IHG Jobs

 Depending on the role and market, we also offer benefits including healthcare, flexible working, incentive programmes and discounted hotel and resort stays.

https://careers.ihg.com/en/?#undefined 

Volunteer

 GoEco has many opportunities, from assisting at a zoo to archeology. Most cover housing and food. Your only cost is getting to the location, the organization will pick you up from the airport.

https://www.goeco.org/tags/ 

BackDoorJobs

 Are you looking for opportunities to work, travel, play, live, learn, help, create, experience and grow? Come explore, dream, discover, do and thrive with Backdoorjobs.com!

https://www.backdoorjobs.com/ 

Cool Works

 Since 1995, CoolWorks has connected adventure-seekers with job opportunities in amazing places—from national parks to ski resorts, summer camps to dude ranches. We help people trade screen time for real time—meaningful experiences that spark connection and growth. 

https://www.coolworks.com/ 

KOA Jobs

 If you prefer to travel in more rustic areas, consider doing a seasonal job at KOA. There are all sorts of positions needed, all over the country.

https://workatkoa.com/jobs-listing/ 

Working at Hilton

 Take that dream vacation. Visit a loved one. Celebrate a milestone. Indulge in Hilton’s renowned hospitality with deep discounts at our hotels around the world. It’s all possible with our Go Hilton Team Member and Family & Friends Travel Programs!

https://jobs.hilton.com/us/en/benefits 

Transport Cars Across Country

 Car transport is a great way to get from point A to point B for free. There are a number of companies that pay for the driver to complete the trips.

Example: With over 40 locations across the United States and tens of thousands of trips per year, you are never far from your next potential run. A well-trained driver is our most important resource, valuing the safety of our drivers above all else, with regular safety training throughout the year.

https://autodriveaway.com/drive-for-us/

Another: https://www.idriveyourcar.com/drive 

Amtrak Jobs

 Amtrak jobs offer significant free and reduced-rate rail travel privileges for employees and their eligible dependents, making it a top employer for travel benefits.

https://careers.amtrak.com/ 

Working at Marriott

 Explore the world! As one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, Marriott offers associates something few others can: the opportunity to see the world at a discount. Through Explore by Marriott Bonvoy associates have access to special room rates, discounts on food and beverage, experiences, and more across Marriott’s portfolio of 30+ hotel brands and 9,500+ properties worldwide. 

https://life.marriott.com/blog/marriott-benefits/ 

Work Exchange

 WorkAway: Our ultimate aim is to build a community of global travellers who want to see the world whilst contributing and giving back to the places they visit. 

https://www.workaway.info/ 

WorldPackers: We are the safest community for travel and volunteering. Connect with millions of conscientious travelers and welcoming hosts around the world and have transformative experiences.

https://www.worldpackers.com/search 

GoOverseas: 

A gap year work exchange allows you to travel the world with all your living expenses taken care of -- and you may even make money while you're at it!

In exchange for your labor, you'll often get accommodation, free meals, Wi-Fi, laundry, and other similar benefits. The possibilities for escaping the 9-5 grind are endless: you can be an au pair, work in a hostel, and be a part of the agriculture process on a farm, to name a few.

https://www.gooverseas.com/gap-year/work-exchanges 

 

Flight Attendant-Delta

 Flight attendant jobs at Delta allow you to travel the world and earn free flights for loved ones too. https://www.delta.com/us/en/careers/flight-attendant-careers

Cruise Ship Jobs

 Many jobs add travel to the job itself. If you're still exploring your career path, this might be a great way to earn a living and travel the world.

Royal Caribbean: https://careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com/ship/ 

Carnival: https://jobs.carnival.com/ 

NCL: https://www.ncl.com/about/careers 

Study Abroad

 Study abroad as a student, there are programs designed for all ages. Explore the wide range of providers and programs.

https://www.ef.edu/local-campaign/us/ef-language-abroad-overview/

https://goputney.com/career-programs-3/ 

https://iseusa.org/

https://exchanges.state.gov/us 

Peace Corps

 For 65 years, Peace Corps Volunteers have partnered with community members in more than 140 countries—putting their experience, skills, grit, and purpose to work on locally led projects. It’s been called the toughest job you’ll ever love. Tough because it asks so much of you. And the love part comes from knowing your work can transform lives and build bridges across cultures.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/serve/ 

National Parl Service Volunteer

 If you love to see the great outdoors and remote areas, this is a great way to travel!

