Point Me to Vacay: Travel Tales & Tips

🗽🍎 Big Apple, Small Budget: How We Did NYC Without Breaking the Bank  In this episode, we’re breaking down our New York City trip and exactly how we travel hacked it —from affordable flights to where we stayed, ate, and explored in the Big Apple 🗽✈️ If NYC feels overwhelming or expensive, this episode proves it doesn’t have to be . ✈️ Flights Flew Southwest Airlines Paid cash (sometimes cheap c...

Raising Little Travelers: Greer Talks Travel  In today’s BONUS episode, I’m joined by one of my favorite travel buddies — my son, Greer! 🧳✈️ I sit down with Greer to hear what travel looks like through his eyes. From his favorite places we’ve been, to where he wants to go in the future, this episode is a sweet reminder of why we prioritize traveling together and making memories along the way. We...

Oahu, Hawaii First-Timers: The Stay, the Food & Oahu Highlights — All Thanks to Points Oahu has been on our bucket list forever, and we finally made it happen — using points 🙌 In this episode, we’re sharing a full, honest review of our first trip to Oahu, Hawaii , including where we stayed, what we ate, and the activities that were actually worth it . If you’re planning your first trip to Oah...

Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Minimum Spends Explained (And How We Hit Ours) Credit card minimum spends don’t have to be overwhelming—and they definitely don’t mean spending money you don’t have. In this mini episode of Point Me to Vacay , I break down exactly what a credit card minimum spend is, why it matters, and how everyday expenses can help you unlock massive travel rewards. ☕ Real-Life Trav...

💳 What’s In Our Wallets: The Credit Cards We Actually Use Daily (and Why) Ever wonder what credit cards we actually use every day? In this episode, we’re opening our wallets and breaking down the exact cards we use for everyday spending—and why. We’re sharing: Which cards earn us the most value on daily purchases How we keep things simple (even with multiple cards) Which card we use when buying g...

Point Me to Vacay = Christmas Edition 🎄🎅 It’s almost Christmas — and if you’re a mom feeling the end-of-year chaos (like me), this episode is your permission to pause for a few minutes and dream. In this Christmas Edition episode, I’m counting down my top five places I’d spend Christmas , from bucket-list destinations to the place that will always win no matter what. We’re talking Christmas mark...

 NFR Las Vegas Trip Recap: Rio Hotel Review, Points Travel & the Chaos We Didn't Expect 🎰  Vegas always delivers… just not always how you expect. 😅  In this episode, we’re recapping our latest Las Vegas trip for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) —from staying at the Rio on points , to navigating crowds, chaos, and a little unexpected drama along the way.  We’re sharing the real behind-the...

This week’s episode is a little different than usual — we just got back from Vegas and Tom had to head straight back to work on the railroad, so our full Vegas + NFR + Cowboy Christmas breakdown is coming next week . For today, we’re sharing a quick mini episode focused on exactly how to travel hack Vegas — because this is one of the easiest cities in the U.S. to book using points and miles. In th...

  Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Our 2026 Travel Plans & Card Strategy   In this mini episode, I’m spilling all the travel tea on what our 2026 calendar actually looks like —from a bucket-list Hawaii trip with our kids, to a big multigenerational Outer Banks vacation, a moms-only Disneyland week, and Tom’s 40th birthday trip at the end of the year.  But the real behind-the-scenes magic? Planning...

✨ Viva Las Vegas: Rodeo Nights, Neon Lights… and a Haunted Surprise? 🎰👻 We’re taking you behind the scenes of our adult-only Vegas trips — from the glitz of neon lights to rodeo thrills, and yes… a spooky hotel experience we won’t forget. 💥 Spoiler: Vegas isn’t just slots and shows — there’s a little haunted chaos in the mix. 🎯 What We Cover The best (and worst) restaurants we tried — where t...

