Our 2024 Recap
Looking back on 2024, our family made some amazing memories while traveling together. Most trips have their own blog post (although two are still in draft form!), but below is an overall recap of our very memorable year.
1: Palm Beach, FL
One of our all-time favorite family trips, we have ventured to Palm Beach Gardens the last several years during our kids’ spring break. Pool, beach, dinner out, rinse and repeat. Can’t beat it!
We are lucky enough to have family with a home here, so we only buy flights and rent a car for this annual trip. In 2024, our family of five flew Southwest for 159,825 total points (we leveraged two companion passes) and $56 in taxes and fees. The cash price would have been $2,724.
2: Denver, CO
Yours truly made a quick trip to Denver to visit one of my very dearest friends who lives there. It was fantastic to have 1:1 girl time, nice cocktails and dinners, and a slower pace for the long weekend!
For this trip, I flew Southwest for 24,782 points and $11.20 round trip. The cash price for my ticket would have cost $583.
3: Las Vegas, NV
Mark and I spent an epic long weekend in Vegas celebrating the 40th birthdays of me and my closest friends. We packed in many shows, amazing dinners, and of course lots of lounging at the pool. It was an unforgettable trip!
We flew Southwest for 47,446 points (we leveraged one companion pass) and $22.40 round trip. The cash price would have been $1,290. We paid just 9,000 Hyatt points for one night at the Hyatt Place, which would have cost $350. The Bellagio was worth the splurge at about $1,200 cash for 3 nights. ;)
4: Southern California
Our family of five spent a week over the summer in Disneyland, Los Angeles, and Huntington Beach. Our kiddos will be talking about this trip for many years to come. Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, pool time, beach time, and lots of sunshine - what’s not to love?!
Once again, we flew Southwest for 131,466 points (we leveraged two companion passes) and $56 in taxes and fees. Cash price would have been $4,120. For our accommodations, we used our family’s Disney Vacation Club points for our 3 nights at Disneyland, we spent 46,000 Hyatt points for 2 nights in Los Angeles, and 132,000 Hyatt points for 3 nights at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. The cash price for the two Hyatt hotels would have been $5,106. We had an absolute blast - particularly at Disneyland and Huntington Beach - and can’t wait to go back!
5: Geneva on the Lake, OH
The five of us spent a long weekend at the Lodge at Geneva on the Lake this past summer with my dad, who has a house in the area. What a cute town on Lake Erie with plenty of small-town things to do! We explored the “downtown” area, went to the beach, and enjoyed the slower pace for the weekend. The Lodge was beautiful and we would highly recommend staying there if you’re ever in the area!
We drove the ~2 hours to Geneva on the Lake from our home in Pittsburgh, so no flights were necessary for this trip. In fact, we didn’t use any points and miles for this weekend getaway.
6: Disney World
Our family loves traveling to Disney World, and this year was no exception. We made the trek in October and enjoyed the nice warm weather and plenty of park time with extended family. We have a never-ending list of things we want to do (and eat) in Disney, so each trip is different for us which keeps things exciting! This time, we stayed at the lovely Saratoga Springs.
Again, we flew Southwest for 65,000 points (we leveraged two companion passes) and $56 in taxes and fees. The cash price would have been $2,830. We stayed on Disney Property using our family’s Disney Vacation Club points to pay for our stay at Saratoga Springs. We didn’t need a rental car for this trip, but we went through plenty of spending money between the park tickets, lightning lanes, snacks and souvenirs!
7: Bedford Springs, PA
Our last trip of the year was a weekend away for just Mark and me at the Omni Bedford Springs. It was our first time there and I fully understand why everyone loves it. It was so charming and quaint, and there were plenty of amenities to utilize and enjoy. Bonus points that it was decorated for Christmas during our stay!
We drove the ~2 hours to Bedford Springs from our home in Pittsburgh, so no flights necessary for this trip. We used a generous gift card from my former colleagues to pay for most of our stay which included two nights at the lodge, dinners at the onsite restaurants, and an amazing day at the spa.
Conclusion
By leveraging credit card points and miles for certain pieces of our family’s vacations, we saved a whopping $17,003 in 2024!!!
I had so much fun looking back on the year and all the adventures we had, for a small fraction of the price. If you’re interested in learning how to start traveling for less by using credit card points and miles, we’re here to teach you how and show you the way!
Cheers to more traveling, more adventures, and more points and miles in 2025!
❤️ Liz
Friendly reminder: We are not financial advisers, we are simply sharing our method and approach with you. Of course, it's important to use credit cards responsibly. Pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges, and never spend more than you can afford just to earn rewards.
