5 Ways One Money Expert Used Points To Save Thousands on Her Italian Vacation
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Gabrielle Olya
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Amen Oyiboke
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A trip to Italy can be a dream come true — but once you realize how much you end up spending on that dream vacation, it can end up being a financial nightmare. Fortunately, if you plan your trip wisely, you can use credit points to diffuse some of the costs.
Money expert Tori Dunlap was able to save thousands of dollars on her recent trip to the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany using credit card points — here’s how she did it.
Plan Ahead
If you know you’ll be taking a big trip soon, start racking up as many credit card points as you can (without going into debt, of course).
“Every single thing I buy, whether it’s my electric bill, meals or business expenses for Her First $100K, goes on a card,” Dunlap told Travel + Leisure. “By doing this, I earn points on every dollar I spend. I use multiple credit cards to maximize the points and rewards I get, choosing cards that align with my spending habits and offer the best perks for things like travel and everyday expenses.”
Dunlap told the publication that banking enough points to cover a significant portion of her Italy trip took her about a year and a half.
Save Up Your Points for Big-Ticket Items
Flights and hotels are typically the biggest expenses on any trip, so focus on using points to cover as much of these costs as possible.
“I didn’t always use points for everything, but I made sure to save them for the big-ticket items like flights,” Dunlap said.
Stay Loyal to an Airline of Your Choice
Being loyal to an airline might mean fewer flight choices, but it can ultimately lead to big savings.
“My partner and I flew from Seattle to Frankfurt, [Germany,] in business class thanks to Alaska Airlines points I’d accumulated being a frequent and loyal flier, and transferred to Condor,” Dunlap said. “If I had booked without the points, the flight would have cost around $4,000 per person.”
Use Points for Your Rental Car
You might not think about using credit card points for your rental car, but this is another great opportunity to cash in and save. Dunlap booked a rental car for a week for 62,000 points, saving about $1,100, Travel + Leisure reported.
Redeem Points for Unique Experiences
Many travel credit cards allow you to use points to book one-of-a-kind experiences at your destination. Dunlap took advantage of this during her trip by booking a Tuscan cooking experience for six people for 11,000 points. If she hadn’t used points, it would have cost about $900.
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