How I Traveled to Seven Countries (While Working Full-Time)

In 2017, I visited seven countries while working a full-time job. A common and legitimate question I often receive is, “How do you travel so much?”. Ask, and you shall receive; here’s a sneak peek into how I maximize my time and resources to support my travel lifestyle:

Vacation Days

As a Project Manager at an academic institution, I get 24 vacation days and 12 University holidays. I do recognize that this IS NOT the norm for most Americans. One way I maximize my vacation time, which is helpful for people with limited vacation hours, is to aim to schedule my trips around holidays. 

Long Airport Layovers

I’m all for taking advantage of long layovers! On our way to Singapore, we had a 9-hour layover in Tapei, Taiwan. Being the New Yorkers that we are, my best friend and I spent about 5 hours navigating the metro system like a pro and exploring the Wanhua District.

Savings & Budget

I have three main bank accounts. One is where my check is directly deposited (which pays my bills), another is for savings, and another is dedicated solely to my travels. I add to all three accounts monthly. I also have a spreadsheet that tracks my monthly expenses and ensures I stick close to my budget and spend within my means.

Credit Card Points

My Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was one of my best financial decisions in 2017. It’s the holy mecca of travel cards!

Favorite Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits

One of my favorite benefits I’ve taken advantage of this year is the following: 

Global Entry- The Sapphire Reserve provides a fee credit when you apply for either Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85). I highly recommend you get Global Entry because you will benefit from TSA pre-check and expedited processing coming back into the United States. I often fly through JFK International Airport, which is notorious for extremely long processing times and customs border agents with nasty attitudes. With my global entry card, a usual 1+ hour process turned into 5 minutes with limited agent interaction!

Airport Lounge Access- Is anyone else sick of paying $15 for a basic sandwich at an airport? Yup, me too. The Chase Sapphire Reserve provides a Priority Pass granting you access to worldwide airports. The lounges are a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the airport. They provide free refreshments, complimentary drinks, and bites to eat. The best part is if you are traveling with a friend who doesn’t have a Priority Pass, they can join as your guest for free. I found Wings Tip, the Priority Pass lounge in JFK, to be a little skimpy, but all of the international lounges I’ve been to have not disappointed. My favorite was Taipei’s lounge with a massage chair and tasty local green tea box juices.

$300 Annual Travel Credit- When I first got my card, I was automatically reimbursed for up to $300 for travel-related purchases. This is a recurring benefit that happens during the account anniversary year.

3 x points on dining and travel- Ample opportunities to earn points quickly. I earn 3x points on dining and travel charges.

No foreign transaction fees- I avoided $31 in foreign transaction fees this year by using my Chase card.

Rewarding Yourself with Points

When I signed up for the Sapphire Reserve, I just caught the deal where you can earn 100,000 points if you spend 4,000 in four months. The current sign-up incentive is 50,000 points, equivalent to $750 for travel. You can redeem your points for gift cards, cash back, Amazon.com purchases, travel, or transfer your points to travel partners. I redeemed my points solely for travel because they are worth 50% more than when redeeming the other benefits. Using my points, I could book five flights ( two international flights (Jamaica & Brazil) and three flights to NYC from Raleigh, NC). All of these flights totaled about $2,000.

How do you redeem your travel

You have to book your flight through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards search engine to use your travel points.

Annual Card Cost

The annual cost for the Sapphire Reserve is a hefty $450, which did make me a little hesitant at first. But when I thought about the benefits and spoke to my brother, a cardholder, I realized the annual fee quickly pays for itself. When I think about how using my points, I booked nearly $2,000 in flights and saved $300 with travel credits, free Global Entry, and premiere lounge access while traveling; the annual fee becomes less annoying.

Tips for spending $4,000 in the first four months

I applied for the card when I knew I had big upcoming purchases. I was an organizer for a family trip to Jamaica and put the charges for the resort (around $ 2,000) on my card, and people paid me back within a week or so. I practically use my card for everything (grocery shopping, gas, and dining) and pay it immediately.

Pro tips for Credit Card Use

While I’m all for a rewarding credit card that supports my travel habits, I strongly encourage responsible credit card usage. I only spend money I know I can pay back before the dreaded 16.99%–23.99% variable APR interest hits.

Cheap International Flight Tickets

Fun fact: I last paid over $1k for an international flight ticket in 2014. In recent years, incredibly cheap international flight deals have been abundant. I booked a two-country flight (NYC to Casablanca, Morocco, and Casablanca to Lisbon, Portugal, and Portugal to NYC) for $474.84. I booked my flight from NYC to Singapore for $640. I found both flights on the Flight Deal. While traveling within a country, I book flights with local airlines that are more affordable.

Frequent Flyer Programs

A passive way to pay for flights with miles is to sign up for frequent flyer programs and record your flights. I was excited when I finally accumulated enough points to book a Delta Sky Miles flight. These frequent flyer programs offer other ways to earn mileage, like through shopping and using ride-sharing programs like Lyft and Uber.

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