January 2020 Real World Travel, Budget, Deal, and Life Hacking
It’s a new year and we kicked it off with taking advantage of many deals and hacks to save money and improve our life this month!
This is a recurring series where we talk about our travel, budget, deal, and life hacking for the month. We share with you in hopes that you’ll find a few takeaways to implement yourself.
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As a digital nomad couple pursuing financial independence, retire early (FI/RE) we’re often asked how we keep our budget and expenses so low.
Being minimalists and frugal helps, but there’s a bit more to it than that. We’re able to get exponential savings and benefits with travel hacking, stacking deals and offers, house sitting, strategically using miles and points, and being flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities as they come up!
Quick Links
If you’re wondering how to travel internationally, or simply vacation nearby and not spend a fortune on airfare or hotels, then we’d like to welcome you to the world of ‘travel hacking’. See what credit cards we carry, and how we take full advantage of the points and miles we’ve earned.
Amazon and American Express Rewards - Airbnb and iTunes
This month we took advantage of a deal where Amazon was offering 20% off if we paid with American Express Rewards. We were sure to read the fine print and found that we only needed to use one American Express Reward point to activate the offer!
We took full advantage of the 20% off and purchased $225.00 of Airbnb gift cards (final price $180.00) and a $25.00 iTunes gift card (final price $20) with our Amex EveryDay credit card.
“We saved a total of $45 on Airbnb and $5 on iTunes, for a total $50 savings!”
Tip: Gift cards are a great way to take advantage of deals like these, especially when there’s nothing in particular you need to purchase. To make the most of your money, consider purchasing gift cards on services you already use or stores you regularly shop at. Otherwise, they make great gifts!
Cashback Portals
First, no one should ever buy anything online without checking to see if there’s a deal through a cashback portal!
Here’s why, cashback portals offer a flat dollar amount or a percentage back for online purchases (and sometimes even at brick and mortar stores!) if you click through a ‘portal’ (a link). In other words, you purchase something you were already going to buy but get paid to do so. We can’t argue with that!
To make our cashback accounts easier to manage and to have our payouts be quicker (cashback portals have minimum payout amounts) we focus on four of the top cashback portals.
Mr. Rebates - Sign up through our link and get a $5 bonus!
BeFrugal - Sign up through our link and get a $10 bonus!
Rakuten (formerly eBates)- Sign up through our link and get a $10 bonus!
TopCashback - Sign up through our link and get a $10 bonus!
TopCashback + Sale + Chase Offer - Samsung
In November (on Black Friday), we combined a sale with a Chase Offer and a TopCashback offer to get a fantastic deal on two Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 1TB SSDs.
$250 (regular price)
-$50 (sale price)
-$40 (Chase Offer - 20% back)
-$35 (TopCashback signup bonus)
-$16 (TopCashback 8% back)
_________________________
$109 Final Price
“We stacked a sale, a Chase Offer, a bonus, and TopCashback to save a total of $282 on two SSDs! That’s a 43% savings!”
The reason we bring it up again is not only because it was such a great example of stacking multiple deals, but also because we finally got our hands on those bad boys and installed them.
And for $109 each, our laptops have a noticeable boost in speed, especially in heavy I/O (input/output) applications like virtual machines. Don’t take our word for it, check out the before and after specs below!
On the left is a test showing the performance of the drive we started with (Samsung 850 evo M.2 500GB) and on the right the new Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 1TB SSD. Both tests are done running Windows 10.
Don’t miss our Ultimate Gear and Packing Lists! Whether you’re traveling long-term or going on a short vacation, we'll show you how to travel with a single carry-on. We share our packing lists (his and hers!), packing tips, and our favorite gear. Plus, we discuss what we don’t carry and why!
Be sure to use the best credit card you have for the specific category you’re spending in (travel, restaurant, office supplies, etc.) to maximize savings/points further.
In the case of Lyft, credit card transactions code as ‘travel’ so you’ll want you be sure and use the best card (highest multiplier) in that category. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), Wells Fargo Propel (3x on travel), Citi Premier (3x on travel), etc.
The exception to using the card with the best travel multiplier is when you’re trying to hit a minimum spend to get a bonus on a specific credit card.
Price shop all ride sharing services: Uber, Lyft, Juno, etc. Also, you can use the Bellhop app to compare services.
Review ride sharing reward programs to find the program that best suits your riding habits.
If possible, avoid surge pricing. Prices increase in situations where demand is especially high for rides, like rush hour or when it’s raining.
When using a ride sharing service that offers reward points or miles on other reward programs, be sure to connect the appropriate accounts. For example, Hilton, and Delta accounts should be connected to your Lyft account.
20% Back on Lyft with SoFi Money (Offer Ended)
If you don’t have a SoFi Money account, open one now!
SoFi is currently running a very lucrative referral program (use our referral link and get $25 for opening your account). Then you might also get an additional offer (we did!) for a $100 bonus for setting up two direct deposits of $500 or more. Between the two of us we’ve made nearly $1000 in bonuses and referrals!
