Episode Description: As a reminder you can watch this show as well at: https://www.youtube.com/@20minutetravel The miles & points space is vast, confusing and has so many directions that it is easy to get overwhelmed and lost. Thankfully it is possible to get started in the simplest of ways without overcomplicating your life. This is supposed to be fun after all! In this video we discuss Shawn & Mark discuss 5 basic tips for getting started in miles & points and why that is all you need to figure out how to take that next vacation. From dispelling myths to showing you what to focus on, our simple advice can help you on your way to traveling for "free" with miles & points. (Of course it's never really free, but they sure do provide a huge discount. ) Episode Guide: 0:00 5 Important tips for getting started using miles & points 1:44 Focus on transferable points currencies 4:22 Why you should probably start your journey with Chase 5:16 How the Chase 5/24 rule works & tracking it 6:50 Why welcome offers are the best ways to earn points 8:06 Welcome offers return much more than regular spend 9:25 Learn THE TRUTH about how credit scores work 10:34 Why your credit utilization is so important 11:36 Credit score is an asset and your ego shouldn’t play into it 13:36 Get comfortable paying credit card annual fees 15:22 Credit cards are not a lifelong commitment 17:11 The simple approach to getting started with miles & points About the Show: We love to travel and love to laugh! 20 Minute Travel is designed to get you all of the info you need to supercharge your travel by utilizing credit cards, travel rewards and other tricks to pay pennies on the dollar.  Shawn Coomer is the founder of Miles to Memories and has traveled all over the world with his family utilizing miles & points. He has been writing and podcasting about miles, points and travel since 2013 and has earned and spent millions of points & miles across dozens of programs. Mark Ostermann is the former Managing Editor of Miles to Memories and is the Managing Editor at Travel on Points. He has been writing about his travel experiences since 2017 and loves to dive into the weeds so you don't have to. He also enjoys a good beer and a laugh or fifty. Each week tens of thousands of people tune into our MtM Vegas news shows at http://www.YouTube.com/milestomemories. If you like this show check it out! Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at [email protected].