Traveling the world one duty station at a time.
$20,000. On a 2 week vacation. Can you imagine? Me neither! Thankfully by using credit card points deliberately (“travel hacking“), we were able to take a dream vacation to Sri Lanka (post coming soon) and the Maldives with FREE flights and accommodations for all four of us. Wanting to go to the Maldives with points? Here’s the details on how we made our $20,000 vacation happen at a fraction of the cost.
(This was a pre-COVID era trip.) Before and after our safari in Selous, we spent time exploring the island of Zanzibar. Now part of Tanzania, it was once a part of Oman, so we really wanted to explore it while it’s not too long of a flight away. Plus, the kids had not yet been to Africa, and we had not yet been south of the Equator. So, we packed up and away we went!
Thinking about going on a safari with young kids? Looking at a safari in Africa but wondering what age is right? We just returned from a safari in Tanzania with our kids (ages 5 and 6), and I’m excited to share what we learned with you. Read more
So you understand your travel hacking basics, and you have a plan? Now what? Apply for your first card and then…
One question that is often asked is, “How do you afford to travel so much?” Travel has always been a budgeted part of our monthly expenses, however, lately we have also been using “travel hacking” strategies to get more for our dollars. Travel hacking is using credit card rewards (miles, points, benefits) to reduce the overall costs of traveling. Doing so smartly can even make travel free. New to travel hacking? Here is what you need to know.
To be clear, when I say reduce costs, I mean it. Free airport food, reimbursed TSA pre-check, free flights, free flight upgrades, free hotel upgrades, free hotel stays…the list goes on. Coming up we have 13 nights in Sri Lanka and the Maldives plus flights for 4 totally covered with benefits and points. Sound good? Read on to find out how to make your cards work for you, too. Read more
Looking for packing hacks? Let me share some of my top packing tips and travel products with you! PS, if you are looking for tips on how to pack everything for 98 weeks of travel in one bag, this is not the post for you. Gone are the days of washing a shirt in the hotel sink.
Alternate title: Packing like a pro who has children and needs stuff.
Alternate title: Like Oprah’s favorite things but I only give you links. Read more
Are you a military family? Besides being eligible for plenty of military discounts at hotels and parks, you can utilize the Space A travel system to fly for free (or really really cheap). These military flights range from seats along the side of a cargo plane to a traditional passenger airplane. It may seem overwhelming, but once you understand some basics, it’s more than worth the effort to be able to travel the world on a budget. Read more
Our kids have been flying since before they could crawl. Their passports were stamped barely a week after receiving them in the mail. We fly. A lot. So let me share with you some thing that have helped me survive flying with kids, including flying by myself with 2 under 2!
Chaos and Cardboard 