Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns Points VS Cash Artwork

Point Me to Vacay: Travel Tales & Tips

A travel podcast meets funny laid-back chat! Tom and Katie aren’t travel experts or influencers, just real people sharing hacks, tips, and stories from trips big and small to help you turn points and miles into your next unforgettable vacay!

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Point Me to Vacay: Travel Tales & Tips

Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns Points VS Cash

November 18, 2025 • Katie: Travel Tea Spiller

✨ Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Real Trip Cost Breakdowns — Points VS Cash 💳

Ever wonder how much our “free” family trips actually cost? In this mini episode, it just me, Katie, flying solo spilling the travel tea on two of our real vacations — the full cash price vs. what we paid using points — and how we saved thousands along the way.

Spoiler: this is why we’ll never go back to paying full price for travel again.

🎯 What I Cover

Two of real family trips: full cash vs. points cost breakdowns
How we earned those points from everyday spending
What transferable points actually are (and why they matter)
Our favorite beginner-friendly cards for families
How you can start saving thousands on your next trip

🧾 Real Trip Breakdown

Trip #1: Disneyland

Cash price: $ 3,800
Points price: 122,000 points + $56 taxes + $1050 park tickets
Savings: $2,694 🎉

Trip #2: Hawaii

Cash price: $6,494.20
Points price: 325,000 points + 1 Hyatt FNC + $56 taxes
Savings: $6,438.20🙌

TOTAL SAVINGS FOR BOTH TRIPS: $9,132.20 🤯🥳🙌🎉

These are real numbers from our family trips — not theoretical math!

💡 Takeaway

You don’t need to be rich or fly business class to make points work for your family.
You just need the right cards and a strategy that fits your everyday spending.

💳 Our Favorite Beginner Cards

These are the exact cards we started with — and the ones we still use today 👇

👉 Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Great all-around beginner card with flexible transferable points
Apply here: Referral Link

👉 Amex Gold® Card
Perfect for families — big bonuses on groceries & dining
Apply here: Referral Link

🗒️ FTC Disclosure

Some links in these show notes are referral or affiliate links. We may earn a bonus, commission, or points when you use them — at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we personally use and love.

🗣️ Homework

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