The key to raking in the points needed for incredible travel is capitalizing on the sign up bonuses offered by the right cards.
Credit card sign-up bonuses are like the icing on the cake when you get a new credit card. It’s basically an extra special reward the company gives you for joining their “club”.
From my experience, the special point offers are normally anywhere from 60,000 – 125, 000 points offered, dependent on the card. You will fully see how much value those points are in just a minute as we continue on!
To ensure you get these extra award points, you typically have to spend a certain amount with your new card within a specified timeframe, and in return, they hand you the additional points once complete. It’s a way to sweeten the deal of signing on and make you feel all warm and fuzzy about your new plastic friend.
Now, I get it – who wants to spend extra just to earn reward travel credit? In most situations, though, your normal every day spending will hit that threshold in the time allocated. As an example, we recently took advantage of a card that awarded 60,000 points for $4,000 spent in the first 3 months. Between groceries and other bills, this was absolutely no issue for my family with no extra, out of the norm expense.
And for other cards that require a substantially higher minimum spend, planning WHEN you sign on is just as strategic as where you eventually apply the points. Have a large home project up and coming? Or you know you will be paying for a bigger more unusual expense like a car need, holiday gifts, medical expenses, etc…?



Getting that new card just before is the perfect time.
Practical Application 1: A Ski Trip to Colorado
When my husband voiced interest in taking our kids on a trip to Beaver Creek, my jaw hit the floor when I started to do reserach into hotels in that area. I mean this in all honesty – for the time frame we were looking in February, there is not a single hotel less than $500. And even some of those “lesser expensive” options did not even seem like awesome choices – particularly for that price tag!
Instead of getting discouraged, I began to look at travel partners in the area I knew I could transfer points to for a great stay. A little back history of this strategy -I just scored a credit card sign up bonus 3 months ago for 90,000 points that hit my credit card account, and I knew this would be enough to cover most of the 3 nights we intended to visit for.
Now – hold your breath – remember when I said you not only would be able to travel using points, but the travel would soon get totally amplified in the type of accommodations you would be lodged at? And you’d experience some deluxe resort options?
We have settled on a hotel I would never in my wildest dreams have considered if I were paying out of pocket! The Grand Hyatt Vail would normally run us over $1,000 a night – totally out of our normal budget – but thanks to our points we will be staying nearly for free, using zero cash and 35,000 points a night, which was sitting pretty, ready for use in my credit card rewards bank. All I needed to do was transfer these points out of my credit card account to Hyatt (more on this to come), and boom – AMAZING luxury resort reserved without blowing our budget.
Let’s Do Some Math: What my points are worth compared to cash
Only because math hurts my head most of the time (anyone feel this too??), I think it may be helpful to show you how I earned these points exactly and a comparison of how these points in the previous scenario COULD have been used and why this stay is so valuable.
Earlier in the year, I decided to apply for one of the best cards out there, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card because I knew this gem gives 3 points per dollar spent on dining out, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (something my family takes advantage of weekly). All other spending also earns 1 point per dollar.
Even better than the regular spending, the welcome promotion at that time ensured if I hit $4,000 spent in the first 3 months, they would award me a sweet and substantial 75,000 points. Between school starting, summer travel, and birthdays, this actually was easy peasy.
So, by September when we were ready to book the ski trip, I had achieved the spending limit and my credit card points now looked like the following:

75,000 Welcome Bonus
28,000 Points from other spending/expenses that accrued
22,000 Points from a card from the same bank I’ve had since college
= 110,000 Points

A point of emphasis is where it would have been UNWISE to use my points if I have travel I want to do. Cash is certainly nice, but it would have been a poor use of my points knowing I wanted to apply it toward a hotel stay or flights. Again, the points STRETCH further this way when transferred. See below.
3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Vail for 35,000 points = 105,000 points
1% conversion if using the same points strictly for cash = $1,050 to my bank account
BUT when Grand Hyatt Vail costs $1,042 per night, the cash value of this stay is $3,126!
Difference in amount stretched and saved by transferring to travel: $2,076
Practical Application 2: Flights to Mexico
Another big trip we anticipate taking will be an anniversary and birthday getaway to an All-Inclusive resort in Cancun for May!
Our biggest deterrent up to now has been the flight cost to get out there as we are accustomed to more domestic travel. But miles and points has opened up a world of possibility for us and we are accruing more points every month. We are anticipating using the points saved from our everyday spending this past year to purchase the flights in conjunction with the Southwest Companion Pass (which allows a second guest to fly free). learn more here
In looking at the flight options, I will be able to book a round trip flight for around 25,000 points (less than a one night stay at that Vail hotel previously mentioned, mind you!), and with the second guest free, this trip has now become totally manageable and affordable!
And if I really want to up the ante — there are various all-inclusive resorts that are owned by some of those co-brands I previously mentioned. It is possible to do the entire vacation strictly with points once you have earned enough!
Learn more about how to choose a card that is right for you!