I really wanna know.
Please indulge me as it’s been a while since we’ve had a good navel gaze around here. What I love most about Saverocity is the sense of community and engagement from readers. It puts networks ten times the size to shame. However, I can’t help but wonder if I’m not hearing from a bunch of you (it’s totally normal to read and not comment, after all) and if my view of the “average” reader is skewed by those who comment.
The reader who comments:
a) needs a point in a post clarified
b) is telling me I’m wrong, often in tremendous detail
c) is sharing a success/failure story using the info in the post
All three of those categories assume a pretty good base knowledge of whatever topic I’m discussing, and that’s where I’m concerned. Am I losing some of you in the weeds?
I intend The Deal Mommy to be a gateway blog: a bridge between family travel and real life. But it’s a slippery slope from the Today’s to-do series for beginners to just telling you every single first Friday of every single month that you get triple points on dining with your Chase Sapphire cards. I’m trying to gauge the balance between the need for a starting point and the endless repetition that makes you want to throw stuff at your screen.
So I ask:
Where are you on your family travel journey?
Are you gaping at the success stories unsure where to even begin or just looking for ideas for your next trip around the world?
What kind of posts would help you most along the way?
Who are you? I really do wanna know.
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Ok, I’ll start. I’m a mom with 2 small kids, a 27 month old and a 6 month old (can you see the circles under my eyes from here?). I started collecting miles and points when I went part-time after the birth of the first kid as a way to finance travel after a 25% decline in our income. I’m in my early 40’s (gasp) and live in Texas.
I know a lot about getting points and miles but I’m having a hard time finding ways for our family to use them. In the beginning I fell prey to the pumpers and app-o- rama folks who say you must apply for 6 cards at a time every few months, blah, blah, blah. Aint nobody got time for that!
I’m looking for easy vacation ideas for little kids. The thought of dealing with with 2 jet lagged babies scares the deck out of me. I also like the reader question posts you do. In fact, I like just about all your posts, even when they don’t apply to me right now, I think they’re interesting. You’re one of my favorite follows.
Hi Lindy,
Welcome and thanks for reading and taking the time to let me know a little about you. I’m hearing the “spending is harder than earning” message more and more. Definitely an area to spend some time discussing.
And I found 4 to be the age at which it all got easier. When at least one of them is out of both diapers and the stroller (and is better at listening) my stress seemed to lessen quite a bit.
Mom of 3 working full time. I have a variety of travel patterns- Alone for business, alone for pleasure (only once, but it was to Japan and was awesome), whole family and me and one child. I wish there was more time for me and my husband to travel together. I find that when we travel as a whole family our plans are directed by the lowest common denominator (ie who is tired or hungry) and the pace is much slower-sometimes to the point where its not worth it. My time is the most limiting resource so I’m fine using extra points to go where I want, when I want. Favorite points use of all time was watching my kids on Wrigley Field with SPG points. I read travel blogs for entertainment and to pick up a few tips.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for stopping by. I hear you on the slower pace: I’ve learned to adjust (after many trips) but it still drives my husband crazy. Scheduling is worth the premium around here as well.
And if a Cirque de Soleil event ever comes back on SPG, grab it! Best 15,000 points I ever spent.
I’m Rob. Recently became a dad. I’m at intermediate level in miles and points world. Have redeemed for several F/J tickets but paying 10% for infant fares is scaring me away from more travel. I don’t mind coach and I may end up flying coach rather than not travel at all. My default trips are going to be to hawaii and mexico as I’m based on west coast.
I’m realizing that hotels are not ideal with kids and trying to build up expertise in your EVR suggestion.
I think trip planning is a major effort so I do like looking at trip reports as they give quick validation of where to go and the best way of doing it. In fact it would be great if you could post about how you made some trips happen and your rationale behind using those programs.. e.g. you stayed in carlson because of business class room although you could find a hilton etc. Used one mileage program because it has more kid friendly policies for infant fare etc.
It would also be awesome if some of your readers can contribute short articles about where they decided to go and how they made it happen.
Hi Rob,
Welcome to the Dad club! You’re in good company: more and more I’m hearing from Dads. Don’t let coach scare you- the first trip is an adjustment for sure but it’s a matter of hours. Much better to spend where it counts!
Great ideas, esp. the one about the rationale thinking- I do a bit of that but definitely could keep in mind to expand the “why”.
And reader trip reports: love that! If you want to be the first, just drop me a note.
sure.. I will try to document how I went about booking 15 nights with carlson points in europe.
Haven’t booked the flights yet but I realized that award flights will be longer, require more work to find so I’ve decided to book Norwegian air with all the cash back I’ve earned from cards like capital one venture, arrival and amex sync offers.
Nice! Also good for you realizing when to say when with miles: it’s easy to become myopic and forget about good old cash.
Hello! I’m newly married (1 year!) and no plans for kids yet, so we’re trying to enjoy a kid-free travel lifestyle while we can. 🙂 However, the tips you provide are valid whether it’s 2 people or 4 people traveling together, so that’s why I come here! I’m always trying to keep up with the news in the game and looking for ideas on how to get more points. We have a few places that we like to go, so although I enjoy looking at where people are going, I have my own bucket list and am just trying to earn enough points for them. Luckily for me, some of those places are popular amongst bloggers, so I learn a lot from those who have gone before me, before planning my own trip (Australia/NZ for example, I hope to hit that in 2016…and Maldives perhaps too!). We travel for pleasure only a few times a year so it’s usually not enough to go status-chasing. I think case examples of how you maximize the earning of your points and how you maximize the usage of your points (stretching out those points for more than 1 person and getting free one-ways and stopovers!) are what help me most. 🙂
Keep up the great work and look forward to many more interesting articles! 🙂
Hi Star,
I agree, the mindset works for everyone!
