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Overwhelmed? Perfect.

This page is for you. Four steps, in order, with nothing you don't need yet.

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Marissa with her husband and son, sitting on stone steps

Here's the whole idea in one sentence: use the money you're already spending to earn points, then use those points for flights and hotels.

That's it. Everything else is details.

Let's take them one at a time.

  1. Make sure this is right for youPoints only work if you pay your card in full and on time. Every month. If you're carrying a balance right now, pause here and tackle that first. The points will wait.
  2. Pick one card and earn your first welcome bonusA welcome bonus is a big chunk of points you get for opening a card and using it for your normal spending in the first few months. One card. Normal spending. That's your first trip fund. See how I'd choose.
  3. Stack your everyday shoppingOne extra click before you check out online earns even more points on things you were buying anyway. Here's my shopping portals guide.
  4. Book somethingDon't sit on your points. Pick a trip, book it, and start earning for the next one. Even a weekend away counts.

The bottom line: one card, your normal spending, one extra click when you shop online. Then go somewhere.

Got questions? Good.

Everybody does. These are the ones I hear most:

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