Travel

The 8 Most Eye-Opening Money Attractions in the U.S.

Dr Penny Pincher — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:32:44 +0000

Some of my most memorable vacations have centered around money — and didn't require spending much of it at all. I had my photo taken next to a $1 million stack of bills at Binion's on a recent trip to Las Vegas. Another memorable experience was visiting the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. to see millions of dollars of being printed on the production floor.

If you get excited about money, check out these unique attractions across the U.S.

1. U.S. Mint

See the coin manufacturing process up close by taking a free tour at the Philadelphia and Denver facilities of the U.S. Mint. Learn about the process of minting coins from the design to the striking of coins. You'll be able to see how billions of coins are produced each year, and learn the history of coin-making. (See also: Where Are They Now? The Forgotten Dollar Bills (and Coins))

2. Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel

Get a free souvenir photo of yourself standing next to $1 million in cash at Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas. Stop by to have your photo taken and come back about an hour later to pick up your free printed copy. It's pretty incredible to see that much cash up close.

3. U.S. Treasury

The main building of U.S. Treasury is the third oldest building in Washington, D.C. and has been renovated to preserve its impressive Greek Revival architecture. Some historical highlights at the U.S. Treasury include the offices of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War, and the offices used by President Andrew Johnson following Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The stately marble Cash Room has been restored to appear as it was at Ulysses S. Grant's inaugural reception in 1869. You can tour all of these sites by setting up a reservation ahead of your visit.

4. Wall Street

If your travels take you to New York City, check out the attractions of Wall Street, an area of New York City that has been focused on finance for over 200 years. Highlights include:

New York Stock Exchange: On the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street
Federal Hall National Memorial: On the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street
Museum of American Finance: Located at 48 Wall Street

You can take self-guided tours on foot, or there are other tour options available for free or under $40. (See also: 6 Confidence-Inspiring Facts About the Stock Market)

5. Chicago Board of Trade

Visit the home of the trading floors of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to see traders at work in the pits as they buy and sell commodities. The Chicago Board of Trade building was once the tallest building in Chicago. Although it has been eclipsed by other taller buildings, it remains an Art Deco historic landmark with a glass observation deck with views of the skyline. Tours last an hour, and cost $20 per person.

6. Bureau of Engraving and Printing

If you want to see where money comes from, this is the stop for you! Learn about the production process for paper currency and watch millions of dollars being printed on the floor of the production facility at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. The tour includes an introductory film and stops along the steps of the production process that results in legal tender. Admission is free, but a ticket is required. (See also: 10 Must-See Museums in the U.S.)

7. New York Fed Gold Vault

Unfortunately the bullion vault at Fort Knox is closed to visitors, but there is a place you can see tons of gold — literally. The gold vault at the New York Federal Reserve Bank houses approximately 508,000 gold bars, weighing in at 6,350 tons. Tour the gold vault for free and learn about the Federal Reserve System as you tour the Federal Reserve Bank.

8. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Visit the Learning Center and Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for interactive exhibits and activities. Try your hand at bartering, see if you can correctly identify counterfeit bills, and even try making your own currency. Take a look inside the impressive building that houses the Cleveland Fed and learn how central banks operate. Admission and tours are free.

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This article is from Dr Penny Pincher of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Ways to Minimize Costs and Maximize ROI on Employee Travel

Linsey Knerl — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:00:05 +0000

Link:

http://blogs.openforum.com/2009/07/06/8-ways-to-minimize-costs-and-maximize-roi-...

Whether you have a sales force of two that only does the occasional overnight, or you maintain an army of road warriors and have your own travel coordination department, these 8 tips will help you get the most out of your company's travel budget.

1. Know your travelers' needs.

Talking to your employees about their travel needs is one of the best ways to keep costs down. This doesn't just include selecting smoking vs. non-smoking, or aisle seat vs. window, but rather asking your road warriors “what do you really need to feel comfortable traveling?” You may find that certain employees don’t care for a king-sized bed or wouldn't mind taking a red-eye flight so that they can return home to family earlier.

Prepare a simple travel questionnaire for each employee to fill out. Ask them what their preferences are by priority and have it on hand when making their travel arrangements. In addition to standard questions regarding flight seating, bed size, and rental car preferences, be sure to include detailed preferences such as dining choices, special health or disability accommodations, and even whether they like rooms on the first or fiftieth floor (some travelers feel more secure in rooms off the main level).

By giving each employee this simple “needs” analysis, you will save money on things the employee didn't care about while maximizing their comfort (and efficiency) while away from home.

2. Save your resources for when it counts.

Before a trip is ever booked, talk with your team to decide whether the trip is really necessary. Meetings that can easily take place via conference call or web interface should almost always happen in-house. Google Voice and Skype are low-cost video-conferencing options that work well.

However, if the trip has the potential to produce an on-site contract signing or another major milestone, the investment should be made. There is no substitution for the candor and connection that results from grabbing a drink or a quick bite to eat with a would-be client.

By betting on only the best opportunities, you can keep your team sleeping in their own beds more often.

3. Let the team know what's going on.

Everyone is feeling the economy, and while it may be acceptable to give a blanket “we are putting you in coach because we need to save money” excuse, providing even a bit more of an explanation can put you in the good graces of your employees.

Your team needs to be assured that their comfort and safety will always come first. For each cut in the budget you make, explain your reasoning to the team. If a switch in hotel vendors is made, give an adult explanation to why it’s being done and how the change can positively affect pay and benefits.

Putting the cuts in a “team-oriented” light will bring a sense of unity to those most affected by cuts. If the CEO is also expected to fly coach, middle-managers will be more likely to swallow it easily. Remember that these are capable adults being sent out to represent your brand and mission, not kids being shuttled off to day camp. The level of respect you provide will directly equate to higher morale, better sales, and a more loyal workforce.

4. Take advantage of corporate discounts.

If you don’t already have a group rate set up with the hotel or rental car chain that you use the most, this is the perfect opportunity to ask for a discount. Many companies offer details on their website, but a simple call to their corporate office can get you going in the right direction. Discounts can vary from getting a small percentage (5-10%) off all your bookings, to getting a free night or day rental after a certain number of purchases.

5. Utilize credit and charge card rewards.

And pass travel rewards back to employees. Have a chance to upgrade a seat from coach to business class using reward points? Do it, and get your road warrior to their destination happier. There are also cards that give you access to airline lounges or business lounges in cities around the world. These comfortable lounges offer your jet-lagged road warrior a place to work and freshen up all over the world. Plus some cards offer exclusive access to events, impossible-to-get dining reservations, and access to premium concierge service.

Use all the rewards you have to make life easier for your traveling employee (especially amidst cutbacks in other areas).

6. Plan ahead.

Cancelling a trip on last-minute’s notice is not only inconvenient, but it can also be very costly. Airline change fees start around $150, and many hotels will charge for nights canceled within 24 hours of the reservation. If you find that cancellations are eating up even a small amount of your travel budget, it may be time to revaluate the common causes for these travel snags and get them under control via the communication methods mentioned above.

7. Mind your time.

Money can be lost when travel time is not clearly specified. Will your sales team be gone three hours or six? Can they return that night or do they need to stay until the next afternoon? Small decisions can balloon into big expenses. By finding out just how much time the trip really needs to take, you can cut back on time out of the office (and money out of your pocket).

8. Hold fees accountable.

ATM and luggage fees are just two examples of charges that many employees wouldn’t think about incurring if it were on their dime. Be sure to have a clear policy for what will be reimbursed for company travel.

