How We Saved Over $10,000 in Hotels/Airbnbs By Using Home Exchange

That title may seem like click bait -- but it's absolutely true.

When we signed up for Home Exchange, it was just a way to continue to "rent" our house while we traveled without really renting it. A few years prior, we started to Airbnb our house when we were out of town, as a way to make a little extra income. However, Nashville really cracked down and started taxing everything, and it no longer became worth it for us.

Enter: Home Exchange.

While we didn't actually gain any income, we gain a lot in free travel perks! I wrote about Home Exchange before, and how it only costs $150 for the year and you have access to as many swaps as you want. And we made our money back 100x over. Not to mention, we were not taxed on any of these says, since no money changed hands. We get new requests almost daily from all over the world. We say no to 95% of the requests that come in - it just depends on timing, location, etc.

A little back story: In the last 18 months, there was a huge shift in Matt's line of work. With many North American oil fields closing, and many of his customers being connected with NA oil, he was losing customers & shipments left and right. While we are smart with our budget and knew we'd be fine, we thought of ways to cut down on costs for 2016 (after seeing the slow down in 2015). The biggest luxury in our budget is travel (something we budget for! and I should note our shopping/eating out budgets are much smaller so travel can be bigger), so I knew we could cut back on trips and still put the amount into savings we were hoping to do last year. 

What's amazing is that between home exchange & our Southwest companion pass, we spent almost NOTHING on travel. We paid for food and any activities of course, but these are the small potatoes on most of our trips. Airbnb/Hotel costs + flights are always the most expensive part of going anywhere. 

How exactly did we get over $10,000 in free lodging? Here's the breakdown.

March - Cabin in Virginia - $750 (3 nights, based on $250/night they rent out for cabin)
They requested a stay and Matt ended up using these three nights in a cabin for an awesome guys weekend. They only paid for food & gas and it was a cheap trip for everyone!

July - Crown Heights, Brooklyn - $6,200 (31 nights, based on $200/night they actually rent their house out for)
This was the money maker, so to speak. Now - you could definitely play devil's advocate here and say "would you ever really spend $6k to live in NYC for the month?" - and the answer would be no. However -- we got to do it. For free. Even if you weren't going to buy an ice cream, and someone gave you a coupon for it and you redeemed it, you still enjoyed the experience FOR FREE! It's kind of the best thing ever.

August - High Park, Toronto - $1,750 (7 nights, based on $250/night average in that area)
We had never been to Toronto before, and it was so much fun! The area we were in is considered High Park, but it was also close to cute spots called Bloor West and the Junction. We had so much fun hanging out in Toronto and absolutely loved this location.

November - Tamarindo, Costa Rica - $1,400 (7 nights, based on $200/night they rent out during November)
If you can get yourself to Tamarindo, GET THERE! We loved it here so much. The condo we stayed in had a killer pool, two balconies, and was just a few minutes walk to the beach (you can't build condos directly on the beach in this area, but we were as close as you could get). Not to mention with 5th floor views, we enjoyed every sunrise and sunset with a nice glass of vino.

Technically, we've also "earned" the following two locations during non-simultaneous swaps. They've already stayed at our house, and we are able to cash in on their houses when we can make the trip!

Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia - $1,500 (1 week at $150/night, average for the area)
We hosted these two Aussies in October 2016 and it was so much fun! Hosting is another option in home exchange, but not if you don't want to. We did FaceTime and emails in the 6 weeks before and got to know them a little more. We absolutely loved "hosting" and would do it again. They originally wanted to swap in October, but we knew it wasn't an option for us with only 6 weeks notice, so they suggested hosting. So we get to visit them next time.. hopefully soon!

March 2017 - TriBeCa, Manhattan, NYC - $1,400 (4 nights, based on the $350/night she rents it for)
We are cashing in on this in March for my birthday, but they already stayed at our house last April. We did a non-simultaneous and it worked out great for us!

Grand Total: $13,000

This is of course an estimate, but I estimated it mostly based on the price that these people rent their homes out for, or a median of similar homes in that area. 

What's most amazing about this is we thought we'd travel LESS in 2016 because of self imposed "budget cuts". However, we traveled MORE and spent less using Home Exchange! We got to stay in some really gorgeous places, and I can't wait to see where Home Exchange takes us this year! 

