When people hear how much I travel, they immediately assume I am “made of money!” NOT! I’m just a regular teacher with a nice National Board stipend. And since we are empty-nesters, we do have more disposable income than when our two sons were at home. But I am a frugal traveler, and of course, I make use of miles. This past year, I have gotten more into hotel points and have seen how points can help with trip expenses to save even more money! We all know that teachers “always have the summers off” – HA! But I do have more vacation time than my engineer husband (who does NOT like to travel, by the way), and I try to take one miles/points trip each summer. So I am not rich in money, but I am very rich in experiences, like a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, early morning walk through Petra, and swimming in the Dead Sea!
One summer, my youngest son and I went to Egypt (before the revolution), Jordan, and Israel…that trip was a dream come true! I sure wish I had known about and used hotel points on that trip, but more on that later.