Where to start with Brooklyn Family Travelers

Come in, sit down and I'll show you how this points stuff really works.

We have a lot of new faces around here (hi!) and I thought I’d reintroduce myself and share some tips on how to best use this substack and let you know what’s available here for you with Brooklyn Family Travelers.

You may be inclined to skip this but I urge you to read this in full as it’s going to give you valuable insight on how you can best use this substack to help you travel for nearly free. And before you say that’s not possible, it is! Read on!

So, first, I’m Rachel! I’m the founder of Brooklyn Family Travelers. I am also a songwriter, educator, founder of a music education company, mom of two boys, love of dogs and horses, borderline obsessive organizer and avid family traveler.

I started Brooklyn Family Travelers with the mission of making travel possible for more families. Travel is EXPENSIVE and it doesn’t have to be. Leveraging everyday spending to earn credit card points is my obsession and teaching others how to do earn and use those points is my specialty.

Whether you are someone who could afford ALL the trips and want to use points to make your trips more lux, are pinching pennies to take a vacation or just cannot stomach spending a bazillion dollars on another family vacation, this is all for you.

Here is a break down of how Brooklyn Family Travelers works!

• There is a Substack: Think of it like a blog for members only. You’re here (hi - yay!) which means you’re in the know :) Paid subscribers get access to all the content past, present and future, the archive of dozens of articles (with info that will save you thousands upon thousands of dollars), trip reports and itineraries and so much more.

  I am obsessed with substack and spend a lot of time writing for you all. Use the navigation bar and the list below to find posts tagged with various topics. It is organized! It will help you! Thank you for being here and thank you for your support!

• There is an Instagram account: I post a lot of stuff here that’s fun! My favorite is to engage with you all in stories where there are often polls and questions and of course I’m always happy to DM.

• There is a Facebook group: suited more for family travelers local to Brooklyn!

• There’s a Website with lots of ways we can work together like: on-demand classes, 1:1s and Wallet Edits, the answer to the Q of which cards you should have and more. I will often remind you of these offerings but please know there is no pressure! And also remember that wallet edits and credit advice is free - and using my links when you apply for cards is one of the best ways you can show your support for Brooklyn Family Travelers.

My kids have traveled to over 20 countries.

We use points for trips (surprise! ;)). If we had paid cash for the experiences we’ve had over the last couple of years, they would have cost us over $250,000 in hotels and flights. It’s crazy to look at it that way!

And because I know that a lot of people are reading this not realizing how to accomplish this — please know that I did not get all of these points by spending a bazillion dollars on cards, or by doing anything I shouldn’t have done lol (I’m looking at you, skeptics!). We put our regular spending on the right cards and earn a ton of points for making smart, informed choices.

Some of those trips have included bucket list experiences like incredible 5 star hotels, the double-decker Emirates A380 business class to Milan with lie-flat seats and champagne and others have been economy domestic trips and budget hotels.

We do ALL of it.

I teach families how to travel at whatever level they are ready for — and use points for it all.

If you’re a full subscriber, you will learn SO MUCH about how to do it. You’ll also have access to a ton of trip content — we land in cities and really dive in. We love living like locals wherever we go — we enjoy good food, interesting architecture, unique shops and sites, cocktails, books, music, talking to people, walking around and capturing it all in beautiful photos. The points are the means to an end - the trip is the point. Travel changes you, has changed us, and makes you see the world — and other people — in new ways. I believe it’s essential.

We aim to travel better than before having kids…with kids in tow.

Is it the same? No. Someone is often whining, complaining, bouncing around or talking my ear off — life with two boys — but let’s be honest, they are like that at home too! Why not be in Paris?

…Or London? Or Marrakech? Or Mexico City? Or Budapest? Or Cartagena? Or… fill in the blank for the place you want to go :)

And here’s the most important part of this email…

Paris 2022

Here are some articles from this substack that will give you the lay of the land on how to get started with points - click to read!:

The points with the HIGHEST value

Will opening new cards lower my credit score?

How to get more value from your points

The cards I have in my wallet (don’t mug me!)

The BEST hotel brand to book with points

We answer the age old question: Which is better - round trip or one way?

How to pivot your plans (and save money doing it)

Strategies to book a SOLD OUT hotel room

Why airline status may not be worth it (more on my article in the NYT!)

How to earn points from paying taxes

How to book a $10K+ trip all on points

And here are some trip musings, guides and itineraries that will inspire, motivate and give you hope for travel with kids (or give you some really helpful, refreshing ideas if you already are an avid traveler!) with more city edits on the way:

Montreal

Mexico City

New Orleans

Costa Rica

Cartagena

And the classes that you can book right now to get you on your way?

• How to EARN points

• How to BOOK with points (mostly focused on flights!)

• How to book a $10K+ trip on points (focuses on hotels and pro-tips on flights)

And to those who’ve made it to the end…please tell me what you’d like to see more of!

Thank you all for being here - and now back to our regularly scheduled content :)