The year is almost over, and we still have one quick local getaway this week. But I figured this might be a good time to look back on 2023. It has certainly been a busy travel year for my family, and I would be lying if I said that we didn’t spend a boatload of […]

Update:deal is dead. If I’m being honest, I usually skip deals that offer extra miles for booking hotels. In my experience, the rates are almost always higher than what you could get  on your own. Plus, you usually give up cash back. I’m just not that interested in getting an extra 800 miles in an […]

Despite the fact that I consider myself a frugal traveler, I pay hundreds of dollars in credit card annual fees each year. Why? Hotel certificates that I get to collect as a bonus. Normally, I don’t have a problem utilizing them for travel plans we make anyway. While most folks try to maximize them by […]

Wyndham/Vacasa partnership has really been a game changer for my family. The ability to redeem just 15k points on a 1-bedroom condo or a house close to a beach is an absolute steal. I’ve written about our stays in North Carolina, Siesta Key and St. Augustine beach. However, my latest Vacasa redemption via Wyndham points […]

The first part sounds like a title of a country song, doesn’t it? The only thing that’s missing is a dead dog. Anyway, my 12-year old son has always been a rascal, and I’ve documented many of his crazy antics on the blog. Between sticking metal objects into outlets and trying to climb over balcony […]

For some unknown reason, cash back offers just don’t get much love in our hobby. And that’s a shame because even if your only focus is redeeming points on travel, you will still have out-of-pocket expenses that will need to be covered with real dollars. I realize I sound like Captain Obvious right now, but […]