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Hi friends! Are you here to learn how to earn money for travel? Well I have great news for you – I’m here to share five ways on how we do it. This isn’t the main way we pay for travel, however, it’s helpful for extra spending money or extra activities. Also be sure to check out my Instagram stories because I share travel deals when I find them…. Now let’s dive in!

How to earn money for travel

Use credit card rewards to earn money for travel

There are several cards that either offer cash back rewards, miles, or even free travel for a companion. We utilize our cards in different ways to help offset the cost of travel. Here are a couple that we use:

Southwest Rapid Rewards

If you apply by 12/21/2021, you can earn up to 100,000 points and get to the companion pass faster. That means a companion gets to fly with you for free for a year. All you have to pay are the taxes and fees. You can change the person up to three times (make sure to check terms and conditions in case this changes). This saves us a ton on air travel.

*Bonus Tip – have your spouse get a card too, so you can both earn towards a companion pass. Depending on how many kids you have, you can have up to 2 of them fly free, or if you’re for it – a travel sitter.

Chase Freedom

There are two different Freedom cards – Unlimited and Flex. Click the link above to compare the differences and see what works for you. When you spend your first $500, you earn $200 back, and the percentage you earn on purchases are really good too.

Use cash back rebate programs to earn money for travel

There are a lot of apps that you can install on your phone or as an extension on your computer. I never remember to use apps on my phone at checkout, so I stick with the extensions on my computer.

Rakuten

Every time I shop online, the Rakuten pop up will do exactly that – pop up. It will either tell me that the store isn’t connected with Rakuten, or how much percentage I can earn back with my purchase. There’s even a feature now that will run through different discount codes at checkout to see if there are any more discounts.

*Bonus Tip – go to the website to see which stores are giving double cash back, in-store cash back, and more.

Money saving tips for travel

Earn with Drop

This one is a phone app that you use to earn towards gift cards. You link a card, then when you shop at a participating retailer on the app, you earn points. We’ve used it for coffee shops and restaurants. It’s not necessarily how we earn money for travel, but it does help offset costs. Click the link above to download the app on your phone, and use my code “bbq19” to get $5.

Memberships

If you’re a member of AAA, BJs, Costco, etc., then you need to be sure you’re utilizing their travel programs. AAA has lots of last minute deals for travels. Our friends went on a trip to Paris a few years ago for under $700 because of a deal they found through AAA. Costco Travel is what we use a lot for car rentals, and there are so many more travel deals that you can find.

Enjoy your travels

Now here’s my heart to heart. Travel is a luxury and we should all experience it. We use it to celebrate moments, escape our day-to-day life, experience new things, explore new places, and to have fun. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be a good vacation. We usually make a list of what we want to do and then organize it by what’s most important. If we plan to stay at the hotel more, then we’ll put more money towards that, and if we don’t, then the money goes towards other things. If there’s a nice restaurant we want to try, then maybe we’ll going during lunch instead of dinner, and check Groupon or other discount sites to see what deals there are. With that said, go out and enjoy your travels! Do you have any tips to earn extra money or have money saving tips?