[MM]: What Could 100,000 Points Get You? Let’s Find Out!

Hello Reader,​
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Heya Fit Travel Tribe!

Okay, let's do a deep dive on SAVING MONEY for your next adventure. Let's talk about wallet wellness 🤑

I'm still riding a high from a recent booking where I only spent $5.60 flying from the US to Europe!! 🤩🤩
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Here's what we'll cover today:

1. Real life specific example - how I flew from the Chicago to Vietnam for $15 (and my most recent booking!!)
2. THE BEST credit card deal on the table right now - you can get 100,000 points still (but not for long!)
3. Lounge access - NO, it's not just for folks in business class; it'll save you money and make your long travel days luxurious (more at the bottom)
4. Overwhelmed? Where do you even start with all of this information? 👉 START HERE!!!​

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Okay, my friends...

Using credit cards is a FANTASTIC option especially if you want to travel during specific dates or even peak summer season (see below the article on over-tourism)

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Let's whet the appetite....

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​Click HERE to watch the Insta reel 📷​ ​ ​ How did I do that? I used credit card points. ​ ​In it's simplicity: I signed up for a "travel" credit card (that earns me points/miles, rather than cash back) I paid my balance in full and I did not spend extra money (all of my expenses went on the new credit card) I met the minimum for the sign up bonus (Ex: spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and you get 75,000 points) So I earned 75,000 points PLUS all the points for each swipe of the card to EARN that sign up bonus ​ Note: The sign up bonus amount varies. Sometimes the credit card says they'll give you 50,000. Sometimes they elevate it to 75,000 points or even more!! (SEE BELOW for the deal NOW on 100,000 points!) ​ I even wrote a Beginners Guide to Credit Card Hacking​

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So, what does 75,000 + points even get you???

Exhibit A: My flight from Chicago to Vietnam was 37,500 points + $15 (the cash = taxes for the flight)
​✈✈ This saved me $685

Exhibit B: My upcoming flight end of June from JFK to Barcelona was 27,000 points + $5.60 (and that's starting PEAK time to fly to Europe).

✈✈ This saved me $584

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And these are just examples for flights. ✈​
You can also spend your points on hotel bookings and car rentals. 🏨🚗

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So my question for you, then...

🌟WOULD YOU LIKE 100,000 POINTS?!🌟

You should absolutely sign up now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card because it is never this high (FYI: I preemptively started writing this newsletter last week saying "sorry folks, I guess the deal is over"). It is INSANE that they still have it.

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Literally. Do. This. NOW.

👉Even if you don't fully "get" the points system yet.

👉Even if you do not have a trip planned out.

👉Even if you do not travel very often.

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Check out this beginner's guide, but also, message me and I WILL HELP YOU (pleaseeee let me help you because this is amazing)

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Hello from the beautiful Sofia where my favorite temperature is now (and I'm not keen on it getting hotter peak summer),

We're celebrating a LONG holiday weekend (Thursday and Tuesday are holidays, so just lump in Friday and Monday too for 6 FULL DAYS OFF!)

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Today, I woke up early and hiked the nearby Vitosha mountain. It's a fantastic day hike right from the city! It's amazing to have the thrill of a day trip, with the accomplishment of a mountain peak, and being able to soak in the fresh air of the forests all so accessible.

❄ It's early May so there's still a bit of snow on top of the mountain ❄

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The bear is the symbol of the Black Peak of Vitosha ("Cherni Vrah" = "Black Peak" in Bulgarian)

It's so peaceful walking in the forest.

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I can't believe I have only 3 weekends left in Sofia....before I leave...AGAIN!!!

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What's really exciting is, I hope this is for the last time I'm away for a longer period of time (since I'm closing in on visa paperwork).

I'll be in the States/Americas for about one month. And I have multiple events to which I'm looking forward:

1. Wedding in Chicago! 💍
2. Then about 10 days....somewhere warm...perhaps Mexico...🏝
3. Home in Jersey to see family for about a week 🏡
4. Finally, I head to Connecticut for my adult travel summer camp with my Location Indie family (yeah, it sounds as unique and cool as it actually is) 😜

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Next time you hear from me, I will have just finished another big fitness event, here in Sofia! Stay tuned! 🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️

I revamped and reorganized my website a bit, including a NEW MENU on the top!

I adjusted my page on specific DESTINATIONS for certain physical feats around the globe, I'm trying to expand it to offer additional, supportive posts for those locations.

I wanted to give each country it's own page to help people find what else to do in that area.

It's going to take time to build out multiple posts for each country (sometimes I'm taking former posts that are too long and breaking them up into more digestible pieces). Super excited for the new design!

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For example, my overnight Acatenango volcano hike was super long, and I separated the content.

Now, there's a post on logistics as an overall guide PLUS a NEW separate post with my own personal review!

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For Norway, I've been spending a little more time building out supplemental posts...including one all about just getting to the Tromso airport and navigating transportation to get to the downtown in the city center.

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I already mentioned my Beginner's Guide to Credit Card Hacking.
It was under my Travel Resources page, but I wanted to pull it out to feature it more easily.