If you decide to exclude certain items, help your employees work around it. For example, by offering packing tips, allowing conference materials to be shipped in advance, or providing a list of locations for fee-free ATM services.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Make Flying Easy: The Ultimate Carry-On Packing List

Nora Dunn — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 10:36:03 +0000

Do you want to fit your travel packing needs into carry-on luggage, regardless of whether your trip is two weeks or two months? Everything you need is in this ultimate carry-on packing list.

These carefully selected items are the real deal, curated from 12 years of full-time travel, two of which were with carry-on luggage only. That's right; for two years, everything I owned fit into a carry-on suitcase. (See also: 5 Ways Carry-On Luggage Can Save You Time and Money)

The Packing List for Ultimate Carry-On Travel

This carry-on packing list is flexible for multiple climates and scenarios. Pick and choose what you need from each of the “Optional” categories depending on your trip.

If you're outdoorsy and headed for Nepal, bring your down jacket, scarf, hat, hiking shoes, and headlamp. If you're city-slicking through Paris in autumn, leave that stuff behind and bring your ballet flats and a sweater for cool evenings.

This list is for guys and gals. Use it as your template and customize it as needed.

Luggage and Packing

This is the most crucial part of your packing list; luggage is your home on the road, and packing tools help you stay organized and maximize space.

Rolling Luggage/Backpack – I prefer rolling luggage (like the soft-sided Pacsafe Toursafe 21) because then I use a backpack as my personal item/daypack for electronics and extras. But when I'm going super light, I use one of these one bag travel options.
Daypack – Only needed if you're not doing one bag travel
Hoboroll – Invaluable ultralight packing tool; it organizes and compresses so much stuff

Clothing

2 Pairs Pants – Lightweight, quick-dry, can be dressed up or down
1 Pair Capri Pants or Shorts – Depending on climate and personal style
2-3 Short-Sleeved Shirts
1-2 Long-Sleeved Shirts
5 Pairs Underwear – Light synthetic material for overnight drying
2 Bras (women only)
3-5 Pairs Socks – Depending on needs; bring fewer pairs for warm climates
Bathing Suit
Packable Rain Jacket – Waterproof layer that packs down small; use on its own in warm climates, and over your down jacket in cold

Optional Clothing

Down Jacket – Lightweight, packs down, for cold weather
Sweater/Cardigan – To layer in cooler climes
1 Pair Leggings/Long Underwear – For women, leggings are great lightweight pants. For both sexes, bring leggings/long underwear for cold weather layering
“Little Black Dress” - A ladies' staple for dressing up
Tank Top(s) – For hot weather, layering in cool weather, and doubling as workout gear
Workout clothes
Pajamas – Bring dedicated Pjs or wear long underwear/shirts instead (or nothing at all!)
Scarf – For warmth and/or style

Footwear

Walking Shoes – Ideally both stylish and functional
Flip Flops – Can be used as sandals, shower shoes, inside slippers, and more; lightweight and multi-purpose

Optional Footwear

Sandals – For warm climates; here's my criteria for the perfect travel sandal
Hiking Shoes – Keep it ultralight with a barefoot trail runner like Xeroshoes Mesa Trail or Vivobarefoot Primus Trail/Magna Trail
Ballet Flats – Ultralight dressier option for women. Tieks are pricey but preferred by pro travelers

Toiletries

You can buy every toiletry below in solid form from Lush. A carry-on traveler's dream!

Face Wash
Soap
Moisturizer
Shampoo
Conditioner
Hair Honey (Styling)
Toothpaste
Deodorant – Salt Crystal deodorant lasts forever and takes up no space (all natural)
Toothbrush
Razor
Nail Clippers

Optional Toiletries

Hair Ties
Menstrual Cup
Tweezers
Makeup

Medical Kit

Hedge your bets! For non-prescription meds, just take a few tablets of each.

Allergy Meds
Painkillers
Antibiotic Cream – For insect bites and cuts that aren't healing
Prescriptions – Bring the prescription label in case security asks, and extra meds in case your return is delayed

Optional Medical Supplies

Supplements – I carry multi-vitamins, probiotics, vitamin C, and oil of oregano to stay healthy and deal with illness.

Electronics

As a digital nomad, I travel with more electronics than somebody on vacation might. Remember, every electronic has cables and adaptors that take up space. Only take what you'll need.

Laptop or Tablet – Most people don't require more than a tablet for vacations
Smartphone – For accessibility/maps/staying in touch/camera; here's how to stay connected abroad

Optional Electronics

Camera – For people who prefer cameras that don't make phone calls
External Hard Drive – For laptop backups; in some places, you might not have sufficient internet for cloud storage
E-Reader – You can use your phone/tablet instead, but no paper books!

Electronics Accessories

Universal Travel Adaptor – For charging electronics in countries with different plug configurations/voltages
Laptop/Tablet Case/Sleeve – For protection and portability

Travel Extras

These items may be extra, but most of them aren't optional!

Sunglasses
Sun Hat
Passport Wallet – With RFID protection
Plastic Document Sleeves – For copies of important documents and identification
Water Bottle – I use Platypus collapsible bottle to stay ultralight
Earplugs – You never know when you'll need them
Ziploc Bags – For so many uses!

Optional Extras

Headlamp – For hiking or camping
Notebook – For lovers of journaling and sketching
Travel Towel – Small, super-absorbent, quick-dry towel for hostels, beaches, camping, etc
Warm Hat
Buff – Can be worn many ways
Resistance Bands – For exercising
SteriPEN Ultra – When the water isn't potable, SteriPEN is your friend

Carry-On Weight Restrictions

Rules for carry-on bags vary by airline and route, and some budget airlines weigh both carry-on and personal items. Read the fine print when you book your flight and pack accordingly.

A sneaky trick is to wear a jacket with many pockets and load them up with heavy stuff; anything you are wearing doesn't count toward weight limits! After checking in, you can reorganize.

More Travel Tips:

15 Airport Hacks From Professional Travelers
8 Things You Should Always Pack in Your Carry-On
How to Decide Between Checked vs. Carry-On Luggage
The Ultimate Packing List for Long-Term Travel

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This article is from Nora Dunn of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Smart Strategies to Rack Up More Credit Card Rewards

Holly Johnson — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 17:19:14 +0000

Where it can take months, or even years, to earn significant sums of rewards through regular credit card spending, credit card sign-up bonuses make it easy to earn $300 or more in cash back, or enough miles for a round-trip flight within a matter of months. All that's required to qualify is signing up for a rewards credit card and getting approved, then meeting a minimum spending requirement (usually in the $1,000 to $4,000 range) within a specific length of time (usually three months).

However, there are plenty of scenarios where earning a new credit card sign-up bonus just isn't in the cards. Maybe you're planning on buying a home in the near future and want to keep new hard inquiries off your credit report, or perhaps your credit score recently took a dip and you can't get approved for the top rewards credit cards.

Whatever the reason you can't earn a sign-up bonus right now, there are plenty of ways to rack up rewards using the cards you already have, as well as other methods.

1. Use the right card for different types of purchases

If you have a handful of rewards credit cards with different earning structures, it's crucial to make sure you're using the optimal card for each purchase you make.

Different cards might offer bonus points for certain types of purchases. One card might offer extra points on dining, while another offers bonus points for groceries. The key to maximizing rewards is ensuring you're using the card that offers the most points on everything you buy. (See also: 3 Ways Your Credit Card Rewards Can Make You Rich)

2. Find more expenses you can cover with a credit card

Make sure to go over your monthly spending and bills to ensure every purchase you can make with plastic is being paid with a credit card.