✨ Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns — Points VS Cash 💳 Ever wonder how much our “free” family trips actually cost ? In this mini episode, it just me, Katie, flying solo spilling the travel tea on two of our real vacations — the full cash price vs. what we paid using points — and how we saved thousands along the way. Spoiler: this is why we’ll never go back to paying full pri...

🎙️ Black Hills Bound:  Buffaloes to Brothel Tours Two trips. Same destination. Totally different vibes. In this episode, we’re heading to the Black Hills of South Dakota — but not just once! We’re comparing our two very different adventures: 🐃 A small, laid-back family getaway complete with a water park, some car trouble, and great family time around Rapid City. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And a big, multigenera...

  ✨ Bonus Episode: Breaking Down Business Credit Cards 💳   Think business credit cards are only for corporations? Nope. In this mini episode, I'll break down who actually qualifies (hint: probably you), how to apply without an LLC, and which beginner business cards can unlock huge points and miles. 🎯 What I Cover   Do you really need an LLC? What qualifies as a “business” What to enter on...

🎙️ Tacky or Hacky? The Travel Hack Debate Is that “travel hack” actually genius… or just plain tacky? 🤔 In this episode, we’re putting some travel hacks to the test! From money-saving tricks to questionable etiquette moves — we’re deciding once and for all what’s hacky (smart!) and what’s just tacky (please don’t). ✈️ What you’ll hear: The travel hacks we actually use and swear by The ones that m...

🌍 ✈️ Welcome to another Point Me to Vacay mini episode of Katie Spills the Travel Tea! These short bonus episodes are just me, Katie, giving you the inside scoop on points, miles, and travel hacks. Today we’re taking it back to the very beginning of your travel journey: figuring out your vacation style and using it to plan smarter. Because before you start opening credit cards or chasing points,...

🎙️ The Happiest Place on Earth… With Points Pack your Mickey ears, because we’re talking Disneyland! 🏰✨ In this episode, we talk about using points and miles to make a Disneyland trip way more affordable (because those churros aren’t cheap, y’all). We’ll share: 🎢 Our favorite (and not-so-favorite) Disney rides ✈️ How points and miles can cover flights + hotels near the park 😂 The real-life cha...

✈️ Welcome back to another Point Me to Vacay mini episode of Katie Spills the Travel Tea! These short bonus episodes are just me, Katie, giving you the inside scoop on points, miles, and travel hacks. Today’s tea? ☕️ The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most valuable perks in all of travel. If you’ve ever dreamed of flying 2-for-1 almost anywhere Southwest goes, this is the golden ticket. I...

🎙️ Points and Miles 101: Quiz Time with Tom I am putting Tom in the hot seat for a crash course in points and miles lingo 🔥✈️ Will he crush it or completely flop? (Spoiler: there are some hilarious guesses along the way.) In this episode, you’ll hear:  🎓 The basics of points and miles explained without the boring jargon  😂 Tom’s unfiltered answers to my quiz questions  💡 Tips for beginners who...

Welcome to our very first Point Me to Vacay mini episode— Katie Spills the Travel Tea ! These short bonus episodes are just me, Katie, giving you the inside scoop on points, miles, and travel hacks. Today we’re diving into one of the most important rules in the world of travel credit cards: the 5/24 rule . If you’ve ever wondered why people talk about this rule like it’s the golden ticket—or the g...

🎙️ Episode 1 – Welcome to Point Me to Vacay! We’re Tom and Katie—a regular small-town couple who figured out how to turn credit card points and airline miles into almost-free family vacations. No, we’re not travel experts or Instagram influencers—we’re just two parents who were tired of saving vacation for “someday.” In our very first episode, we’re sharing how we got started in the world of point...

🎙️ Point Me to Vacay – Teaser Trailer   Hey travel friends 👋 We’re Katie & Tom, and welcome to Point Me to Vacay ! Think of us as your travel buddies who don’t have it all figured out… but have just enough points, miles, and funny stories to keep things interesting.  In this teaser, you’ll hear a little taste of what’s coming:  ✈️ Travel tips that don’t sound like a math class  😂 Stories of...