Paypal Returns As The 4th Quarter 5x Bonus

Chase Freedom Q4 Bonus Categories Are Here! 🎉

The Chase Freedom 4th quarter bonus categories just dropped, and we're excited because PayPal is making its return!

Chase offers rotating quarterly bonus categories for both the Freedom and Freedom Flex credit cards. These no-annual-fee gems are perfect wallet staples that really deliver value. The bonus categories make them even more rewarding – we've seen everything from gas stations and EV charging to entertainment venues and pet stores in previous quarters.

Here's what Q4 2025 brings us:

• Chase Travel - This category typically earns 5% cash back, so expect an additional 5x points boost 🛫
• Department Stores - Think Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's (but not Target or Walmart)
• Old Navy - Great timing for holiday shopping! 👕
• PayPal - December only, so mark your calendars! 💳

You can earn up to $1,500 cash back across all categories during the quarter, but remember to register for the bonus through your account – it's not automatic.

Don't have a Freedom Flex yet? You can snag one with a sweet $200 bonus after spending $500. This free card is seriously worth keeping around – it earns 3x points on dining and drugstores, 5x on Chase Travel Portal purchases, and 1x on everything else.

Pro tip: Earn points on this card, then transfer them to your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for maximum flexibility and value! ✨

Ready to register for Q4 bonuses or apply for the card? Your wallet will thank you!

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

My FREE Gift To You: 1,000 Airline Miles

My Go-To Strategy for Affordable European Adventures ✈️

When it comes to crossing the Atlantic without breaking the bank, I keep coming back to Flying Blue, the loyalty program that powers both Air France and KLM. Here's why this program has become my secret weapon for European travel.

The Sweet Spot for Award Flights

Flying Blue offers some genuinely solid redemption rates:

• Economy seats: 25,000 points one way (or just 18,750 during their regular promotions)
• Business class with lie-flat seats: 50,000 points each way 🛏️

What really sets them apart? Both airlines include free stopovers in their hub cities (Paris for Air France, Amsterdam for KLM). This means you can essentially visit two destinations for the price of one award ticket.

A Recent Win That Made My Day

Earlier this year, I snagged a flight from Athens to Los Angeles for only 20,000 points plus $50 in taxes. The cherry on top? When I missed my connection in Paris due to delays, Air France stepped up big time – covering my hotel, meals, and even sending me an $800 compensation check. Sometimes travel hiccups work out better than expected! 🎉

Easy Ways to Earn Flying Blue Miles

The beauty of Flying Blue lies in its flexibility. You can transfer points from all the major credit card programs:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Capital One Miles
• Bilt Rewards
• American Express Membership Rewards

The New Player Worth Watching

Here's where things get interesting – Rove Miles just entered the scene as a shopping portal meets flexible points program. They've partnered with over 12,000 online merchants, letting you earn miles on everyday purchases that you can then transfer to Flying Blue and other airlines.

Their airline partners include Flying Blue, Finnair, Aeromexico, and Turkish Airlines, giving you plenty of redemption options.

Limited-Time Opportunity 🎯

I've got something special for you – 1,000 free Rove miles just for signing up (no purchase required). The signup process takes under a minute, and you can transfer those miles to Flying Blue if that's your preference once you have earned 2,000 Rove miles.

Important: This offer expires September 17th, so don't let it slip by if you're interested in building your points balance.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.  

The Best Way To Visit Iguazu Falls, Brazil

It's one of the wonders of the world, the beautiful Iguazu Falls! The falls are located on the border of Argentina and Brazil. And the country of Paraguay is just up the road. 

Iguazu Falls is actually made up of more than 250 small falls. And because of that fact presents completely differently than the other great falls in the world, Victoria Falls in Zambia and Niagara Falls in New York. The falls are also home to many animals and plants that make this one of the most diverse eco systems in the world. Both sides are National Parks and UNESCO declared the falls a World Heritage Site in 1984. Most than one million people visit the falls each year.  

This should definitely be on your bucket list! So what's the best way to visit the falls? 