While it's easy to use credit for groceries, gas, and miscellaneous purchases you make, take a few minutes to think outside the box on the biggest expenses you have each month. Could you pay for daycare with a credit card? How about quarterly tax payments? Health insurance premiums? Your monthly utility bills?

The more expenses you can cover with a credit card each month, the more rewards you'll rack up over time. Just make sure you're not paying a fee to pay bills with a credit card. Otherwise, the rewards you earn may not be worth it.

3. Take advantage of shopping portals and dining programs

Airline shopping portals through programs like American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and Southwest Rapid Rewards let you earn additional airline miles for each dollar you spend, and all you have to do is "click through" your favorite portal before you shop. You'll usually earn an extra 1-3 miles for each dollar you spend at participating stores in these portals, but it is possible to earn an additional 10 miles or more per $1 spent in obscure specialty stores, or when stores are having bonus promotions.

Many airline loyalty programs also offer dining programs that let you earn additional rewards when you dine at participating restaurants in your area. Some even offer initial sign-up bonuses when you dine out at least three times within 30 days.

4. Use Amex Offers or Chase Offers

Both American Express and Chase have their own "offers" that let you earn additional rewards or cash back when you make a specific purchase within a predetermined length of time. You do need to log into your account and add these offers to your card before you make a purchase to qualify, and you'll have to meet all terms and conditions they stipulate as well.

Note that not all Amex Offers and Chase Offers reward you for shopping, per se. Some give you cash back when you spend a certain amount of money with a hotel chain, or when you spend a specific amount of cash on airfare with a certain airline. You might also earn rewards for buying a new mattress, hiring a dog sitter, or signing up for identity theft protection.

Also, remember that both Chase Offers and Amex Offers feature a benefit on top of the rewards you receive. You can score a discount with an offer, but you'll also earn applicable rewards for each dollar you spend with your credit card.

5. Sign up for free loyalty programs

Finally, don't forget that most loyalty programs let you join for free, and that there are plenty of ways to rack up certain types of rewards without a credit card. For example, you can join airline loyalty programs and earn airline miles each time you fly, regardless of how you pay for your airfare. The same is true with hotel programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, since you earn hotel points for each dollar you spend with these brands.

If you don't travel a lot, also keep in mind that some cash back programs are available for regular purchases you buy. The Rakuten portal, for example, lets you earn up to 40% off purchases made at participating stores like Amazon, Macy's.com, and Walmart.com.

Like other shopping portals, cash back portals also set you up to double up on rewards. You can get cash back through a portal like Rakuten or Dosh for purchases you make, but you'll also earn rewards if you use a point-earning credit card to pay.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The 6 Absolute Worst Ways to Cash In Your Travel Points

Holly Johnson — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:00:10 +0000

Travel credit cards make it easy to earn all kinds of rewards ranging from airline miles to hotel points and flexible travel credit. While the value of the points you earn will vary depending on how you redeem them, it's not unheard of to receive 2 cents per mile or point in value from airline miles or hotel points for certain, high-value redemptions.

On the flipside, you can also redeem your rewards for some pretty awful items, and even ones that let you get half a cent in value or less. That doesn't make these redemptions "wrong" per se, but it does mean you're effectively leaving money on the table when compared to other options.

If you have a travel credit card, a hotel rewards card, or a flexible travel credit card that lets you redeem points for airfare, hotels, and more, here are the redemption options you should avoid.

1. Merchandise

Many rewards currencies let you cash in your points for merchandise. With some rewards portals, for example, you can redeem points for purchases made through Amazon.com or at Apple stores.

While this isn't the worst option in the world, redeeming points for electronics, small household appliances, and other types of merchandise will typically get you one cent per point in value, and often a lot less.

Delta SkyMiles offers some of the worst merchandise redemptions you can find. For example, they want 141,880 miles for a 10.5-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi. This same model currently costs only $649 at Apple.com, so you'd be getting significantly less than half a cent per point.

While it may seem tempting to use points for merchandise (free is free, right?), if you can bank enough points for something of higher value, it’ll be worth the wait.

2. Low value transfers to airlines

Most travel rewards enthusiasts know that transferring points to airlines can help you get more bang for your buck, but you have to remember this isn't always the case. High value airline transfers can be a good deal, but not all programs are created equal.

For example, it's common to transfer your points to the card issuer's airline partners and receive at least 2 cents per point in value when you go to redeem. That's because your points will typically transfer 1:1, with the exception of certain airlines.

But some programs offer paltry transfer ratios. For example, the IHG Rewards program lets you transfer points to airline programs like Air France/Flying Blue and Alaska Airlines, but you'll only get 2,000 airline miles for every 10,000 hotel points you transfer.

Takeaway: not all points transfers are equal. Sometimes it makes sense to lose points in the transfer just to be able to use the points, but when you’re sacrificing thousands of points just for the privilege of transferring, you’re better off finding a different travel partner to use the points for.

3. Trading airline miles for hotel stays

If you have a bunch of airline miles you can't seem to use, it might be tempting to cash them in for hotel stays through the airline's portal. This isn't the end of the world, and redeeming miles for hotels is better than letting them expire. Still, you won't get very much value in return if you choose this option.

Take the American AAdvantage program, for example. You can use miles to book free hotel stays, but redemption values are not great. For random dates I chose this year, they wanted 188,500 miles for a free stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour in Miami at the same time a paid stay would set you back $1,185 per night. That means you would get a lot less than 1 cent per point in value, which is a significantly lower value than you'd receive if you cashed in your miles for flights.

Don’t be in so much of a hurry to book your entire trip on points when saving them for your next trip will give you much more value. (See also: How Travel Rewards Cards Can Help You Score Luxury Travel Perks)

4. Gift cards

Almost every rewards program lets you cash in your points or miles for gift cards, and this can be a decent value if you don't have the option to redeem for travel. However, you may receive less than one cent per mile in value if you cash in airline miles from an airline loyalty program for gift cards, and even flexible programs might only give you 1 cent in value per point with this option.

Cashing in travel rewards for gift cards should really only be your last resort if you find you absolutely cannot travel or your miles are about to expire.

5. Magazine subscriptions

Please don't ever cash in your miles for magazine subscriptions, even though several programs including Delta SkyMiles advertise this option. With Delta's "MagsforMiles" program, for example, you can get six to 228 issues of various magazines like People and The Wall Street Journal in exchange for your miles.

The value you'll get in return may not be that bad, but this is a poor way to use airline miles no matter what.

6. Using miles for cheap flights

Finally, don't forget to check the cash value of any flight you plan to book with miles before you pull the trigger on an award redemption. You should always strive to get at least one cent per point in value when you redeem airline miles for flights, and you should consider paying in cash if you aren't hitting that threshold. Some experts would even say you should push to get 1.5 cents per mile in value, or close to 2 cents per mile.

When flights are cheaper than normal, paying in cash or flexible travel credit makes more sense. (See also: 9 Hidden Expenses to Plan for When You Redeem Travel Rewards)

The bottom line

Just because you can redeem your travel rewards in a number of different ways doesn't mean you should. For the most part, you'll be a lot better off if you redeem travel rewards, airline miles, and hotel points for the redemptions they were intended for.

If you do want to redeem rewards for statement credits, gift cards, or merchandise, you should consider picking up a cash back credit card that offers these standard redemptions. Your rewards are yours and you can spend them however you want, but travel rewards are worth more when you use them for travel instead of stuff.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

All the Ways You Can Score More Points and Miles This Holiday Season

Holly Johnson — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 08:00:06 +0000

The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that Americans will spend an estimated $727.9 billion to $730.7 billion on their holiday purchases in 2019. This estimate doesn't even include extra expenditures on gas, dining, or holiday travel.

