Woohoo! Another FREE Travel Success Story!

 

Woohoo! I just booked two round trip flights to Medellin, Colombia on points! And the best part by waiting a few days, I saved 20,000 points. 

I am going to show you how I do this so you can do it too, but if you feel like you need more support, join my Travel Coaching Program. Registration is open now for the second cohort. 

Okay, here's the way to redeem those points and miles:

The first step is to research the destination, which airlines fly there? I use Google Flights to figure that out. You can use the date grid if your dates are flexible to find the best price combination. You can use the price graph to figure out if the cost fluctuates. This is important! 

Once you know which airlines fly to the destination and when the price is the best, you can look at points or miles that will get you there. 

In this case, Copa Airlines had the best flights and it is a member of the Star Alliance. But I don't have any points or miles that transfer to Copa Airlines.

This is when the flexible points come in so handy! Chase Ultimate Reward points and Capital One points are the programs I prefer.  But there are also American Express Rewards and Citi. 

All of these programs are flexible meaning you can use the points for any travel, but the two I prefer have a few key differences. 

• Capital One points are always worth one cent per dollar.  You can either book through the Capital One Travel portal or use the travel eraser to get a statement credit for the purchase. If you have the Capital One Venture X, the $300 travel credit kicks in if you book through the portal too. It's great to have Capital One points for tours, flights on budget airlines, independent hotels and more. You can also transfer the points to several hotel chains and more than a dozen airlines. 

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be more valuable depending on which credit cards you have and how you use the points. For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, my points are worth 1.5%. When I book the flight through the Chase Travel Portal, it will only cost 56,374 points even though the price is $845.60. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, then your points are worth 1.25%. 

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points to dozens of airlines and several hotel chains. You can read here about how to transfer points to Hyatt for sweet deals. 

Just like the prices for flights increase and decrease depending on the day of the week and when you book, it's the same in the travel portals.  So check several times before you finally book so you get the best deal. When I checked this flight the first time, it was priced at 56,374 points, but I wasn't quite ready to book. Then when I was ready to book, the price had jumped to 74,000 points so I waited a few days and it dropped again. 

Sometimes the price drops on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so keep that in mind. 

A benefit to booking flights through the travel portals is that taxes are included. Pretty nice! Some people are hesitant to book through travel portals because they are considered third party instead of booking directly through the airline. I have not had a problem, but it is a personal decision. 

To book your flight through the Chase Travel Portal, login to your Chase.com account and click redeem points, click travel and then follow the prompts just like you would book through expedia or other third party platforms. When you get to the check out, click use points. You can even pay with a combination of points and cash. 

If you want to start earning Capital One points, you can either apply for the Capital One Venture card with a 75,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $95 annual fee or the Capital One Venture X card with a 75,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $395 annual fee (this includes $300 travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit and Priority Pass Lounge membership). 

If you want to start earning Chase Ultimate Reward points, we recommend you start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card with a 60,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $95 annual fee or the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card  with a 60,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and a $550 annual fee (this includes a $300 travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit and Priority Pass Lounge membership plus 1.5% point value in the portal). 

If you decide to apply for any of those credit cards, please consider using my referral links. 

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

 

If you have teens, you need to listen up! In the past few weeks, I have heard from lots of you asking about your teens and building credit. I have created a simple formula and it has worked well for my three children. Not only to build credit, but also to create good financial literacy skills that will last a lifetime. That's not to say there isn't another way to do this, but I found this one successful. 

Let's start with the why. Why should your child build credit?

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

The short answer is that unfortunately most big purchases are based on your credit history. So if your teen has no credit history, it will be tough for them to buy a car or house when the time comes.  

So how does a teen build credit? These are the steps that I took for all three of my children and it has worked well for them. 

1. 12-years-old - add teen as an authorized user on one of your credit cards.  

2. 16-years-old - teen opens their OWN checking account with a debit card 

3. 18-years-old - teen opens their OWN credit card. Some good credit cards that will approve your teen include Bank of America student travel or cash card, Chase FREEDOM Unlimited or Flex, Capital One Savor One Student Cash Rewards. Avoid the Discover card since it is only accepted on a limited basis outside the United States. The Chase FREEDOM Unlimited or Flex are my #1 choice since they offer a $200 bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months and they have no annual fee. I also LOVE Chase Ultimate Rewards points so this would be a card your teen can keep forever. 

4. 20-years-old - teen opens their OWN Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. This card carries a $95 annual fee, but will make the teen's Ultimate Rewards worth more. Currently, it has a 60,000 point bonus which could pay for your teen's trip to Europe or Spring Break! And a $50 hotel credit! You may have to help your teen reach the minimum spend, but it's worth it. 

