How Our Family Earns Over 1 Million Travel Rewards Points Each Year
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Last Updated: July 2026
📍 In This Guide
One of the questions we get asked most often is:
"How do you earn so many points?"
People usually assume it's because we travel constantly for work, own a business with huge expenses, or spend far more money than the average family.
None of those things are true.
We're a normal middle-class family with normal bills.
The biggest thing that changed wasn't our income.
It was learning how to make the money we were already spending work harder for us.
Today, our family earns more than one million travel rewards points each year.
That didn't happen overnight.
It took years of learning, making mistakes, and refining a system that works for our family.
If we had to explain that system as simply as possible, it would look like this.
Our 6-Step System
Here's the process we follow over and over again.
Decide where we want to travel.
Think about which rewards could help us get there.
Only consider opening a new travel rewards card when we can comfortably meet the spending requirement with purchases we were already planning to make.
Put most of our everyday spending on that card until we've met the requirement.
Repeat the process over time instead of trying to maximize every purchase.
Save our points until we're ready to book a trip.
It sounds simple because it is.
The consistency—not one perfect decision—is what has made the biggest difference for our family.
Step 1: We Start With the Trip
One of the biggest mindset shifts we made was starting with our travel goals instead of starting with a credit card.
Instead of asking:
"What's the best travel rewards card?"
We ask:
"Where do we want to go next?"
Knowing where we'd like to travel helps us think more intentionally about the types of rewards that may be useful for that trip.
Over time, we've found that having a destination in mind helps us avoid collecting points we'll never use.
Step 2: We Only Consider a New Card When We Can Meet the Spending Requirement
This is probably the biggest reason our strategy has worked.
We never open a travel rewards card simply because it's popular.
Instead, we look at our upcoming expenses.
If we know our normal monthly spending can comfortably meet the spending requirement, we may decide it's a good time to add another card to our long-term strategy.
If not...
We wait.
We've found that patience works much better than trying to force spending.
Every family's budget is different, and what makes sense for us may not make sense for someone else.
Step 3: We Put Most of Our Everyday Spending on One Card
When people first learn about points, they often think they need a different card for every purchase.
That's how we started too.
Eventually, we realized something.
If we're working toward earning a welcome offer, we'd rather keep things simple & only use THAT card.
Instead of switching cards every time we buy groceries or stop for gas, most of our everyday purchases go on the card we’re currently working on the SUB (sign-up bonus) until we've comfortably met the spending requirement.
That includes expenses like:
Groceries
Gas
Insurance
Utilities
Household purchases
Kids' activities
Dining out
Online shopping
The purchases themselves aren't unusual.
The difference is simply how we're paying for expenses we were already planning to make.
Step 4: We Take Turns Opening Cards
One of the biggest ways we've increased the number of points our family earns is by treating this as a team effort.
Instead of one person opening every travel rewards card, my husband and I usually take turns.
If I'm working toward earning a welcome offer, most of our everyday spending goes on my card until we've comfortably met the spending requirement.
Once we've finished that goal, the next card may be opened by my husband instead.
In many cases, one of us is able to refer the other before they apply. When that's available, it can be another way we earn additional rewards while continuing to follow the same overall strategy.
Then we repeat the process.
Rather than trying to earn points in a dozen different ways at once, we stay focused on one goal, finish it, and then decide what makes the most sense for our family's next travel goal.
This approach has helped us build our points balance much faster than if only one of us participated.
Step 5: We Don't Obsess Over Every Bonus Category
This surprises a lot of people.
When we're working toward earning a welcome offer, we usually aren't worried about whether groceries earn one extra point compared to another purchase.
Bonus categories can absolutely add value.
But for our family, keeping our spending focused on one goal at a time has historically made a much bigger difference than trying to maximize every transaction.
Keeping things simple has also made the process much easier to stick with long term.
Step 6: We Save Our Points Until We Have a Purpose
We rarely redeem points just because we have enough for something.
Instead, we usually wait until we know where we're traveling.
Then we start looking at the best ways to use the rewards we've earned.
We've found that being flexible often gives us more options when booking flights and hotels, especially for a family of four.
What Most People Get Wrong
One of the biggest misconceptions is that earning lots of points requires spending lots of money.
In our experience, that's not what made the biggest difference.
The biggest change came from having a plan.
Learning when to earn.
Learning when to redeem.
And staying consistent over time.
The Biggest Mistakes We Made
We Thought Everyday Spending Was Enough
When we first started, we assumed putting every purchase on one rewards card would eventually lead to amazing trips.
It certainly helped.
But we later realized there was much more to building a long-term travel rewards strategy.
We Overcomplicated Everything
We spent too much time worrying about earning one extra point here and there.
Once we simplified our approach, everything became much easier to manage.
We Focused More on Earning Than Redeeming
Learning how to earn points is only half the equation.
Learning how to redeem them well is what really transformed our travel.
If We Were Starting Today
If we were beginning from scratch, here's exactly what we'd focus on.
First, we'd learn how travel rewards work before applying for anything.
Second, we'd decide where we'd like to travel.
Third, we'd only use travel rewards cards for purchases we were already planning to make.
Finally, we'd keep things simple.
You don't need dozens of cards or a complicated spreadsheet to get started.
You just need a plan that fits your budget and your travel goals.
Want to See What We Use?
Over the years, we've used several different travel rewards cards as part of our family's strategy.
If you're curious which ones are currently in our wallet, we've put together a page sharing the travel rewards cards we personally use and how they've fit into our travel strategy over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really earn over one million points every year?
In recent years, yes. Our combination of welcome offers, everyday spending, and an intentional long-term strategy has allowed us to earn more than one million travel rewards points annually.
Do you spend extra money just to earn rewards?
No.
We only use travel rewards cards for purchases we were already planning to make, and we pay our balances in full and on time whenever possible.
Do you constantly switch cards?
Not really.
When we're working toward earning a welcome offer, most of our spending goes on that card until we've comfortably met the spending requirement.
Is this realistic for everyone?
Not necessarily.
Every family's finances, spending habits, and travel goals are different.
Our strategy has evolved over several years, and what works for our family may not be the right fit for someone else.
Final Thoughts
People often ask us what the secret is.
They're usually expecting us to tell them about one perfect credit card or one hidden trick.
There isn't one.
The biggest thing that changed our travel wasn't finding one amazing card.
It was building a repeatable system.
Choosing travel goals.
Planning ahead.
Using our normal spending intentionally.
Redeeming points thoughtfully.
Then repeating the process again and again.
Those small decisions have completely changed what travel looks like for our family.
And if there's one thing we hope readers take away from this guide, it's that earning travel rewards isn't about being wealthy.
For us, it's been about having a plan and staying consistent over time.