This means that, like it or not, most of us are spending a hefty sum of cash on gifts for family and friends. And many of us are paying the high costs of holiday travel on top of that, whether it's for a road trip, a flight across the world, or a holiday soirée with extended family closer to home.

If you've set money aside all year long, this may not surprise you or throw your budget far off track. However, it would be a shame not to maximize the extra purchases you'll need to make anyway — especially since you can leverage holiday bills to earn more points and miles.

Use holiday spending to earn major points

By and large, the best way to earn more cash back or travel rewards is by using a rewards credit card for everything you buy. Most of the top rewards and travel credit cards give you one to three points for each dollar you spend, making it easy to rack up more and more points when you have big upcoming expenses, like the holidays.

However, you can boost your rewards quite a bit if you leverage holiday spending to earn a sign-up bonus on a new card. Many of the top cards offer 50,000 points or more if you can spend a few thousand dollars within a few months, and holiday spending could easily help you reach the required threshold.

Also note that you could use holiday travel bills to start racking up another type of rewards if you're ready to diversify. You could sign up for an airline credit card that doles out airline miles, for example, a hotel credit card, or a card that earns flexible travel credit.

Earn more points on holiday dining

Like it or not, holiday shopping and other events can easily cause families to dine out more than normal. If you want to capitalize on your extra meals out, you can always sign up for an airline dining program like Delta SkyMiles Dining or Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining.

These airline dining programs and others let you earn miles each time you dine at a participating restaurant and pay with a credit card connected to your account. Some also offer a "sign-up bonus" of sorts. With Delta SkyMiles Dining, for example, you can currently earn 3,000 bonus miles when you spend at least $30 at three participating restaurants and complete online reviews for each within 30 days.

Use shopping portals for all your holiday shopping

If you shop online, you'll absolutely want to figure out which portals can help you earn the most points and miles — or at least the type of points and miles you want to earn. Most major airlines have their own shopping portals, but hotel brands and bank-based loyalty programs have them too.

While you can earn airline miles or hotel points through shopping portals without having a co-branded credit card in most cases, you'll need to have the right credit card to earn bank-based rewards.

Regardless, shopping portals all work in the same way. To earn bonus points, all you have to do is log into your account and "click through" the portal before you shop online with a participating store. You’ll find common big name stores such as Kohl's, Macys, Home Depot, and Best Buy. And remember, the bonus points you earn by shopping in a portal are offered on top of rewards you earn by paying with a rewards credit card.

Take advantage of category bonuses

Remember to check if any of your rewards cards offer bonus categories that might line up nicely with your holiday shopping or travel plans. Credit cards with rotating categories generally have popular stores for their 4th quarter bonus categories.

Use portals when you book holiday travel

Finally, don't forget that you can earn extra points and miles when you book and pay for holiday travel for yourself and your family. You'll just have to get creative and do some research to figure out the best way to make the most of your plans.

Let's say you want to rack up more points in the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, for example. In this case, you'll probably be delighted to know that you can earn Southwest points if you log into your account and use their portal to book rental cars, vacation packages, hotels, and more. In fact, most airline programs let you earn miles when you use them to book rental cars, hotels, and other travel accommodations, so make sure to check with your favorite program.

Keep in mind that a handful of hotel booking websites let you earn airline miles for booking hotels. PointsHound and Rocketmiles are two of the most popular, both letting you earn thousands of miles per night in programs like Etihad Guest, Air France/Flying Blue, and Southwest Rapid Rewards.

And make sure you have a rewards card that will give you extra points when you fill up your gas tank, particularly if you're planning a holiday road trip. A handful of cash back credit cards offer bonus points for gas purchases each year with no annual fee, making them a no-brainer.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How Travel Rewards Cards Can Help You Score Luxury Travel Perks

Holly Johnson — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 08:00:06 +0000

When it comes to selecting a new credit card, some people are definitely all about the rewards. Travel credit cards can be especially lucrative, since you can earn airline miles for free flights, hotel points good for free stays all over the world, and flexible travel points you can use in more than one way.

For a lot of consumers, travel rewards help them see the world. They may not be able to travel for as long, or as far away from home, without the points and miles they earn using their rewards cards for regular expenses and bills.

In that sense, some people start to think of their rewards stash as an extension of their travel budget. And that's perfectly okay. The thing is, travel rewards cards can do a lot more than make travel free; they can make it more luxurious, more comfortable, and a lot more fun. Here are a few examples.

Upgrade to business class

Most of us who work diligently to save up for a vacation would never be able to afford business class tickets, and especially not for overseas travel. Fortunately, airline and travel rewards cards make it easy to earn big sign-up bonuses and ongoing rewards that can make paying for a business class seat a reality.

While business class flights can vary depending on the airline loyalty program, you can frequently find international business class tickets to destinations throughout Europe for just over 55,000 American AAdvantage miles one-way, for example. Air France/Flying Blue often offers similar pricing, and their Promo Awards often include special international deals.

Book hotels you couldn't normally afford

Hotel points can be used for regular hotels nearly anywhere in the world, but don't forget that with enough points, you can stay in over-the-top properties you could never afford to pay for with cash.

Imagine staying in a luxury resort in the Maldives, Bora Bora, or the Seychelles, and all on points. This is absolutely possible thanks to hotel loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards from Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

I've done this before, and the one downside you'll face is higher costs for food and fun. When I used World of Hyatt points to stay at the $900+ per night Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, for example, drinks at the bar started at around $39 USD. My husband and I were too embarrassed to get up and walk out after we were already seated and perusing the menu, so we shared the cheapest drink we could buy — a glass of rosé. From that point on, we ordered drinks elsewhere. (See also: 5 Amazing Travel Destinations You Thought Were Unaffordable)

Splurge for trip excursions

Another rewards strategy to try is earning points for luxury splurges, tours, and day trips. This is something I frequently do with flexible travel credit I earn.

No matter where in the world you're traveling, you can use certain types of points to book fun stuff like snorkeling excursions, museum tours, foodie tours, and more. For an upcoming trip to Italy I have on the books, for example, I redeemed points for a cooking class in Florence, a winery tour and gourmet dinner in Tuscany, and private airport pickup in Milan. I also cashed in some rewards for a golf cart tour of ancient Rome — which is a must considering we're taking my aging parents with us, and they would not enjoy walking all over such a large, sprawling area to see the major sites.

Remember, travel rewards can be used for travel essentials like flights and hotels, but they can also be used for fun splurges you wouldn't want to pay for otherwise.

Speed through airport security

Many of the top travel rewards credit cards available today also offer a credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. Where TSA Precheck helps you speed through airport security without having to remove your shoes, belt, or laptop from your bag, Global Entry can help you re-enter the United States without having to stand in ridiculously long lines.

Both of these perks have saved me time, but especially Global Entry. Where most people wait at least 30 minutes (and sometimes hours) to re-enter the United States after traveling abroad, I rarely wait in line for more than five minutes.

Enjoy endless airport lounges

After you've skipped waiting in line thanks to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, you can head to the safe and quiet refuge of an airport lounge.

Many top travel credit cards offer airport lounge access as a cardholder perk. Some cards even let you gain entry into thousands of airport lounges around the world. All of these lounges have a selection of drinks and snacks, but some of the best have expansive buffets and free-flowing booze. It really depends on the airport.