• Where to fly? You will most likely fly into Foz Do Iguazu, Brazil (Airport code IGU) or Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. (Airport code IGR). Both cities are about a two hour flight from either Rio or Buenos Aires. Whichever side is easier for you to arrive, you must see the falls from both sides and crossing the border is easy. 

• Where to stay at the falls? There are many hotel options on both sides of the falls. There is only one hotel inside the park on the Brazilian side and its quite costly. But you can choose to stay in a hotel walking distance from the entrance like the Sanma Hotel. It cost just $125 per night and included breakfast. It featured a nice pool and was located right next door to the Bird Park. It is about 25 minutes out of town so something to keep in mind for dinner. The hotel offers a dinner buffet for $20 per person and a snack bar which has $6 burgers and french fries. The hotel offers helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides and a spa. You can use Capital One points to "erase" any hotel or book through the Capital One Travel Portal. 
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• How to visit the Brazilian side of the falls? No need to buy tickets prior to arriving at the falls. There are kiosks at the entrance gate and plenty of staff to direct you to the kiosk and then to the line for the bus. There is also a snack bar available if you want to grab an inexpensive snack. Entry tickets cost approximately $18 pp. The bus ride takes approximately 20 minutes and I recommend you get off the bus at the pink hotel. It's the second to last stop. Take the platform heading down the hill on your right and you get an incredible view of the falls. Keep going and the platform will take you along the river and all the way down to the platforms in the water and a viewing station next to the falls. No worries, there is an elevator you can ride to come back up or you can continue walking to the last bus stop to catch the ride back to the entrance. There is no need to hire a guide for this park. At a leisurely pace, you will probably spend 3 hours here.

• How to visit the Argentinian side of the falls? This park is much larger so you will probably need more time here. If you are staying on the Brazilian side, you will also need to include about 45 minutes to cross the border. Bring your passport! If you are staying on the Argentinian side of the falls, you will also need a visa to visit the Brazilian side of the falls. A visa costs $80 and is good for 10 years. You can buy it online here. The website is a bit glitchy so you may have to try several times. If you are coming from Brazil, you may want to hire a guide for the day, the going rate is approximately $150 for the guide. Entry tickets and the boat ride are additional. If you break down the cost though, you will need to get to the border, cross the border, and then get to the park. Plus once you are inside the park, it's nice to have someone guide you to the best viewing spots. Entry tickets cost approximately $38 pp and the boat under the falls costs approximately $63 pp. You can buy both of them online prior to your visit. I do recommend doing the boat ride into the falls. The boat gets so close to the falls that you get soaking wet, but it's an amazing view watching the water fall towards you and feeling the power. The boat staff gives each person a dry bag  for their shoes and personal items and I recommend bringing a rain poncho, towel, change of clothes and waterproof phone holder. 

Other highlights in the area include kayaking on the Parana River with Aguaray Eco Esportes, the Bird Park and a shopping trip in Paraguay. I recommend spending three days in the area so you don't feel rushed. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Holiday Shopping? The Magic of "Stacking" Rewards

 

Are you leaving free travel points on the table every time you shop online? Let me introduce you to a game-changing strategy that'll have you earning rewards like a pro!

What is a Shopping Marketplace?

Think of an online shopping marketplace like a digital mall that rewards you for shopping through their platform. Instead of going directly to a retailer's website, you can earn bonus points by taking a quick detour through these clever portals.

The Magic of "Stacking" Rewards

Here's where it gets exciting: you can potentially earn multiple layers of rewards on a single purchase. Imagine turning your everyday shopping into a ticket for your next vacation!

How It Works:

1. Check Cashback Options: Before buying anything, visit cashbackmonitor.com
2. Compare Marketplace Rewards: See which portal offers the most points. Most airlines, hotels and banks have portals, but the number of points you can earn varies. 
3. Click Through the Marketplace: Log in and access the retailer's site
4. Use Your Rewards Credit Card: Double or even triple your point earnings!

Real-World Example: Walmart Shopping

Let's break down a typical scenario:

• You want to make a purchase on Walmart.com 
• Check cashbackmonitor.com
• Chase Freedom Marketplace offers 4x points
• Your credit card adds 1-2x points
• Total: Up to 5x points on a single purchase!