 Each year, the NPS recruits volunteers to serve as modern-day “keepers” at a handful of historic lighthouses, living and working inside—or just beside—these monuments to another age. 

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/volunteer-lighthouse-keeper-national-park-service/ 

Teach English Abroad

 Sites like https://www.eslcafe.com/ and https://www.tefl.com/ have listings of jobs all over the world that pay you to come teach English. If you aren't sure it's for you, they have online jobs which allow you to dip your toes in and find out if you are cut out for it. Once you know, they are listing all over the world and planning a major move is available to you.

Working While On Vacation

 Companies like Adventure Work list opportunities around the world in resorts. They need water sports instructors, climbing instructors and even mountain bike instructors. So, if you love skiing or swimming, or another sport (and are good at it) look for a job here.

https://www.adventurework.co/ 

Expiring Miles and Points

 While doing the online surveys for points and miles might not be your favorite way to spend a Saturday night, it does keep your miles and points from expiring. Do a yearly inventory, know when you need to make a move to save your hard earned miles and points. Most extend the expiration for a year after some activity. Always look through the partners page on your favorite program. If you're sending flowers for a group to a co-worker in the hospital, collect the money and make the order through one of the shopping portals. Keep what you've earned until you are ready to use it.

Group Travel

 By starting a local travel group, usually at least ten members, you can secure discounts on many parts of your travel. If you lead a group, there are times when your travel is free. So, if you are a member of a group, and know others like to travel, it is always worth asking around. Start a Facebook page and get people in your area interested in joining the group to save on travel Some of the major companies are listed below:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/special-circumstances/group-travel 

https://www.amtrak.com/sharefares 

https://vacations.united.com/vacation-planning/group-travel/ 

https://www.jetblue.com/traveling-together/group-travel 

https://www.hilton.com/en/events/groups/ 

https://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-booking.mi 

Home Exchange

 If you're ready to go somewhere and want to make it a longer stay in one place, think about a home swap. There's a lot of sites which can do the due diligence for you. You sign up and make sure you've met the criteria needed, then start shopping for your spot! A few of the larger sites: 

 https://homelink.org/en/

https://peoplelikeus.world/en 

https://www.homeexchange.com/ 

Here is a good video on the pros and cons. Make sure you consider all options!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDhzWno_CEo 

Alternative Programs

 For Chase cards it is Ultimate Rewards, they transfer over to many other points and miles programs, usually one-to-one. 

https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/how-chase-ultimate-rewards-works 

For American Express the program is Membership Rewards, usually one-to-one, but specials can up this amount every so often. Always check before cashing in. 

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-ca/rewards/membership-rewards/

Capital One has a program which is explained here: 

https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/venture-miles-transfer-partnerships/ 

 

 

Points Sites

 Many online sites will give you points for completing surveys or other activities. Places like MyPoints or Erewards allow you to cash in for airline miles and hotel points. So, if it's a slow day, jump into some surveys and earn that next vacation. 

https://www.mypoints.com/ 

https://www.e-rewards.com/ 

https://www.milesforopinions.com/

Bookmark the ones which work best for you. Don't read the 10 year old magazine in the waiting room at the dentist, do a survey! 

Museums on Us

 Bank of America offers our cardholders free general admission – during the first full weekend of every month – to cultural institutions across the United States.

So, if you have a debit card or credit card from BofA, add this to your free travel planning.  

 https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/museums-on-us-find-locations-map

Chase Museums on Us is a fantastic program that offers eligible Chase credit and debit cardholders free admission to hundreds of museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions across the United States on the first full weekend of every month.  

https://www.wonderfulmuseums.com/museum/chase-museums-on-us/ 

Social Security Free Dinner Events

 Yes, this a hard sell, but it is also a free dinner while you travel nearby your home. If you enjoy day trips to museums and other sites, but dread dropping $100 on dinner for two, think about looking for one of the financial presentations in the area you will be in for your fun. Be ready to say no! Some of these type of presentations will be hard sell, this isn't for the weak! Make sure you practice your response of, "I'll research this and get back to you. I never make financial decisions on the spot." Most hold the seminars at the dinner hour, so plan your day, see that museum and walk that boardwalk first, then settle in for a nice dinner on someone else.