Either way, you're better off in a lounge than you are sitting at the crowded, loud gate waiting for your flight. Since many top travel credit cards offer airport lounge access for free as a cardholder perk, you may as well take advantage while you can.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance — Even if Your Credit Card Offers It For Free

Holly Johnson — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 08:00:07 +0000

Travel is never cheap, and that's especially true if you're flying to a destination far from home. For that reason and plenty of others, savvy consumers tend to pay for travel insurance before they even head to the airport.

With a travel insurance plan, you can buy coverage that will reimburse if you if your trip is canceled or delayed for a covered reason beyond your control. You can even purchase "cancel for any reason" policies that let you back out of your trip any time you want.

Other inclusions travel insurance policies offer include medical coverage, baggage delay coverage, lost luggage insurance, travel accident insurance, and more.

Many consumers lean on the free travel insurance their credit cards provide — and that can sometimes make sense. After all, premier travel credit cards offer most of the coverage you get with a travel insurance policy for free. And if you can get insurance for free, why pay for it?

The reality is, there are a ton of reasons to buy travel insurance even if you get some coverage with a credit card. Here are a few of the most important details to consider as you plan your next trip.

Pay for sufficient medical coverage

Even though travel credit cards are pretty good about offering perks like trip cancellation/interruption insurance and baggage delay coverage, they're notoriously bad when it comes to offering medical coverage. That's a real problem if you're traveling to a destination where your own health insurance coverage won't work, such as any trip abroad.

With travel insurance, however, you can buy a policy that offers a much higher limits for medical expenses. It wouldn't take long to rack up huge medical bills if you wind up in the hospital due to illness or broken bones during your trip, but you can protect yourself with adequate travel insurance coverage that includes coverage for medical bills. (See also: How Emergency Medical Coverage Could Save Your Vacation)

You need medical evacuation coverage

In addition to medical coverage, you'll want to make sure you have adequate coverage for medical evacuation. This type of coverage will kick in if you become injured or ill and require emergency transportation to get back home. This could mean emergency evacuation in a plane or helicopter with a full medical team, so it's easy to imagine just how much you'd be stuck paying if you didn't have this type of coverage.

Most credit cards don't offer emergency evacuation coverage and ones that do may not offer high enough limits to help you sleep well at night. If you're worried about the high cost of medical evacuation if you were to become sick or injured overseas, you'll want to buy travel insurance that includes this benefit.

Credit card coverage may not even apply

Also note that some credit card insurance coverage may not even be applicable to you. Primary auto rental coverage, which is a popular credit card benefit, is a great example of coverage that doesn't always work.

Many credit card auto insurance policies only cover certain types of cars for certain amounts of time. For example, some cards only offer insurance for rental periods of 31 days or less. And some credit card auto insurance policies also limit the number of countries you can use your coverage in, meaning it may not work at all depending on where you travel to. (See also: 7 Times Travel Insurance Is Worth It)

You may want higher coverage limits

A final reason to purchase travel insurance is the fact that you get to select your coverage limits. This is unlike credit card coverage since it gives you whatever limits your credit card issuer decides.

For example, some cards offer free baggage insurance that can cover you if your baggage is lost by a common carrier. However, this benefit sometimes includes limits on the cost per person, per trip for carry-on baggage and checked bags, which may not be enough if you have brand-name luggage that would cost a lot more than that to replace.

The same is true with trip cancellation/interruption insurance, which is one of the most important valuable travel benefits you can buy. Travel credit cards that offer this perk tend to limit it to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip, which may not be enough if you splurged for a luxurious trip of a lifetime.

The bottom line

There are times when it makes a lot of sense to rely on your credit card's insurance coverage, but you have to make sure you have the coverage you need with high enough limits to count. In many cases, credit card travel insurance just isn't enough.

If you're on the fence about whether you have the coverage you need to protect yourself, you may want to buy a travel insurance policy just in case.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Stretch Your Airline Miles With Dynamic Award Pricing

Holly Johnson — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 08:00:07 +0000

The Delta SkyMiles program moved away from fixed award charts several years ago, and it appears most of the other major U.S. players are following suit. The United MileagePlus program announced it would move away from fixed awards earlier this year, for example, and so did Air France/Flying Blue in 2018. Some industry insiders are saying that the American AAdvantage program is next, although there's no formal announcement quite yet.

This isn't to say you can't get a ton of value for your miles with dynamic award pricing. You absolutely can if you're flexible with your travel dates and willing to consider different destinations. Unfortunately, the loss of fixed award charts means that, in many cases, you won't know how many miles you'll need for a specific award until you are ready to book.

This can be a big problem if you're trying to earn miles for a specific trip and can't really deviate from your plans — or if you're earning miles over an extremely long timeline. Without a fixed award chart, it's difficult to plan ahead or create a strategy to earn the miles you need.

How to beat dynamic award pricing

But what's a frequent flyer to do? Like it or not, dynamic award pricing is here to stay. All any of us can do is look for ways to get the most out of our airline miles in some way, shape, or form. And really, there are plenty of workarounds that can help you get extreme value from your miles — regardless of whether there's an award chart or not. Here are your best strategies to consider.

Earn a ton of airline miles

Whether your favorite airline offers fixed award charts or dynamic pricing, you'll always be better off if you have more miles to burn. That's why you should look for ways to earn more miles over time, via flying or through other means. Having more miles can be an insurance policy if you find that, at the last minute, a flight you wanted to book went up in miles overnight.

There are many ways to earn more airline miles, and most of them don't even require you to board an airplane. For example, you could:

Pick up an airline credit card that lets you earn miles for each dollar you spend.
Look for ways to cover more bills and regular expenses with your airline credit card.
Use airline shopping portals for all your online purchases.
Join airline dining clubs so you're rewarded with miles when you dine out at participating restaurants.

In addition to these strategies, there's one tried and true method that can easily yield a lot of airline miles in a hurry. Consider signing up for new travel credit cards with the goal of scoring a big sign-up bonus. Many co-branded cards will give you 50,000 miles and sometimes more if you can spend a few thousand dollars on your card within months of applying. Just make sure to pay your balance in full each month so you're never, ever paying interest on your purchases. (See also: How to Maximize Rewards Through Credit Card Shopping Portals)

Focus on award sales and deals

Next up, it always makes sense to look for ways to stretch your miles. Some airlines, like Southwest, have frequent and ongoing sales that can let you book flights for fewer miles than normal, for example. All you have to do is keep your eye out so you can strike while the iron is hot.

Other airlines like Delta Air Lines and Air France have their own "deals pages" that clue frequent flyers into their current list of specials. With Delta SkyMiles deals, for example, you can frequently find round-trip international flights from specific airports to faraway destinations for as little as 14,000 miles plus taxes and fees. The catch is, you have to be willing to book right away, because these deals rarely last more than a week.

Also, note that airfare "deals" are usually only from select airports and for a specific range of dates. With that in mind, you'll be in the best position to take advantage if you have some flexibility in your travel plans.

Rack up flexible travel points

Finally, there are so many reasons it can make sense to focus on flexible travel points. Not only can you book travel directly through a portal with flexible points, but these programs let you transfer points to airlines and hotels.

Having a huge stash of flexible points can help you ward off the negative effects of dynamic award pricing in a few ways. First, you can shop around among frequent flyer programs to see how many miles you'll need for the flight you want before you transfer them over. This lets you compare multiple airlines and go with the one charging the least number of miles.

Flexible currencies also let you book airfare direct with any airline, which can be a good last option if you're not finding the award availability you want. Some cards even offer a discount if you go this route.

