🗽🍎Big Apple, Small Budget: How We Did NYC Without Breaking the Bank

In this episode, we’re breaking down our New York City trip and exactly how we travel hacked it—from affordable flights to where we stayed, ate, and explored in the Big Apple 🗽✈️

If NYC feels overwhelming or expensive, this episode proves it doesn’t have to be.

✈️ Flights

• Flew Southwest Airlines
• Paid cash (sometimes cheap cash beats points!)
• ~$100 per person round trip
• Route: Denver (DEN) → LaGuardia (LGA)

🏨 Where We Stayed

• La Quinta – Times Square
• Central location, walkable, and budget-friendly for NYC
• Booked using Wyndham points

🌮 Food We Ate (No Skipping This Part)

• Los Tacos No. 1 – lived up to the hype
• Kings of Kobe – quick bites done right
• Carmine’s – family-style Italian

🎭 Things We Did

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum – powerful and moving
• Statue of Liberty Ferry – classic NYC experience
• Broadway: SIX – SO good (and surprisingly fun even if you’re not a theater person)
• Bert Kreischer Comedy Show – laughed the entire night
• Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour – perfect for first-timers and getting the lay of the land

Whether you’re planning your first NYC trip or looking to do it smarter, this episode is packed with real-life travel tips and honest reviews.

🎧 Listen now and start planning your own NYC adventure—without the NYC price tag.

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Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

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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.

Raising Little Travelers: Greer Talks Travel

In today’s BONUS episode, I’m joined by one of my favorite travel buddies — my son, Greer! 🧳✈️

I sit down with Greer to hear what travel looks like through his eyes. From his favorite places we’ve been, to where he wants to go in the future, this episode is a sweet reminder of why we prioritize traveling together and making memories along the way.

We talk about:

• Greer’s favorite trips and destinations
• His favorite part of family vacations
• Why he likes to travel
• Would he rather have toys or travel

This episode is equal parts fun, heartfelt, and honest — and a reminder that kids don’t need extravagant trips to make meaningful memories. Sometimes, it’s just about being together.

If you’ve ever wondered what travel feels like from a child’s perspective, you’re going to love this one 💙

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Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

Oahu, Hawaii First-Timers: The Stay, the Food & Oahu Highlights — All Thanks to Points

Oahu has been on our bucket list forever, and we finally made it happen — using points 🙌 In this episode, we’re sharing a full, honest review of our first trip to Oahu, Hawaii, including where we stayed, what we ate, and the activities that were actually worth it.

If you’re planning your first trip to Oahu or wondering if Hawaii is really doable with points, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• 🏨 Where we stayed in Oahu (and whether we’d stay there again)
• 🍽️ Where we ate — must-tries, overrated spots, and family-friendly wins
• 🌴 Oahu highlights & activities we loved as first-timers
• ✈️ How we used points to make this trip affordable
• ❌ What we’d skip or do differently next time

We’re sharing the good, the “meh,” and the worth-it moments, so you can plan smarter and get the most out of your Hawaii vacation — without blowing your budget.

How we booked Hawaii on points:

Flights:

American Airlines - Denver to Honolulu - 25,000 points/ person

*Opened American Airlines Co-Branded Card

United Airlines - Honolulu - Denver - 100,000 points/ person (1st class)

*Transferred points from Chase - Thanks to the Sapphire Preferred

Hotel:

Hyatt Place Waikiki - 15,000 points/ night

*Transferred points from Chase - Thanks to the Sapphire Preferred

Who this episode is for:

• First-time travelers to Oahu, Hawaii
• Couples planning a Hawaii trip
• Anyone curious about booking Hawaii with points
• Travelers who want honest hotel, food, and activity reviews

🎧 Press play to hear our full Oahu breakdown and learn how points turned a dream trip into a reality.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone planning a Hawaii trip!

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Make every vacation memory count! Flytographer pairs you with local photographers so everyone is in the shot, smiling and stress-free. Grab our affiliate link for a special deal and help support the show!

Flytographer: Stress-free vacay photos
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Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Minimum Spends Explained (And How We Hit Ours)

Credit card minimum spends don’t have to be overwhelming—and they definitely don’t mean spending money you don’t have.

In this mini episode of Point Me to Vacay, I break down exactly what a credit card minimum spend is, why it matters, and how everyday expenses can help you unlock massive travel rewards.

☕ Real-Life Travel Tea: Our Latest Minimum Spend Win

I also share a real-life example from our own family’s most recent win—including how Tom and I each earned 100,000 Southwest points and secured the Southwest Companion Pass for nearly two full years using normal household spending.

If you’ve ever thought travel hacking sounded confusing or out of reach, this episode will change that.

✈️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What a credit card minimum spend actually is
• Common mistakes people make with minimum spends
• Tips to hit a higher minimum spend
• Timing your card applications can unlock years of free travel

💳 Favorite Travel Credit Cards We Love and current favorite card offers here:

(These are the cards we personally use and recommend—always apply when the offer makes sense for you.)

✈️ Southwest Cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business

💎 Chase Cards (Great for Beginners)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Reserve®
• Chase Business Ink Unlimited® or Cash®
• Chase Freedom Flex®

💛 AMEX Cards

• Amex Personal Gold

🏨 Hotel Cards

• World of Hyatt Credit Card

⚠️ Important Reminder

Travel hacking works best when you:

• Pay your balance in full every month
• Avoid interest and unnecessary spending
• Open cards with a plan and purpose

Free travel should never come with financial stress.