Pro Tip: Your Free Vacation Starts Here

By strategically routing your online purchases, you're not just shopping—you're building a travel fund. Every click could be bringing you closer to your dream destination.

So before you hit that "buy" button, take a moment to maximize those rewards. Your future self (lounging on a beach) will thank you! 🌴✈️💳

If you need more help, feel free to schedule a 1:1 coaching session with me or enroll in my travel coaching program. Both are super affordable and will help you be successful in traveling for almost FREE. 

5 Must See Places To Visit in Medellin, Colombia

  

This city used to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, now it is a cultural mecca for tourists and digital nomads. Medellin, Colombia should be on everyone's bucket list for travel. Recently, I visited this vibrant city and I have to share my top 5 must see sights. 

First, a few tips and tricks to get to Colombia using points and miles. There are several airlines that fly to Medellin including Copa, United, American and even Spirit. As always, be sure to check prices on several websites including airlines and travel portals. 

I found flights through the Chase Travel Portal on Copa Airlines for 54,000 points for two round trip flights. I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve account to book these so I got 1.5:1 value for my points. Right now, you can get a 60,000 point bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred, two of my favorite cards and hands down, my favorite flexible points. These cards can make a huge difference in your strategy when you combine your Chase Ultimate Reward points from your other cards too. 

No problem ordering vegetarian meals in advance, but choosing seats on Copa Airlines was tricky. If you don't want to buy seats, you are assigned at check in. They assign seats based on when you check in and start assigning from the back of the plane to the front. 

So on the way to Medellin, I checked in 24 hours in advance and ended up in the back row. However, on the way home, I delayed check in about 5 hours and ended up in row 9. Woohoo! 

Copa Airlines was very pleasant. Seats were adequate. Service was fine. I had heard they were strict with luggage, but no one checked either way and we were able to carry on a bag and a personal item. They did require us to check in at the desk before going through security even though we had checked in online to confirm our passports. 

Arriving in Medellín? Navigate the transportation scene like a pro. Either pre-arrange a driver or master the art of Uber meetups. While Uber operates in a grey area, it's widely used and budget-friendly. For the ultimate local experience, dare to try an Uber Moto!

U.S. travelers will find Colombia refreshingly affordable. Savor local cuisine for pocket change, rest your head in comfortable accommodations for around $50 a night, and zip around the city in Ubers for less than the price of a latte back home.

Now, let's explore Medellín's must-see attractions:

1. Immerse yourself in the vibrant street art of Comuna 13 - Tour this neighborhood with a local who talks about the history, the graffiti, the art and famous escalators. Besides seeing the sights, taste local food like mango ice cream and empanadas. This tour is a winner and it only costs $20 per person.    
   
   
   
2. Escape to nature in Parque Arví - The journey is part of the fun to reach this ecological nature reserve. Take the metro to the end of the line Santo Domingo and then two funiculars to the top of the mountain. It should cost you approximately 3,000 pesos to reach Santo Domingo and 12,500 pesos to ride up on the funicular. You will feel like you are spending the day in the mountains here. Besides hiking or walking the trails, you can shop at local vendors. Guided tours cost 50,000 pesos, but you can also just walk the trails on your own. 
   
   
   
3. Delve into history with a Pablo Escobar tour - This tour was a highlight of our trip. Guide Juan met Pablo Escobar and tells a lot of personal stories about the crime boss. He also walks you through this important part of city history from the memorial to Escobar's grave. 
   
   
   
4. Marvel at the views from Guatapé and El Peñol - Guatape is a made for Insta town with a street with umbrellas hanging throughout the streets. Be sure to notice the beautiful 3D paintings on the sides of the buildings. Then challenge yourself to climb 704 steps up to the top of El Penol. This is a great day trip from Medellin. 
   
   
   
5. Discover the heart of the city in Downtown Medellín with a FREE walking tour - I love FREE walking tours! The guides are local and not only talk about the sights and history, but share personal stories about what life is like in their country and city. Take a half day to walk through the crowded streets of downtown, look at the giant bronze statues in Plaza Botero, art in Centro Cultura and the beautiful National Palace Shopping Center. 

Don't forget to wander through El Poblado, indulging in mouthwatering empanadas and arepas along the way.

