22. Bilt Program Deep Dive- Simplifying a Complex Program

There are so many ways to earn EXTRA points and miles on the purchases that you are already making this holiday season. Listen in, and learn how to earn MORE points for the same purchases, in EASY MODE (and some tips if you don't mind a little more complexity to maximize). Sign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral linkSign up for Rove to earn 500 miles for FREE. You can earn transferrable points by shopping, and instant points when you buy electronic gift cards!Sign up for Capital One Shopping to earn $80 in gift cards for FREE when you shop! Get CardPointers - Currently 50% off! I use CardPointers to auto add card0-linked offers to all of my cards automatically, which saves me a TON of time and money. You can auto add all offers, then quickly search in the app to see if you have a card-linked offer for a specific merchant. This app is a total game-changer.Travel Keeper App Affiliate Link- Travel Keeper is my favorite app for travel planning. Sign up for the Travel Keeper App using this link to help support the podcast. If you're not sure if the paid version is right for you, use this link to try out the free version first, then upgrade if you love it!

Travel Keeper is my new FAVORITE app for planning family travel. This app has it all- it has transformed the way I plan family travel for the better. This app was built by a mom who plans family travel on points in real life, and it shows! I am so excited to share this with you. I sat down with Megan, the brains behind the Travel Keeper app, to hear all about what the app has to offer, and how it came to be. Megan, the creator of Travel Keeper, also took some time to share real life tips for travelling on points for families with 5 or more. If you have a bigger family, you know planning travel (especially on points) can be a bit more complex. Megan has been doing it for years, and has some great systems in place to keep everyone happy and trips running smoothly.Travel Keeper App Affiliate Link- Sign up for the Travel Keeper App using this link to help support the podcast. If you're not sure if the paid version is right for you, use this link to try out the free version first, then upgrade if you love it!Travel Keeper Website - More info about the Travel Keeper app, Megan's travel planning services, and blogSign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral link

Join me on my trip to Chicago with my kids to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday! I'll share what I believe is the BEST hotel on points in Chicago in terms of what you get for your points. I'll also share our itinerary with fun for both kids and adults, as well as some tidbits from a recent girls' trip to Chicago. Hyatt Regency ChicagoMap of Hyatt hotels with Club Lounges from Katie's Travel Tricks https://katiestraveltricks.com/map-hyatts-with-club-lounges/First Lady Boat Tours https://firstlady.com/Save 50% off the CardPointers app https://cardpointers.com/partner/pointseverywhere/Sign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral link

Unlimited BOGO flights for almost 2 years might sound too good to be true, but it's not! In this episode, I'll break down strategies to earn a Southwest Companion Pass, which truly earns you BOGO flights, whether you pay with points or with cash. You just need to pay $5.60 for your companion, and they can joint you anywhere Southwest flies!Earning a Companion Pass isn't complicated, BUT there are some very important things to know so that you time it correctly and earn your pass for almost 2 full years. Take it form me... I've messed this up! (And also successfully done it!)Save 50% off the CardPointers app https://cardpointers.com/partner/pointseverywhere/Sign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral link

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point- https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/naprn-hyatt-regency-coconut-point-resort-and-spaNauti Girl and Bad Bouy Food Boat- https://nautigirlbadbouy.com/Beeline Fishing Charters - https://www.beelinefishingchartersllc.com/Sign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral linkSave 50% off the CardPointers app https://cardpointers.com/partner/pointseverywhere/

Airport lounge access can be a total game-changer when it comes to the quality of your travel days. It can also be a great way to save money at the airport, because once you're in the lounge, the food and drinks are free! In this episode, I explore the best ways to unlock lounge access for your entire family, just from opening credit cards.

The Bilt program is a transferrable points currency that has some unique benefits but also has some complexity that can make it intimidating! It has arguably the BEST menu of transfer partners of any transferrable points currency, so it’s one that you should know about! Its main claim to fame is that you can earn points on paying rent or mortgage, but even if you do not have housing payments or do not want to use the program in this way, there is a TON of potential for value. You can even earn and redeem Bilt points without a Bilt credit card!Want a Bilt card? Card Referral LinksSign up for Rakuten and link your FREE Bilt account (you do NOT need to have a Bilt credit card) to earn Bilt points for your regular online purchases. Get 5,000 points or $50 free after spending $50 using this referral link. Rakuten referral linkBilt 2.0 Strategy Calculator from Katie's Travel Tricks

Do you wonder what the heck you are supposed to do with credit cards once you open them? Do you keep them forever? Cancel? In this episode, I'll discuss what your options are once you've opened a card and held it for a year, and how to decide whether to keep, cancel, downgrade, product change, or ask for a retention offer. Then we will take a look in my wallet, and talk about what I plan to do with each of my cards and WHY, which can help you with your own decision-making process.

In this episode, I take you along on our best family trip yet- an adventure through Germany, including Munich, Bavaria, and the Rhine, with a brief stop in Paris.Card Referral LinksParis Hotel- Hotel De Paris Montparnasse Munich Hotel _ Koos Hotel and ApartmentsFussen Hotel-Hotel Schlosskrone Rudesheim Hotel- Hotel Zum Grunen Kranz Book Train High Speed German Trains Neuschwanstein Castle Linderhof Palace Fussen Schneeballentraume "Snowball" treat

There's a lot to consider when deciding which card to open, whether it's your 1st points earning card or your 31st! On this episode I detail the factors to consider when deciding which card to open, and offer some no-brainer options that are solid cards to open for almost everyone.