.”

Travel doesn’t have to cost you a fortune, and it’s a lot more fun when you make memories with people you love! So if you want a surefire way to save on travel, grab a friend and split some costs! That’s my favorite way to save on vacation costs!

 

by Kelly Mattei

The Chick-Fil-A One App…Winning!

Anybody who knows me knows I love to win. I don’t care about winning an argument. I don’t care about getting my way. But if there’s a competition of some kind, I like to win. A friend of mine has a dog in an online photo competition? I vote as many times as I can. Another friend has a child trying to get votes for soccer player of the year? I’m sharing it and voting every chance I get…even when I wake up in the middle of the night. And I do it, because I want to win…or at the very least, I want someone I know to win.

I have always loved Chick-Fil-A. The first one I ever visited one was in Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1977. The mall had just opened, and I was 10 years old. One of the employees was outside the store, in the mall corridor, holding a tray full of tiny bite size pieces of a Chick-Fil-A chicken, so I took one…and I never looked back. I ate there every time I went to the mall, and that was pretty often. But back then, they didn’t have waffle fries. They had shoestring fries, and really…I liked those better, but when they changed them, it was OK…i got used to them. I think they changed them at about the same time I visited my first free-standing Chick-Fil-A on Windy Hill Road, in Marietta, Georgia, in 1990, but I could be wrong on the timing. That was the first place I had their waffle fries, and I didn’t love them, but I have developed a taste for them. They had yummy cole slaw then too. It has since been removed from their menu, but I tried their new mac and cheese last week, and it was pretty darn good. I’ll always miss the cole slaw, though.

And a couple of years ago, we got the Chick-Fil-A One app. Oh, it’s a total game changer. Download it to your phone and have it scanned every time you purchase food there…or better yet, load money into the app from your debit card, and you can even purchase food using the app. That’s where my winning comes in.

My goal is to have more Chick-Fil-A points than anybody else. OK, so I know I’m not really going to ever have the most Chick-Fil-A points. I have one child. We can only eat so much, and even if her friends are with us, there’s only so much they can all eat. But I’m giving it the old college try. I am the mom who refuses to part with any of my Chick-Fil-A points. I’m just letting them add up. My favorite Chick-Fil-A location was closed for a few months last year, because of a remodel, and that really cut into my points accumulation, but I have red status, meaning that I have accumulated enough points to get 12 points per purchase on the app…two points more than just a regular member.

And I really love sports season or parties, because if someone needs a volunteer to bring in a nugget tray, I’m your gal! Yes, I know…I’m spending lots of money to get those points, but it’s not like no one eats it. Every single time I’ve ever delivered a nugget tray to a team or group, no nugget has been left unturned. With a sports team, every nugget is usually gone within five to ten minutes…so it’s money well spent. Teens love Chick-Fil-A.

So without telling you how many points I have right now, I can tell you this: my plan is to accumulate enough points that our daughter can get free sandwiches all the way through college when she goes in three years. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how many that will be, and I have nowhere near enough points, but I’m on my way!

An added bonus? I don’t have to get out my credit or debit card every time I go through the drive thru! Before I had the app, I would hand them my card to pay, and then when they handed me back my card, I would get in a rush and just put it in the wrong pocket of my handbag or wallet, and the next time I wanted to use it, I would panic, thinking I had lost it. With the app, I just hold up my phone to pay, and they scan it right from there…no more fumbling for my debit or credit card, and no more panic later when I can’t find it.

But here’s more motivation for you to get enough points to become a red member on the Chick-Fil-A One app: when you reach red status, you get even more special stuff! Once you reach red status, you and five guests can get a “backstage tour” of the Chick-Fil-A home office in Atlanta…just give 30 days notice. And as if that’s not enough gratitude, you also get two free tickets to the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta! If you are a football fan who has never visited, it’s a must-see. I took my daughter a few years ago, even before I had the Chick-Fil-A One app, and we both loved it!

So yes, I have a problem…I like to win. And even though I know it’s costing me money every time I get those points, I know I am accumulating points in the process…and I’m on my way to free sandwiches for our daughter when she will need them most. She won’t have to feel guilty one bit about going to Chick-Fil-A when she’s in college, because it will be FREE!

Winning!

Thanks, Chick-Fil-A!

****UPDATE JUNE 10, 2024: my daughter is entering her junior year of college and has used almost all of our THOUSANDS (close to 100,000 points) of Chick Fil A points. She has eaten a lot of Chick-Fil-A over the first two year of college for ALMOST free. It saved us a lot of money!