Kangaroos & Kimonos

Stay free like me!

Fly Cheap to Argentina

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How can 2 fly cheap to Argentina for $500 Round-Trip from DC? American Express is how. This was my fourth trip to Buenos Aires – one of my favorite areas in the world. It can be very expensive getting from the Washington DC area to Argentina during peak season. January/February is summer and normally tickets run $1000 or more.

Fly Cheap to Argentina on AMEX Points

The trip was booked last-minute and in fact, tickets were in the $1200 range per person. I needed to book 2 tickets and looked at a couple of options, including Chase and AMEX. I went with AMEX where I had over 117,161 points from my American Express Business Gold Rewards Card.

Book Cheap Travel to Argentina with Amex Business Gold Rewards Card

How I Booked Cheap Travel to Argentina

It has great benefits…

AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card Benefits

Best of all you earn 70,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points after you spend $10,000 of eligible purchases with your card in the first three months.

What I really like about AMEX is that you don’t need the exact amount of points to book with them. I looked up the American Express Travel section on the American Express site to find what flights were available and for what cost. Being so close to travel, I didn’t have many options.

BOOK TRAVEL EASILY WITH AMEX

There was a roundtrip from DCA (Washington DC) to EZE (Buenos Aires) with a layover in MIA (Miami). I called the agent at AMEX travel and told her which flights I wanted and she booked the flights for me. They have a funny way of doing it – they charge you the full price but then credit you back the value of your points on your next statement. The cost was $1674.54 with my AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card. Then 117,161 points were deducted from my rewards account and a credit of $1171.61 was applied to my card account.

That’s how I paid $502.93 for 2 roundtrip tickets to Argentina during peak season! So how can 2 people fly cheap to Argentina for $500? – by following my posts – that’s how!

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Tango in Argentina

If you have a small business – it can be anything from selling crafts on Etsy or tutoring math -the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card can be a great card for your wallet! Please use my personalized link to refer friends and family…

Apply for an American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you’re approved! http://refer.amex.us/LAURIDLRu5?xl=cp01

I’m a disabled vet and would greatly appreciate the referral points bonus!

Free Travel to NYC on Amtrak

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Want to know how to get FREE travel to NYC on Amtrak?  Well, it’s easy and I’m going to tell you how.

I’m taking a trip next week and I need to get to Newark, NJ.  Looking at all my flight options I recently found a flight from EWR (Newark) to Barcelona for $179 on Norwegian Airlines.  Weighing my options with using points or just paying cash – with such a low price I felt it was better to use points when ticket prices are much higher.  With that ticket, however, I would have to get to the NYC area.  Luckily I live close to BWI Airport and there is an easy Amtrak route from BWI to EWR.

I rarely use AMTRAK but I had accumulated some points with the Amtrak shopping portal (Amtrak Guest Rewards) and a couple of trips to NYC over the years.  With Amtrak you can earn points toward free train travel by shopping at popular online retailers.

I actually had my miles recently deleted and after a very, very polite begging call,  they were transferred back to my account.   I had been thinking of taking my daughter for an overnight to see a show in NYC but decided to use them for this trip to EWR instead.  I didn’t quite have enough for a free ticket because I hesitated and the prices went up.  I only needed a couple hundred points.

When using portals my strategy is to shop/try-on in store but buy online.  I needed a jacket and my sister a comforter – so I offered to order it and she would repay me.  Amtrak was offering 5 points per dollar for Macy’s.com so I logged into my Amtrak Guest Rewards Account which took me to Macy’s.com. I then placed my order for in-store pick-up and instead of spending time walking around a large department store I shopped from the comfort of a sofa.  We then drove to the store, walked 5 feet in the door to customer service where my order was waiting for pick-up.  Done!!  That was an easy 750 Amtrak points added to my account!  Oh but I learned something important that day – in can take weeks for the points to show up in your account!

Amtrak Guest Rewards Shopping at Macy’s.com

 

 

 
I was still short some points but I had to book quickly as seats were getting scarce.  I had actually received an email from Amtrak offering to do surveys in exchange for Amtrak Points.  They offered 250 points for the first completed survey which would give me more than I needed to get a free ticket on Amtrak.  Every survey varies in completion time and points, that first one took me about 10 minutes – the time it takes to wait in some store lines!  I was very happy and surprised to see that the points showed up in my Amtrak account by the end of the day!

Amtrak Guest Rewards Survey Club

A Free Ticket on Amtrak

SO – if you are just trying to accumulate free Amtrak travel I would say shopping portals would give you the most value for your time.  However, if you find yourself with time to kill and nothing you need to buy – try taking some surveys for points.  Some might argue that it’s “not free” if you are spending your time but I didn’t have to spend any money so that’s always a good day!

Planning a Trip is Easy with Tripit

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Traveling is never easy but worth it!

Planning a trip is really easy with Tripit – a user-friendly app that helps organize travel.  Tripit is an app that allows you to organize all your travels plans in one place.  The basic version is free and offers many benefits – including conveniently importing travel plans, sharing plans with fellow travelers and offering suggestions for travel options – to name a few.