Don't forget to check out my Beginner's Guide to Credit Card Hacking! Click Here

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What's also super exciting is that - I'm on the FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE!!!

I'm still learning about blogging. I noticed my Stay Fit Hanoi blog post was doing well because I mentioned a certain budget gym. So, I just wrote a whole blog post featuring that gym in Hanoi. My other post on ways to stay fit in Hanoi is also seemingly at the bottom of the first page (or just onto the second, which is also cool).

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Whether you're headed to Hanoi, Vietnam or you just want to check out my Google-ranking post...

Let's talk about TOURIST TAXES (which is such a buzzkill from saving money with points).

But, here's why you need to pay attention: My jaw DROPPED when I saw some of the $$ PER NIGHT added in some locations (granted, this is often correlated with peak season)

I'm sure the costs might get embedded into the itemized receipt and we might get desensitized. However, if you look at the numbers, and it makes your eyes bulge, then consider going outside peak times.

Why are tourist taxes getting so "trendy?"

Well, a lot of it comes from encouraging travelers to not overrun the cities that are homes to the locals. Barcelona and Lisbon have thrown major shade (and tangible objects) at tourists.

Also, I'm sure some countries are just hopping on the bandwagon to make a buck.

Do your research, plan for shoulder season, or just consider some other less touristy spots. There are too many to count!

One quick highlight about food and budget:

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I was definitely curious about this video and it was definitely impressive to see this individual take $12 of groceries and use it for a full week of meals - all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (for one person).

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Whether people are looking to stick to a budget (traveling or not), or if you want to perhaps use this mindset to cut out certain foods that are less healthy, there are valuable insights here.

Tired of the Camino Crowds? Meet Europe’s NEW Under-the-radar-routes
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If your idea of bliss is trail mix, not tour buses, you’ll want to know about the latest long-distance hikes popping up in Italy and Portugal.

Ditch the overdone routes (looking at you, Camino de Santiago) and make room for trails that feel more like hidden gems than human highways.

These new paths don’t just promise postcard views—they lead you through cliff-hugging coastlines, sleepy fishing villages, and ancient trade routes that haven’t been selfie-stamped to death.

There are THREE new paths featuring a 105-mile journey through the Italian Dolomites and the world's longest circular route in Portugal:

1. Cammino Retico (Italy)
2. Sentiero dell’Arte e dell’Anima (Italy)
3. Palmilhar (Portugal)

Whether you're craving solitude, scenery, or just a fresh way to move through the world, these lesser-known treks offer the magic of discovery without the crowds or clichés.

I'll keep this whole newsletter themed on credit card points, even if you've heard me mention it before. (It takes a few glimmers before it starts to sink in).

Let's talk LOUNGE ACCESS with my favorite Credit Card: Capital One Venture X​

• As a regular airport-visitor, many lounges allow you to pay cash to visit. It's expensive though typically ranging between $30 to $75 USD, depending on the airport, the lounge, and its amenities.
• If you're loyal to an airline, you might get lounge access as a perk (I think of business class folks flying all the time for business)
• However, there are some credit cards that give you lounge access. This might be if you have an airline-specific credit card (American Airlines has specific credit cards and specific lounges), but there are also some credit cards that give you a wider range of access.
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➡➡ Enter in the Capital One Venture X card.

One of your perks with having this card is it gives you Priority Pass. This is a network of 1,700+ lounges and you have unlimited visits.

Note: You can also buy your membership Priority Pass separately, but with limited visits and guests cost extra.

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OVERALL: Why is my Venture X my favorite? Lounge access - free food and drinks! And 2 guests can visit with you for FREE. (Plus your authorized card holders get the same lounge +2 guests benefit) Price match - if I see a cheaper flight, they give me the difference back (!) Price check - they watch the booking I made and if it drops within 10 days, I get money back I get 2x points back on everything. Every $1 spent is 2 points This is perfect for international groceries since I live in Bulgaria (majority of credit cards are 1x per dollar because domestic grocery shopping is different in the fine print). Their customer service is AMAZING. Ask me how I've literally made money by calling them. It's insane. ​ ​ ​ NOTE: If you're excited about this possibility and notice the annual fee is $395, here's the breakdown: You get a $300 travel credit (so you're setting aside your own $300 for travel in the upcoming year) So it's then costing you $95 a year to have the card. And if you use the lounges, it well pays for itself. For many of my flights, if I have a layover, I'm in 2 lounges (like for my Vietnam flight). If you compare this to buying Priority Pass separately from the card, this is a great deal! ⬆ This deterred me for awhile, but then I realized how economically this made sense. I wish I got this card sooner.

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Always on my mind: More money for more travel! It's often worth a little homework for those savings 💸

“ Do it broke. Do it scared. Do it insecure. Do it ignorant. Do it without support. Do it alone. ​ Just get started. ​ ​Stop waiting on "the right time." Stop waiting for more funds. Stop waiting for someone to validate you. ​ Validate yourself. You're the most profitable tool you have. ​​ ​​ ​ — unkonwn

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Happy travels and healthy living,

Heidi​
​Heidirunsabroad.com​

Note: Some images and GIFs sourced from Unsplash and Giphy.