|
The dinging "fasten seatbelt" sign woke me from my restful sleep.
The attendants scurried around the aisles collecting rubbish and asking passengers to put up their tray tables.
I put away my IPOD sitting in my lap and slowly slid open my window and was shocked at what I saw below.
Radiating in the light of a never-setting sun was miles of perfect, snowy wilderness. Volcanic mountains sprouted up from the landscape and between them cold rivers of dark water reflected the colors of the sun.
It was 23:00 at night, but the land below was lit beautifully in greenish other worldly tones which almost seemed ethereal. I could only try to imagine what kinds of wildlife and adventures were waiting for me below.
I was looking down at Alaska...and the best part is, I had come here for free!
No, I had not won any contests. No, I am not bribing employees from Delta. I discovered a simple trick which works all the time - I just paid my bills!
Before I started budget travel full-time, I had the typical American suburbia setup. A house with ridiculous mortgage which I always seemed to be enhancing, utility bills, 300 pointless satellite channels, etc. I even drove a petrol drinking SUV which probably melted an iceberg and killed a baby seal each time that I started it.
One day, sick of mailing checks every month, I consolidated each of my expenses onto one travel reward credit card.
I used my credit card religiously for everything - and paid the entire balance on time each month so that no bank charges were added.
Gas, restaurants, expensive pub nights, movie tickets, literally everything went onto the credit card. My monthly expenses were automatically billed to the same card, as well as my ISP, home insurance, cell phone, and all other accumulated monthly expenses.
Most people don't know just how quickly the travel reward points accumulate on some cards. Many rewards cards offer double miles for surprising purchases.
Here is my suggestion for taking advantage of the freebies:
1) Pick a card that provides maximum flexibility. AMEX and Discover both offer great rewards cards that cater to reward seekers.
2) Rewards cards that require no annual fee are clearly the best, but it may be worth the fee if you know definitely that you can earn a free flight every single year.
3) If you already maintain an existing balance with a credit card, you may transfer the balance to another card. Do your research, some credit cards charge an unfair balance transfer penalty!
On a positive note, you will probably get a lower starting APR for a while on the new card, and a lot of points from the balance transfer.
4) Always use the SAME card for everything. Never collect points in scattered places that you cannot consolidate.
5) Take advantage of automatic billing by your mobile phone companies and anyone else that provides it. Many times there are instructions on the opposite side of your bill.
6) No purchase is too small to place on your rewards card - those Starbuck's runs add up by the end of the year! Even fast food chains are now taking credit cards.
7) If you live with a very trustworthy roommate or loved one, volunteer to charge all the joint expenses on your credit card and have them make checks out to you - that way you get the credit card points.
8) Check on specials offered by the card issuer - some give double miles for booking hotels, buying groceries, etc.
9) If you do not plan to save for free travel, use your rewards points often regularly. In this poor economy with banks hurting, they are more likely to quit programs or drop rewards.
9) Last, ALWAYS pay your card statement on time. Utilizing credit is not a bad thing, and is actually great for your credit score, but if you pay interest the card companies always win.
So, the purpose of this story is - if you have to spend the money anyway (and you probably will) then you might as well get something for free when you can. Even if accumulating reward points takes 3 years, be patient, a free flight is better than no trip at all!
The author Gregory Rodgers escaped his cubicle back in 2005 and has been living from a backpack ever since! He writes about travel rewards cards on www.bestcreditcardstravel.com.
|
|
SIGN
UP FOR FREE