🎧 Listen, Share & Connect

If this episode helped you:

• Share it with a friend who thinks travel hacking is “too complicated”
• Subscribe so you never miss a new episode of Katie Spills the Travel Tea

📲 Follow along for daily travel tips & real-life wins:
@PointMetoVacay

Send us a text

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

💳 What’s In Our Wallets: The Credit Cards We Actually Use Daily (and Why)

Ever wonder what credit cards we actually use every day? In this episode, we’re opening our wallets and breaking down the exact cards we use for everyday spending—and why.

We’re sharing:

• Which cards earn us the most value on daily purchases
• How we keep things simple (even with multiple cards)
• Which card we use when buying groceries vs gas

If you’re overwhelmed by credit card options or trying to figure out which card to use right now, this episode is for you.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Our current “daily driver” credit cards
• What categories we use each card for (groceries, gas, bills, etc.)
• Why we don’t put everything on one card
• How our wallet changes depending on travel goals
• How to decide what should be in your wallet

Who This Episode Is For

• Travel hacking beginners
• Families trying to earn points without stress
• Anyone wondering “Which card should I actually use?”
• People who want nearly free travel without juggling 10 cards

Let’s Connect
If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who’s always asking how you afford your trips ✈️
And if you have a trip in mind, DM us—we’ll help you figure out which points to earn first.

Send us a text

Make every vacation memory count! Flytographer pairs you with local photographers so everyone is in the shot, smiling and stress-free. Grab our affiliate link for a special deal and help support the show!

Flytographer: Stress-free vacay photos
Book a local professional photographer with Flytographer—perfect vacay photos, zero awkwardness.

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

Point Me to Vacay = Christmas Edition 🎄🎅

It’s almost Christmas — and if you’re a mom feeling the end-of-year chaos (like me), this episode is your permission to pause for a few minutes and dream.

In this Christmas Edition episode, I’m counting down my top five places I’d spend Christmas, from bucket-list destinations to the place that will always win no matter what. We’re talking Christmas markets, iconic cities, theme-park magic, tropical escapes — and more...

This episode is perfect for listening while wrapping those last minute gifts, driving to one more school event, or hiding in the bathroom for five quiet minutes.

In this episode, I count down my TOP 5 places I'd spend Christmas!

Whether you’re traveling for the holidays or staying close to home, this episode is a reminder that Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

🎄 From our family to yours — Merry Christmas and thanks for listening!

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Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

NFR Las Vegas Trip Recap: Rio Hotel Review, Points Travel & the Chaos We Didn't Expect 🎰

Vegas always delivers… just not always how you expect. 😅

In this episode, we’re recapping our latest Las Vegas trip for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR)—from staying at the Rio on points, to navigating crowds, chaos, and a little unexpected drama along the way.

We’re sharing the real behind-the-scenes of traveling during one of Vegas’s busiest weeks, what worked, what we’d do differently, and why using points made this trip possible (and way less stressful on the budget).

If you’ve ever wondered:

• What Vegas is really like during NFR
• Whether the Rio is worth it on points
• Or why “what happens in Vegas” isn’t always glamorous

…this episode is for you.


What We Cover in This Episode:

✨ Our experience traveling to Las Vegas during NFR
🏨 Staying at the Rio on points – the good, the bad, and the honest truth
🎟️ NFR vibes, crowds, and what surprised us most
🎭 The chaos we didn’t plan for
🤍 Full breakdown of our trip to Las Vegas - where we ate and what we did.

Listener Takeaway:

Vegas will always be loud, bright, and chaotic—but traveling on points gives you flexibility, freedom, and way less financial stress, even when things don’t go perfectly.

Send us a text

Make every vacation memory count! Flytographer pairs you with local photographers so everyone is in the shot, smiling and stress-free. Grab our affiliate link for a special deal and help support the show!

Flytographer: Stress-free vacay photos
Book a local professional photographer with Flytographer—perfect vacay photos, zero awkwardness.

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.

This week’s episode is a little different than usual — we just got back from Vegas and Tom had to head straight back to work on the railroad, so our full Vegas + NFR + Cowboy Christmas breakdown is coming next week.

For today, we’re sharing a quick mini episode focused on exactly how to travel hack Vegas — because this is one of the easiest cities in the U.S. to book using points and miles.

In this episode, we cover:

✈️ How to Hack Flights to Vegas with Southwest

• How easy it is to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points
• Why the Companion Pass is a total game-changer
• Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards → Southwest (1:1)

🏨 How We Booked the Rio on Points

• Option 1: Booking the Rio through Hyatt using Chase points
• Option 2: Booking the Caesar's properties by transferring from Wyndham using Citi points
• How transfer partners unlock multiple hotel options

🔮 Coming Next Week

• Our full Vegas spending vs. points breakdown
• Where we saved, where we splurged, and what we’d do differently — including Cowboy Christmas damage

If you’ve ever thought, “I want to go to Vegas but the prices are insane,” this episode shows you how to do it smarter using points.

🔗 Ready to Start Travel Hacking?

If you’re brand new, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our favorite beginner cards for:

• Southwest transfers
• Hyatt hotel stays
• Everyday flexible points

👉 APPLY HERE

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a text

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ 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.