Time Share Presentations

 Don't toss those time share offers in the trash until you read them over. Many companies like Hilton and Marroitt offer a legitimate free stay for at least two nights (many times more) for simply listening to a 90 presentation with a tour of a property. They usually offer other items as well, like free meals or theme park tickets. Hold their feet to the fire on the time and the offer, you have things in writing, the company will make good. 

Tuition Reimbursement

 

 Always check, no matter where you work, if tuition reimbursement is available. Many employers provide this benefit in hopes it retains employees in jobs with high turnover. It is a way to show you want to stay, work your way up and be a better employee overall at any job. Most colleges now have accelerated online courses you can finish in as quick as 5-6 weeks. If you use your credit card to pay tuition, especially a cash back or reward card, you should be able to pay yourself back a bit on each round of classes. 

If this benefit isn't available to you, look for it in your job search. The ability to get your degree on someone else's dime is major. Even the action of being enrolled in college enhances your resume. It is worth the effort of seeking out and using. It can add up to a lot of points or miles in the long run!

Join Mileage/Points Lists and Blogs

 There are a number of bloggers and sites which focus on earning miles and points. In my opinion, most aim high thinking we are all rich. So, while they are worth joining, keep in mind they may not be valuable all the time. Some of the best to look through are: 

FlyTalk

One Mile at a Time

 The Points Guy

Join groups on FB and Reddit to see what the regular people are doing! 

 

Creating Spend II

Have an Ebay account? Sell all those unwanted items in your attic and get the seller to pay shipping. Many mystery shopping companies do shipping shops to check for compliance. Some of the apps which pull in many companies are best for locating these. Try Presto Shopper, iSecretShop or Gigspot to look over many types of shops and choose what fits best for you. 

By shopping the shipping you can be paid for an action you need to take anyway. Make those small items pay more and run that shipping through that rewards card, get reimbursed to use it again. Now, selling a tiny item makes it worthwhile, it's no longer a $1 profit. You have the layers of pay, reimbursement and credit card rewards. 

Creating Spend

 Side gigs like mystery shopping can allow you to create spending on your card for things you will be reimbursed for like dining out or retail purchases. To locate a reliable and trusted shop company look at the list here: https://members.mspa-americas.org/directory/

Don't fall for scam companies, always check before you sign up and start shopping. Reddit, Facebook and other social media groups have large pages devoted to sharing information on mystery shops and audit companies, do your due diligence. Some companies are better than others and geographically you want to locate a company that has shops near you. 

And, as always, think layering! Can you do the shop and earn points on their app? Use your card to earn points. Are coupons allowed? If so, make the meal or outing go further. Some apps like Upside offer cash back for receipt uploads after the shop/dine is done. That's money coming back to you for something you've already been paid for and earned your rewards for doing, one more layer!

Rebates

The shampoo bottle says lather-rinse-repeat, the same is true for your money. When you are out shopping, be prepared to know what is giving you the best value. Programs like P&G offer rebates every quarter on the items we all buy. 

Look at the long list here: https://pgbrandsaver.com/rebates/

Use your favorite search engine to look for "free after rebate" items which may fit into your usual shopping. That charge on your card still earns the miles or points, you get the money back to use again. Stores that appear on the airline or hotel shopping portals can provide you with a way to get the items shipped right to you and you still earn the portal miles, the card miles and get the money back in the form of a rebate too. Stock up when things are priced good, make it through those lean times. 

Dining Out

Once you're on your trip, make sure you are prepping for ht next one! Check the dining programs for your preferred program and make sure you are signed up to earn more miles on top of the credit card miles for the charge.

https://eataroundtown.marriott.com/

https://www.hiltonhonorsdining.com/ 

https://ihgrewardsdineandearn.rewardsnetwork.com/ 

https://dining.mileageplus.com/ 

https://www.aadvantagedining.com/ 

https://www.skymilesdining.com/ 

Sites like https://www.restaurant.com/ have coupons you can layer on the transaction. It will save you money and still allow you to get your miles or points. Carry out or dine in does not matter. If you are human, you need to eat, make it worth it for you every time. 

Shopping and Gifts

Before running up to Home Depot or your local Ace, place the order online and pick up in store. All of the airlines and many hotel chains have shopping portals on their sites. Each store has a reward amount for shopping through the site and is deposited right into your account. You pay with your rewards card and layer the portal miles on top.