The bottom line

Don't let dynamic award pricing ruin your travel dreams. There are plenty of ways to maximize your miles with or without an award chart, and you can always focus on earning more miles just in case.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

9 Hidden Expenses to Plan for When You Redeem Travel Rewards

Holly Johnson — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 08:00:08 +0000

Travel rewards make it possible to stretch your travel budget as far as it can go, book trips you couldn't afford otherwise, and journey further from home. It's possible to use airline miles for flights that could easily cost thousands of dollars apiece and with enough hotel points, you can book stays at luxury resorts that would typically be beyond your reach.

Like with most things, however, the devil is in the details when it comes to travel rewards. Not only are there travel-related fees you may need to pay, but there are also hidden travel expenses that can wreck your finances if you aren't aware they exist.

If you have a travel credit card or two and a big stash of points and miles, it's crucial to know about hidden taxes, fees, and expenses you'll need to plan for before any big trip. Here are the most common offenders to be aware of.

1. Government-mandated airline taxes and fees

Cashing in airline miles for a "free flight" can seem like a dream come true, but don't forget you'll have to pay government-mandated taxes and fees just like you would if you paid cash for your fare. While airline taxes only amount to $5.60 per person, per leg on domestic flights, you can easily be stuck paying a few hundred bucks or even more to redeem miles for certain international routes.

To avoid a nasty surprise, know about airline taxes and fees and price them out before you book your trip. Don't let these fees catch you by surprise, and they won't ruin your vacation.

2. Fuel surcharges

Also note that some airlines tack on huge fuel surcharges on their international award fares. British Airways is famous for doing this on their many routes, but particularly on itineraries that stop at London Heathrow. You may think you're getting ready to score a "free flight" to Europe with British Airways (or another airline that partners with British Airways), when suddenly, you're hit with hundreds of dollars in fees.

There's not much you can do about fuel surcharges, other than shopping around among different airline loyalty programs to find routes with minimal fees. However, this is also an argument for earning flexible rewards that transfer to more than one airline instead of a single airline currency.

When you have flexible rewards points you can transfer to other airlines or use to book flights with any airline through a travel portal, you can compare several routes and award fares to see how they stack up.

3. Parking fees

Even if you cash in flexible travel credit or hotel loyalty points for a free resort stay, you may be asked to pay for "extras" outside your nightly rate. One popular fee people complain about is parking, and especially compulsory valet parking fees.

If you plan to use hotel points or other travel rewards for a hotel stay and you happen to have your own car or a rental car, make sure to find out ahead of time if parking fees are assessed, and if so, how much they cost.

4. Resort fees

Hilton Honors is notorious for waiving resort fees on award stays. Plus, World of Hyatt Discoverist members (and those with higher elite status) enjoy waived resort fees on award stays.

However, not all hotel programs waive their resort fees — even for elite members. Before you book a stay with points with any resort, make sure to find out if they charge a resort fee and if you're required to pay it.

5. Checked baggage fees

Some airline credit cards offer a first checked bag free as a cardholder perk. However, you won't necessarily qualify for a free checked bag if you don't have a card that offers this benefit — even if you used miles for your flight.

If you don't have a co-branded airline credit card, in fact, it's likely you'll need to pay for any luggage you bring on your trip outside of a carry-on bag and personal item that fits under the seat in front of you. While checked bag fees vary, they will usually set you back around $35 per bag when you fly within the U.S.

6. Seat selection fees

Keep seat selection fees in mind — particularly if you want to choose your airplane seat ahead of time. Where some airlines will let you select a seat ahead of time without any charge, others — and particularly airlines based outside the United States — charge extra for seat selection up until 24 hours before your flight departs.

Also be careful if you wind up redeeming rewards for a basic economy fare. Not only will you be asked to pay extra to bring a carry-on bag on the plane with these fares, but you'll have to pay to select a seat, or accept whatever seat is given to you upon check-in.

7. Food spending

No matter where you're going or what's included, you'll probably need to spend some money on food during your trip. Even if you're visiting an all-inclusive resort you've booked with points, you'll need to eat when you're en route to your destination — and your meals may even be at the airport where food is notoriously expensive.

The bottom line: Make sure to budget for some meals and snacks during your journey, or you may regret it later.

8. Airport parking

Driving to the airport? In that case, you'll likely need to pay for airport parking on-site or somewhere in the general area. While long-term airport parking can cost as little as $7 or $8 per day at some airports, covered parking and valet parking can cost $25 per day or a whole lot more.

You can always take a taxi or call an Uber or Lyft for a ride to the airport to save on parking, but once again, there are costs involved. Have a plan to get to and from the airport so you can budget accordingly.

9. Rental car insurance

Finally, there's nothing better than renting a car with credit card rewards and enjoying the open road on somebody else's dime. However, you may be asked — or even required — to pay for pricey rental car insurance at the rental counter depending on your travel destination.

If you're visiting a country where additional insurance is optional, you can usually rely on your own auto insurance to cover you in the event of a wreck, damage, or theft. However, note that some credit cards offer primary rental car coverage for free as a cardholder perk.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The 7 Best Ways to Earn Travel Points and Miles Without a Credit Card

Holly Johnson — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 08:00:09 +0000

Points and miles make it possible to see the world at a much lower cost, but that doesn't mean everyone is in the best position to earn them. For starters, travel rewards credit cards offer the easiest way to earn rewards on your regular spending, but some of us don't have the 740+ credit scores required to get approved for them. Not only that, but consumers struggling with credit card debt may not want to run out and pick up a rewards credit card — especially since travel credit cards tend to charge high interest rates.

Now, here's the good news: You can earn travel rewards without a credit card, and some strategies are a lot easier than you think. If you want to earn rewards for travel but can't use credit right now, here are the best options to consider.

1. Join airline dining clubs

If you dine out often and want to earn airline miles, you should check out airline dining programs from Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards, American AAdvantage, and more. These dining clubs will award you airline miles simply for signing up and eating at participating restaurants. You can even earn sign-up bonuses of up to 3,000 miles for dining out at least a handful of times within the first 30 days.

Keep in mind that dining clubs are free to use, and if you're going to dine out anyway, you might as well take advantage. At the very least, check out each of the dining clubs for airlines you fly with to see if you like any of the participating restaurants in your area. (See also: Everything You Need to Know About Airline Dining Rewards Programs)

2. Shop through airline shopping portals

If you shop online frequently, like most people do, make sure you're clicking through a portal each time you make a purchase. Airlines like United, Alaska, American, and Southwest have their own shopping portals that give you bonus miles for each dollar you spend.

All you're required to do is log onto your account and "click through" to each store's website before you shop for your purchase to qualify. And you don't have to use a credit card to pay for your purchases, either. Instead, you can use other forms of payment like PayPal or debit. (See also: How to Use Airline Shopping Portals to Cash In On Rewards)

3. Join airline and hotel loyalty programs for free

Make sure you're joining airline and hotel loyalty programs for brands you frequently use. This is especially important if you're booking paid travel. By including your loyalty number on your hotel or airline reservation, you'll earn points or miles for any travel you complete.

How much can you earn with paid travel? That totally depends on the airline or hotel and their basic earning structure. As an example, Southwest Rapid Rewards currently gives you six points per $1 spent on their basic Wanna Get Away fares, but you can earn 12 miles per $1 spent on their Business Select fares. Delta SkyMiles, on the other hand, currently awards five miles per $1 spent to basic members who book Delta-marketed flights.