So... have you signed up for Home Exchange yet?
xo

The Best Free or Cheap Things to do in NYC

New York can be an expensive city -- but it's also jam packed with free or very cheap activities! There are a lot of obvious "sight seeing" opportunities, like Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and Times Square, but there are a lot of things you can actually DO! Here are some of my favorites.

Visit the Cloisters
The Cloisters are run by the MET and therefore are by donation only. Our friend who lives in NYC says the MET has enough money, so we paid $5 per couple :) There are beautiful gardens, free tours every half hour, and lots of gorgeous art! Almost the entire thing has been pieced together by the Rockefeller family from monasteries or castles in Europe. It has such interesting history and is a great reprieve from the city if you feel like you need to "escape". More info here.

Be Part of a Live Studio Audience
There are SO many opportunities to be a part of a studio audience in NYC -- we were able to be on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah which was so fun! Many of these are based on a raffle, so you don't have a ton of choice in your date, but it could be a fun thing to plan your New York trip around.

Check Out the Local Events
The NYC Parks website has SO much great information on free/cheap events going on in the city. I'd check it out. I found so many different things to do when we were in New York in July, although it would be quite different in the winter. I did Broadway in the Park, attended workout classes, movies on rooftops, and live music all over the city! The city does a great job of hosting these events, you just have to see what's happening. 

Roosevelt Island Tram
The Roosevelt Island Tram is so fun! Roosevelt Island is in between Manhattan & Queens that just has some housing and parks. It's really cute and feels removed from the city somehow. You can take a subway train there (only one line stops there) OR you could take this fun tram! It's like a gondola you'd take up to go snowboarding. It gives you a great view of the river and 3 boros. You pay with your MTA ticket, so it costs no more than a subway ride (or is free if you have a week/month pass).

Find Some Elevation
There are so many gorgeous rooftop bars. We loved finding rooftop spots at sunset to catch views like this one! Find a list of rooftop bars here. The photo below was taken at Roof at Park South in Kip's Bay/Gramercy Park. 

Pizza by the Slice

As if you needed an excuse? Pick up some pizza by the slice for a cheap dinner on the go. It was something we liked to do if we wanted to eat in the park or on the water. Joe's Pizza is one of the best and is easily located in the East Village at 14th St E & 3rd Avenue, or Greenwich Village on Carmine St. & 6th Avenue. PS - I absolutely love the East Village AND Greenwich/West Village. Two of my favorite areas in Manhattan!

Governor's Island
If you want to visit Governor's Island I hope you've been saving up.... it's $2 round trip and you have to pay up front :) The ferry ride is short and leave every 30 minutes. It provides great views of the city and is a great place to spend the day outside! You can take long walks, enjoy the fun slides and hammocks, or rent bikes. There's also some fun art and cute food trucks. We brought a picnic and some wine and made an afternoon of it. I loved it and would highly suggest it if you're visiting with good weather.

Coney Island
Talk about cheap thrills - Coney Island is #1 on this list! You can take the subway out there, and then you don't have to spend any money if you don't want to. Matt wanted to try a Nathan's Hot Dog (this is where they do the hot dog eating contest every year) so we spent a few bucks. :) It's got an old carnival feel but is a lot of fun.

Rush Tickets
There are several ways to see broadway shows on the cheap or even for free. You can sign up each day to win a number of raffles (almost every show does it, but each show has different rules, so check with them directly) and I've had a lot of friends win these free tickets! The thing is they are for that day only, so make sure you're free. Or you can often find severely discounted tickets day of but in limited quantity. Another great way to get tickets around $25-50 is downloading the TODAY TIX app. We saw Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime AND Les Miserables for $29pp. Yes, we sat in the back row but it was awesome and saved us a TON! Sign up using my link and take $10 off your first show!

Brooklyn Brewery Tour

They only offer tours on the weekends as far as I know, but it's a lot of fun and it's free. I'd suggest going early as they fill up quickly! They also have a tasting room with pretty cheap beers and some of these brews are harder to find so it can be a bit of a treat! 

These were some of my favorite activities and I will repeat a lot of them! This is a great list to keep on hand when you're trying to have a cheap weekend but still enjoy some local color and have a great time.

What are your favorite freebies in NYC?
xo

How to Travel More in 2016

Is your New Year's Resolution to travel more in 2016? Do you have a few new places you're hoping to visit (I sure do!) but aren't sure how you can make it happen? Here are a few ideas & tips to help you reach your goal.

