When photos of Casa Rosada starting going around a group chat, I knew it wasn't just any Airbnb.
30.09.2024 - 14:13 / thepointsguy.com
There's nothing like being asked to be a part of someone's special day. Whether it's via a thoughtful gift box or an excited phone call, when a sibling or close friend asks you to be in their wedding party, you're almost certainly going to say yes.
And then, after a week or a few months, you'll find yourself swiping your card to pay for your dress (or suit or tuxedo). And dress alterations. And shoes. And a gift. And booking your trip to Mexico for the bachelorette (or bachelor) party. And wait, there's a dress code for the trip? Suddenly, you might realize that your seemingly simple "yes" is turning out to be pretty expensive.
I've been in my share of weddings over the past decade, so when my best friend got engaged two years ago and asked me to be her maid of honor, I knew what I was signing up for. But since this isn't my first rodeo, I also knew that I could take advantage of my credit card rewards (both redeeming and earning) to navigate the extra spending without having to skip this year's holiday shopping.
In fact, if you play your cards right, you can book your own celebratory trip after the wedding is over to reward yourself for surviving the whole thing. Here's how to do it.
The best and easiest way to use points and miles to offset bridal party costs is to use them to cover travel expenses. I know this. I stay ready for this. So after I agreed to be my friend's maid of honor, I had zero trepidation about the destination she would choose for the bachelorette party. I had over 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points sitting in my account and I knew how to use them.
That's why when the bride told me she wanted to go on a cruise for her bachelorette party, I cringed on the inside. My beloved Chase Ultimate Rewards can take me to a lot of places, but onto a cruise ship is not one of them.
It was time to switch strategies. If I couldn't use my points to cover the trip, I would make sure I was earning points from paying for it. When we were ready to book, I reached for my trusty Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel, including cruises. Before I went to the Carnival website, however, I also checked the merchant offers on my Chase account. I was thrilled to see an offer for $40 back on a Carnival purchase, and I immediately added it to my card.
When I started navigating the booking process, I realized it would be easier to book all six of our reservations at the same time. I volunteered to put the expense on my card and let everyone pay me back.
We booked during a sale and paid just $292 each, so our total cost for the six of us was just over $1,750. At 2 points per dollar, I earned 3,503 Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the booking. According to TPG's
When photos of Casa Rosada starting going around a group chat, I knew it wasn't just any Airbnb.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tobi Oluwole, a 30-year-old former sales manager at a Big Tech firm who recently relocated to France. His former employer is known to Business Insider but is not named for confidentiality. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
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