See all of the details on how to make the most out of your SoFi accounts in our Making an Easy $300+ with SoFi Money, Invest, and Loan Referral Program | Make Up to $10,000 article!
We were shocked and excited when we realized SoFi had released a new lucrative promotion. From now until 02/18/20 use your SoFi Money account to pay for your Lyft rides and get 20% cash back!
Here’s SoFi’s Lyft Cash Back Promotion fine print to keep in mind:
20% cash back is on the quoted price only. It does not include fees, surcharges, or tips.
Offer ends 2/18/20 11:59AM EST and your ride must be completed and processed before this date and time.
You can earn a maximum of $1,000.
Cash back can take up to 14 days (however, we’ve seen it deposited into our account by the end of the day).
“We earned $76.50 with Sofi’s Lyft Cash Back promotion this month!”
New! Chase Ultimate Reward Points Bonus with Lyft
If you haven’t already received a Chase credit card, here’s one more reason to do so.
Chase and Lyft just partnered up and are offering either cash back or a point multiplier (offer varies by card brand) when you use your Chase card to pay for your Lyft rides.
We haven’t used this yet, but our Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card will earn us 5x total points on Lyft rides! On the other hand, if you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve then you can rake in 10x points and a free year of Lyft Pink!
Check out the Lyft/Chase promotion details to see what you can earn.
Freebird for Lyft and Uber
Use Freebird with Lyft or Uber and earn cash back and points with all of your rides!
Download the Freebird app (App Store or Google Play) and connect it to Lyft or Uber. For every ride you take you’ll earn points that you can redeem for rewards or cash. Take it a step further and use Freebird when going to participating business and get cash back on your ride.
Lyft - Business Rewards
For every five Lyft business rides completed (at a minimum of $10.00) a $5.00 ride credit is added to your personal account.
Shannon rides frequently with Lyft for work so she accumulates more $5.00 personal Lyft ride credits than we can use. The only downside to this reward perk is that you can’t combine credits on a ride.
“We saved $45.00 with ride credits on Lyft this month!”
Lyft - Hilton Honors Reward Points
Every dollar you spend on Lyft rides (economy, luxury, and extra seats) earn three Hilton Honors points! If you’re taking advantage of Shared Lyft rides then you’ll be earning two points per dollar spent.
We earned 672 Hilton Honors points thanks to Lyft business rides this month.
“Per our own valuation of $0.006 cents per point, we earned $4.03 in Hilton Honors points!”
Lyft - Delta SkyMiles
Link your Delta SkyMiles account to Lyft and get one mile for every dollar spent on Lyft rides. Plus, get two miles for every airport ride!
This month we earned a total of 471 Delta SkyMiles by using Lyft to get around town and go to and from the airport for business!
“Per our own valuation of $0.02 a mile, we earned $9.42 in Delta SkyMiles!”
World Elite MasterCard Credit Cards and Lyft
World Elite credit card holders receive a $10 credit after taking five Lyft rides in a calendar month. The credit is automatically applied to your next ride and is capped at one credit per month.
This month we used our $10.00 Lyft credit to get a free ride to the grocery store!
“By using our World Elite MasterCard Card to pay for five rides with Lyft, we saved $10!”
Tip: The World Elite MasterCard bonus is only triggered by taking five personal rides (not business rides) and once earned the $10.00 credit is applied to your next personal ride.
Our tool box is full of resources! From travel hacking to house sitting, digital nomad jobs to privacy and security, financially independent retire early (FI/RE) to entertainment, plus travel hacking (credit cards, miles, points, and rewards), and much much more…
Signup Bonus on IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
We met the minimum spend on our IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card at the end of last month. So, we received 125,00 IHG points for the sign bonus this month!
“We earned a total of 125,000 IHG points. Per our own valuation of $0.006 cents apiece, that’s $750.00 in IHG points!”
Signup Bonus and Referral Bonus on Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
We met the minimum spend on our (Shannon’s) Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card and received 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points.
On top of that, Sergio was recently approved for a Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card. Since he applied through Shannon’s referral link she earned an additional 20,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points.
Because the minimum spend to earn the signup bonus was $5,000, we also earned 6,947 points through everyday spend. In total we earned 106,947 Chase Ultimate Reward points!
“We earned a total of 106,947 Chase Ultimate Reward points. Per our own valuation of $0.015 cents apiece, that’s $1,604.21 in Chase Ultimate Reward points!”
Airline Tickets 2-for-1 with Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best travel hacking tools in the industry. While most airlines give you only one companion pass per year, or simply offer a discounted fare for your companion, Southwest takes it to another level.
By accumulating 125,000 Southwest miles in a year, you’ll earn a Southwest Companion Pass. Do this and your companion will fly for free (pay only the tax) for the rest of the year you earned it in and the following year!
“Time it correctly and that’s nearly two full years of two-for-one travel on Southwest!”
In July 2019 we earned over 120,000 Southwest miles when we met the spend requirements on our Southwest Premier Personal and Business credit cards. This put us over the 110,000 miles required (at the time) for the Companion Pass.