1. Start Small

It can be really overwhelming to think about planning a trip to Bora Bora with a $2,000 plane ticket just to get things started. Instead, start with baby steps. Think about what is in a 5 hour drives distance or a train ride away if you're in a large city. There have to be new, fun places you haven't seen that you can get to quickly and very cheaply (especially with the current low gas prices). 

2. Be Open to Possibilities

You'd be surprised how many wonderful places there are in the world that might not be on your radar. If you would have asked a few years ago, most people didn't care a bit about Nashville and Iceland seemed like a crazy idea - but more and more people are visiting these places every day! Check Skyscanner.com, put in your location, and then type "everywhere" and for the date check "cheapest month" - this will give you a list of options. Similarlly, if you have a specific location but no date, search that location and leave the dates open ended. You may be surprised what you find!

3. Make a Travel Budget (and stick to it!)

You don't have to be a millionaire to travel - when I was making $23,000/year (that's about $11/hr) I was traveling almost monthly. I had a car payment, student loans, rent, and everything else you have to pay for in life. The difference was that I prioritized travel. I was saving at least $200/month for travel even on my meager wages. Now, you might not have an extra $200, but I KNOW you have an extra $50 (or more!) somewhere each month. You can eat out two times less per month, skip fancy coffee a few times, meal plan to maximize your grocery budget.... but you'd be surprised where money is hiding. It's just a matter of making it a priority.

I found this great 52 week money saving challenge posted below. If you stick to this only, you'll have almost $1400 saved. If you throw an extra $20 in here and there, you'll pay for your trip in no time.

chart via

4. Skimp Where You Can

When you're budgeting for a trip, think about what you can skip and what's worth it. Traveling isn't all about luxury resorts and Michelin rated restaurants. Spend money on what's important to you. If you can book an Airbnb with a refrigerator and a kitchen, you can cook a few meals in so the meals you eat out are really special! Scope out a few great restaurants and sights that are totally worth your hard earned cash - and do those things. You don't have to do it all or spend hundreds on a trip to fully experience a city and have a good time. Some of my favorite trips have been well planned and on a limited budget!

5. Start Planning NOW!
Don't wait until you have the money saved or the dates booked... start making a plan now! If you start planning now, you'll be on that plane in no time. You can absolutely travel more than you think you can - if you're strategic :)

nerdwax/mascara/eye shadow/blush/michael kors bag/scarf

So.... what are you waiting for? Start planning! Make your New Year's Resolution of traveling more happen. Let me know if I can help you make it happen!
xo

Avoid iPhone Data Charges When Traveling Out of the Country

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about Android or Windows Phones, I'm sorry! I can only speak on what I know... and that's iPhones.

Back in the day, there was nothing to worry about when you brought your cell phone overseas - because it just wouldn't work unless you upgraded to an international plan. These days, with smart phones & data, you could find yourself with a hefty bill without even realizing how you got there.

Here are some tips on avoiding data charges, as well as still using your phone freely without worry!

SWITCH TO AIRPLANE MODE
From there, you can turn your wifi on - but this way, you'll avoid accidentally using data.

TURN EVERYTHING OFF
Make sure your data is off, off, OFF!
Voice, Data & International Roaming - Settings -> Cellular -> Roaming -> (switch all 3 off)
Cellular Data - Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data (switch off)

DO YOUR WIFI RESEARCH
There are lists of free spots with wifi. It's also great to do some research before you go. Does your hotel/Airbnb/flight have wifi? Is it free? Is it pay per use, per minute, per day? Be sure to check out cafes nearby where you're staying and where you're planning to go. Is there a cafe by the Colosseum with wifi to decide where to head to next? It can easily be done with a little planning.

FACETIME / FACETIME AUDIO
If you're traveling without best friends and loved ones (perhaps without your spouse or children!), you'll miss them dearly. You can FaceTime over wifi for free, which you probably know. If you don't feel like staring at anyone (or you're multi tasking while getting ready), you can use FaceTime Audio. It's basically a speaker-phone-only phone call.... but it's free on wifi!
Please note, this is iPhone to iPhone only.

OFFLINE APPS
Some apps require you to be online... but many don't. There are some shortcuts! Apps like Google Maps are useful when you travel, but aren't worth the data plan they'd require. If you use Google Maps while still on WIFI, then type in "ok maps" into the search button, it will save that map offline. It can be a lifesaver!

