Edited 9/9/2024: Some promotions may have changed from the time this blog post was initially shared.  You can always google the airline or hotel brand to check for current, active promotions.

Earning a lot of points for travel doesn’t have to be hard or complicated.  As a family of 5, you can only imagine what daily living expenses we have: food, dining, gas, kids’ extracurricular activities/sports, and so forth.  Here’s how I maximize earning points/miles from monthly expenses and money we are already having to spend while living life.

1 – Daily living expenses:  It probably goes without saying that we make sure we charge EVERYTHING on a credit card (except for our mortgage).  I hardly carry cash, and can’t remember the last time I used a debit card.  You better believe that if I have to pay for something, I am going to make sure I can earn points/miles for that purchase/expense/bill.  

2 – Taking advantage of increased credit card bonus offers:  This is a BIG one.  Knowing when and which credit card to jump on is key.  Not every offer will be for you, but this is a great way to earn a bulk of points that you can use towards travel later.  Again, you are only spending money that you would ALREADY be spending.  The average minimum spend on a card tends to be around $3,000-$4,000 over a span of 3 months.  With a family, that’s not hard to meet.  You shouldn’t be feeling that you need to spend more than you usually do to meet a minimum spend on a card; that defeats the purpose of saving on travel costs.  If that’s the case, reconsider applying for a card.

3 – Referral bonuses:  While I always appreciate the support by using my affiliate links when getting a credit card, I’ll always advise you to first check with friends and family for referral links.  Why?  Because it’s such an easy way to earn 15,000 or 20,000 points, for example (number of referral points vary by bank)!  Not every bank offers referral bonuses.  Meanwhile, my Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card does.  My parents recently got the Chase Ink Cash credit card, and yes, I shared my referral link with them, as opposed to the affiliate link.  Referral links earn one points/miles, affiliate links earn the creator (offering them) a small kickback from the bank.  (After checking with family and friends first, always support a content creator by using their links, NEVER google a credit card offer!)

4 – Maximizing when life happens: Ah, sometimes life just happens.  My inlaws have been staying with us since mid-last year, so our dining and grocery bills have naturally been higher.  I also had dental surgery last summer, AND we had other medical expenses.  These are bills/expenses that we unfortunately can’t avoid paying.  So when I had my dental surgery, I had previously applied for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.  (At that time the offer was slightly increased.)  What I owed out of pocket for my dental surgery, I charged onto this card – which in turn helped to meet the minimum spend.  This past December, we used the points earned from that card to cover our hotel stay at Riad AnaYela during our Morocco vacation.  You CAN make unplanned life events work for you!

5 – Airline/Hotel promotions, partnerships, and shopping portals:  Sometimes you’ll see a hotel brand offer additional points if you stay a certain number of nights and/or during a specific time.  You’ll hear about Delta offering a partnership with Starbucks, or even the partnership between Delta and Instacart.  You shop online, but are you using a bank or airline shopping portal?  None of these methods may seem like they’ll earn you many points/miles for a purchase or expense, but over time it adds up!

Hilton Honors 2023 “Double Up & Explore” Promo: It’s available through 4/30.  You can earn double points on all stays, plus 1,000 bonus points for every brand stayed with during the promotion period.

Instacart and Delta:  If you use the grocery delivery service, Instacart, you can earn Delta Skymiles on every order.  We use Instacart regularly, and since I signed up last year, I’ve earned 16,724 SkyMiles simply by linking my accounts.

Starbucks and Delta:  Frequent Starbucks visitor?  Then you need to do this!  Earn 1 Delta Skymile for every $1 spent at Starbucks.

World of Hyatt:  World of Hyatt members have been receiving various targeted offers. Check your account and email for opportunities to earn double elite night credits, free night awards, and bonus points!

American Airlines AAdvantage Shopping portal:  I want to stock up on AA miles so I personally use this shopping portal.  You can sign up for free online – just add your AA account number.  You’ll find many of the retailers that you’re already shopping online from.  When you shop online, make sure you are using a bank or airline shopping portal to earn you more points/miles from purchases you are already making.

This is by no means a conclusive list of promotions and offers – but just some additional ways to earn points and miles with, and without a credit card.

These are methods I use regularly to earn points towards family travel.  The main thing to ask yourself always is this: As I make this purchase, can I earn points or miles for it?  If you are using cash or a debit card, you aren’t helping yourself minimize costs nor earn travel rewards.  Be efficient – maximize your points/miles earning potential by using these methods to get you traveling more, for less!