✈️ How to Keep Earning Travel Points Even With a Low Budget

Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection of travel tips and personal stories by me, Allie→ because you’re meant to experience meaningful travel no matter life’s constraints 👊🏽

We’ve relocated- we’re officially living in Spain for the next 3 months. I’m so grateful.

Here’s what’s on today—

📉 Now is the time to book! “Blue” bank Ultimate Rewards is offering a 20% transfer bonus with Aeroplan that will be ending on 1/15, so now is the time to consider booking that trip. This means, I can transfer just 48k points and $81 to secure a United Polaris, lie flat, business class flight to Brussels next month. Talk about luxury.

✈︎ Points + Miles

TOP STORY: Can Low Spenders Travel with Points and Miles?

It’s 2025 and we have a big 6 months ahead of us. It’s big for lots of reasons:

1. We’re officially living abroad

2. We’re growing a business

3. Our kids are world schooling (and it’s not free)

All this to say- we are on a BUDGET. 

Here’s some ways I’ll still be saving thousands of dollars on travel in 2025 by accruing credit card points + miles even though we don’t have a huge budget to spend on travel cards.

Let me show you how we’re doing it…

1. It’s Not About How Much You Spend, But How You Spend

First things first: you don’t need to spend a fortune. The key is to shift your everyday spending onto a

. Groceries? Gas? Utility bills? Tuition? These regular expenses add up quickly, and with the right card, they’ll start earning you points without changing your budget.

Here’s an example: If your family spends $1,000 a month on essentials, that’s $12,000 a year you could be running through a rewards card. Pair that with a solid welcome bonus, and you’re already looking at a free flight or two.

Pro Tip: Be intentional! Don’t overspend just to earn points—that’s like buying a $200 jacket just because it’s “on sale” for $150. Only spend what you can afford to pay off in full each month.

Our life: Not much changes here- although we don’t have a car, that wasn’t a huge part of our spending before. As for groceries and “life” purchases- we still are putting 90% of our spend on this card and this card.

2. Welcome Bonuses Are Your Secret Weapon

Welcome bonuses are where it’s at. These bonuses often offer 50,000+ points after meeting a minimum spend requirement in the first few months. For low spenders, this can sound intimidating, but it’s totally doable with a little strategy.

How to Hit Minimum Spends Without Overspending:

• Timing is Everything: Plan to open a card when you have big expenses coming up (think holiday shopping, back-to-school season, or home repairs).

• Pay Bills Strategically: Some companies let you pay rent, insurance, or medical bills with a credit card (even if there’s a small fee, it’s often worth it for the points). We pay our school fees on credit cards, sometimes opening a card just for an upcoming tuition so we can meet the minimum spend easily.

• Gift Cards: Buy gift cards for places you already shop, like grocery stores or Amazon, to hit the required spend.

Our life: For us, we don’t regularly sign up for credit cards. You absolutely will find people in the points + miles space who sign up for +12 credit cards/year. While this is great for some, it’s not our strategy.

We mostly consider cards that are offering an elevated welcome offer giving us the most bang for our buck.

Want more ways to maximize points? Check out 3 more ways to earn BIG here!

Have questions or need help getting started? Hit reply! I’d love to help you map out a plan that fits your budget and goals.

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A quote I liked to start this New Year off:

“Bad things are always happening loudly: the injury, the flat tire, the mistake that gets you criticized. Everybody talks about the moments that make things a hassle.

Good things are always happening quietly: the completed workout, the healthy meal, the ten minutes of writing. Nobody talks about the little moments that add up.

Today talk and relish in the ‘quietly good’- let’s stack these moments, one day at a time.

As always, so much gratitude for you being here today. Have a great Tuesday!

Allie