INTERNATIONAL PLANS
If you plan on needing your phone (long term travels or working while you're away), it might be worth switching to an international plan. Call your provider to see what options they have for the country (or countries) you'll be visiting.

There's no reason to end up with a massive surprise phone bill when you get back from your trip, so plan ahead and use the phone to your advantage!
xo

Healthy Travel Snacks

Airport food can be a NIGHTMARE. It's come a long way in the last several years, with great restaurants like Lemonade in LAX or the amazing salad bar from CIBO in La Guardia, but if you're flying to major metropolitan airports like Ithaca, NY, Chattanooga, TN or Rapid City, SD, you aren't left with a ton of options. I cringe when I see one sad kiosk with packaged pastries and a huge pot of 5 hour old coffee as the only food or beverage option. You never want to eat something that will make you feel sick or gross before you get on a 3 hour flight, amiright?

I almost never travel without at least one snack (a girl's gotta eat!), and here are some of my favorites that travel well.

DIY TRAIL MIX
Mix anything you have on hand - almonds, cashews, dried mangos, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, whatever! The dried fruit is a sweet treat, the nuts are filling and crunchy, and a winner in my book. Here's a great chart to help you build a great mix! The best part is you can make a bunch and snack on it for months. Make up little baggies that are ready to grab & go! 

CUT UP FRUIT AND VEGGIES
Fruits and veggies grow outside... so they don't need to be refrigerated for short periods of time. My favorite trick is to buy carrots and apples the night before and cut them up before I leave, never putting them in the fridge. That way they don't get clammy or brown mid-flight. Carrots, celery, apples, bell pepper, cucumbers, oranges, grapes.... whatever strikes your fancy.

RICE CAKES + ______________
Take two rice cakes. Top with nut butter, guacamole, hummus or any other topping. Add salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper, garlic... or whatever you want. I just found this Pinterest board with a ton of great ideas.

POPCORN
Air pop and top with anything you want (I use coconut oil in lieu of butter to make the seasoning stick). It's crunchy and flavorful and fills the salty snack fix!

ONE TIME USE PACKETS
These bad boys are ready to go and can be picked up at any grocery store.
- Sabra makes single serving hummus cups
- Justin's Almond Butter makes 1.5oz packs in several flavors
- Blue Diamond makes 100 calorie packs of whole almonds
- KIND or Lara Bars are the least processed of the granola bar world
- String cheese is always a winner.

If you're worried about what counts as "liquid" food, try the TSA app to search for the item in question. For example, type in 'yogurt' and it reminds you of the 3.4oz rule, and most yogurt comes in 5-6oz tubs. Decant into smaller containers (remember, the container itself needs to be within the size regulation) or choose a different snack.

By packing healthy snacks, you'll save a ton of money and feel better for your flight! Do you ever bring snacks with you when you travel? Any other great healthy snacks I'm forgetting?
xo

The Best FREE Museums in London

Let's just start this post by clarifying, most of the museums in London are free. I think this is incredible, because art & culture should be shared with everyone. I've skipped many of the major museums of the world, for fear of seeing ONE famous panting and being bummed I spent $25 to do so (cough, cough.... Mona Lisa at the Louvre). But I digress.

London is chock full of museums, more than you could ever see during a week-long visit. And in my opinion, it has some of the best, most diverse museums in the world! Even if you're not a museum person, keep these on your radar if you're caught in a storm or need to warm up.

Here are five (technically six!) of my favorites & they're all free.

The National Gallery

Location: Charring Cross tube station (Trafalgar Square)
This might be my favorite "traditional" museum in the world. It has so many different paintings from the 13th-19th century, and a little something for everyone. I also love the National Gallery because of the beautiful fountains out front in Trafalgar Square. It's a great place to sit and drink a coffee while you people watch. Some noteworthy artists include Monet, van Gogh, Rembrant, Michelangelo, Botticelli, da Vinci, and more.

Victoria & Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum

Location: South Kensington tube station
A little less traditional, the V&A is focused on fashion and design. They have famous fashion designers collections displayed from time to time and they're so cool! If you aren't one for paintings but also don't understand modern art, this is a museum you can get behind. 