If you would like help planning your Colombian vacation using points and miles, join my Travel Coaching Program, book a consulting session with me or chat with the AI Travel Bot on my website. 

The Ultimate Guide to Maximizing Miles Through Shopping Portals!

 

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are already popping up! So if you have your eye on something, now might be the best time to press that purchase button to get the best deal. 

But be sure that you are getting the most points and miles for each purchase. 

Not only can you get the points for the purchase, but you can also get bonus points. 

We have put together the ultimate guide to maximizing miles through shopping portals to help you get that next trip for free. 

You can think of a shopping portal like a marketplace. All of the retailers are listed on one website and when you access the retailer through the marketplace, you are rewarded with extra points or miles. These are IN ADDITION to the points you get for the purchase. We call this "stacking"

1. Before you buy anything, check cashbackmonitor.com. This website lists every retail store and which portals it is listed on so you can choose the best option for you. You click through to the portal from cashbackmonitor.com

Depending on your strategy, you may pick one portal over another. 

• if you need to top off an account
• you have points that are expiring and you need some activity
• you are trying to earn enough points for a specific trip 

There are a lot of reasons to pick one portal over another. 

My go-to portal is the Chase Ultimate Rewards since I can transfer those points to dozens of different airlines, hotels, use them in the travel center or pay myself back. Points earned in the Southwest shopping portal count towards the Companion Pass. 

Sometimes the portals will offer bonus points too so if I saw a great bonus offer in another portal, I would head there. 

You can click on the portal out of cashback monitor and log in from there. Some of the portals require a separate login from your regular airline mile account. 

Then make your purchase just like you would normally. The portal will track your purchase and a few days later you will get an email letting you know that your purchase is being tracked. 

Now one more thing before you push the button to make that purchase and after you click through to a shopping portal, be sure you use the right credit card. If you have a Chase FREEDOM FLEX card, then check your bonus categories. If the store you are making a purchase from is listed, then use that credit card to get the bonus on top of the portal bonus. For example, Q4 2023 bonus categories include Paypal. Can you use Paypal to pay for this purchase? Many retailers offer the option, then do it and collect 5x bonus points on top of the portal points. 

If not, is the retailer an office supply store? If so, use your Chase Ink credit card to earn 5x points and so on. Amazing and happy shopping! 

How I Booked Overwater Bungalows and Flights In Tahiti for $140

When I asked my children where they wanted to celebrate their graduations,
they decided on Tahiti. I was a bit surprised since my first thought was that’s where you honeymoon. But I was game. And they added, we would love to stay in those over the water bungalows. Makes sense!

So how do you get a family of 5 an almost FREE trip to Tahiti? It takes a lot of planning and time. I wanted to walk you through my process so you can see the strategy in action. 

And I need to mention that if you are looking for help planning your next trip, I just launched the second cohort of my Travel Coaching Program. There are still a few spots open. And right now, I am donating 15% of all the proceeds to the Israel Emergency Fund.

But I'll share my process here so if you want to do it on your own, you can. Because my goal is that everyone can travel for almost FREE and enjoy those priceless experiences.

I start with research:

• Who flies to Tahiti
• Which islands should we visit
• What is there to do there
• Do we need a car
• Where will we stay

And of course, the most important question of all: which over the water bungalows do we want to stay in. 

After doing the research, I decided for this trip: 

• We should fly American Airlines - 70,000-80,000 miles per round trip
• We will visit Tahiti and Moorea - we can take a short ferry between these islands. 
• We will need a car on both islands
• Besides the OWB, seems to be most cost effective for our family of 5 to stay in Airbnb

Now this is the way, we travel, but you might make different choices for your family. Now the fun part, earning all the points. For this trip, we will need approximately: 

• 400,000 American Airlines miles for 5 r/t tickets
• 299,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points for 2 nights in an OWB bungalow and a garden room (we need two rooms for 5 people)
• Capital One points to erase the Airbnb, rental cars and tours

It sounds like a lot, but let’s break it down:

• Barclays American Aviator bonus offer 70,000 miles for $99 annual fee and one purchase - my partner and I each opened one of these
• Chase Ink Business Preferred bonus offer 100,000 Ultimate Rewards for a $95 annual fee and $8,000 minimum spend - my partner and I each opened one of these
• Several friends opened the Chase Ink Business Preferred using my referral link - bonus 40,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points for each one
• American Airlines Online Shopping portal
• Chase Ultimate Rewards Shopping portal
• Capital One points using my partners Capital One Venture X card and my new Capital One Venture X bonus. 