4. Book all your hotel stays and rental cars through a portal

Whenever you book travel, take a moment to think of the ways you could earn additional travel rewards for each dollar you spend. For example, most airlines work with hotel and rental car partners, and they will award you miles in their programs if you book your travel through their website instead of somewhere else.

Many airline loyalty programs even offer bonus rewards when you book vacation packages and cruises, so make sure to scan your options before you book any type of travel online. With American AAdvantage Cruises, for example, you can earn up to 10,000 bonus miles per cruise booking. This is a nice perk if you were going to book a cruise anyway.

5. Check out PointsHound.com and RocketMiles.com

Check out PointsHound and RocketMiles, since both will award you airline miles in specific airline loyalty programs for each qualifying hotel booking you make.

PointsHound, for example, promises up to 10,000 miles for some hotel stays and you can choose from over 300,000 hotels and resorts worldwide. You also get the option to choose from popular airlines like Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and more.

6. Take online surveys

Several airlines give their loyal customers the opportunity to earn miles for answering survey questions online. You won't earn a lot of miles with this strategy, but it's still better than nothing. And if you have some time to kill, spending a few hours answering easy survey questions can help you score a few hundred airline miles you can use later.

Here are a few of the top airline survey portals you should check out.

7. Watch for special promotions

Keep an eye out for special promotions from your favorite airline and hotel loyalty programs. From time to time, you can earn bonus points or miles for sharing a post or hashtag on social media or making a specific purchase.

The best way to find out about special promotions is signing up for emails from your favorite travel brands and following them on social media. Once you do that, you can watch out for opportunities to earn easy bonus miles that add up over time.

The bottom line

If you don't want a credit card or can't qualify for one right now, that doesn't mean you'll never be able to earn travel rewards. As highlighted above, there are quite a few ways to score points and miles if you're willing to do the legwork. But the spoils go to those who put in the effort, so start trying to earn bonus rewards today.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Why Cruises Are the Best Option for a Cheap Family Vacation

Holly Johnson — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 08:01:09 +0000

Planning a family vacation is often part fun and part stress. After all, you ultimately need to settle on a vacation idea most of your family will enjoy — without going over your predetermined budget, of course.

While camping or renting a condo at the beach can be both frugal and fun, many families look to cruising to satisfy their family's desire for adventure for a price they can afford. Not only are cruises jam-packed with activities for everyone in your crew, but they can be more affordable than you think.

Here are some of the reasons cruising is such a smart idea for families with kids — and a few ways to whittle down the cost even more. (See also: What to Expect On Your First Cruise)

1. Kids can (sometimes) cruise free

Several cruise lines, including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, offer "kids sail free" promotions that can lead to huge savings. Also, MSC Cruises — which offers insanely affordable cruises worldwide as well as Caribbean cruises out of Miami, Florida — lets kids cruise free on select itineraries (including most of their Caribbean cruises) all year.

Keep in mind that you'll still have to pay taxes and fees for kids who "cruise free," and these usually amount to a few hundred dollars. Still, not having to pay regular cruise fare for your kids can help you cut costs quite a bit. (See also: 5 Most Affordable Cruise Lines for Families)

2. Score lodging, meals, and entertainment for one low price

Cruising includes more than a regular hotel stay. Not only is your cruise lodging included, but you'll have access to around-the-clock entertainment and an endless array of food that's served.

Make sure to factor in cruise freebies as you budget for your trip. After all, not having to pay for the bulk of your family's meals can free up vacation funds to spend on other aspects of your family vacation. (See also: 6 Money-Saving Items to Bring On Your Next Cruise)

3. Free babysitting

While cruise ships offer plenty of fun for travelers of all ages, they also offer one perk parents tend to love — free babysitting. Yes, most cruise ship kid's clubs offer supervised play for kids ages four and up. The majority of kid's clubs also offer expansive playrooms, organized activities and crafts, and free time to make new friends.

Not only do kids love visiting onboard children's clubs, but parents love getting a break. Best of all, this babysitting is free during their regular opening hours.

4. You can visit multiple destinations

Name another type of vacation where you get to visit several destinations within the span of a week, without having to drive yourself to each spot. Can't come up with anything? We didn't think so.

One big benefit of cruising is the fact that you can select an itinerary that takes you to several different destinations you want to explore. Better yet, the price of getting from place-to-place is wrapped up in your cruise fare.

5. Drive to the cruise port instead of flying

Because cruise ports are scattered all around the coasts, it's possible you could drive to a cruise port and avoid the cost of airfare. You could easily save up to $400 per person (or even more) on domestic airfare this way, although you'll have to pay to park your car during your cruise if you go that route.

If you can't drive to a cruise port — or you simply don't want to — you can also consider earning airline miles to cover your family's flights. Southwest Airline's co-branded airline credit cards tend to be popular for cruisers since their loyalty program is fare-based and the airline flies to numerous cruise port destinations like New Orleans, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. (See also: 5 Affordable Caribbean Cruise Ports for Families)

6. Excursions can be cheap, or free

Many cruisers complain about the high cost of ship-based excursions, and their concerns are usually warranted. It's not unusual to see cruise ship excursions that cost well over $100 per person, and those costs can be absurd when you're planning for a family.

Fortunately, there are plenty of destinations that don't require an organized excursion at all. You can usually disembark the ship and walk around cruise port common areas for free, and you may be able to hop in a quick taxi for a day trip to a beach or a local landmark.

Don't assume you have to book your excursions through your ship. Instead, do your own research on cruise forums or TripAdvisor.com and look for ways to have a fun day on the cheap.

7. Watch out for special promotions

If you're keen to cruise with a specific cruise line, you may want to sign up for their newsletter so you can find out first about special promotions and deals. In addition to kids cruise free offers, it's common to see promotions for free drink packages, free onboard internet access, onboard credits, and other special cruise discounts.

8. Book early (or late) to save even more

Booking your cruise early is often the best way to get access to special promotions, but you also get your pick of available cruise cabins. In fact, it's often suggested to book close to one year before your departure date if you hope to get the lowest pricing and the most perks, along with the exact cabin you want.

Then again, you can also save big if you book your cruise at the last minute. For example, VacationstoGo.com offers a 90-day ticket that features unsold cruise cabins at up to 82 percent off the retail price.

9. Cover your cruise with a travel rewards credit card

Finally, don't forget how powerful a travel credit card can be when it comes to reducing your out-of-pocket cruising costs. Not only can you pick up a travel credit card that doles out rewards to cover your cruise in its entirety (or part of your cruise), but you can also use travel rewards for a rental car to get to the cruise port, airfare, and travel incidentals.

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Ask the Readers: What Are Your Best Travel Planning Tips?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 21 May 2019 08:30:10 +0000

Travel should be fun and relaxing, but the planning part isn't always so. If you've ever planned a trip or two, then you know how stressful it can be...but you probably learned a few things about how to plan your next trip!

What are your best travel planning tips? What tools do you use to help you manage the logistics? What strategies do you use to save time and money while you're traveling?

Tell us your best travel planning tips and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

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Tell us your best travel planning tips and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Maximize Rewards Through Credit Card Shopping Portals

Holly Johnson — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 08:00:12 +0000

Rewards credit cards make it easy to earn points and miles for every dollar you spend. While some cards dole out points good for statement credits or gift cards, travel credit cards offer a different promise — the prospect of seeing the world at prices you can afford.

No matter what type of rewards you're after, however, there's one thing that's certain — the more points you rack up, the more freebies you'll score.

That's why credit card shopping portals are so important. They allow you to earn more points or miles for every dollar you spend, and with almost no effort on your part. (See also: Everything You Need to Know About Airline Dining Rewards Programs)

How credit card shopping portals work

What are credit card rewards shopping portals, exactly? For the most part, they're online hubs that let you earn rewards with participating stores.