The paid PRO version is $49 per year but offers a free trial to see if it’s worth it for you.  I use the free version and haven’t felt the need to upgrade yet.   PRO does offer some really convenient benefits like real time travel alerts (but you can get free with your airline), shows security wait times (but you can also get free through TSA) and several others that would offer a one-stop travel shop for convenience.

I think if you travel frequently it may be well worth the PRO paid app.  If you try, let me know what you think.  Anything that makes travel easier and less stressful is a winner in my travel playbook!  So next time you are planning a trip – Tripit!

Stay Free Around the World with Trusted Housesitters

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Did you know you can stay free around the world with Trusted Housesitters?  Recently there was a great article in the Washington Post,  Traveling the World While Taking Care of Others’ Pets.  The article is a nice story of how a reporter went to Peru to housesit and care for a dog.

Wolf pups are so cute – can I housesit for them?

Oh wait, I would rather sit for a joey in Australia!

TrustedHousesitters.com allows you to stay free in someone’s home in exchange for taking care of any pets.  Your transportation there and back is not covered but the host may throw in use of their car or food in house.  The host and guest set up what is expected in the agreement.

I have traveled the world and my favorite thing is staying in homes!  My daughter had always wanted a cat – this might be a great way to “give her a pet for a while” without the permanent responsibility.  Living like a local – walking with a dog, for example, really allows a perspective into the neighborhood that you wouldn’t have in a hotel.

Don’t Travel a Tourist, try housesitting and let me know how it goes!

 

Who doesn’t love Carpinchos?

“Travel FREE Like Me” Seminar on March 14th

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I will be presenting my “Travel FREE Like Me” Seminar on Thursday, March 14th, 7-8:30pm.  The event will be held in room 177 of Bay Area Community Church at 884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.

Topics like points, miles, home exchange and more will be shared at this FREE event.  I have taken my child to over 48 countries and we mostly travel FREE all over the world!  All are welcome to attend.   For more information, contact me at LaurieSearsDeppa@gmail.com.

 

Staying Free in La Pedrera, Uruguay

Roundtrip Ticket to Buenos Aires for Under $100

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How do you get a roundtrip ticket to Buenos Aires for under $100?  Let me tell you how.  I was in desperate need of a retreat from the impending cold of January.  I had been to Argentina twice before (along with Uruguay) and greatly enjoyed them both.  I researched Google Flights and found flights to be about $1100US to Buenos Aires – I knew I could do much better with points.  Google Flights is a great tool for research but you cannot book on the site.

Google Flights

After finding flights on United’s website for only 30,000 points each way, I knew I had my “ticket to sunny skies”.  We had some Chase points through use of the Chase Sapphire and Chase Ink and they are so easy to transfer to partner airlines (including United).  I called Chase and because I am an authorized user on my husband’s card, they quickly transferred 48,000 points to my personal United account.  I had accrued the other 12k points through the United MileagePlus Shopping portal.   It really is the easiest way (apart from sign-up bonuses) to accrue airline and hotel points.

United’s website

I personally like to call the airlines to be sure there are no partner flights I missed online and found a decent flight in the Miles Saver category for 30k each way – quite a good deal.  January/February is high season in Argentina/Uruguay because it is their summer. The usual price in points is 60-70k each way.  I booked the round-trip ticket to Argentina for $94.73 in taxes and fees and 60,000 points.  I even found some business class seats for 60k one-way but decided to save points for another trip.

Less than $100 to Buenos Aires!

So why are you complaining about that cold, snowy weather?  Book a roundtrip ticket now to Buenos Aires for less than $100 and you’ll be soaking up the sun in no time!

Shopping in Buenos Aires

 

Learn How to Fly Free and Stay Free Like Me!

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Want to learn how to stay free and fly free like me?  My 7-year old has been to 48 countries and I have been to almost 70 countries.  I don’t fly for business and I don’t get many points through actual flights.  Come hear all the secrets I have to share for a more rewarding and fulfilling travel experience!  Did you know that you can actually earn money while you are on vacation?  This is not a selling gimmick – come hear how I rent my house on Airbnb and made upwards of $8,000 on one trip alone!

I will be at the Green Turtle, 177 Jennifer Road, Annapolis, Maryland on Monday, September 24th 6pm for a 1-2 hour presentation on TRAVELING FREE!  The event is open to the public and in lieu of a fee I am accepting donations for charity.  You can order any food and drink off the menu if you like as well.

Hope to see you all on the 24th!

 

 

FREE American Airline Points with Kiwi Co

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Do you want free American Airline Points?  American Airlines (AAdvantage) Shopping is offering 12x points on their shopping portal with Kiwi Co.  I mention this because I love Kiwi Co and so does my daughter (7 years).  It’s a great site with hands-on learning activities for kids.

If you don’t know what a shopping portal is – you are missing out on free frequent flyer/loyalty points.  I have flown free for several years using many points I gained through shopping portals.  You don’t get hardly any points for actually flying.