So what did all of this get us:

• 240,000 American Airlines miles netted 3 round trip flights
• 128,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points netted 2 round trip flights
• 299,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points netted 2 nights in the OWB and 2 nights in the garden room
• 74,000 Capital One points netted 3.5 days in the Airbnb

So right now, I estimate the amount I saved using points and miles at approximately $11,000. Pretty good. I have spent $400 on annual fees and $340 on taxes, fees.

Between now and the actual trip, I will continue to earn Capital One points so I can erase the Airbnb, tours and rental cars.

And when I’m relaxing on the beach in Tahiti, I’ll enjoy it just a bit more because I didn’t spend an arm and a leg to have this dream vacation.

If this sounds amazing, but you are confused about where to start and how to get your next trip for almost FREE then join the second cohort in my Travel Coaching program. Sign up by November 1st. 

Other Than Flying, How You Can Earn Airline Points

 

This photo is from a cooking class my family and I enjoyed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I didn't earn points or miles for this class, but there are some great ways to earn points when you dine out. 

Last night, I went out with a group of friends, but the waiter wouldn't accept more than 4 credit cards and there were 15 of us! Argh. 

A few people had cash, amazing! A few people offered to use Venmo. I volunteered super quickly and asked everyone to give me their cash. Then I charged the dinner to my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card that earns 3x points on dining. 

That's just one way you rack up points without flying. 

Here are some more: 

1. Online shopping through portals - I love shopping portals! You can read all about how to maximize shopping portals here. 

2. Hotel booking sites like Rocketmiles 

3. Dining programs - many of the airlines and hotels offer opportunities to link a credit card to their dining program and earn extra points or miles. 

4. Surveys like this one from Avios - many of the airlines and hotels will offer points in exchange for your opinions.

5. Car rentals - many times you can earn bonus points if you link your car rental to your airline mile account. 

6. Airbnb and Delta or Avios - there is a portal that earns Delta or Avios miles when you book an Airbnb. 

If you use the Southwest Shopping Portal, those points count towards the Southwest Companion Pass too if you are trying to earn the pass. 

Remember, every time you spend money, it should be helping you get your next vacation for FREE. 

That's how we do it here at almostfreefamilytravel.com 

How Your Holiday Shopping Can Earn You A FREE Vacation

Now that Halloween is over, the holiday shopping season is on! And when you do your holiday shopping, you can be earning your next vacation at the same time! It's all about shopping portals. Yes, I know it's an extra step and you have to remember to do it, but you know what, when you book that next vacation for FREE, it will be well worth it. 

How Your Holiday Shopping Can Earn You A FREE Vacation

Here's how it works! The major airlines United, Southwest, Alaska, Delta and American have shopping portals. You can use cashbackmonitor.com to see which airlines are participating. Now they always offer bonus miles for using the portal, but right now, there are bonuses to be earned. Thousands of extra miles in bonuses are up for grabs. 

Like the one in the picture above from United Airlines. When you spend $150, you earn 500 bonus miles. So when you buy that dog food from Petsmart.com or Chewy.com, instead of going to the retailer's website, use the portal. You can even stack bonuses if your credit card has an offer too. 

How Your Holiday Shopping Can Earn You A FREE Vacation

And it's cumulative. So you can spend $50 at Chewy.com and then $100 at Staples.com and bam, 500 FREE bonus miles. The bonus takes about 6-8 weeks to credit to your account. 

Be very careful that you click from the portal to through to the retailer so you get the credit. 

Each airline sets its own criteria for the bonus so be sure to shop around and of course, consider which airline you are trying to collect points for. 

Here are the holiday bonus offers: 

 United Shopping Portal  - Ends November 18th. Spend $150, earn 500 bonus miles. Spend $600, earn 2,000 bonus miles. Spend $1,200, earn 5,000 bonus miles. 

