✨ Lazy Girl Guide to Points & Miles - Free Travel Zero Stress
Because earning free travel shouldn’t feel like a part‑time job.
If you’ve ever thought, “I want to travel more, but I don’t have time to learn all the complicated points stuff,” welcome — you’re officially in the right place.
This is the Lazy Girl version of points & miles: simple, practical, beginner‑friendly, and built for real life. No spreadsheets. No overwhelm. No gatekeeping. Just the exact steps I use to earn free flights, hotel nights, and upgrades — the easy way.
P.S. If you’re new here, this post is part of my Lazy Girl Series — simple, smart travel hacks that make points and miles feel easy. 👉
This post includes a few affiliate links. If you decide to use them, I may earn a small commission — always at zero cost to you. Thanks for helping me keep these Lazy Girl guides free and caffeine‑powered.
A quick note from me: I genuinely love talking about points and miles — and honestly, I want all my friends to learn this because it means more travel buddies for me. This guide is my letter to anyone who wants to get started without the overwhelm. If you’ve ever felt like points and miles were “too complicated,” you’re exactly who I wrote this for.
✨ Start Here
New to points and miles? Start with my Beginner’s Guide to Points & Miles— the Lazy Girl way to earn more with less effort and zero overwhelm.
⭐ What Are Points & Miles (Lazy Girl Edition)
Points & miles are rewards you earn from:
credit cards
shopping portals
travel partners
dining programs
…and you can redeem them for:
flights
hotels
upgrades
cruises
rental cars
Think of them like travel coupons that stack quietly in the background while you live your life.
If you’re brand new to this, you’ll want to understand flexible points first — they’re the secret sauce behind all Lazy Girl travel. 👉 Read my Flexible Points Guide here.
⭐ Why Lazy Girls Love Points & Miles
Because:
we like free travel
we like saving money
we like systems that run themselves
and we do not like complicated charts or 47 browser tabs
Points & miles let you travel more without spending more — and once you set up the basics, it runs on autopilot.
⭐ Common Beginner Mistakes
• Opening too many cards at once
• Ignoring flexible points
• Booking through the credit‑card portal when a transfer is cheaper
• Letting points expire
• Not stacking shopping portals + card offers
⭐ The 3 Things You Actually Need to Know
1. Earn points from the right cards
Not all points are created equal. Some are worth 1¢… others are worth 5–10× more.
Lazy Girl rule: Choose cards that earn flexible points (Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Bilt).
👉If you’re not sure what flexible points are, here’s my full guide.
2. Transfer points to airline partners
This is where the magic happens.
Instead of booking through your credit card portal, you transfer points to an airline for a much cheaper award.
Example:
Chase portal: 80,000 points
Transfer to Air France: 25,000 points
Same flight. Less work. More iced coffee money.
👉 Want to understand transfer partners? Here’s my full Transfer Partners Guide.
3. Use a tool to find the best deals
This is where Point.me comes in. It searches dozens of airlines at once and shows you the cheapest award options instantly.
Lazy Girl approved.
If you want the easiest way to find the cheapest award flights, Point.me is the Lazy Girl tool I use every single time. 👉 Here’s my full Lazy Girl Guide to Using Point.me.
⭐ My Lazy Girl Points System (Copy This)
Step 1: Pick 1–2 flexible‑points cards
You don’t need 12 cards. You need the right ones.
Step 2: Put your everyday spending on autopilot
Groceries, gas, Target runs, Amazon, dining — all earning points quietly.
Step 3: Use Rakuten for online shopping
Earn cash back OR Amex points. During Big Week, it’s wild.
Step 4: Use Point.me to find award flights
It tells you:
which airline has the cheapest award
how many points you need
where to transfer
how to book
Step 5: Transfer points → book → celebrate
This is the part where you text your friends: “I just booked a $1,200 flight for $5.60.”
Real Lazy Girl Example: We rebooked our entire Yosemite trip for around $320 total using points and miles — flights, hotels, and a rental car. 👉 Read the full Yosemite breakdown here.
⭐ Lazy Girl Tools I Actually Use
✨ Point.me
My go‑to for finding award flights fast.
✨ Rakuten
Cash back or Amex points — especially during Big Week.
✨ TrackRak
Tracks all my card perks + alerts me when Rakuten rates spike.
✨ CardPointers
Keeps track of which card to use where.
✨ My Away Overnight Bag
Because every Lazy Girl needs a lightweight under‑the‑seat bag for award flights.
Affiliate + user disclosure: I use these tools personally and may earn if you try them too.
⭐ When Points & Miles Make Sense (and When They Don’t)
Perfect for Lazy Girls who:
want free flights
want simple systems
want to travel more without spending more
don’t want to learn complicated charts
Not ideal if you:
never use credit cards
always carry a balance
don’t want to track anything (even with tools)
⭐ How to Start (The Lazy Girl Starter Plan)
1. Pick one flexible‑points card
Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Gold, Capital One Venture — choose based on your spending.
If you’re stuck on which card fits your lifestyle, come join my Travel Hacking Moms group — it’s a judgment‑free place to ask questions and learn with other beginners.
2. Set up Rakuten
Earn points on everything you already buy.
3. Create a Point.me account
This is how you find the cheapest award flights.
4. Book your first award flight
Even one redemption will hook you.
⭐ Point.me vs Airline Sites (Quick Comparison)
Searching airline sites one by one takes forever — and most airlines don’t show partner award space.
Point.me pulls everything into one screen so you can see:
cheaper partner options
mixed‑carrier itineraries
transfer partners
total points required
This is why beginners love it — it removes the guesswork.
⭐ FAQ: Lazy Girl Edition
Do I need a lot of cards? No — 1–2 is enough to start.
Is this only for frequent travelers? No — beginners get the biggest wins.
Do I need to be good with math? Absolutely not. Tools do the work.
Is Point.me worth it? If you want the cheapest award flights without doing the research yourself, yes.
Related Lazy Girl Resources
Beginner: Guide to Flexible Points — what they are, why they matter, and which banks to start with.
Tools: How I Use Point.me to Find Cheap Award Flights— screenshots + real examples.
Shopping: Rakuten 101— how to earn cash back or Amex points on what you already buy.
Mindset: When Points & Miles Are Not Worth It — gentle guardrails so beginners don’t overdo it.
Community: Travel Hacking Moms Facebook Group — ask “which card?” and get real‑life answers.
⭐ Want the Deep Dive?
This Lazy Girl Guide is the fun version. If you want the full, structured, everything‑you‑need version, here’s my:
👉 No Point Left Behind Beginner’s Guide to Points & Miles
About Julie
Julie is the creator of No Point Left Behind and the “Lazy Girl” approach to points and miles. She’s used simple, repeatable systems (not spreadsheets and 27 cards) to book cruises, national park trips, and family travel on points—plus help her parents travel in their 70s without blowing their budget. Inside her Travel Hacking Moms community, she teaches beginners how to earn free flights without feeling overwhelmed.