Some credit card shopping portals are part of frequent flyer programs — American AAdvantage eShopping, Delta SkyMiles Shopping, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping, for example. Others let you earn points or miles within specific credit card rewards programs.

No matter which portal you use, they work pretty much the same. Each portal requires you to log into your account any time you shop online, but earning points is as easy as "clicking through" the portal to shop at any participating store. You'll normally find popular retailers like Macy's, Home Depot, Walmart, Staples, and Best Buy.

Most stores that participate in shopping portals offer an extra one or two points or miles for each dollar you spend, and these miles will be automatically applied to your account shortly after an eligible purchase is made. (See also: How I've Scored Free Travel for 5 Years Straight)

How to earn more rewards through online shopping portals

There are additional details you should know if you hope to use shopping portals to their full potential. Here's exactly how you can get the most out of online shopping portals this year:

1. Double dip with a rewards credit card

The most important detail to keep in mind with shopping portals is that the points you earn are on top of rewards you earn with a rewards credit card. This means you can effectively "double dip," earning rewards not only through portal spending, but based on the card you pay with. Also, remember that you don't always have to pay for your purchase with a credit card that corresponds with the portal you're using.

2. Use the right rewards credit card

Of course, you should focus on using the right credit card if you hope to score more points and miles over time. Sometimes, the stars align and make it easy to earn a ton of points in a hurry.

For example, look for cards that might offer bonus categories that correspond with shopping portal purchases. If you have a cash back credit card that offers 5 percent back on up to $1,500 spent in categories that rotate each quarter, and the current bonus category is home improvement stores, it would make sense to use that credit card if you planned to click through a portal to earn bonus points at Home Depot, right?

The same is true whenever you have a credit card that offers more points for online purchases. Always assess your selection of credit cards to find the one that gives you the most points and miles for your purchase.

3. Keep your eye out for promotions

Also note that some credit card portals offer specific promotions from time to time, although this is mostly the case with airline shopping portals. United MileagePlus Shopping, American AAdvantage eShopping, and Alaska Mileage Plan Shopping frequently roll out promotions that let you earn additional points and miles if you meet a minimum spending requirement through their portals. While these deals can vary, they usually involve something like, "spend $200 in cumulative purchases through the portal and earn 500 bonus miles."

If you discover a promotion that coincides with a purchase that needs to be made, you can "triple dip" by earning regular portal rewards, promotional rewards, and points or miles with your rewards credit card.

4. Compare earnings on different portals

Before you click through an airline shopping portal, it's important to compare the various ones you use. While one might be offering one additional point for each dollar you spend, another might offer three points per $1 at the very same store.

Ideally, you use all the shopping portals that work with rewards programs you belong to. That way, you can take a few minutes to compare portal earnings before you shop.

5. Book "services" for even more rewards

Don't forget that shopping portals can work for other purchases you make online outside of regular shopping. You can also earn more points and miles booking specific services through portals, although the promotions change all the time.

Keep in mind these kind of bonus offers change frequently, so you must check in with the portals you use before you pay for any service or book anything online. You may never find bonus points for a service at a time you actually need it, but you'll never know unless you look.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Pick a Travel Insurance Policy

Holly Johnson — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 08:00:09 +0000

Travel insurance may make your vacation more expensive in the end, but it could also save you thousands of dollars. Not only can travel insurance reimburse you if your trip is interrupted or canceled for reasons outside your control, but it can cover pricey medical bills, pay for medical evacuation in the event of an emergency, replace lost luggage, and more.

But there are so many different types of travel insurance policies — and so many travel insurance providers — that finding the right policy isn't always easy. You have to choose a company you trust first and foremost, but you also need to find a policy that makes sense for your trip and your budget.

Sa El, CEO of Simply Insurance says it's important to make sure your travel insurance provider has a strong reputation, an easy claims process, and proof that they pay claims reliably.

"This might seem like the last thing you should look for," he said. "But there is nothing worse than attempting to file a claim and the insurance company is giving you the runaround."

What to look for in a policy

However, travel insurance policies aren't necessarily created equal. In addition to buying insurance from a reputable company, you need to pick a policy that includes the types of coverage you need for your specific trip. Here's what you need to know:

Make sure your policy includes trip cancellation/interruption insurance

Carol Mueller, Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, says that the most common travel insurance claim in the U.S. is trip cancellation or "reimbursement for your trip investment if you must cancel for a covered reason." This type of coverage comes into play when you have a trip booked and paid for but can't go due to health problems, civil unrest in your destination, or any other reasons your policy agrees to cover.

"It's important for travelers to purchase a policy with trip cancellation and interruption coverage if they want their trip deposits covered," she said. Without this type of coverage, you could lose any deposits you've made on your trip or any other amounts you paid upfront.

While many hotels let you cancel up to 24 hours before your stay without a penalty, remember this isn't the case with airlines at all. Plus, there may be other components of your trip paid upfront including cruises, train travel, park tickets, group tours, and more. Trip cancellation/interruption insurance can reimburse you for all qualified reasons when you are unable to travel. (See also: 7 Times Travel Insurance Is Worth It)

Pay extra for medical expense and medical evacuation coverage

Also, if traveling outside the U.S., Mueller says you should make sure your plan also includes coverage and adequate limits of emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage. "A comprehensive plan like Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection's ExactCare Extra will include those coverages and more," she said.

With this specific policy, you get up to $50,000 in qualifying medical expenses reimbursed and up to $500,000 in emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains coverage. That might sound like a lot, but imagine how much it might cost if you broke your legs while hiking in a foreign country and had to be evacuated by helicopter. Or, just think of how much it would cost to have a heart attack abroad and fly home overseas with around-the-clock medical care.

The bottom line: Paying extra for this type of coverage will be well worth it if you ever need it, and some policies include it already.

Some policies also offer fixed reimbursements

Mueller also notes that some policies have fixed benefits that pay out in a set amount any time a qualified event happens during your trip. With their ExactCare Extra plan, for example, you get a payout each time you miss a connection and get rerouted to your destination.

"While the airline is rebooking you on a later flight, ExactCare Extra automatically pays out $100 directly to you for simply enduring the glitch on your vacation," she said.

Benefits you may not need

While it's smart to pick a travel insurance policy that is as comprehensive as possible, Sa El said that you may not want to pay extra for optional benefits like Accidental Death Insurance or excessive amounts of coverage for your personal items.

"This is mainly because there are probably other policies such as your life insurance, renter's insurance, or home insurance plans that will cover you for those items," he said.

You may also want to explore any travel insurance benefits you receive from a travel credit card. Consumers with a travel card may already qualify for trip cancellation and interruption coverage, primary auto rental coverage, baggage delay insurance, trip delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance, and travel accident insurance, among other perks.

Keep in mind though that rewards credit cards offering travel insurance tend to be extremely light on medical coverage — if they offer any at all. Because medical bills can get out of control in a hurry, that can be a problem. (See also: When Is Your Credit Card's Travel Insurance Good Enough?)

The bottom line

Before you take your next trip anywhere — especially far from home — make sure you have a travel insurance policy in place. You may believe you can't afford to pay extra for this coverage, but the reality is, you may not be able to afford not to.

Losing thousands of dollars in trip deposits or flights is bad enough, but racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and emergency evacuation expenses could ruin your finances for years to come. With an affordable travel insurance policy in place, you can stop worrying about the "what ifs" and enjoy your trip.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: