5 ways a money expert used her points to save thousands on her Italian vacation

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A trip to Italy can be a dream come true – but once you realize how much you’ll end up spending on that dream vacation, it can end up being a financial nightmare. Luckily, if you plan your trip wisely, you can use credit points to spread some of the costs.

Money expert Tori Dunlap saved thousands of dollars using credit card points on her recent trip to the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany – here’s how she did it.

Plan ahead

If you know you’re going on a big trip soon, rack up as many credit card points as you can (without going into debt, of course).

“Everything I buy, be it my electric bill, meals, or business expenses for their first $100,000, goes on a card,” Dunlap told Travel + Leisure. “This way I earn points for every dollar I spend. I use multiple credit cards to maximize the points and rewards I earn. I choose cards that fit my spending habits and offer the best perks on things like travel and everyday expenses.”

Dunlap told the publication that it took her about a year and a half to earn enough points to cover a significant portion of her trip to Italy.

Save your points for big ticket items

Flights and hotels are typically the biggest costs on any trip. Therefore, focus on using points to cover as much of these costs as possible.

“I didn’t always use points for everything, but I made sure to save them for the expensive things like flights,” Dunlap said.

Stay loyal to the airline of your choice

Loyalty to one airline may mean fewer flight choices, but it can ultimately lead to big savings.

“My partner and I flew from Seattle to Frankfurt, [Germany,] “Thanks to the Alaska Airlines points I earned as a regular and loyal flyer, I moved up to business class and transferred to Condor,” Dunlap said. “If I had booked without the points, the flight would have cost about $4,000 per person.”

Use points for your rental car

You may not think about using credit card points on your rental car, but this is another great opportunity to make and save money. According to Travel + Leisure, Dunlap booked a rental car for a week for 62,000 points, saving about $1,100.

Redeem points for unique experiences

Many travel credit cards allow you to redeem points to book unique experiences at your destination. Dunlap took advantage of this during her trip by booking a Tuscan cooking experience for six people for 11,000 points. If she hadn’t used points, it would have cost about $900.