Point Me to Vacay: Travel Tales & Tips

Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns Points VS Cash


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Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns — Points VS Cash 💳

Ever wonder how much our “free” family trips actually cost? In this mini episode, it just me, Katie, flying solo spilling the travel tea on two of our real vacations — the full cash price vs. what we paid using points — and how we saved thousands along the way.

Spoiler: this is why we’ll never go back to paying full price for travel again.

🎯 What I Cover

  • Two of real family trips: full cash vs. points cost breakdowns
  • How we earned those points from everyday spending
  • What transferable points actually are (and why they matter)
  • Our favorite beginner-friendly cards for families
  • How you can start saving thousands on your next trip

🧾 Real Trip Breakdown

Trip #1: Disneyland

  • Cash price: $ 3,800
  • Points price: 122,000 points + $56 taxes + $1050 park tickets
  • Savings: $2,694 🎉

Trip #2: Hawaii

  • Cash price: $6,494.20
  • Points price: 325,000 points + 1 Hyatt FNC + $56 taxes
  • Savings: $6,438.20🙌

TOTAL SAVINGS FOR BOTH TRIPS:  $9,132.20  🤯🥳🙌🎉

These are real numbers from our family trips — not theoretical math!

💡 Takeaway

You don’t need to be rich or fly business class to make points work for your family.
 You just need the right cards and a strategy that fits your everyday spending.

💳 Our Favorite Beginner Cards

These are the exact cards we started with — and the ones we still use today 👇

👉 Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Great all-around beginner card with flexible transferable points
Apply here: Referral Link

👉 Amex Gold® Card
Perfect for families — big bonuses on groceries & dining
Apply here:  Referral Link

🗒️ FTC Disclosure

Some links in these show notes are referral or affiliate links. We may earn a bonus, commission, or points when you use them — at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we personally use and love.

🗣️ Homework

Rate & review the show ⭐
 Share this episode with a friend who wants to travel more — and spend less.
 Follow us on Instagram → [@pointmetovacay]

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✈️ Thanks for listening to Point Me to Vacay! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more families can learn how to turn everyday spending into unforgettable travel.

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Point Me to Vacay: Travel Tales & TipsBy Tom & Katie: Everyday Travelers, Podcasters in Progress