Meet Kelly

Hi, I’m Kelly — the Budget Travel Mom. I’m a wife, a mom of two (14 and 11), and a Lexington, Kentucky girl who has been obsessed with figuring out how to travel on points and miles for as long as I can remember.

This actually started when I was a kid

My dad traveled constantly for work, and I was the kid who would grab his statements, dig through award charts, and plan our family trips using his points. While other kids were reading magazines, I was reading frequent flyer terms and conditions. Apparently that was a sign of things to come.

The first big trip I planned for myself was in 2007, for our first wedding anniversary. My husband and I used his work points and miles to fly to Cancun, Mexico — and that’s when it clicked for me that this wasn’t just a fun puzzle, it was a way to live a life that was way bigger than our budget.

Then I became a stay-at-home mom — and the strategy got serious

Ten years ago, when I left my job to be home with our kids, our travel budget shrank dramatically. But our love of family vacations didn’t. So I doubled down on points, miles, and off-season VRBO deals to keep taking the kinds of trips that make memories — Disney, the beach, Arizona in the spring, cruises with the kids — without the price tag that usually comes with them.

Our first major redemption that really showed me the power of all this was a Disney World trip where we used the Capital One Venture card to wipe out the cost of our park tickets. Watching that charge disappear from my statement was the moment I knew I’d be doing this forever.

Where we are now

Today our family sits on about 1 million points and miles, and we earn somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 more every single year. We’ve saved thousands of dollars on family travel. But here’s what I want you to hear, because it shapes everything I write on this site:

We don’t chase trips just because the math is good. We don’t go somewhere because it’s the most aspirational redemption on Instagram or because it squeezes the most cents out of every point. We take the trips our family actually wants to take — Disney World, Disneyland, Rosemary Beach, Scottsdale, Carnival cruises — and then I figure out how to use points, miles, and off-season pricing to make them affordable.

That’s a different philosophy than a lot of points blogs out there, and it’s the one I think actually works for moms.

Why this site exists

Most points-and-miles content is written for solo travelers, business travelers, or guys obsessed with credit card tricks. There’s not much written for moms planning real family trips — where you’re juggling school breaks, picky eaters, kid schedules, and a household budget. That’s the gap I’m filling.

Everything you’ll read here is from the perspective of a mom who has actually done the trip, booked the room, fought with the website, packed for the kids, and figured out which strategies actually work when you’re traveling as a family.

What you’ll find on this site

Family-tested guides to Disney World, Disneyland, and destinations like Rosemary Beach, Scottsdale, Anaheim, and Carnival cruises. Honest credit card recommendations — only cards I personally use or have used. Off-season VRBO and hotel strategies for stretching your budget. Free beginner guides for moms who feel overwhelmed by points talk. No schemes, no manufactured spending, no “open 15 cards in a year” nonsense — just sustainable strategies for normal families.

A note on credit cards

I take credit card recommendations seriously because I know some of you are reading this with real money decisions on the line. I only recommend cards I have personally held. And I always say the same three things: pay your statement in full every month, never carry a balance, and only open a card if it fits your actual financial situation. Travel rewards should make your life better, not stress you out.

Come hang out

Beyond the blog, I share daily trip tips, packing hacks, and real-time deals on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. My favorite travel gear lives on my Amazon storefront. And the very best stuff — current card offers, trip ideas, real-time deals — goes to my email list first. Join the newsletter here.

Thanks for being here. Let’s get your family on the trip.

— Kelly