How a Little Planning Can Take You Around the World

Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo taken in Siem Reap, Cambodia (2016)

I’m back with the second installment of Travel Tuesdays!  As I mentioned last week, I’m so excited to start sharing travel tips and stories with you guys on Tuesdays and have officially dubbed these posts as Travel Tuesdays (clever, I know).

Over the next few weeks (and hopefully longer if y’all are enjoying the posts), I’ll be sharing tips and tricks that I (and Michael!) have been using over the past year and a half to be able to travel a TON more than we ever thought possible.

I get asked All. The. Time. “How do you guys afford to travel so much?!”  I can answer that question with one word – POINTS.

I know what you’re thinking (because it’s what I used to think too), you don’t fly enough or stay in hotels enough to ever accumulate enough points to go anywhere, much less Southeast Asia like you did, Ashlee!  😉

Well I’m here to tell you that it IS POSSIBLE!

It takes planning, organization, and research, but that’s what I’m here for!  Just to give you an idea of how you really can make it happen, here are a few stats for you:

From September 2015 – present, Michael and I have used points to book the following flights FOR FREE!

  • 2 tickets roundtrip DC/Chicago
  • 2 tickets roundtrip DC/San Francisco
  • 2 tickets roundtrip NYC/Southeast Asia (Bangkok on the way there, Singapore on the way back)
  • 1 ticket roundtrip DC/Dallas
  • 2 tickets roundtrip DC/Seattle (booked, traveling this fall!)
  • Currently working on booking 2 tickets roundtrip DC/London for 2017

AND we’ve used our Southwest Companion Pass (where one of us flies for free) for roundtrip tickets to:

  • Rosemary Beach, FL (Panama City)
  • Mobile, AL (Pensacola)
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Destin, FL (Pensacola, booked, traveling later this week!)
  • Portland, ME (booked, traveling this summer!)
  • New Orleans, LA (traveling this fall!)
  • Dallas, TX (traveling this fall!)
  • Boston, MA (traveling this fall!)

Want to know the crazy part?!  We JUST started saving up points in January 2015!

I plan on sharing ALL of the knowledge we’ve gained in just a year and a half, and I really hope to help you have that “ah ha” moment where you realize that you CAN travel without being rich!

Next week’s post will be more substantive, but I wanted to give you a quick overview (maybe up my street cred 😉 !?)  so you’d know that I’ve made it work for myself, and I know I can help you do the same!

*A little planning can take you around the world!*

Next Week: An Intro to Accumulating Frequent Flyer Miles, Without Flying!

ICYMI: 10 Tips for Traveling with Only a Carry On Bag

 

2 Comments

  1. Ashley, I’m living vicariously through this photo. Southwest really? I may to check them out! All your travels sounds so exciting and all in the past year, wow. It looks like you and Michael have plenty more fun trips ahead of you. Can’t wait to see the next Travel Tuesday post.
    XO,
    Maria
    MariaOnPoint http://mariaonpoint.com/ | Find me on IG https://www.instagram.com/mariajabad/

    Posted 6.21.16
    • Ashlee wrote:

      Hi Maria! I LOVE Southwest and always try to fly with them if they fly into a nearby airport. Their customer service is outstanding and the points accumulate pretty quickly. Also, no change fees and you can use your points to book any time (no black out dates!).

      Thanks so much for reading!

      All the best,
      Ashlee

      Posted 6.22.16

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