Here's a few to bookmark based on your needs: 

American Airlines: https://www.aadvantageeshopping.com

United Airlines: https://shopping.mileageplus.com/

Know which store you want to shop at but can't locate the best reward? Try https://evreward.com/

Both American Express and Chase have offers you can load on your card before shopping too (Discover and Capital One advertise offers as well, but it is worth staying within one or two programs at first to make sure your focus is solid-not scattershot.). You'll get a cash back award on the card you use if you add the offers to your card each month. Each layer of reward and cash back makes all of your dollars go further.  

 

 

 

The Little Things Add Up

 The big things are easy, right? House insurance for the year, we know to charge it and get our rewards. But, are you watching the little things? That cup of coffee? Grabbing a gallon of milk on the way home? Use the card for everything! Don't leave anything on the table!

Any good financial adviser would tell you to track your spending, know where your money is going. It's the same for the points and miles. Know where you are missing out. Cash goes in the bank to make the payment on the card, don't carry it unless you absolutely have to for a known activity.

At work or in any group, be the person who collects the cash and buys the pizza for the party, the flowers for the funeral or the gift for the retiree. Offer to be the gopher when it pays you back in free travel.  

 

Paying Bills

 Now that you've chosen your rewards card it is time to start looking over all of your regular monthly payments. Those vendors who accept credit cards without a fee are an easy set up, get it done! 

If you have a bill which does not accept a credit card, start the process of finding an acceptable substitute. There are many companies out there providing cell phone service as one example. Set aside a time for examining your current bill and what the others may offer for you. This is a great exercise in money saving too! Leaving everything on autopilot is not a good approach to your financial life, see who is taking your hard earned money each month and make sure they earned it.

Many utility providers have stopped accepting credit cards without charging a fee. The amount varies based on the company. So, while I never like to pay those extra fees, I also detest being close to a trip and not having what I need to make it happen. In some circumstances, if you need to top off your account, find the low hanging fruit. It might cost $3 to make the payment, but it could tip you over on the amount of miles or points you need to book the trip. Keep this in mind.

The other route is to prepay something. If you need just a few miles to get where you need to be, look at making an early car insurance payment. By doing so you don't incur any charge you wouldn't already, you are just doing it when it is best for you. The benefit is too, you come home and no insurance bill is due after the vacation.

 

As We Begin Again

 As a way of re-introduction to the blog, after a long absence, I will try to begin at the beginning again. As most of you know, the site was hacked and the host was not very helpful in getting access back to me. Now that it is restored, I have deleted all of the unrelated content and I vow to provide the value you are used to getting from me.

First, the blog centers on earning free travel through various activities you already do in your daily life. I'll try to break each one down into bite size pieces to avoid overwhelming anyone with TMI. As an example, we all pay bills each month. We can look at our best approach to that as a foundation to the goal of free travel.

There are a number of rewards cards out there without an annual fee. American Express has Blue card in a couple of different versions. All of the Membership rewards points can transfer to airlines and hotels. Chase has a Flex Freedom card in a few versions which offers Ultimate Rewards points without a fee. Choosing something to use for every purchase, every bill, every activity you need to engage in will create a regular flow of points and miles for you each month without any effort at all.

Do your research, find the right fit for you geographically (airlines have hubs) and what fits your usual places for every day activities (think groceries, gas, restaurants). Once you have this foundation, build on it. Set up any auto pay bills to go to the card, not to your bank account unless there is a fee. Free travel should not cost you anything! So, remember to check if your cell phone provider charges a fee for using a credit card, look at alternatives. I left the so-called uncarrier for the one Ryan Reynolds advertises, same service, more data, lower price and all can be paid on my card without a fee.

Yes, changing companies or services can be burdensome, but you are just taking each step one at a time. While the posts here should be a scaffold for your construction of the vacation you dream about, we will circle back on topics when needed. Things change constantly, having a re-look at your own approach should be an active engagement. Make an appointment with yourself each month to check the blog and engage with one step to get closer to being where you need to be.

 

United Miles for Surveys

 Opinion Miles Club is a free online survey community that was created exclusively for United MileagePlus® members. The surveys that you can participate in help major corporations around the world make important decisions regarding the products and services used daily by people all over the world. 

https://www.opinionmilesclub.com/