Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Minimum Spends Explained (And How We Hit Ours)

Credit card minimum spends don’t have to be overwhelming—and they definitely don’t mean spending money you don’t have.

In this mini episode of Point Me to Vacay, I break down exactly what a credit card minimum spend is, why it matters, and how everyday expenses can help you unlock massive travel rewards.

☕ Real-Life Travel Tea: Our Latest Minimum Spend Win

I also share a real-life example from our own family’s most recent win—including how Tom and I each earned 100,000 Southwest points and secured the Southwest Companion Pass for nearly two full years using normal household spending.

If you’ve ever thought travel hacking sounded confusing or out of reach, this episode will change that.

✈️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What a credit card minimum spend actually is
• Common mistakes people make with minimum spends
• Tips to hit a higher minimum spend
• Timing your card applications can unlock years of free travel

💳 Favorite Travel Credit Cards We Love and current favorite card offers here:

(These are the cards we personally use and recommend—always apply when the offer makes sense for you.)

✈️ Southwest Cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business

💎 Chase Cards (Great for Beginners)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Reserve®
• Chase Business Ink Unlimited® or Cash®
• Chase Freedom Flex®

💛 AMEX Cards

• Amex Personal Gold

🏨 Hotel Cards

• World of Hyatt Credit Card

⚠️ Important Reminder

Travel hacking works best when you:

• Pay your balance in full every month
• Avoid interest and unnecessary spending
• Open cards with a plan and purpose

Free travel should never come with financial stress.

🎧 Listen, Share & Connect

If this episode helped you:

• Share it with a friend who thinks travel hacking is “too complicated”
• Subscribe so you never miss a new episode of Katie Spills the Travel Tea

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💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

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