Hey, did you miss me?  I took a week off from my Jems to take a vacation with my family - road trip to Disney – more on this journey to come.  It was this specific trip that prompted me to blog about this next Jem.  Driving such a long distance with two kids under 5, we took several days to reach our destination.  A real bonus to this was the fact that we did not pay for one hotel stay along the way.  That’s right, not a one.  How did we do it?  It’s the point system, baby!

There are many credit cards out there today that offer great rewards for using them.  My husband and I use two specific cards that totally allow us to cash in on some huge benefits. The first one is a Starwood American Express.  The second is an Amazon Visa.  We usually float between the two cards, and use them to pay for anything we can, that we would normally pay cash or write checks for, then pay off the balance at the end of each month.  The points we rack up allow us to cash in for hotel stays, as well as fun “toys” for the family.  Hey, we scored a Wii Fit from our Amazon card, back in December, for FREE.  Another way to earn valuable points is to take advantage of any business related travel, if you or your spouse has any.  My husband travels a lot for his job, so he always makes sure, when possible, he stays at the same hotel chain.  Each stay earns points, which he pays for via credit card, earning him additional points, before his company reimburses him.  It’s double the points, and costs nothing!  A win – win situation, and you’d really be surprised how fast those points add up.

There are many reward programs out there, the key is to just find a card that works for you.  There are many without annual fees as well, so it costs nothing to use, and you can reap many benefits just by using it for things you would already buy, anyway.  It’s worth the time it takes to research, to find the right one for you.  Work the point system, and then take a trip and enjoy!

Stay tuned for more details and tips from our East Coast Road trip, and exactly how I survived (barely) the 12 day adventure!