And I included the Natural History Museum because it's right next door. Anyone who is into dinosaurs, bugs, butterflies and more will love this. Even if it's not your cup of tea, it's really interesting and worth a browse! I've never been to the AMNH in NYC... but I don't think I'll pay the price tag, because the NHM is great.

Tate Modern

Location: St Paul's or Blackfriars tube stations & walk across the Millennium Bridge
To be completely honest, I don't always understand modern art. At all. What really sold me on this museum was its location (at the end of the pedestrian bridge & looks down over St Paul's Cathedral, just gorgeous!), and the paintings Rothko was commissioned to do for the Four Seasons & instead, he donated to the pieces to the Tate Modern. So cool. 

British Museum

Location: Tottenham Court Road tube station
The British Museum is going to offer a lot of ancient history - truly.  Instead of paintings, think of specially curated artifacts from all over the world. History at its finest.

Museum of London

Location: St Paul's tube station
If you're into London or British history at all, this is the place for you. There's so much cool stuff here, as well as rotating pop culture exhibits (currently it's Sherlock Holmes & Pattington Bear). It's a favorite.

I might be a little bias, but London is the BEST! These museums are so well done, and don't rely on ticket sales. Amazing! 

Have you visited any of these museums during your travels? Which one is your favorite? Did I leave any of the greats out?
xo

Southwest Companion Pass

Ever since I heard about the Southwest Companion Pass, I've been CONSUMED with getting it. I neeeeeeeeeeed it! Do you have it? If you do, I'm incredibly jealous.

Since I was in the dark about this, I thought some others might be, too! So I've done my research and found out HOW to get it, and WHY it's awesome!

FACTS ON THE SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS

The only way to get the Companion Pass is earning 110,000 Rapid Reward Points in one calendar year. This means January 1 - December 31. It's January 21, so let's hit the ground running with this New Year's Resolution :) 

The 110,000 RR points must be in one person's name. These points cannot be transferred from another Rapid Rewards account. You can't have 55,000 in your name and 55,000 in  your spouses name..... all 110,000 have to be in one name. No exceptions.

The Companion Pass is eligible for the rest of the calendar year (so, 2015) and the entirety of the following year. Which means as soon as you earn it this year, you're in the clear for the next year, too! Awesome.

The Companion Pass is only eligible for ONE person.... which you can change three times. So for example's sake, if I signed Matt up as my companion (duh!), I could switch it to my best friend, but still be able to switch back to Matt. It gives you one option, but just be careful you don't mess it up!

The Companion Pass is eligible for EVERY flight the holder books. SO, if I pay for my flight with money or miles, it doesn't matter - Matt comes with me for free. Please note that the "companion" must be with the holder of the pass, so he doesn't fly for free unless he's with me. 

110,000 points is enough for an average of 9 free flight segments. Reward flights start as low as 6,000 points (one way), and go up to about 18,000, depending on when/where you're flying (I looked at a bunch of different flights to get a sample). So even if you only earned the companion pass in December 2015, you have 110,000 free points to fly the next year - so you can pay for YOUR flights with points and your companion is still flying free. That's an incredible deal in itself.

There are several ways to earn points:

• The largest (and easiest) is to apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card with the current bonus offer of 50,000 RR points (if you spend $2,000 in the first three months of having the card)
• You earn 2RR points / $1 spent directly with Southwest (a $200 flight = 400 RR points). Please note this needs to be purchased DIRECTLY with Southwest (on their website or phone)... not through a 3rd party website or travel agent.
• You earn 1RR point/ $1 spent on the card on everyday purchases (a $35 tank of gas = 35 RR points)
• You earn the RR points for every flight you take with Southwest (this is not dependent on having the Southwest Credit Card)
• You earn RR points by shopping through the Southwest Shopping portal. You sign in & do your regular online shopping... but for extra points. Nordstrom is 5points/$1 right now, iTunes is 3p/$1, and Sephora is 4p/$1. 
• Please note if you do your spending on the credit card, you'll also get 2points/$1. If you drop $50 at Nordstrom, you'll get 100points for the credit card and 250points for the shopping portal, making your $50 worth 350 points

Let's do a little math. 

If you sign up for the RR credit card and are approved, you'll start at 50,000 points. If you book 12 Southwest segments (6 round trip flights) this year ON the credit card, average $200 per segment, each and average 1,000 RR points (12 segments total), that's an extra 16,800 points. Putting you at 66,800! 

