Hey Reader,
I know this isn't my typical email, but I wanted to try something new and see what you think. This week there have been so many awesome deals for travel lovers coming through my inbox that I want to round them all up for you in one place - if you like this format, let me know and I'll do it again!
Flytographer
Have you ever looked back on photos from your trips and wished you had better ones? Or maybe you're going back through pics afterward and realize that you took them all and the only proof that you were even there is from awkward selfies. Check and check.
That's why I love using the Flytographer service - it's an easy, reasonably priced way to connect with a professional photographer anywhere in the world to capture your family travels. We've done family sessions in Mexico, Hawaii, NYC and Arizona plus I've done a few others on girls trips and they all turned out great. The list of destinations is huge.
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For the rest of this month, you can snag $50 off your first session with Flytographer. It's less than we would spend for a "fall mini session" in our town, but Flytographer gives you double the length and twice as many photos - plus you get to document your family's trip to an amazing location!
Insider tip: If you want to use this discount but don't know where/when yet, you can use it to buy yourself a gift card and redeem it whenever you want! I've done that before when there's a good sale.
Rakuten
Speaking of $50, would you like a free $50 check? My favorite cash back portal, Rakuten, is currently offering a $50 welcome bonus for new sign ups! Rakuten gives you a percentage back for every online transaction you make through their portal. It's completely legitimate and I've gotten back over $5000 since signing up many years ago (when it was called eBates).
Here's a simple example of how it works. Right now tour platform Viator is offering 10% back on purchases through Rakuten - the rate can vary from day to day but over the summer Viator was offering 22% and Expedia was offering 10% back. When I book this tour later today, I'll click through and get $15 back in my Rakuten account for my $150 purchase. As long as I have more than $5 in accumulated earnings, I can get a check every quarter.
To get an extra $50, all you have to do is sign up through my link and then click through to do your normal online shopping of at least $50 over the next 90 days. Then they'll add $50 to your balance, which will get paid out with your next quarterly earnings.
This is a great way to save on activities when you travel - you can keep your eyes peeled for those elevated offers and book then to maximize your cashback!
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Here's my little secret: I actually don't earn cash back from Rakuten. I've switched to earning Amex Membership Rewards points instead! If you have any credit card that earns them, you can do this as well. Since those points are often worth more than 1 cent each, I come out further ahead and can use those points to transfer to airlines or hotels.
For straight cash back, I sometimes use TopCashback instead. The rates can be a little higher than Rakuten but there's no sign up bonus for you unfortunately. Those earnings can't be turned into points, but you can usually get a 5% bonus by redeeming for a gift card.
Travelon backpack
I got this little backpack at full price right before our Italy trip and it made me feel so much more secure knowing that my belongings were protected by slash-proof panels, locking zippers and more. It's so compact that I stowed it in the front compartment of my main travel backpack for our flights! But it perfectly fit our family's daily needs without drawing attention and was very comfortable to carry.
And now it's half price. To me, this is an absolute must-have if you'll be visiting any urban areas where you're concerned about theft.
Chase credit cards
If you're new to the world of using credit card points to defray your travel costs, welcome! The best starting point for nearly everyone in the US is the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which carries a very reasonable $95 annual fee. For that price you get solid travel protections and the ability to earn incredibly valuable points that transfer to great partners like Hyatt, United, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and more.
Chase has been refreshing a lot of their credit card offers lately, and the Sapphire Preferred is a real bright spot: the annual fee has stayed the same as it's always been, but it now comes with 75,000 points to start you off (while the standard offer used to be 60,000). That's a big win!
When you transfer to partners, those points can easily snag you several nights in a nice Hyatt or a round-trip flight to Europe. There's serious value to be had.
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If you already have a Sapphire Preferred, you can juice up your earnings by pairing it with one of Chase's no annual fee credit cards. These are advertised as "cash back" but they really earn points - if you have a Sapphire, you can transfer them out to partners for extra value.
We actually put most of our family's spending on the Chase Freedom Unlimited because it earns more points on an ongoing basis. But the big news this week is that the no-fee Chase Ink Business credit cards are currently offering 90,000 points as the sign up bonus!
If you're a small business owner - whether that's selling your kids' old stuff on Marketplace, making printables for Etsy or running a blog - you need to get one of these cards right now... or both. I use the Ink Unlimited to earn 1.5 points per dollar on my health insurance and software subscriptions, while the Ink Cash earns a whopping 5x on gift cards at Staples that I can use to cover various other expenses.
AARP
Why is she listing AARP as a travel deal?
There are three things I want to share about AARP that you might now know:
- AARP isn't just for seniors - there's no minimum age to join
- AARP members get meaningful discounts at lots of hotel chains, British Airways, Expedia, Avis/Budget and more
- Right now you can join for $15 per household
Costco
If you rent cars often when you travel, don't sleep on Costco's rates - they're often better than any other public rate you can find. Costco Travel also has great rates on vacation packages to Hawaii, cruises and more. For those who haven't been a member within the last 18 months, right now you can snag a great deal on your membership.
Whew, that's all I've got for now! I hope you found some great value in this email to help you save on your next adventure. Drop me a reply to let me know what you're most excited about or if you have suggestions for the best way to do this in the future.
Safe travels,
Melissa
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