Travel Widstom

Helping people save money and travel wiser through tips, guides, using credit card points and more.

09/23/2026

Capital One just made the Venture card a lot more interesting.

For a limited time, new cardholders get a $300 credit for hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.

On top of that, you earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

That's more than $1,000 in travel value, and the annual fee is only $95.

Here's what else the card does:

✈️ Earns 2x miles on every purchase
🏨 Earns 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
🛂 Reimburses up to $120 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
🔁 Lets you transfer miles to airline and hotel partners
🧳 Lets you book travel directly through the Capital One Travel portal

Tonya and I both have this card. We like this card because it's simple. You don't need to juggle bonus categories. Just use it, earn 2x, and save the miles for a trip.

The $300 credit works best if you already have a hotel stay planned. It only applies to stays, so flights and rental cars don't count. You have one year from account opening to use it.

The $4,000 spend is very doable if you time it with normal bills, holiday shopping, or a trip you're already paying for.

This is a limited time offer, so I wouldn't wait long.

There is a referral link in the comments. I may earn some miles if you use it and are approved for the card. It will not affect you in any way.

Thank you if you use my link.

09/07/2026

Every other year, we take a family trip. Last year, five of our family went to California for our trip.

Ben and Maddie didn’t go, because they were just a few weeks removed from having our first grandchild, Georgia June.

On the trip, we went to Sequoia, King’s Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. We finished the trip with 3 days at Huntington Beach.

If we fly somewhere as a family, we cover the cost of flights and stays. It can get really expensive fast when doing that.

The saving grace for us has been using credit card points and miles. They’ve allowed us to fund our big family vacations, getaways for Tonya and me, and plenty of smaller trips in between.

Over the last 5 years, we have saved nearly $30,000.

In my latest post, I share what cards we used to help save over $6,000 on our California family trip.

The link to the post is in the comments.

07/25/2026

Tonya and I went to New York City for Christmas for the first time in 2024, and it was an absolutely fantastic trip!

One of the highlights was going to see Wicked on Broadway. Honestly, after seeing the play, I felt like a part of my childhood was a lie—thankfully, counseling has really helped me get over it!

We were able to experience a Broadway show and so much more because we saved $1,700 on our flights and hotel stay.

In my latest blog post, I share exactly how we used credit card points and miles to save that $1,700.

Check out the post to see how we did it so you can do the same for your next vacation!

Link to the post is in the comments!

07/13/2026

If you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, don't miss these new benefits.

You don't need to apply for a new card to take advantage of them.

Here are my 4 favorite new perks:

• Hotel Credit Increased to $100

The annual hotel credit doubled from $50 to $100 when booking through Chase Travel.

Even better, if you've already used your old $50 hotel credit this year, Chase is giving you an additional $50. If you haven't used it yet, you'll receive the full $100.

• Free Apple TV+ for One Year

Cardholders can receive one year of Apple TV+ at no cost. Just make sure you enroll in the app or online by December 31, 2026.

• TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS Credit

You'll now receive a statement credit to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS. That's another nice travel benefit that wasn't previously included.

• Earn 3x Points

You'll now earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points on:

✔ Gas stations
✔ EV charging
✔ Vacation rentals

These updates make one of my favorite beginner travel cards even more valuable.

Which new perk are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments.

For more travel tips, credit card strategies, and ways to save money on travel, visit TravelWidstom.com.

07/10/2026

Well...I guess this officially means I'm old enough to be quoted by AARP.

In all seriousness, I was honored to be included in their article, Packing Habits That Help You Travel Lighter.

One of the biggest changes Tonya and I have made over the past few years is switching from checked luggage to traveling with only carry on bags.

We were skeptical at first, but now we can't imagine traveling any other way.

It's faster, easier, and there's no standing around hoping your suitcase actually makes it to baggage claim.

When I started Travelwidstom, I never expected opportunities like this. It's encouraging to see the things I've learned through years of traveling helping other travelers as well.

If you're trying to pack lighter on your next trip, I think you'll pick up a few useful ideas from the article.

So tell me...are you Team Carry On or do you still prefer checking a bag?

A link to the post can be found in the comments.

07/07/2026

In 2020, we took a 16 day trip to Utah and Arizona as a family.

After that trip, we decided as a family that every other year we would take a family vacation.

Besides that first trip, we have taken trips to Bar Harbor and California.

Things will be different on our trip to the beach next summer since we now have grandkids.

Tonya and I are looking forward to that.

We have made so many great memories on the trips that we have taken so far and Lord willing we are going to make many more.

Do you take family vacations and where have you gone if you have?

07/03/2026

There are countless websites and apps that can help you search for flights.

My first stop is almost always Google Flights.

It makes it easy to compare airlines, view flexible travel dates, track prices, and use the Explore feature to uncover destinations you may not have considered, often at surprisingly low prices.

If you collect credit card points and miles, there’s another tip worth trying. Add the free Points Path Chrome extension while using Google Flights. It can show award pricing alongside cash fares, making it much easier to decide whether to use points or pay cash.

A few simple tools can save hundreds of dollars or thousands of points over the course of a year.

I’m curious…

Do you use Google Flights when planning your trips, or is there another flight search tool you think is even better?

Share your favorite in the comments. You might help someone else save money on their next trip.

07/01/2026

One of my favorite travel hacks doesn't involve airports or airlines.

It's something almost every major credit card company offers, yet many people never use it.

Card linked offers are a simple way to earn extra points, cashback, or receive statement credits on purchases you're already making. But what really makes them valuable is that you can often combine them with other rewards.

For example, if I'm shopping online, I might:

• Activate a card linked offer from my credit card.
• Click through Rakuten to earn cash back or Membership Rewards points.
• Use the rewards credit card that earns the most points for that purchase.
• Take advantage of a sale or coupon if one is available.

By stacking multiple rewards together, one purchase can generate cash back, travel points, and statement credits all at once.

It's one of the easiest ways I know to stretch my travel budget and earn more rewards without spending any extra money.

I put together this guide to show you exactly how card linked offers work and how you can start using them too.

Please share if you have ever used any of these methods before.

06/25/2026

If you are a Delta flyer, you can buy a $1,000 Delta gift card on Newegg for $900. That is a nice 10% savings.

The offer ends today 06-25 so you need to act on the offer fast.

You can stack this offer by shopping through Rakuten which is offering 1% back for Newegg.

If you pay for the purchase with a card that offers 2x points like the Capital One Venture or Venture X card the offer gets that much better.

The link to the offer is in the comments.

06/19/2026

The Chase Sapphire Preferred just brought back one of the their best welcome offers.

Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.

What makes this card stand out isn’t just the bonus. It’s the ability to transfer points directly to airline and hotel partners.

That’s where many travelers get the most value from their points.

Whether you’re planning a family vacation, a bucket list trip, or simply want to travel more for less, this offer is worth a look.

I’ve used points and miles to save thousands of dollars on travel over the years, and transfer partners have been a big part of that strategy.

If you aren’t sure if this a good fit for your card setup, leave a comment and I can help you decide.

I have a link to the offer in the comments. If you use it and are approved, I’ll get some points at no effect to you.

Address

Sugarcreek, OH
44681

Website

http://www.travelwidstom.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Travel Widstom posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Travel Widstom:

Want your business to be the top-listed transport service in Sugarcreek?