The Best 10 Tips For Cheap Travel from 2022

I am always surprised to see how much I learn about cheap and efficient travel, year over year. 2022 was no different. Some of the travel tips from 2022 listed below (like the Southwest Companion Pass), have been on my Top 5 list for years. Some (in this case, both my #1 and #2 picks) are brand new to me. That’s what is amazing about this wonderful hobby – there is always more to learn, and everything you learn has the potential to make all future travels that much better.
Leverage your network – people love to share advice and best practices. If it is not through our Facebook Group of Community Forums – find another (but, for reals…use ours)

Honorable Mention: Join Would Be Wanderer Facebook Group and Community Forums

This one is a bit of a cheap, shameless plug – but I would be remiss if I did not mention it. Our Facebook Group is one of the fastest growing networks dedicated to connecting with like-minded individuals with knowledge to share. As far as 2022 travel tips goes, this is a no-brainer. Our Community Forum will offer the same type of social network – but in a more secure setting and cover a variety of topics. travel and travel-adjacent.

Top Travel Tips #5: Have a Travel Point Earning Strategy

This tip will likely have permanent residency on this list, for years to come. It is that important and that “time agnostic”. Some of the most frequently asked questions I hear, year over year, are “What card should I shoot for next?” or “Which card is best for…?”
With good reason. The BEST way to travel at discount or completely free, is by hunting and earning travel rewards points. Hands down, full stop. That being said, it is not a “set it and forget it” type of scenario. You should; a) Know what is important to you. b) Understand the current bonuses being offered. And, c) Have a good earn/redeem strategy.
The simple guidelines going into 2023 are;
1. Always chase high SUBs first. No standard point earn (even at 5x) is going to beat 100k points in 3 months.
2. Make sure you are paying off ALL credit card balances month over month. Interest on a credit card can be upwards of 26%. You are not going to find ANY point earn higher than that
3. Know Your 5/24 – More information on that in the Chase Trifecta link below
4. Build a solid engine – This is where your strategy comes into play. Figure out what you are spending money on monthly, and find the best way to earn on those purchases. A tried and true strategy template is the Chase Trifecta (which you can read about HERE). It is a fantastic combination of “high earning” and “flexible redemption” of travel reward points. You can also stay up to date with our top strategies by frequenting our blog entries or subscribing to our newsletter (in which we will also send you exclusive tools like reward trackers and luggage tags).

Top Travel Tips #4: Know Your Credit Card Offers

The next most frequent question I see asked is “Is the (insert credit card here) worth it?” or “How do I offset the annual fee of (this card)?”.
This is especially prevalent when discussing things with a high annual fee, like the $695 on an American Express Platinum. The short answer is “know what is important to you, and know the card inside and out”.
I carry an American Express Platinum and can easily justify the $695 on things like $100 Saks credit a year, $240 credit for streaming services, $200 back on hotel bookings and a priceless amount of lounge access. If streaming services aren’t for you – then this list might look different, maybe not worth it…But, you don’t know what you don’t know. Do your homework on your cards!

Top Travel Tips #3: The Southwest Companion Pass

Year over year, one of the highest value offers in the travel world is the Southwest Companion Pass. And 2022, going into 2023 (despite certain issues at Southwest Airlines) has been no different. For earning a certain number of Southwest points in a calendar year, you can earn a “Companion Flies Free” pass for the remainder of that year AND the ENTIRE following year. Quick additional details can be found HERE, but this one is hard to beat.

Top Travel Tips #2: Chase Business Ink Cash

It is crazy how little I see about this particular card. I learned about it’s earning power just last year and it has quickly become one of/if not my top earner ever since. This is a business card, which I think is the reason folks shy away – but you shouldn’t. The term “business” is used pretty loosely in the world of credit cards. Applicants with as little as a side hustle selling on eBay have oft been approved. For starters, this (along with most business cards) does not affect your 5/24. This is an important note, meaning you will want to add it to your repertoire BEFORE you hit 5/24.
Secondly – The current sign up offer. By following THIS LINK, you can earn 90,000 points after spending $6000 in 3mo – which is great. Finally – and this cannot be overstated – this card earns 5x points on every dollar spent at office supply stores. Why is this important? Just about all office supply stores sell the same or similar items…one of which is Visa and Mastercard gift cards. Widely accepted and often sold at a discount at Staples and Office Max (to offset the activation fees) – this allows these cards to act as a catch-all payment method which earns 5x, on just about everything. It. Is. Wild.
Oh, and one more thing – there is NO annual fee on this card.

Our Pick for #1 Travel Tip of 2022: Rakuten

Finally, our number one 2022 recommendation for traveling cheap (and, somehow under my radar until last year) – Rakuten! First of all, what the hell is Rakuten (I mean, first of all, how do you even pronounce Rakuten (Rah-Koo-Ten…i think?)).
So, Rakuten is an online shopping platform that offers discounts and cash back on purchases made in their platform. Simple enough, right? The standard use is to make purchases through the site. Those purchases accumulate cash back, and once you hit a certain amount – Rakuten cuts you a Big Fat Check (their terminology, not mine). This comes to you as cash.

…the real power of Rakuten

OK – the REAL power of the platform though, is you can opt NOT for the Big Fat Check – but, instead to link your American Express Platinum card and earn Amex Membership Rewards as opposed to cash. Why is this important? Well, for starters, in this game of travel hacks – points are worth more than cash, end of story. If you play your cards right you can redeem points at upwards of $0.06 per point (as opposed to the $0.01 per point you can get on cash back)…that has a potential of 500% higher value.

…and One More Thing

More importantly though, is that if you do link your Amex Platinum to Rakuten – it earns points REGARDLESS of if it is used to pay for the purchase. In other words, If I make $100 worth of purchases on Rakuten at 2x return, and use my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay…I will earn 200 Chase Ultimate Rewards points AND 200 Amex Membership Rewards points. It is the ultimate double dip, and makes the Amex (a historically difficult card to EARN with) one of the most passive earners in your deck. This deal cannot be beat and is a no-brainer for any Amex Platinum Card holders. It is so good, it is worth getting the Amex even if you do not already carry it.
You can earn extra points by signing up for Rakuten with our referral link HERE and if you do not have and American Express Platinum card, and would like one (at 150,000 sign up bonus points!!), you can use our link HERE.

So, there it is. My list of 2022 Travel Tips that should NOT be missed as we continue into 2023. I hope you all found something useful here – if so, let me know by commenting. If not -let me know as well.
Do you have a must see tip for traveling cheap that I missed or should be listed above – COMMENT BELOW!!