How a drug store pays a mortgage.

The intent today was to explain understanding an award chart, when in actuality I had been thinking of finally trying a new tool to earn points for paying a recurring large bill that would not accept payment via credit card.  For many, the end of the month signifies many recurring bills like car payments, mortgages etc., coming due.

How many points?

Many have probably dismissed the notion of this travel methodology based on the fact 270,000 points were required for my flights.  If you don’t travel regularly (I don’t either, by the way), the shear amount of points needed can revert you back to spending thousands of dollars on a ticket unnecessarily.  It is very possible, however, for an infrequent flier to accumulate 270,000 points very easily.

My $26,000 plane ticket

Seven continents in 8 years is a tall order to fill.  With North America obviously under my belt and Europe in the rear view, Asia is the next destination to cross off of the list.  By the end of July I’ll be able to do just that.  With 5 continents left to choose from, you may be wondering ‘why Asia?’ To that I reply it’s not only about having enough points to travel but also, and arguably more importantly, about stretching those points as far as they can take you.  In order to get the most out of the points you earn, you have to change the way you think about them.

What is this points travel talk?

With so many things attracting my attention it’s hard to find enough hours in the day for everything I hope to accomplish.  My latest obsession happens to be points travel.  Before I elaborate on the last statement there are certain characteristics about me which, going forward, must be understood. 

Simply put, I find ways to do what I want. I enjoy the challenge. I also tend to have lofty ambitions. (Two examples come easily to mind- riding my bicycle across Iowa (500 miles in 7 days) and a 10,000 mile 6-week cross country trip in a travel trailer with two kids… I’ll save the details on those adventures for later posts).

Recently, I publicly declared my intent to visit all seven continents within the next 8 years.  The least of my concerns is how I plan to pay for this given a) I haven’t won the lottery b) I haven’t married or divorced well and c) I am not independently wealthy. With these unfortunate realities, the answer is simple - I'll use points.   The points are collected from credit card bonuses and everyday spending which I  then turn into fabulous vacations.

 I plan to detail how I do this so that you too can see the world without draining your bank account.  Skeptical? In April 2012, I took my daughter to Paris for 9 days. We stayed at the Hyatt Vendome for the duration and upon check out our hotel bill was 12,000 Euros ($15,422 US at today’s exchange rate)!  My out of pocket expense for that bill? Exactly $0.  The only expense incurred was tax applied to our airline tickets ($105 in total). Did I mention we flew direct to Paris in Delta’s business class? Basically, I had a $20,000 vacation for $105, which translated to freed funds for me and my daughter to enjoy a fabulous time in Paris.

It’s now time for a new adventure in a new continent which will involve putting my mantra for 2013 to the test.  The continent: Asia. The mantra: Face your Fears. 

Future posts will detail my itinerary, tricks and challenges of planning such a trip. I'll be facing many fears square on.  And of course, I'll get sidetracked along the way but that's part of the fun here, one never knows where I will lead.