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

After you follow these steps, your teen should have a credit score of approximately 800. Pretty good! 

Remember, you must pay off the balance on these cards every month! The best way to do it is to put the card on autopay immediately. 

Last Chance To Get The 90,000 Chase Ink Business Bonus

Chase appears to be ending the 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus offer on the Ink Business Cash and Unlimited credit cards. We are hearing that both offers will end on January 18th. 

These annual fee business cash cards were offering 90,000 bonus Chase Ultimate Reward points when you spend $6,000 in the first three months. 90,000 points are worth approximately $900, but can be worth much more if you combine them onto another card. 

This is a great offer IF you already have or can also apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card. Why? Because the Ink Cash card does not allow you to take advantage of all the ways to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards on travel. 

But you can transfer your 90,000 points to another card that does offer the travel opportunities like the travel portal and transferring points to airlines and hotels. 

Make sense?

The Ink Business cash card also earns 5x points at office supply stores, streaming services, internet, cable and phone. 

So you may be asking what qualifies as a business? Lots of small businesses count like selling items on Ebay, Etsy and rental income. 

You are also allowed to hold each of the Ink Business cards so you may want to apply for one of the no annual fee cards with the bonus offer ending soon and then turn around an apply for the Ink Business Preferred credit card with its new 100,000 bonus point offer. This card does carry a $95 annual fee and a $8,000 minimum spend, but 100,000 points are at least $1,000 in travel and maybe more if you transfer the points to your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve credit card. 

You can read about how I use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for almost FREE family travel here. 

If you apply for any of the INK credit cards, please use my referral link so I can continue to help you travel for almost FREE. 

If you want help walking through this process, register for my Travel Coaching Program or book me for a 1:1 coaching session. 

 Ends Jan. 18th 

From Vineyards to Spicy Bites: A Day Trip Guide to Valle de Guadalupe

Just two hours south of San Diego, the Valle de Guadalupe boasts beautiful views and amazing wine. Though you won't see Mexican wine in your local store, it rivals those from California, Argentina and Chile. 

In the 1990s, winemakers in the region began formally marketing the Valle de Guadalupe as a destination. This is when they banded together to organize the annual Grape Harvest Fiestas in the town of Ensenada every August.

This festive event draws wine-loving tourists who enjoy wine tastings, concerts, fireworks, celebrations of local wine culture, and more.
The region’s popularity has grown significantly since then. It’s really come into its own as a wine tourism hotspot in the last 10 years.

And now boasts more than 200 wineries! 

From San Diego, I recommend a day tour with Mario and Rene at Baja California Wine Tours.  Be sure to tell them that Stephanie from AlmostFREEfamilytravel.com sent you so you get the VIP treatment. 

Mario or Rene will meet you at the Old Town Trolley stop in a big white van. There is plenty of parking to leave your car and then within two hours, you are at the first winery enjoying a tasting of reds and whites. The wineries vary, but for our tour, our first stop was at Villa Montefiori. Mario chose this winery because it is the only one that uses Italian grapes from the owner's family vineyard in Italy. 

Second stop was the Decantos Winery, a much larger operation with an expansive outdoor seating area. We enjoyed a tasting here as well plus cheese and crackers. 

There are more than 200 wineries in the Valle so Mario and Rene visit different ones each tour. You can even make requests on private tours. 

From here, we visited Finca Altozano for lunch. Three tastings and lunch are included in the $199 per person public tour price. Alcoholic drinks and tip at lunch are NOT included. 

Lunch was a delicious sit down appetizer to dessert set menu. It was family style and started with a variety of appetizers including salad, brussel sprouts and freshly baked bread. Mario was able to accommodate various dietary concerns. 

The finca also features a farm, garden, bakery, coffee shop and several Instagram favorite sites. 

Last stop was the Hacienda Guadalupe where the owner talked about the winery's unique rose colored wine. We also watched  the sunset from the balcony. Beautiful. 

There are also plenty of hotels and homestays in Valle de Guadalupe if you want to stay overnight. You can drive across the border as well, but be prepared for a long wait on the return. If you have a Sentri pass, that can be helpful. Remember to bring your Global Entry card and your passport. 

I have just been certified as a travel advisor so if you want to book a trip to Valle de Guadalupe, talk to me and I'll help you. 

Registration is open for my Travel Coaching Program

 

If Paris is a travel goal for this year, think 2024 Olympics, then it's time to learn about using points and miles for FREE travel. I have travelled to more than 54 countries and 6 continents and now I'm ready to help you. 

Registration is open for my Travel Coaching Program. I'm only taking 10 people in the January cohort so don't wait. 

