travel on points // 2023.

 Last year was our third year of traveling on points and miles, and I'm genuinely not sure that we'll ever travel like that again for the rest of our lives. Yes, it was THAT good! In 2021, our grand total amount saved towards travel was $3,923.69. In 2022, we tripled that for a grand total savings of $14,972.30.

And in 2023, our shocking grand total was...

$45,123.57

Honestly, that number still feels quite shocking even though I've been tracking and anticipating it for a year. Never in a million years did I think that kind of travel would be possible for us, but here we are. Another crazy thing is that more than half of that huge number was redeemed on on (incredibly amazing and unforgettable) trip. Any guesses which one? Hint hint: it's pictured above. ;)

In addition to 2023 having been a record-breaking year in terms of redeeming travel rewards, it was also a year of our highest travel budget to-date, as well. We didn't set out to spend as much as we did, but we let ourselves enjoy a few more trips to ease the ache we felt during a hard year. We, also, traveled to be there for friends and family out of town more than we ever have before, and that just felt right. We spent a total of 52 nights in hotels last year (51 in Hyatts and 1 in Marriotts), and we have almost that many booked already for 2024 (although we are increasingly holding all things loosely in life in general). This kind of travel may not always be sustainable for us, but we intend to enjoy it for as long as we are able while still prioritizing other things we deem financially important.

So, where did travel rewards help us explore in 2023?

Staycations
Miami, FL
Key West, FL
Fredericksburg, VA
Nashville, TN (x2)
Savannah, GA
Oahu, HI
Kauai, HI
Maui, HI
Port Canaveral, FL
Charlotte, NC
Wild Dunes, SC
Beaver Creek, CO
Orlando, FL

Here is a breakdown of how we many nights & flights we saved on each of these trip:

Staycations in downtown Greenville, SC
For fun, as well as to earn nights towards re-earning Globalist status with Hyatt for 2024
// 17 nights in hotels //

Miami, FL
A fun and timely trip for Spring Break 2023!
// 5 nights in hotels //
// 4 roundtrip flights //

Key West, FL
A day trip during Spring Break 2023
// 0 nights, just a full-day roadtrip from Miami //
//1-day car rental //

Fredericksburg, VA
A weekend trip to celebrate two of our favorite people getting married!
// 2 nights in hotels //

Nashville, TN
Visiting dear friends on two different occasions facing unthinkably heartbreaking circumstances
// 6 nights in hotels //

Savannah, GA
To explore this charming city for the first time & to experience a Savannah Bananas baseball game!
// 2 nights in hotels //

Hawaii
A two-week trip of a lifetime! We split our time between the islands of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. It was a dream!
// 13 nights in hotels //
// 4 flights total for 4 people //

Port Canaveral, FL
We stayed here the night before we set sail on a week-long Caribbean cruise with TJ's family. <3
// 1 night in a hotel //

Charlotte, NC
I got to treat a friend to an overnight stay after going to the Phil Wickham & Brandon Lake concert. This is one of my favorite uses of points!
// 1 night in a hotel //

Wild Dunes, SC
A spontaneous trip to the coast because we really, really needed the ocean!
// 1 night in a hotel //

Beaver Creek, CO
A bucket list trip to see real snow and experience our first ski village. It was stunning & unforgettable!
// 4 nights in a hotel //
// 4 roundtrip flights //

Orlando, FL
We surprised the kiddos with a trip to Disney World for Christmas!
// 6 nights in a hotel //

That's all for 2023!

We made even more travel memories than is shown here, but these are highlighted because we primarily used points and miles to make these trips a reality. We spent more on travel in 2023 than we ever have before, and it was significantly less than we would have spent without points and miles. There is absolutely no way that we would have been able to afford this kind of travel without travel rewards. Our total out of pocket costs for the actual flights, rental cars, and hotel stays was only $300, which really is insane. And POSSIBLE! Our 2024 travel plans aren't quite as extravagant as last year was, but we still have plans to visit several bucket list places and make more incredible memories.

We may not always travel like this. Our bodies are slowly failing us, our income is constantly ebbing and flowing, our family dynamics are changing, travel rewards are changing every day, etc. So, our motto is simple: we will do this as often as we can for as long as we can.

Here's to living while we are living.

Because time is the most sacred currency of all.