Southwest Shopping Portal - Ends November 21st, Spend $100, earn 500 bonus miles. Spend $500, earn 1,000 bonus miles. Spend $1,000, earn 3,500 bonus miles. 

Alaska Shopping Portal - Ends November 20th, Spend $150, earn 300 bonus miles. Spend $350, earn 750 bonus miles. Spend $650, earn 1,500 bonus miles. 

Delta Shopping Portal -  Ends November 18th, Spend $200, earn 500 bonus miles. Spend $400, earn 1,000 bonus miles. Spend $800, earn 2,000 bonus miles. 

While you are taking advantage of these holiday shopping bonus offers, you should also be working your way towards your minimum spend and bonus offer on your new credit card. 

If you are joining me in earning the Southwest Companion Pass, then we are about to apply for the Southwest credit cards. Don't do it quite yet, but when we are ready here is my referral link if that's your plan. 

If you are not joining me in earning the Southwest Companion Pass, then you should be taking advantage of the increased offer on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. This is my favorite card because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are super flexible. You can transfer the points to dozens of airlines and few hotel chains, you can use them in the Chase travel portal and to erase purchases. Now there is an 80,000 bonus offer on this card, that's worth at least $1,200 in travel. 

Did You Cancel Your Personal Southwest Credit Card Yet?

 

If you are planning to earn the Southwest Companion Pass for 2023-34, then it's time for step 1. In the last post, we talked about what to do month by month to earn the pass. 

The Southwest Companion Pass is the best travel perk in the industry. The pass is good for BOGO flights for up to two years. You can name any person as your companion and you can change your companion up to three times in a single calendar year. 

Did You Cancel Your Personal Southwest Credit Card Yet?

In order to earn the pass, you will need to accumulate 125,000 Southwest points in a single calendar year. You could fly, but that's expensive and time consuming. You could use a shopping portal, but that's pricey. 

Or you can follow our plan and apply for two Southwest credit cards. 

One card will be a personal Southwest credit card and one will be a Southwest business card. 

The catch is that you can only hold one personal Southwest credit card at a time and you will need at least 30 days between closing the card and opening the new one. 

Did You Cancel Your Personal Southwest Credit Card Yet?

So now is the time to close your card. I know it can be difficult, but its the best way to earn the pass. It took me a few days to get up the courage to cancel it. It's tough, I get it. 

And guess what, after I closed the card, my credit score went up. 

You do not need to close your Southwest business card because you are able to hold two Southwest business cards at the same time. 

Post below when you have closed your card. This is why we are doing it together. 

And in a few weeks, we will talk about step 2. 

How You Can Earn 15x Points On Your Next Staples.com Purchase

 

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you probably know how much I LOVE shopping portals. Besides opening credit cards with bonus offers and flying, shopping portals are the next best way to earn points and miles. 

I want to show you how you can double and even triple stack the points to earn huge bonuses. 

For example, today my daughter needed one of those fancy calculators for school. Staples.com had it listed on their website for $139.99. I agree it is ridiculous to pay that much for a calculator, but that's another story. I always start with cashbackmonitor.com to see who is offering the most points or miles at a specific store. 

You can see that the United Shopping Portal is offering a whopping 10x miles at Staples.com. Wow! I click the link for the portal without the United credit card and sure enough 10x miles. I have a Chase Ink credit card that earns 5x points at Staples. So I use that card in the portal and bam, I should see 15x points back. 

10x United miles into my United account and 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points. 

Sort of makes up for paying $140 for a calculator :) 

Double and Even Triple Dip On Your Back To School Shopping

 

You can earn points by flying OR you can earn points by using your credit card to buy the things you purchase everyday. Are you going to the grocery store? Yep, earn points. Are you going to fill your car with gas? Yep, earn points. See how easy it is. 

Now it gets even more fun when you get leverage that spending two or maybe three times like when you shop for school or college dorms. 

I use the website cashbackmonitor.com before I buy anything. This site lists hundreds of stores and how many points they are offering on a variety of credit cards or through the shopping portals. 