My problem with bucket lists is that for every one I cross off, three go on.
Dad of 4&2yo. Expert in points. SW companion pass for Domestic and Caribbean. Alaska Gold, double Diamond in Hyatt(me&wife). Love resorts, long walks on beach, golf, suntans and cocktails. Usually do two int’l trips per year. Use Alaskapoints on Cathay or Emirates is easiest for four.
Hi Nathan,
Nice stats! Hope you pick up some info during our month in Asia. We’re coming home on Cathay- first time so looking forward to trying them out.
My daughter and I used to travel as much as we could before she passed away. I now try to take people who have never travelled (or can’t afford to travel) to different places-or help friends with emergency travel needs. I like to see the look on their faces when the see a cool city for the first time, and it helps me to honor my daughter by helping someone else. I work full time but the MS-ing feels like a part time job as well.
Hi Jamie,
What a wonderful way to honor your daughter.
It is just my husband and I and I am fairly new to points and miles. Although we don’t have kids, I appreciate a family viewpoint because we are often under the same time constraints with vacation time. My husband has 2 weeks of vacation per year so we often must use long holiday weekends to make the most of travel time. I am also a big fan of Disney so always enjoy hints of how to enjoy parks on a budget. Next adventure is to try to plan a trip to Disneyland Paris followed by a Disneycruise in the Baltic during July of 2016. Always looking for helpful hints that may work for my plans as well future destinations! Thanks for all the great info you share !
You’ve heard from me before. 51 (gasp) year old mom of 14 & 12 year old. “Retired” engineer driving kids to soccer/school/tennis/play dates & managing every crisis. We’re to the point that they are old enough to travel and I am ready to go! We could not afford to do europe or Australia without miles/points. (currently we have those trips booked) I read to get ideas of where to go, best miles/points availability for 4 people, how to complete bookings, best airline options for a destination,current deals, best points to save, best excursions to go on etc. We fly coach. I did book 1 way to Australia in business class because I had the points & found availability–it will be my husband and kids first time in anything other than coach. We have been going on several trips/year–whatever I can figure out. We usually stay at least 10 days on a trip–but move around to see things in the area. I enjoy your blog.
64 yo mom of four adults and grandma to one toddler–tappy footedly waiting for more.
I used to travel for my job, and really didn’t know that one could accrue miles easily, any other way. Unfortunately/fortunately, I got used to traveling up front, and liked it. So when our kids started scattering, the thought of trans-oceanic or transcontinental flights in coach was just…sad.
Went to Europe for the first time at 51, coach one way, biz back, and knew I needed to figure out how to travel in the front more often, on my own.
At this point, I understand searching for the best deals for reward flights, do small amounts of MS, and always use portals when available. The successes are coming. Our week in Zihuatanejo for a total outlay of $450, when all restaurants require cash. The planned trip for grandson’s 2nd birthday, upfront both directions, but DL one way and AA back. The side trip to the sea, all paid for, including rental car, with A+ miles.
Life is good, and so is your blog!
Hi MickiSue,
Yes, life is good! Thanks for letting me peek into your travel life.
Hi, I’m 25 and travel with my girlfriend as much as we can find time for. Im fairly new to the points game. I have the earning part of points down, but choosing travel locations and navigating award redemption particularly for airlines is something I’m still trying to understand the tricks for. (I’ve always been an avid southwest user so the blackout dates can be frustrating on others) While I like learning about and reading about first/business class in other blogs, I like that you focus on other types of travel (which is more realistically what I would do). I also like the other money saving tips and deals you post about.
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for chiming in. I agree redeeming can be the tricky part, esp for more than one. My personal travels are about 50-50 cash/points and I tend to use points as much for hotel as air.
Mom of 2 preteens based out of DFW.
We’ve done several international trips but our first one with points is this Spring and I know I could have done better with redemption. I am probably at level 2/3 with 5 being a Rockstar hacker. I am most interested in redeeming international travel for families.
Enjoy your blog!
Hi Sharon and Thanks! Any redemption is a success. I think I’m doing great with my 4RT 1st class Asia then I meet someone at FT4RL who got 11 seats on the same plane with miles. We’re all learning here.
I’m Gabby, married mother of 2 early elementary aged kids. I’ve only been collecting points since last June. I used to pay cash for all trips which meant only a few here and there. I’d say I’m intermediate level. I can get the points for the most part. Now I’m trying to maximize the redemption side. I’m a coach flyer and don’t “need” to fly up front. I’m cool either way.
My redemptions are mainly for international trips. I don’t mind buying a ticket with cash, still a big discount if the other 3 are on points (prefer the stopover you get with points however).
I enjoyed the Orlando RT4RL. It’s exactly what I’m here for, real life family travel.
Suggestion: Maybe you could do like a “Beginner Monday” or something and leave the rest of the posts to those you assume are at least intermediate level???
Hi Gabby, Great idea! In the meantime check out the “today’s to do” series.