Episode 118

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Published on:

2nd Oct 2023

Travel for Free with Credit Card Points | E118 Danielle Desir

I have to admit, this is one subject in the personal finance space that I don’t have much experience with. I’m so impressed with my friends who get free airfare and hotels through credit card points and I think it is time for you and I to do the same.

I just get overwhelmed and I’m not really sure where to start. What cards should I have in my wallet? Which card should I use on what? Are cards with annual fees worth it?


These questions and more are all going to get answered in today’s episode and to give us those answers, I invited my friend Danielle Desir Corbett who is the creator of The Thought Card, a travel and finance blog and podcast.


Danielle is quite the expert when it comes to traveling cheaper through credit card hacking. My approach up until this point with credit cards has been pretty elementary. I take my 1% cash back and call it a day but Danielle has me really excited to move up to the next level and start getting more from my credit card provider.


I thought this was an excellent capstone episode for our series on Mastering Money at Work. We’ve covered 401(k)s, asking for a raise, employee perks that can make you money, HSAs, and most recently the passion versus paycheck conundrum. If you missed any of those episodes, download them now so you have something to listen to after this one.


Key Takeaways:

  • Why are credit card companies giving away such lucrative deals
  • The potential risks of credit cards
  • Criteria for what credit cards right for you
  • How to maximize your spending categories
  • Should I use a free card or an annual fee card?
  • Danielle’s favorite credit cards
  • An app that helps you determine which credit card you should be using at checkout
  • A DIY approach to keeping your credit cards organized
  • How to make sure you always get the sign-up bonus
  • Earn and burn mentality
  • Creative ways to boost your points
  • Popular brand partnerships to link your credit card to
  • How to stretch your PTO to take more vacations


Mentions:

CardPointers: https://cardpointers.com/

Rakuten: https://www.rakuten.com/


More of Danielle:

Thought Card Blog and Podcast: https://thoughtcard.com/

Blog: 7 Easy Ways To Earn Thousands of Points and Miles a Year

Blog: 6 Travel Hacking Mistakes To Avoid

Book: Traveling With a Full-Time Job

Book: Affording Travel: Saving Strategies For Financially Savvy Travelers


More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

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About the Podcast

FI Minded: Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Want to achieve Financial Independence (FI) without missing out on life?

FI Minded is the podcast for anyone seeking financial freedom, time freedom, and a work-optional lifestyle — all while enjoying the journey along the way.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your FI journey or already deep into Coast FI or Slow FI, this show gives you practical strategies and insights to reach early retirement and design a life that aligns with your values, purpose, and fulfillment.

Popular topics include:
- FI Optimization Strategies: Actionable advice to reach Financial Independence faster without unnecessary stress.
- Work Optional & Lifestyle Design: How to transition from the corporate grind and build a life of freedom, flexibility, and intentional living.
- Time Freedom & Coast FI: Making the most of your time while still planning for the future, including mini-retirements, travel, and other ways to enjoy your life now.
- Post-FI Identity & Purpose: What to do once you’ve achieved FI, and how to create meaning beyond money.
- Burnout & Balance: Avoid the pitfalls of over-optimization and learn to balance saving for the future with mental health and happiness.

If you want to reach financial independence, design a life that’s purposeful and fun, and avoid burnout along the way, FI Minded is your guide to building a sustainable, fulfilling, and free life.

Some of our past guests include Carl Jensen (1500 Days), Jeremy Schneider (Personal Finance Club), Nick Loper (Side Hustle Show), Andrew Giancola (The Personal Finance Podcast), Jordan Grumet (Earn & Invest), Rachael Camp (Work Optional), Jillian Johnsrud (Retire Often), Sean Mullaney (FI Tax Guy), Jill Sirianni (Frugal Friends), Jackie Cummings-Koski (Catching Up to FI), Joel Larsgaard (How to Money), Cody Garrett (Measure Twice), Jesse Cramer (Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors), Jess (The Fioneers), Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks), Diania Merriam (EconoMe), and many more inspiring voices in the FI space.
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