I get asked this question a lot - "where do I start with points & miles?" My answer is usually something along the lines of getting a credit card and importantly DO NOT REDEEM THE POINTS FOR STATEMENT CREDITS, GIFT CARDS, OR PRODUCTS. I feel a small part of me die inside when people tell me that's how they use their points. So I thought why don't I actually write down step by step how I would start in the points & miles world. And it just so happens that with the birth of our

When I tell people my favorite Hotel program is Hyatt, the first question I usually get is "why not Marriott?" Anecdotally, I've felt...

I used to take an annual weeklong ski trip with a group of friends, but since getting older it's now several years between ski trips. The...

The first half of 2024 was as busy a 6 month stretch as I can remember. Between work, class, and a couple personal trips I was on the road nearly every week. Thankfully, I was able to enjoy the Chicago summer as I traveled much less in the second half of the year - a couple work trips and a handful of weddings. Our hotel branded credit cards came in handy this year with how many weddings we had. The free night certificates make the annual fee worth it in my opinion and we uti

From the first day of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gwen and I agreed that we would not move our wedding date regardless of what restrictions...

I figured I would start a series of posts which go into detail how I've booked some of the trips we've been on. I'll talk more about some...