Now, if you do $50 a month of shopping through the Southwest portal on the credit card, even at only 3point/$1 offers, you still will earn an extra 250 points per month, or 3000 points for the year... putting you at almost 70,000 points!

Now all that's left is 40,000 points to earn. If you spend $40,000 a year then you're SET. You might not think you spend that much, but chances are you come pretty close! It comes to just over $3,000 a month on the Southwest Credit Card (I'm only into responsible credit card using.... only spend it if you can pay it off!)

A few notes:

• If you're buying for 2 - which if you're not, the companion pass is a little useless anyway - you will get the double points for money spent, just not their actual flight points. So, buying 12 segments for 2 people, puts you up to 24 segments total at $200, making your points earned 9,600 points... or 21,600 points. The new average would be 71,600 before any portal shopping or regular spending on the credit card. 
• If you're traveling for work, see if you can purchase your own flight and invoice the company. Every extra point counts!
• This companion pass would work best for someone with a business parter (if you travel together often), a married couple/seriously dating couple or a family with kids. If you mostly travel alone or with a variety of different people, this wouldn't make much sense for you. 
• Choose the person who will fly the most often - for example, I travel solo for work more often, so I in theory will earn more points in the calendar year.  
• You can use up to $15,000 in balance transfers to the Southwest Card in the first three months that WILL gain you points. However, they're at a 3% rate, so I would not advise it.

You guys.... we can do this. With a little strategy, you can work your way to dozens of free flights! Who's with me?

xo

More on Cheap Flights:

Save Money on Round Trip Flights

How to Travel for Free

Can I Trust Airbnb?

Can I trust Airbnb? 
How do you know if Airbnb safe? 

I've been asked these questions many times by people who haven't tried the delight that is Airbnb, and my answer is YES - you can trust Airbnb. However, just like anything else, a little research & information will go a long way. 

Personally, I'm an Airbnb fangirl - we use them all the time, and have had nothing but WONDERFUL experiences!

From my own experience, Airbnb is very trustworthy, for a few reasons.

Reviews
The person hosting (them) & the person BEING hosted (you) both leave reviews. This can be inclusive of anything - I usually mention that the photos were exactly like the space, or if it was even better in person, if the host was good at communicating, if check-in was easy, and if it was clean & comfortable. 

Read reviews and see what other people have said! And if you're not totally comfortable, pick a place that has MANY good reviews! As with everything, one bad apple can spoil the bunch, but they're pretty easy to sift through when everyone else is leaving rave reviews. 

Airbnb Verified Photos
Many of the Airbnb room photos are 'verified', which means it was taken by their photographers. It's an extra level of reassurance knowing that an Airbnb staff photographer took these photos, rather than the person listing their home shooting only the good angles! We've all been to the hotel that looks wonderful in photos but is dumpy in person, and the verified photographs take the guess work out.

Verified photos will say so beneath the explanation (like the photo on the left). It will be absent if it's not verified (like on the right).

Money Exchange
All money is exchanged through Airbnb. You don't have to give a random stranger your credit card, which is ALWAYS comforting. (This processing is part of the Airbnb fee you'll notice mentioned). One note on this; depending on where you're staying, please keep in mind there might be a random cash charge (which should be mentioned in their 'blurb' on their posting), but it's not the norm. Airbnb rooms all over Italy had a type of tax (a tourist/housing tax), of $3 per person, per night. If you're uncertain of a random tax, check other listings in that area. Italy, for example, had it on every single one - no matter what. Just be practical. If it sounds fishy, it might be, just do a little extra research.

That being said, here are some things I would look for in a potential place to stay!

Entire Home 
If you're feeling unsure about being in a stranger's home, choose "entire home" in your selection. There's no need to worry about awkward conversations in the hallway or a shared bathroom. 

Some "private room" listings have a completely separate entrance,  bathroom, the works - they're just attached to the house (such as a basement or mother-in-law suite). If you're unsure, message your host!

Location
You can always message hosts and ask how far they are from the airport, shopping, restaurants, etc. Many will have that listed in the notes about the property, but if it's not there - just ask. Airbnb gives you a green bubble of "approximate" location, but you can ask the host for cross streets or a landmark to give you a better idea of where they're at.

Keep in mind paying a little more for a better location can save you money on taxi fare & car rental.

