Travel hacking isn’t just about signing up for a credit card and getting a bonus; for our digital nomad family of four, it’s a continuous, strategic process of earning, managing, and redeeming points and miles. To consistently maximize our points and minimize travel costs, we put together a collection of websites, apps, and resources that we use on a monthly (sometimes daily!) basis. If you’re serious about traveling more for less, especially with a family, here’s what’s on our essentials list.
These websites/apps keep our family’s adventures going without draining our bank accounts. It’s about working smarter, not harder, to see the world with our kids.
1. For Managing Our Family’s Points & Miles: Staying Organized
With multiple credit cards, airline programs, and hotel loyalty accounts, keeping track of everything can feel like a full-time job. These tools make it manageable.
AwardWallet
Why it’s essential for us: This is the cornerstone of our family’s travel hacking operation. AwardWallet allows us to track all our loyalty program balances (airlines, hotels, credit cards) in one place. It monitors our accounts and notifies us of expiring points or upcoming devaluations, which is crucial when you have hundreds of thousands of points across different programs.
How we use it monthly: I log in regularly to check our balances, ensure points have posted correctly from our family’s spending, and keep an eye on expiration dates. It’s invaluable for planning future redemptions for four people and making sure no hard-earned points go to waste. We’ve avoided losing points countless times thanks to AwardWallet’s alerts.
- Nathan’s Insight: Before AwardWallet, I used a messy spreadsheet. It was a nightmare! Now, I can quickly see if we have enough points for that next family flight or hotel stay. It’s a huge time-saver and stress-reducer.
AwardWallet keeps our family’s points and miles organized, so we’re always ready for the next adventure.
Travel Freely
Why it’s essential for us: This app helps us manage our credit card applications, track sign-up bonus spending, and reminds us when annual fees are due. It’s particularly useful for staying organized when we’re opening multiple cards for bonuses, ensuring we meet minimum spend requirements without overspending.
How we use it monthly: I check our progress on minimum spending requirements for new cards and use its recommendations for our next card applications based on our family’s travel goals. It helps us stay within the Chase 5/24 rule and other issuer-specific restrictions.
2. For Finding Our Family’s Flight & Hotel Deals: The Hunt for Value
Finding affordable flights and accommodations for a family of four requires dedication. These are our go-to search engines.
Google Flights / Google Hotels
Why they’re essential for us: These are our primary search engines for both paid and award travel. Their intuitive interfaces, flexible date searches, and price tracking features are unmatched, especially when we’re trying to find the cheapest dates for school holidays or long-term stays.
How we use them monthly: I use Google Flights’ “Explore” map constantly to find cheap destinations when we’re flexible on where to go next. I also set up price alerts for specific routes we’re interested in, and use Google Hotels to compare cash prices for accommodations, especially when points don’t make sense.
Skyscanner / Momondo
Why they’re essential for us: These metasearch engines often find deals that Google Flights might miss, especially from smaller online travel agencies or budget airlines. They’re great for cross-referencing prices and finding those obscure routes that save us a bundle.
How we use them monthly: We use them as a secondary check after Google Flights, especially for international routes or when we’re looking for the absolute cheapest option. Sometimes, they pull up a deal that makes us rethink our entire itinerary!
Point.me / Award Logic
Why they’re essential for us: These paid tools are invaluable for finding award availability across multiple airline alliances and loyalty programs. They aggregate data from various sources, saving us hours of manual searching, which is precious time when you have two kids.
How we use them monthly: When I have a specific award redemption in mind (e.g., a business class flight to Europe for the whole family), I use these tools to quickly identify which programs have availability and how many points are required. They’re a game-changer for complex award bookings, especially when trying to find four seats together.
Seats.Aero
Why it’s essential for us: This tool specializes in finding premium cabin award availability, often highlighting last-minute deals or hard-to-find seats. While we mostly fly economy to stretch our points, a business class redemption for a long-haul flight is a dream, and Seats.Aero helps us spot those rare opportunities.
How we use it monthly: I check it periodically for aspirational redemptions or when I’m looking for a spontaneous upgrade opportunity for a long flight with the kids.
3. For Credit Card Strategy & Earning: Our Point-Earning Engines
Credit cards are the engine of travel hacking. Knowing which ones to apply for and how to use them is key.
The Points Guy (TPG) / NerdWallet / Doctor of Credit
Why they’re essential for us: These websites are my go-to sources for the latest credit card offers, travel news, and in-depth guides on maximizing points and miles. They provide objective reviews and keep me updated on changes in loyalty programs, which can impact our family’s strategy.
How we use them monthly: I read their daily newsletters and check their “best credit card offers” pages to stay informed about new sign-up bonuses and earning opportunities. Doctor of Credit is particularly good for niche deals and bank account bonuses that can quickly boost our travel fund.
Credit Karma / Experian / Credit Sesame
Why they’re essential for us: Monitoring our credit scores is crucial when engaging in travel hacking, as credit card applications impact your score. These free services provide regular updates and insights into our credit health, ensuring we maintain excellent credit while opening new cards.
How we use them monthly: I check our credit scores and reports to ensure there are no errors and to understand our credit utilization before applying for new cards. It’s about being responsible while maximizing rewards.
4. For General Travel Planning & Savings: On-the-Ground Essentials
Once we’ve booked our travel, these tools help us navigate and save money on the ground.
Google Maps
Why it’s essential for us: Beyond navigation, Google Maps is invaluable for pre-trip research. I use it to explore neighborhoods, find family-friendly restaurants, identify public transport options, and locate attractions. The kids love looking at the street view of our next destination!
How we use it monthly: I save places we want to visit on our maps, create custom itineraries, and use its offline map feature for navigating without data, which is a huge money-saver on international roaming charges.
Why it’s essential for us: For international communication, WhatsApp is king. It allows free messaging and calls over Wi-Fi, avoiding expensive roaming charges. It’s how we stay connected with family back home and communicate with local hosts or tour guides.
How we use it monthly: We use it to communicate with friends and family abroad, and often with local tour operators or accommodation hosts. It’s also great for group chats with other digital nomad families we meet.
Too Good To Go
Why it’s essential for us: This app helps reduce food waste by allowing you to buy surplus food from restaurants and bakeries at a discounted price at the end of the day. For a family of four, this can mean a cheap and delicious dinner or breakfast!
How we use it monthly: When traveling in cities where it’s available, I check it for cheap meal options, especially for dinner or breakfast. It’s a fun way to try local food at a fraction of the cost.
Finding delicious and affordable meals for our family is made easier with apps like Too Good To Go.
Conclusion: Our Family’s Passport to Endless Adventures
Building a robust travel hacking toolkit is an ongoing process, but these are the core tools that empower our digital nomad family to travel more often, in greater comfort, and for significantly less money. By staying organized with our points, diligently searching for deals, and staying informed about the latest strategies, we’re able to turn our travel dreams into reality. It’s how we’ve managed to show our kids so much of the world without sacrificing our financial goals. What’s in your travel hacking toolkit? Share your favorites in the comments below – we’re always looking for new ways to optimize our adventures!
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