Credit Card Travel Hacking with Austin Riffe
We are officially in the summertime, so I wanted to share frugal travel hack ideas this month. Travel is the number one goal of clients of the Financial Gym, and it has been for the past 10 years. As most of us know, travel can be an expensive goal. I love the opportunity to help my clients achieve their goals, like travel, frugally, so that we still have cash for all of the other life goals we have.
Last week we talked about camping, and this week we're talking about travel hacking or utilizing credit card rewards to make your travel dreams more affordable. Joining me today is podcast listener and founder of the company Travel AsF, Austin Riffe, to talk about how he got into travel hacking and how he's saving people thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of points by being more intentional with their travel spending.
What are we drinking?
Austin - Iced Americano
Shannon - Black Cherry Schweppes
Podcast Notes
How did you discover the world of personal finance and travel hacking?
Around 2019, Austin was introduced to personal finance through Dave Ramsey. Dave's approach is intense, and it motivated Austin to pay off his debt as quickly as possible.
Dave's methods get results, but he wanted to find something more long-term sustainable. In addition to focusing on finances, he wanted to enjoy his life and accomplish other things. He started branching out and found Martinis and Your Money and Financially Naked.
He loved what he heard and shifted from tracking every penny to a goals-based budget approach. He enlisted in the CFT Training Program to continue learning more about personal finance and the approaches you can take to become financially healthy.
After the program, Austin realized that instead of working with a broad client base, he wanted to niche down and focus on credit card travel hacking. He wanted to work with already financially healthy folks and help them optimize their spending so they level up.
In short, travel hacking is when you use credit card rewards to pay for travel. You can save thousands when done right, but getting all the rewards takes time, planning, and energy.
What are the basics of credit card travel hacking?
If you are paying off credit card debt or struggle to use credit cards responsibly, travel hacking is not the best approach for you. Any high interest can offset the benefits earned when you carry a balance.
Travel hacking aims to save money and enjoy discounted or even free travel experiences. This is done by using credit cards for spending in a way that will maximize travel rewards and benefits. These benefits include airline miles, hotel points, excursions, rentals, and other rewards. These rewards can be accumulated through spending they would have already done.
Gathering and accumulating points is just one step of the process. The next step is redeeming these points to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of travel and ultimately plan your dream experiences.
What are the benefits of working with a travel hacking coach?
Austin has not paid for a flight since October of last year, and it inspired him to want to help others do the same. It's possible; you just have to have a good plan in place.
Credit card travel hacking often involves careful planning, researching the best offers, understanding the rules and restrictions associated with each card, and managing credit card accounts responsibly.
Credit card travel hacking takes time, energy, and effort. If you don't have the time, you may miss out on thousands in savings. That's where someone like Austin can help.
There can be so much more to it than just the sign-up bonuses. It's about maximizing the cards to have and getting aligned with your ultimate goals. Once you've earned the points, converting them into your dream scenario is the next step. There is work on both sides of this process, and Austin can help with both.
Austin charges a flat fee based on the level of support you're looking for, and his approach is accessible no matter what level of travel hacking you are at. If you try to research this information yourself, there is a lot of information and affiliates to sort through.
Austin offers both per-plan and ongoing monthly support! There is also a community Slack channel where they discuss travel hacking and celebrate each other's wins and notable redemptions.
DM TravelAF on Instagram or Twitter and let Austin know something you learned on the podcast today and mention Shannon or The Gym. He will provide you with three months of free Slack community access, the Strategy for Beginners Guide, and some surprise merch!
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is that travel hacking is something that every person with good credit should consider and if you think it’s too hard for you, then reach out to Austin because the savings are truly something you shouldn’t miss out on.
Random Three Questions
Where is your next big travel destination?
What is a show you’re currently binging?
If this was your last meal on earth, what would it be?
Connect with Austin
Website: travelasf.com
Instagram: @travelaffer
Twitter: @travelaffer
TikTok: @travelaffer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/travel-asf/
WhatsApp: +1-321-209-2588
Schedule A Consultation Call: https://calendly.com/travelaf/meetngreet
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me at Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Face, and let me know what you want to hear.
A recent Financial Health Network study revealed that only 31% of Americans were financially healthy. Only 23% of women and only 15% of black people were. Financial health is a crisis in the US but it doesn’t need to stay that way. At the Financial Gym, we’ve spent the last 10 years working one-on-one with our members to help them achieve their financial health goals.
With a 90% success rate and with memberships starting as low as $35 a month, Financial Gym is not only the inflation-proof source for financial wellness for anyone but also a trusted and capable partner for your financial wellness journey. Head over to, or send friends to, financialgym.com and schedule a warm up call today. As a reminder, our warm up call team is staffed with amazing and current Financial Gym clients that can answer any of your questions about our program without any pressure to join. The call is free, so you have nothing to lose.