Amenities
When we used Airbnb in Italy, our hit list was washing machines, wi-fi & heat! Each place lists what they have, so check it out and make sure it meets your needs. Free wi-fi is pretty standard, but make sure it's listed. Some have cable, some don't.

If you are renting a car, make sure there is a place for you to park or easy street parking nearby. This is one way we've found Airbnb to be an INCREDIBLE deal. Wi-fi & parking at a hotel can be anywhere from $10-$50 per day EACH. Staying a long weekend can add hundreds of dollars on top of expensive nightly room rates.

The Airbnb community is a very sweet one. We've always had wonderful, kind hosts, people are helpful & awesome! We've had people leave us flowers, chocolate, bottles of wine... it's really fun. 

Airbnb has a great section on their website on how to prepare yourself as a guest. This can answer some other questions you might have if you're still feeling unsure! If you would like to ask me any questions, or feel there's something I missed in this post, send me an email. I'd be happy to help!

Also, if you're a first-timer and are looking for some Airbnb credit, look no further! If you use my link, we will both get $25 towards travel. It's really win-win.

I LOVE Airbnb! Do you? Have you used it before?
xo

How to Travel for FREE

via

Free flights? Yes, please.

The answer? Frequent flyer miles.

It might take a little time & effort, but signing up for frequent flyer miles is definitely worth it! Even if you aren't completely loyal to one airline (like me!), the miles add up... especially when taking cross country or international flights. You might not be flying for free today, but it will pay off - I promise! I like to think of frequent flyer miles as a little investment account. The more I travel, the more I'm saving for the future :)

Here are some facts about frequent flyer miles, and tips to help you start earning NOW!

• Currently, most airlines use the model of miles flown per segment, and a minimum cap for short legs (i.e., Delta gives me 500 miles when I fly from Nashville to Atlanta, even though it's only about 200 miles). Use this calculator to see how many miles (approximately) you'll earn.

• Most airlines fall under three categories: Star Alliance (United), SkyTeam Alliance (Delta), or OneWorld Alliance (American Airlines). This is inclusive of many international airlines, even ones you've never heard of. This excludes only a few independent domestic airlines, like Southwest & Frontier, and international budget airlines like EasyJet & RyanAir. Check the links to see where your airlines fall.
• A friend flew on LOT Airlines to Europe over the Summer and on EVA Air to Thailand last Spring. Even though I've never heard of either one, they both fall under the Star Alliance, giving her several thousand miles with United (enough for at least one round trip flight!). Another great example is our AeroMexico flight that gave us miles with Delta!

• Each airline has a credit card that gives you miles per dollar, and can often come with additional perks. Delta SkyMiles Amex gives us free checked bags (not that we ever use them!), Zone 1 boarding, and double miles on all Delta purchases (flights, WiFi, in flight wine, etc). You can typically get a signing bonus of miles, upwards of 25,000! If you're interested in an airlines card, I'd suggest holding out for a large miles bonus (we waited for 50k!)

• You can earn miles while you're still on the ground. Each major airline has affiliate shopping programs that give you miles per dollar spent! You just shop through their portal and earn miles on things you were buying anyway. You can DOUBLE your earnings when you use your branded credit card through it's matching portal (Delta Amex on SkyMiles shopping, etc). I use Delta but I've heard good things about American, too.

• You can submit a request for your miles after your flight. Each airline has different rules, but it's good to know you have a little wiggle room.

• Miles don't expire... within reason. Delta miles NEVER expire. American & United require activity within 18 months. Essentially, if you fly once every year or two on an airline, you can continue earning miles. Also, you can often times "reactivate" miles for a small fee. 
• A former Continental (now United) lover myself, I had over 15k miles on the airline that had expired. I paid $25 to have them reactivated, and am using those 15k miles for a free one-way flight. Worth it!

• Most airline miles redemption start at 12k one way. If you fly from NYC to LA round trip, you'll earn close to 5k miles. NYC to London is 6500 round trip. Even domestics like NYC to CHI, Denver to LAX, Miami to Dallas are 1500-2500 miles round trip. 
• My trip to Italy will earn almost 10k miles. That's nearly enough for a one-way ticket!
• Side note: we used miles from our credit card to pay for flights to Italy. It's my favorite card!

Tomorrow I'll follow up with the beginner's guide to frequent flyer miles.

Have you ever used frequent flyer miles to earn free flights? Where did you go? Are you signing up for loyalty programs right now?!
xo