⭐ How We Earn Points (The Lazy Girl Way)

Written By Julie Davis
How We earn Points the lazy girl way

Earning points doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need 20 cards, you don’t need to memorize every program, and you definitely don’t need to chase every deal.

The Lazy Girl earning system is the exact method I’ve used for more than 20 years — through raising two boys, juggling school schedules, managing a household, and trying to make travel possible without blowing our budget.

This system is cozy, simple, and built for real life. Not influencer life. Not spreadsheet life. Just real travel.

If you’re brand new to points, start with the Lazy Girl Beginner Guide. If you want the mechanics, head to Lazy Girl Points 101. If you want to understand how I actually earn points in real life, this is the guide.

This post may contain affiliate links for tools and products I personally use in my own travel planning. If you choose to make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I don’t use credit‑card affiliate programs — any credit card links you see are my own personal referral links for cards I actually hold and use.

Lazy Girl philosophy: keep it simple, keep it honest, and only recommend things that genuinely make travel easier.

💳 1. Start With Everyday Spending

This is the foundation of everything.

For years, I earned most of my points from:

  • groceries

  • gas

  • dining

  • Target + Walmart runs

  • kids’ clothes

  • school supplies

  • household essentials

I didn’t chase categories. I didn’t optimize every purchase. I used one everyday card and let the points add up.

If you’re new, start with:

Beginner Cards

Lazy Girl philosophy: earn points from the life you already live.

🧋 2. Stack When You Can (But Only When It’s Easy)

Stacking is where the magic happens — but only if it fits into your life.

My Lazy Girl stacking system:

  • Rakuten

  • Rove Miles

  • Chase Offers

  • Amex Offers

  • Airline shopping portals

  • Seasonal promos (Black Friday, back‑to‑school, holidays)

I don’t chase every offer. I don’t stack every purchase. I stack when it’s easy and when I’m already buying something.

👉 Learn the basics: How to Earn Points Fast as a Busy Mom

🏨 3. Use Hotel Promos (The Homewood Suites Era)

This is where my system really took off.

When my boys were little, we stayed at Homewood Suites because:

  • free breakfast

  • free dinner on weeknights

  • big rooms

  • easy redemptions

  • points stacked on top of free meals

Those trips weren’t glamorous — but they were affordable, cozy, and perfect for our season of life.

I still believe hotel promos are one of the easiest ways to earn big points without changing your life.

✈️ 4. Use Airline Promos (But Don’t Chase Them)

I don’t chase every airline promo — I use the ones that fit naturally.

Examples:

  • double miles promos

  • shopping portal bonuses

  • seasonal multipliers

  • targeted offers

If I’m already flying or already shopping, I’ll take the bonus. If not? I skip it.

🎰 5. Casino Offers (My Secret Weapon)

This came later — after my kids got older and I finally had time to focus on me.

Casino offers are one of the easiest ways to save money on cruises:

  • free or discounted cabins

  • onboard credit

  • reduced deposits

  • bonus offers

  • stacked promos

I don’t gamble heavily — I use the offers strategically.

👉 Explore more: Casino Cruise 101

🧭 6. Earn Points From Real Life

This is the part nobody talks about — but it’s the backbone of my system.

I earn points from:

  • college tuition (timed with sign‑up bonuses)

  • insurance payments

  • medical bills

  • holiday shopping

  • back‑to‑school shopping

  • home repairs

  • travel expenses

  • everyday life

I don’t spend extra to earn points. I use the expenses I already have.

👉 See how we use our points from everyday spend: 2026 Trips Booked on Points

🧠 7. Learn Only What You Need (Not Everything)

Fun fact: even after 20 years, I still don’t know every program.

I learn what I need when I need it:

  • new airline → learn the basics

  • new hotel → learn the quirks

  • new destination → learn the best way to get there

  • new cruise → learn the stacking tricks

Every trip teaches me something new — and that’s exactly what I share with you.

🧰 8. Use Tools That Make Life Easier

I don’t use spreadsheets. I don’t use complicated trackers. I don’t use award calculators.

I use:

That’s it.

👉 Full list: Tools We Use on Benable - perfect if you are a skimmer like me!

⭐ The Lazy Girl Earning Philosophy

This is the heart of how I earn points:

  • No overwhelm

  • No pressure

  • No chasing every deal

  • No perfection

  • No spreadsheets

  • No “optimal redemptions”

  • No influencer noise

Just real travel, real life, and real strategies that helped me take my boys on trip after trip — and now help me travel even more.

You don’t need to learn everything. You don’t need to do everything. You don’t need 20 cards.

You need a simple system that fits your life.

🌸 About the Author

Julie Davis is the creator of No Point Left Behind and the Lazy Girl approach to points and miles — a simple, real‑life system built for busy women who want to travel more without spreadsheets, overwhelm, or chasing every deal.

For more than 20 years, Julie has used points and miles to take her family on national park adventures, cruises, Europe trips, and cozy weekend getaways — all while raising two boys, running a household, and keeping travel affordable.

She teaches beginners how to earn points from everyday life, stack smarter, and build a card strategy that actually fits their season — iced coffee in hand, no perfection required.

Join her community inside the Travel Hacking Moms Group, where thousands of women learn the Lazy Girl way to travel better for less.

Julie Davis
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