The Answer is NO

Here is a list of the questions I've been asked multiple times recently. And, spoiler alert, because I'm channeling my inner Meghan Trainor tonight, every answer to each question is NO.

(Sorry, I just couldn't resist...)

I'm leaving in two weeks. Can I save any money?

As much as I would love to help you with this, the answer, sadly, is no. Not only do most hotels and flights require 30 days to receive an advanced booking discount, free travel takes planning, preparation, and time. We are currently booking a trip 11 months from now, and we have already been working on the points for over 9 months. That's a year and a half's worth of planning. Some trips won't require this kind of intensity, but all will require some prep work. Something you can do is to make sure to sign up for airline and hotel reward programs. Most won't retroactively award points after you stay, so you'll want to be signed up beforehand.

Additionally, if you have enough time, see about opening a credit card to put all of your trip expenses on. Even if you've already booked your flights, you'll still have expenses outside of your normal budget like food, hotel stays, and entertainment. This will get you closer to paying for your next trip with points!

I can't make a minimum spend in three months, can I do it in four?

That's a big, fat nope. As we've talked about before, if you can't spend the required amount within the allotted time, you're out. In fact, the spend must be met from the day you open the account. Not the day you put your first purchase on it, not the day you activate the card, not the day the card is received in the mail, but the day you submit the application and are accepted. So make sure you can meet it to the day. (If you need help doing so, check out this post for ideas.)

Do you have to make a lot of money?

I guess that depends on your definition of "a lot," but my answer is no. Your budget and financial situation will determine how much you can put on a card and how many cards you can handle at one time. We are a single-income family (my husband teaches), and this has been a great way for me to contribute to our household income. I do all of the legwork on our family trips and travel plans, and I love doing it! In a typical three-month period, we can meet a $3,000 minimum spend. Sometimes we have to get creative and other times we've planned ahead to know which out-of-the-ordinary expenses are coming up.

Can I use the points right away?

You can't. Most points won't post to your account until sometime after the current billing cycle closes. So if it takes you the full three months to meet the minimum spend, you'll want to plan in time for the billing cycle to close, plus a few days for processing, before you see the full bonus points/miles in your account.

Will my points expire before I need to use them?

Generally, no. As long as your account is open, you should be good to go. Most airlines will require some activity within a certain time frame (most of the time it's two years) to keep your account open and the points to remain there), but if you're canceling the card before that, this shouldn't be an issue. The only cutoff date to really remember is your card anniversary. This is when your annual fee will become due. Except in some circumstances, you'll want to use your points before that date so that you can cancel the card without having to pay the yearly fee. Once you close a card, you can wave bye-bye to any remaining points, so be sure to use them beforehand.

I'm disorganized. Will this work for me?

Absolutely not. Unless you know how much you can spend, can keep a budget, pay off a bill every month, read and keep track of fine print, remember close dates, and know the requirements for each card you have open, this ain't your game. The credit card companies aren't on your side on this, so you're going to have to be mega-organized to make sure you get exactly what you're expecting.

Can I pay my mortgage or rent on a credit card?

Noooo. This is the #1 spending question that I'm asked. I know, I know--it would be so easy and amazing if you could. But you can't. Put everything else on there, but you can't do that. Sorry.

Do I have to be a frequent traveler to make this work?

No way! We really only travel when we have points to do it on. My husband travels for work once or twice per year, but those are just little bonuses for us. We could do without it. There are some hotel and airline programs where you have to travel in order to reach their highest tiers, but you can definitely get some free travel at the lower rungs.

Will I be able to travel anytime or anywhere I want?

I'm gonna go ahead and say, "no" on this one for a few reasons. First of all, depending on your card, you may be restricted to whatever seats/rooms are available for reward redemption. For example, the closer you get to your trip date, the higher the likelihood that you'll have to pay with cash instead of redeeming your points or miles. This can vary widely. When we travelled to Orlando, I booked 4 nights at an IHG hotel, all with points, two weeks beforehand even though once we got there, the entire hotel was sold out. On another potential trip, I tried booking a Vegas hotel two months in advance, but the reward night redemptions were already sold out. It just depends!

Secondly, you might want to keep your travel plans open. There are amazing websites (like The Flight Deal) that will keep you updated with last minute or crazy good flight prices. You may like keeping your travel plans open to be able to snag one of these deals. This works best if you're flexible on your travel dates or are open to traveling anywhere!

Can I keep reopening and closing the same card?

Wouldn't that be the raddest? But no, you can't. Depending on the card, you may be eligible for the same bonus 24 months after closing the card, or it could be just once per lifetime. This is where organizing really comes into play. You'll need to know your card opening and closing dates to determine if you can apply for the same card again. Additionally, if you're married you'll want to keep track of whether or not your spouse applied for the card. Staggering the cards you get can be a great way to extend the benefits of a card you particularly like.

Can large families get as much out of this as single travelers or small families?

I wish the answer to this was yes, but it's not. Will you be able to save a good chunk of change? Definitely. But more than likely, you won't be able to do it as often. If you're looking at getting a free hotel room, a family of four is going to be able to get by with only redeeming one room per night. Similarly, if you and your spouse both have a card that offers a companion pass, you'll be able to get that same family of four really cheap or free flights for everyone. However, if you have a family of seven or eight or ten, you won't be able to make the miles and benefits stretch enough to cover your entire family without a lot more time. BUT, it is going to knock out a significant portion of the cost! And that will hopefully get you well on your way to going all the places you've wanted to visit together.

Is this too good to be true?

No! Be smart, start small, and you can do this too!

Let me know how I can help get you and your family on the vacations you should be taking together.

(Because I'm sometimes a mom who says no...)

#basics