In December, we took full advantage of the Southwest Companion Pass when we purchased tickets to fly to our next house sitting job. Unfortunately, we needed to be there to begin a house sit at the end of December, which was prime holiday flight time.
Long story short, the flight would have cost us 69,196 Southwest miles, plus $11.20 in taxes and fees. However, with the Southwest Companion Pass and a bit of persistence, we got two cross country tickets for just 24,598 Southwest points and $11.20 in taxes and fees!
“We booked two Southwest tickets with the Companion Pass for $11.20 and 24,598 points. That’s a 65% savings!”
Our Southwest Flight
It was a fantastic deal, but due to variables outside of our control (and independent of the airline) we had a long day of travel.
We arrived to the airport to find that because of ice storms, the first leg of our flight had been canceled. Along with everyone else on the flight we stood in line to get on a new flight (if you don’t want to pay the difference in the cost of a new flight, a change must be done at the ticketing desk and can’t be done over the phone. … Seriously?!).
Lyft and SoFi Save the Day!
Eventually we were re-booked for a different flight, however it meant waiting in the airport for an extra five hours.
We ultimately made our flight and landed at our layover city only to find that our next flight was delayed due to mechanical issues!
With a total of seven hours of delays behind us, we found ourselves in our destination city unable to take the train to our house sitting job… because it was after operating hours and we’d missed the last train of night. Oh no!
Luckily, we had a $10.00 Lyft discount that we were able to put to good use! Plus, with 20% cashback we’d get by paying with our SoFi Money account, our $44.33 ride was reduced to $26.46!
“We paid $26.46 for a $44.33 Lyft ride with SoFi Money Cashback and a $10 discount. That’s nearly a 60% savings!”
Free Perfume from Express
Shannon holds an Express Rewards account and occasionally receives promotional rewards along with rewards earned from purchases.
This month we were able to combine two rewards and get a set of perfumes (a sample set that’s perfect for travel) for free.
“We got a $12.90 fragrance set for free at Express!”
Miles Earned by Flights - Delta
This month we also earned miles the old fashioned way, by flying with Delta.
Shannon’s flying less with her new role at work, however she completed one flight this month with Delta, earning a total of 3,220 Delta SkyMiles.
“Per our own valuation of $0.02 a mile we earned $64.40 in Delta SkyMiles!”
IHG Hotel Stays and Credit Card Spend
This summer we were approved for the IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card with not only a 125,000 point sign up bonus, automatic Platinum rewards status, but also 40x points on all purchases at IHG properties.
As you can probably guess, our hotel focus has shifted and most of our upcoming stays will be with IHG. In January we completed only one stay at a Kimpton property for four nights, but we still earned 44,674 IHG points!
“We earned a total of 44,674 IHG points. Per our own valuation of $0.006 cents apiece, that’s $268.04 in IHG points!”
Tip: Make the most of your IHG stays by paying with your IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card. You’ll get an additional multiplier on points earned and end up scoring big!
London, San Francisco, Paris, New York City, Athens and more?! Trusted Housesitters has allowed us to travel the world on a budget, but more importantly given us an opportunity to make new friends and have cute and cuddly companions along the way. Sign up and start your next great adventure!
Google Fi International Cell and Data
As smart phones have become an integral part of daily life, having a reliable plan with voice, text, and data that can take us nationwide as well as internationally at a reasonable price is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
As we travel not only around the United States, but worldwide, having a phone that’s affordable, has good coverage, is simple, and ‘just works’ is critical!
There are an incredible number of voice and data carriers and subsequent plans to choose from. We considered the major U.S. providers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) and an assortment of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), as well as purchasing a SIM upon arriving at new international destinations.
But in the end, Google Fi (formerly Google Project Fi) was hands down the best for our needs, and travel style!
“This month we spent only $42.31 on cell and data with Google Fi!”
Check out Google Project Fi | The Best International Cell Phone & Data Plan for World Travel for more information.
House Sitting - Saving on Rent, Mortgage, and Hotels
In November of 2016 we completed our first house sitting job. We loved it so much that we continued traveling (out of one 36-litter backpack each) and house sitting around Europe for the next year. In that first year, we completed 18 house sitting jobs!
After a year in Europe (3 continents, 23 countries, and 60 cities) we came back to North America and chose to keep house sitting full time.
Now, nearly three years after our first house sitting job we’re nearing our 60th house sit! As you might imagine, we’re saving a considerable amount of money by not paying rent, a mortgage, or daily hotel/Airbnb costs!
The new year is upon us and with a work promotion for Shannon, we’re now able to travel around the United States again! We made our way to a warmer location this month and had a full, month long house sit.
“We spent $0 in rent, mortgage, Airbnb, and hotel costs. That’s a month with NO lodging costs!”
Final Thoughts
Not a bad start to the year, in our humble opinions! Again, hopefully our travel, budget, deal, and life hacks this month have inspired you to implement similar savings and point and mile earnings.
