My spouse and I live in a big old house by the sea. Home maintenance is a fact of life, and sometimes, repairs have to go on a credit card for a few months while we sort it out. But there’s an opportunity here, too.
By using credit cards wisely and opening a new card with a hefty signup bonus every time a big repair comes up, we can amass a large amount of points to fund our travels. That’s what we did in 2024 when we found out our home needed a new roof.
From big repairs to big signup bonuses
When we got the bad news about our roof, after I finished fuming about the enormity of the expense, I shifted into strategy mode. How much could we cover from our bank account and how much needs to go on a credit card? (Be careful here! I have a clear plan in place for how to pay off those cards within a month or two of the purchase – otherwise, those points are too expensive.)
In addition to shopping for a roofer, I started shopping for credit cards with high signup bonuses and reasonable fees. The Business Preferred Ink card from Chase was one of my picks.
My spouse and I both work remotely (our home has one bedroom and two offices), so the roof is a relevant business expense. Self-employed people are in business, too, and eligible for business credit cards. With a $95/year fee, this was a good pick. The same low annual fee made the United card, also from Chase, a winning pick. The main reason I chose both cards was that they each came with signup bonuses of over 100,000 points each. That’s my magic number; you can decide on yours if you have specific aims in mind.
When paying for the roof, my main concern was meeting the minimums to receive the signup bonus. The roofing company didn’t mind at all when I asked to put a partial payment on one card, part on another, and to pay the remainder by check. Some companies charge a bit extra (usually 1-1.5%) to use a credit card on a large purchase, and that was the case here. The roofer would pass the 1.5% fee for using credit cards on to me, but the roofing supplier wouldn’t charge extra for using a credit card. I asked if I could pay the supplier directly for the materials, and after a phone call or two, the answer was yes! (Even if you attempt such a switcheroo and get rejected, it’s still good to ask. You’re building your strategy muscle besides.)
In the end, I would end up with 225,000 miles in my accounts from the roofing expenses by meeting $8,000 in minimum spends.
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Free travel over luxury travel
Some people who collect points and miles use them for luxury trips they’d otherwise not be able to afford. That makes sense; if the flight is valued at $10,000, you’re getting great value from your points. On the other hand, if I wasn’t going to buy that $10,000 ticket to begin with, it’s more of a splurge than a cost saving. I like to use points as strategically as possible to purchase trips I was going to pay for anyway. (That leaves more money in my budget for home improvement.)
Instead of booking those splurges, my spouse and I look for the best combination of value and luxury. It doesn’t always happen that we get both, and we’re okay with that. When shopping the bargain fares and factoring in upgrades, those 225,000 points from the roof repair go a long way.
Here’s what the last year of travel has looked like for us, largely thanks to signup bonuses earned from home repairs. Together, my spouse and I flew back and forth between Kona and San Diego three times. We flew round trip to Chicago, Palm Springs, and Seattle, and here’s the big one: five of us flew to France for a fabulous two-week stay, and the only ticket I paid for was my own. We all sat in premium economy. That’s a total of ten round-trip flights for about 200,000 points.
We paid cash for my flights to keep the points and perks coming. When Alaska Airlines (and many other airlines) stopped charging change fees, it became easy to shop for super-low-cost flights by booking and then changing when a sale came along. For instance, I paid $156 for my main cabin seat (never the Saver fare, which is not upgradeable) on Alaska from Kona to San Diego and found an amazing main cabin points fare for my spouse at 7,500 miles. Having the flexibility to choose the lowest prices (which are often also the best value with points) is really helpful.
Many of these flights were in economy — as I said, I prefer more travel rather than the highest luxury — but we still splash out when the redemption is good, or when I can leverage perks on Alaska Airlines, on which I have status. That means when I buy a main cabin ticket, as an MVP Gold member, I am upgraded to premium economy or first class about 90% of the time. Keeping my status means paying cash for my tickets — but only my tickets. I buy all of my spouse’s tickets (and my kids’ and grandkids’) with points.
A look inside my wallet
I tend to sign up for cards that come with a lot of perks. Any of the cards in my wallet will offer rental car coverage, for instance, or some discount on food delivery. One of my cards offers platinum status at the IHG hotel chain, which means upgrades. And Chase Sapphire Reserve gives me lounge access and extra points for travel expenses. I may cancel other cards after a year or two and only spend minimally on them while I have them, but the Sapphire Reserve is a mainstay.
Paying for home improvements will never be fun, but it’s inevitable. I’m looking for a good electrician now because half of the lights upstairs in this old house just stopped working. I hope it’s not a big expense, but if it is, I’ll top up my points for family trips in 2025 in the process.
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