Sandmann Travels | Budget Travel & Travel Hacking
Learn how to travel more for less with smart travel hacks, beginner-friendly points and miles strategies, and budget-friendly planning tips. | Weekly newsletter with actionable tips. | Personalized travel planning services. | 1 on 1 points and miles coaching.
Don't use your points or miles without doing this
Hey Reader, Before you ever go to spend your hard-earned points or miles, always calculate whether you're getting a good value by using points instead of cash. The whole benefit of earning and using points is that you're not only saving money, but also getting an insane deal or value out of those points. So before you hit book, or transfer your points, use this calculator: https://thepointsguy.com/calculator/ And here's some quick good news (like I promised last week) - There's some amazing...
Travel affected by partial government shutdown
Hey Reader, I miss when we could go days, weeks, or months without some wild news about the POTUS or government... but if you're traveling anytime soon, you'll definitely want to keep reading. The Department of Homeland security is suspending the Global Entry program during the partial government shutdown. So what does this mean? Travelers flying back to the U.S. from abroad will likely have to use the regular customs lanes instead of the speedy biometric kiosks. This means longer lines,...
The true cost of cheap travel
Hey Reader, I know how it feels to get so excited about a cheap flight, but when the travel day actually comes and your alarm goes off at 3 am... it suddenly doesn't feel so good anymore... So how much did that cheap flight actually cost? On the receipt it says $100 round trip, but what it might actually cost you is: A poor night of sleep and feeling like crap the first day of your trip The price of two extra coffees to stay awake An overpriced airport breakfast since you left home too early...
Can we normalize seasons of inconsistency?
Hey, This email is a little different from what I usually send, but it felt important to share anyway. I’m gonna be really honest with you for a minute, Reader. The last ~6 months of my life have felt inconsistent in just about every way. Inconsistent routines. Inconsistent income. Inconsistent energy. Inconsistent content for my business. Inconsistent work hours. Inconsistent fitness and nutrition. Some weeks I feel focused and inspired. Other weeks it feels like I’m just trying to keep up...
A travel planning blunder I wish I could have stopped
Hey Reader, A real convo I had with a family member over the holidays: Them - I'm not really loving my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. I can't seem to find any way to use my points. Me - Oh shoot, that's interesting. How did you book your flights for your Caribbean vacation in March? Them - We booked with JetBlue using cash. Me - 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ While they didn't do anything 'wrong,' they had no idea JetBlue was a direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So they never made...
What I would do if I were starting over with points and miles
Hey Reader, I was catching up with a friend recently when the topic of travel credit cards came up. They were just getting started in the travel hacking game. They ended up asking how many cards I open per year, and when I answered honestly, they laughed and said: “Wow… you must not care about your credit score.” I smiled, because the reality is the opposite. My credit score is over 800. They looked shocked. That moment stuck with me, because it reminded me how confusing and intimidating...
Do you get decision fatigue too?
Hey Reader, December was quite the whirlwind. We closed out on 3.5 months RVing across the county, moved back into our house, and celebrated the holidays with family and friends. But the last week or so has been a time for reflection, rest, and planning. You know your girl loves to plan. That blank new 2026 planner - ahhh yes. But even though I do love to plan, going down the rabbit hole and delaying actually making a decision or taking action is a challenge for me sometimes... It's...
Is it weird that this is my favorite holiday?
Hey Reader, NYE has become my favorite holiday over the last couple of years. And no, it's not because I go to some lavish party (hell, I don't even stay up past 10 pm). It's because I give myself space to reflect, set intentions, do some self care, and spend quality time with my husband. We make ourselves a nice dinner at home, look back at our previous year's goals, think and talk about what worked and what didn't, and set goals for the new year. Plus, we snuggle up and go through all our...
Are you like this, too?
Hey Reader, Let me ask you something… Are you like me? You know… you've accomplished a lot of really good stuff so far this past year but you still focus on that one thing you keep putting off? To the point that maybe you ignore all the “did accomplish” stuff and instead just feel bad about the “did not accomplish” category? Yeah. Me too. I figured I wasn’t the only one so I’m just reaching out to let you know that hey! You aren’t alone in it. In fact, I'm right here with you. We just got...
You need these 3 things to hack it
Hey Reader, Today I'm spending the day in the truck. Yup, we're in a slog of driving back home from our 3 month RV road trip and we have to get there quick because... man it's cold. Travel can be super exhilarating and exciting, but it can also have its moments - like 4 days of straight driving 🫠 This got me thinking… What makes someone successful at trip planning and travel hacking? Well, I’ve made a list. And I hope you’ll help me add to it. 1) You're in it for the long game Travel hacking...
Learn how to travel more for less with smart travel hacks, beginner-friendly points and miles strategies, and budget-friendly planning tips. | Weekly newsletter with actionable tips. | Personalized travel planning services. | 1 on 1 points and miles coaching.