Shopping portals are basically sites you “go through” to get points with Airlines, hotels, Amtrak etc.  Here is a step-by-step guide to getting this deal:

1.  Type “American Airlines Shopping” and it will take you to the AAdvantage Shopping page (portal).

2.  Then you put in your American Airlines (Aadvantage) frequent flier number.

3.  In the search box type whatever store you want to shop (Kiwi Co).

4.  The portal will take you directly to the Kiwi Co corporate website (or somewhere else if you need to shop elsewhere).  You can find almost every major store – Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, etc.  From there you can search for whatever you want to buy.

5.  The THING TO REMEMBER is that the amount of points you get changes regularly!  One day it could be 2x points per dollar – the next day it could be 10x points!  That really adds up especially if you are spending a large amount of money!

6.  By subscribimg to the (frequent flier) shopping site, you will receive regular emails informing you of the daily point specials.

7.  Even better, there are often point bonuses around certain times of year – back to school, Christmas etc.  I have gotten quite large bonuses for buying things I had to buy anyway!

8.  DON”T leave FREE TRAVEL on the table.  It’s yours for the taking.

TRAVEL FREE like me! 🌎

 

 

Frequent Traveler University

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Frequent Traveler Univerity (FTU) is a great weekend seminar for frequent travelers.  After I attended my first Frequent Traveler University DC event I was hooked.  If you like traveling it is definitely worth the money and time.  I think all in total I spent about $500 for hotel and event fee.  You can recoup that easily in one trip!

Frequent Traveler University events are held around the world with several in the US.  They have a weekend full of informational classes on everything from “the best credit cards” to expert panels on manufacture spend.  If you don’t know what that is – you will after a weekend at FTU!

The event arranges for a good rate at the host hotel (this year the DC FTU was at the Marriott Crystal City) with rates of $109 a night.   I made a little “vacation” out of it and took my daughter to DC for the day.  On Friday night there was a social dinner.  I find these are the best use of time as you learn so much from what works for other frequent travelers!  Also, I always meet some great people from around the country.

There are usually two different classes to choose from starting from 9 am until 5/6 in the evening.  Then again on Saturday night there is another get-together.  This time we headed to a sports around the corner from the hotel.  The food and drink was nothing to remember but the exchange of information and building of relationships was for sure!

After my first FTU I learned so much that I couldn’t sleep for days.  All I thought about was how could I use all the information I absorbed and where were my “free trips” going to be.  Since that seminar a couple of years ago I have taken my family on free flights and cruises around the world and stayed free in great hotels as well.  I have saved thousands and thousands of dollars with free travel.  My 7 year old has even been to 48 countries.

I am planning on attending the FTU in Chicago – which I hear is different than the DC one.  There is also a “Travel Awards Expo” that I am strongly considering.  Will I see you at one of these events?  I promise one thing – it will be worth it!

 

 

Cruise Deals with the American Express Platinum Card

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CRuise deals with american exprss

Cruise Deals with American Express

Did you know you can get some good cruise deals with the American Express Platinum Card?  I always assume that Amex Travel is more expensive than some of the deals I find on the internet.  I just recently came across last minute cruise deals with Amex and it may have changed my mind.

Sailing the Grandeur of the Seas

Sailing the Grandeur of the Seas

Just follow these steps to savings on your next cruise:

  1.  Login with your eligible Amex card or call 1-800-525-3355
  2.  Select an eligible cruise and cabin
  3.  Book with your Amex Platinum

Amex is offering $100-300 shipboard credit and certain amenities depending on which cruise and line you book, as long as the cruise is 5 nights or longer.  I like Royal Caribbean because it sails right out of Baltimore, very close to my home.  Royal Caribbean offers a bottle of premium wine or champagne and a $100-300 shipboard credit depending on cabin.

Great fun for the whole family onboard Royal Caribbean cruise

Great fun for the whole family onboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise

In case you haven’t cruised, there are lots of little costs that can add up on the cruise, such as spa treatments, alcohol and excursions.  I have lots of ways to save money on your cruise and here are a few of my favorite tips:

  1.  Get your massages off the ship (often offered at very affordable and negotiable prices on beaches of cruise ports)
  2. Plan your own excursions.  There is so much information on the internet now that you can easily plan a very interesting port of call trip for much less.  Rick Steves has some great information about excursions and there are some third party companies that offer excursions much cheaper than cruise line. Just be sure to allow for time because the ship will not wait if you are on your own (they will wait if you are on one of their excursions and late).
  3. Drink in the ports of call.  I personally don’t drink but I do know that alcohol is very expensive onboard ship.  If you pull into places like Mexico or Jamaica try the local beer!
  4. If you can check out the last minute cruise deals – there are often some very good deals.

Relax and enjoy the sunset onboard a cruise ship

Relax and enjoy the sunset onboard a cruise ship

So book a cruise with Amex and relax knowing you got a good deal!