If you click on a specific store, then you can see exactly how many points each shopping portal is offering. Shopping portals are a marketplace of retailers hosted by a a specific credit card, hotel or airline. For example, let's look at walmart.com. If you shop through the United Shopping portal with a United credit card, you can earn 1 mile per dollar, without a United card, you will earn .5 miles per dollar. In the American Airlines Shopping portal though you can earn 1 mile per dollar and use whatever credit card you want. 

This could work to your advantage IF you have an Amex offer or another discount. You can check your Amex offers by logging into your online account. 

Here's where it gets even more fun. The Chase FREEDOM, FREEDOM Unlimited and FREEDOM Flex cards earn 5x points on rotating quarterly categories. This quarter the categories are gas, car rentals and streaming. Probably can't double or triple dip on those, but sometimes the categories include home improvement stores and those are super easy to stack. You can earn up to 10x points on those purchases if you play your credit cards right. Here are the airlines that have shopping portals. 

Many of the shopping portals offer bonus points too if you spend a certain amount during a specific time frame. These bonus offers happen during holidays or back to school shopping periods. 

Happy shopping and earning FREE travel at the same time! 

Got the Southwest Credit Card with the 75,000 point bonus? Great job. Now you need to work on earning the companion pass and you are almost there! 

Got The Southwest Credit Card, Now Get The Companion Pass 

What's the Southwest Companion Pass? It's the best travel perk in the business. You get to take a friend on all your trips for FREE for two years. Do you need to read that again?

Yep, it's the best travel deal out there! 

And I'm going to help you earn it. Right now is the best time to earn it since Southwest just announced a 75,000 bonus offer on all of their personal credit cards. 

How You Can Earn A BOGO Pass On Southwest Airlines....Fast! 

I have had the Southwest Companion Pass for the past 8 years. I have used it to take family members to the East Coast many, many times for college trips, family events, vacation and more. 

Plus my husband and I went to Cuba with Southwest. 

You can go to the Caribbean, Belize and Costa Rica too. 

Anywhere Southwest flies, you can bring a friend for FREE. 

Amazing, right?

And with sky high airline prices right now, this is a huge deal! 

Okay, so what do you need to do to get the pass? All you need to do is collect 125,000 Southwest points in a single calendar year and bam!

But you are probably saying, wow, that's a lot of travel. 

But here's the rub, you don't need to travel to collect points. There are lots of ways to collect points without ever stepping on a plane. 

The easiest way is to apply for the Southwest personal credit card and earn that 75,000 bonus offer. To earn the offer, you need to spend $5,000 on the credit card within 3 months. If you have any big purchases coming up, property taxes, tuition payments etc., put them on that card. You MUST pay off your credit card though otherwise this doesn't make any sense. We do NOT build up debt here! 

You are eligible to apply for this card IF you do not currently hold a Southwest personal card and have not earned a bonus in the past 24 months. If you do currently have a card, then there is a work around. Cancel your personal card, I know it's tough, wait, 30 days and apply for a new card. Easy!

Not sure which Southwest personal card to apply for, I review all the cards here and give you my choice!

Once you reach the minimum on the personal card, there are lots of ways to earn the rest of the points. FYI, you cannot buy points to earn the companion pass. 

Here are the ways:

1. The easiest and quickest way is to open a Southwest Business card. You must spend $4,000 in the first 3 months to earn the bonus 60,000 or 80,000 points. 

2. Fly on Southwest

3. Use the Southwest Shopping Portal - Look for bonus offers at the stores you shop at anyway. Read more to find out how I navigate these portals! 

4. Refer a friend to the Southwest Credit Card 75,000 Bonus Offer = 20,000 points 

5. Answer a survey

6. Use Southwest hotels or Rocketmiles to earn bonus points on hotel stays 

7. Book a rental car through Southwest 

With all of these ways though, be sure you are not overspending just to earn points. Keep in mind with any travel bonus points, the points won't post to your account until you take the trip. 

There you go, FREE BOGO on Southwest for the rest of this year and next year! 

You must start with the 75,000 bonus offer though and that offer ends July 11th so don't wait. 

Please use my referral link to apply for your card so I can earn the companion pass and bring you amazing travel tips!