Hello Rick,

A little more than a year ago I Googled “cheap travel” or some other combination of words because I wanted to learn how to take my first affordable overseas trip with my new husband. We didn’t want to spend on a big honeymoon when we first got married because of the cost but decided that a nice trip for our one-year anniversary would be our goal.

We both work for really wonderful nonprofits and find it very rewarding and challenging. The only down-side is that we make modest salaries and work long hours. So I have always been hesitant to spend on vacations – wanting to live modestly within our means and save responsibly for life’s big events (retirement, house, a baby…).

After a few Google searches, I somehow stumbled on your blog and am so happy for what I have learned. In just a few months we are getting ready to take our first big trip together – a vacation that I would have never dreamed of being able to take.

Now, my use of points may not seem like the most strategic to others. In fact, some of my choices may cause some of your readers to cringe (cash back for Ultimate Rewards points –who would be crazy enough to do that!?!). I don’t really have the luxury of debating whether or not to pay cash or use points because, really, we wouldn’t be paying cash and traveling if it weren’t for the points. And we just don’t have the time off of work to take several trips a year, so I am comfortable cashing in a bunch to get one great trip.

Here is how we are taking our *mostly* all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Island in Hawaii.

Flight: Two coach tickets to Hawaii using 70,000 British Airways miles (100,000 Chase British Airways deal; the rest of the miles are covering a flight to my sister’s wedding in Texas).

Rental Car: 15,000 American Airlines miles for a 10-day economy rental car. Savings of more than $375. I consider this a good use of my miles because it saves me from having to pay the crazy high taxes and fees at the Kona airport (Citi Gold Advantage Visa 75,000 AA miles Visa).

Hotel Lodging: 80,000 Marriott Reward points for five nights at the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (nights go for around $150) and 25,000 Marriott Rewards points for the Marriott Waikola Beach Resort and Spa, which usually runs around $225 a night. (Marriott Premier Rewards 70,000 points for both me and my spouse for a total of 140,000 points.)

Vacation Rental Lodging: Three nights at a private ocean-front cottage on a fruit farm found on vrbo.com at $99 a night + $87 in taxes and a cleaning fee. I am really excited to stay at this private, rural vacation rental. Since it is on the less touristy side of the island where there just aren’t big hotel chains, and all of the Bed and Breakfasts are pretty pricey, we thought this would fit our style nicely. (Using 40,000 points – getting $400 cash back from points — for the Chase Sapphire Ultimate Rewards 100,000 bump the bonus points from June 2011.)

Activities: Two tickets on a snorkeling excursion ($99 a piece), two tickets to a Laua ($70 a piece), two tickets on a star-gazing tour on the top Mauna Kea Summitt ($200 each), two tickets on volcano and waterfall tour ($70 each). (We’re using close to the 100,000 Thank You reward points that my husband and I both got from the Citi Thank You Premier.)

Can you tell I am super-excited for the trip we have planned? So excited that I am almost ready to start planning whatever our next trip turns out to be in a year or two!

Thanks, Rick, for all of the expertise you share daily with readers like me! We will have a drink in your honor on the Hawaii beach somewhere!

– Carissa L.