We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

“One of My Dreams Is to Be an Expat in a Lovely European Country”

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Welcome to the next installment of our interview series where folks share their thoughts about Big Travel with Small Money!

    Miles & Points Interview:   Kid Free Travel

    Laquel writes Kid Free Travel to share information with readers who prefer to travel without kids.

    Laquel and Her Husband Wes and in Puerto Banus, Southern Spain

    How and when did you start collecting miles and points?

    I just recently learned about travel hacking and how to collect miles!  I started looking into it around the middle of 2013 because I was thinking of where we’d want to go for a honeymoon.

    I really wanted to do it up from flying in Business or First Class, to staying at gorgeous hotels in Italy without breaking the bank.  I found that miles and points would be perfect so that started my interest.

    The only downside is that I didn’t know about this sooner.  Oh the miles that I have missed!

    Taking in the Clear Water and Sunny Sky in Bermuda

    Why did you start your blog? What’s special about it?

    I started my blog, Kid Free Travel as a fun hobby to share mys tips with others who prefer to travel without children.

    I am a part-time traveler and work a full time, 9 to 5 job in San Francisco so I definitely don’t travel all the time.  I have a mortgage, 3 cats, and a husband, LOL.  I try to take 2 big trips a year and do smaller vacations when I can as well.

    There are a couple of things that make my blog special: I’m a part-time traveler, I focus on traveling kid free (either solo or with a partner), and I also share my experience as a black women in an interracial relationship (which I’ll be posting more about soon).

    I’ve noticed that there aren’t a lot of travel bloggers who are minorities so I feel that this lends to a unique perspective.

    On Our 1st Trip to Scotland We Visited Eilean Donan Castle. There Can Be Only One!

    What’s the one single thing people can do to get more miles?

    Just jump in!  Do some research on some of the helpful blogs (Million Mile Secrets, One Mile at a Time, and others).

    Start with 1 card and pick the 1 that you feel you’ll get the most out of (as far as miles but also a card that will get you where you want to go).

    I chose the Chase Sapphire Preferred card since it transfers to so many partners that I am interested in and it has been great!  I just got back from a short solo vacation to relax and unwind and with hotel, flight and food, I paid a total of $90 out of pocket.

    Walking Out on Neiss Point on the Isle of Skye. There Is a Huge Lighthouse on the Other Side of the Point

    What’s your most memorable travel experience?

    So far my most memorable travel experience has been to Thailand.  At the time my boyfriend had never been out of the country AND it was our 1st major trip together.  We had an amazing time and visited Bangkok and the island of Koh Chang.

    Of course this was before I learned about miles but the trip was a fabulous experience and we found that we travel wonderfully together.  It was a totally different experience for the 2 of us.

    Drooling Over the Amazing Yachts in Puerto Banus

    What do your family and friends think of your miles & points hobby?

    Since I have just started they haven’t seen the full benefits yet.

    My husband thought it was a little weird at 1st: me scouring over these various blogs, learning about travel partners, award availability, etc.  Once I told him where we can go and what we could do with all the points he became a fan, LOL.

    I’m helping him pick a starter card so that he will be able to accrue points as well.

    Is there any tool or trick which you’ve found especially useful in this hobby?

    Blogs.  Lots and lots of blogs.  It can be overwhelming due to the sheer volume of information out there but I’ve narrowed it down to key blogs that fit my travel needs.  From these blogs, I’ve learned about great tools and resources like ExpertFlyer, AwardWallet, and FlyerTalk.

    From a Walk Near a Plantation in Jamaica, I Love Trees and Textures

    What was the least expected way you’ve earned miles or points?

    I realized that it’s not all about making major purchases.  All those little everyday things you buy: the cup of coffee in the morning, your lunch out with friends, all of those add up over time.  Even if you start slow you can start accruing points with really no effort at all.

    What do you now know about collecting miles and points which you wish you knew when you started out?

    I wish I knew to sign-up for all the hotel and airline loyalty programs before hand.  I could have been racking up points for years of travel!  But now I know, so I’ve made sure to sign myself and my husband up for all the loyalty programs and I make sure we get points for any trips that we take.

    Looking Out Onto the Countryside in Ronda, Spain

    I also wish I’d known how to pick the best card for travel back in my college days.  Don’t just get some random credit card that sounds good.  You should do the research to see which will work best for your travel goals and will offer you the benefits that you’ll actually use.

    What would your readers be surprised to know about you?

    That 1 of my dreams is to be an expat in a lovely European country for a few years.  We’re thinking Italy and would love to pick up and move, cats and all, for a while.  I’m learning Italian now so I can be prepared 🙂

    Also, I love photography and entrepreneurship.  I have a side photography business as well as a full-time 9 to 5 job and I’m already thinking about another venture I want to start.  What can I say, I like to stay busy.

    We Were Amazed at the Beauty and Vastness of the Scottish Highlands

    Any parting words?

    Don’t be afraid to get out there and travel and live your dreams!  Life is short.  Even if you can’t travel full time, start going on small trips to wet your whistle and explore.  I think traveling is one of the best things that people can do in their life.

    Laquel – Thanks for sharing your thoughts on having Big Travel with Small Money!

    If you’d like to be considered for our interview series, please send me a note!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)