It's just $297 for 3 video modules about points and miles plus two bonus modules with real life examples, personal points and miles tracker, 1:1 live coaching session with me, and monthly group zoom sessions. You can add additional 1:1 live coaching sessions for a fee if needed. 

Check out some of the feedback from the first cohort:

"Stephanie Antin of Almost Free Family Travel has been so helpful in saving my family $1,000’s of dollars in travel costs.  I was also able to save on domestic travel by following her tips on how to make the most of your Southwest card to get a Companion Pass. If you love to travel Stephanie Antin and her Almost Free Family Travel blog is a “must have”!!
-Dena from San Diego

"I just want to take a moment to thank you for helping me plan my recent trip to Europe. Taking the time to clearly explain different credit card options, and giving me useful tips on using the miles and points was invaluable. In the end, I was able to use the points earned to cover airfare for all four of us to Iceland, The Netherlands, and Spain. I am now working on our upcoming summer vacation to Hawaii and plan to use points to cover not only airfare, but also most of our hotel rooms. I could not have done it without you!

Debbie from Riverside

In my travel coaching program, you get the following:

• 3 video modules that cover basics of points and miles 
• 2 bonus modules with real life examples of redemptions 
• custom points and miles tracker 
• audit of your points, miles, credit cards
• 1:1 live strategy session with me
• group coaching sessions forever 

The $297 price for my Travel Coaching Program ends January 31st, so don't wait. Let me help you reach your travel goals in 2024. 

$99 Sale Price Ends January 1st For My Travel Coaching Program

 

The $99 sale price for my Travel Coaching Program ends January 1st, so don't wait. This price includes 3 video modules about points and miles plus two bonus modules with real life examples, personal points and miles tracker, 1:1 live coaching session with me, and monthly group zoom sessions. 

Check out some of the feedback from the first cohort:

"Stephanie Antin of Almost Free Family Travel has been so helpful in saving my family $1,000’s of dollars in travel costs.  I was also able to save on domestic travel by following her tips on how to make the most of your Southwest card to get a Companion Pass. If you love to travel Stephanie Antin and her Almost Free Family Travel blog is a “must have”!!
-Dena from San Diego

"I just want to take a moment to thank you for helping me plan my recent trip to Europe. Taking the time to clearly explain different credit card options, and giving me useful tips on using the miles and points was invaluable. In the end, I was able to use the points earned to cover airfare for all four of us to Iceland, The Netherlands, and Spain. I am now working on our upcoming summer vacation to Hawaii and plan to use points to cover not only airfare, but also most of our hotel rooms. I could not have done it without you!

Debbie from Riverside

In my travel coaching program, you get the following:

• 3 video modules that cover basics of points and miles 
• 2 bonus modules with real life examples of redemptions 
• custom points and miles tracker 
• audit of your points, miles, credit cards
• 1:1 live strategy session with me
• group coaching sessions forever 

The $99 sale price for my Travel Coaching Program ends January 1st, so don't wait. Let me help you reach your travel goals in 2024. 

 

The end of the year is quickly upon us once again! Besides end of year sales and tax moves, you may also want to look at the five travel tasks that top the ultimate year end checklist. Here is the list: 

• Travel credits - check all of your airlines to see if you have any travel credits due to expire on Dec. 31st. Many of them ask you to book your flight by the expiration date, but you can travel later. Sometimes, you can book a trip and then cancel it and that will extend the expiration date, but keep in mind that doesn't always work. You may need to call, email or message on social media to the airline to find the right person who can extend the expiration date. Don't give up! It took me a week with a few phone calls, emails and private message on twitter to find someone to extend a United travel credit so I could book a flight in May 2024. 

• FREE hotel nights - Check the expiration dates on those FREE hotel night certificates to see if you any are expiring or if you need to book by Dec. 31st. 

5 Essential Travel To-Dos Before the Year Ends – Your Ultimate Year-End Adventure Checklist!

• Annual fees - this should be noted on your personal tracker, but if not, check to see if any of your credit cards are nearing the anniversary date. If so, make the decision about whether the card still fits with your strategy. If not, cancel it. 

• Credit card perks - check those perks like the $50 Chase Sapphire Preferred hotel credit or Global Entry or $300 travel credit, be sure to use these before they reset. 
• Points and Miles expiration dates - check those expiration dates for points and miles on airlines and hotels. If they are close to expiring, make a purchase to show activity or transfer the points to another account or person. 

Before you watch the ball drop or sip that celebratory champagne, take an hour to review your points and miles so that 2024 is full of adventure and lots of travel. 

The $99 sale price for my Travel Coaching Program ends January 1st, so don't wait. This price includes 3 video modules about points and miles plus two bonus modules with real life examples, personal points and miles tracker, 1:1 live coaching session with me, and monthly group zoom sessions. Hope you will start off the year right!